I first met Bill Atteberry during an open house he was holding at Eagle Crest
Resort in Redmond. He builds a few ‘spec’ homes now and then and markets them
himself to reduce the overall cost to the buyer. My wife and I had talked to
several of the builders on the ‘recommended’ list at Eagle Crest and we were more
than a little frustrated with their lack of creativity.
We wanted to build a Southwest style home, complete with stucco siding, tile
roof, arches, pathways, the whole look. The other builders wanted to modify
their existing floor plans that were already scattered throughout the resort, in
mass. Then they were going to add some stucco appointments to the ‘cookie
cutter’ designs that they had built many times over. We wanted something unique
and that’s where Bill shines.
He immediately started telling me about a stucco house that he recently built
in Crest Ridge, not two miles away. He knew the owners well and they were more
than happy to let him use their house as another of his showcases. We made
arrangements to meet and when we did, we were amazed at the quality and design
of this custom home. One problem came up immediately, the house was about 1500
square feet larger than we needed and a couple of hundred thousand more than we
had to spend.
Bill listened to what we liked about the house, tweaked it, drew up the plans
and within a week or so, we had a design that was unique to us, the right size
and within our comfort level for budget.
Once he started building, Bill kept us updated with pictures of the progress,
via email
(we were living in Portland). Bill was at the jobsite nearly every day,
something you don’t see much of anymore. We made the normal amount of changes
and add-ons that people do when building a custom home. One of the great things
about working with Bill is his flexibility, he goes out of his way to make
things happen and give his clients what they want.
His houses now have warranties with them. When we built ours, these weren’t
offered. With Bill you don’t need it, just a handshake. We had never done this
before and Bill and his wife Laurie made it easy. It was fun and we would do it
again ‘in a heartbeat’. With Bill, of course!
Feel free to call me anytime.
Phil Ake
Portland, Oregon
503-283-0918
September 20, 2008
Dear Bill and Laurie
We really love our vacation home in Central Oregon ! Our dream was a long
time in the making, and we thank you for helping to make it come true.
Several things stand out in our dream that kept it from becoming a nightmare.
First, during the construction time, we so very much appreciated you taking
time from your busy schedule to meet us at the construction site almost
every single Saturday. It was a wonderful way to see what had been
accomplished the prior week, an opportunity to make any changes, and to
know what was going to happen in the next week. Since we were doing this
long distance, communication was very important.
At no time did you or anyone on your staff make us feel like our dream was
inadequate. For example, if we wanted a window on this wall, you put it there
without questioning us as to why in the world anyone would want a window
right there. No one ever said that would be a ridiculous place for a window.
No one ever tried to make us change our mind. No one ever tried to change
our dream. There were a few times when we were not sure which way our dream was
heading, and you patiently waited for us to ask your opinion. We were so
unsure what to do about the porch floor, and doing it in pavers was a new
concept to us. However, your experience in what to do for this climate has
proved to be invaluable.
The notebook is my very favorite. It was great to have a monthly
accounting of the progress and to see how closely you stayed on budget.
Many thanks for letting our dreams soar beyond what we ever imagined.
Sincerely,
Norm and Inez Matson
How can you ask for more than a home that is built under budget and still
exceeds expectations ? That is the home we received in Redmond, OR from Bill and
Laurie Atteberry of Thistle Construction.
We were extremely fortunate to have long-time friends introduce us to Bill
and Laurie in 2008. We had owned an Eagle Crest lot for eight years and were
ready to build our dream of a home at the resort. After one initial meeting, we
were sure that we had found the people to make that dream happen in Thistle
Construction.
Since we still resided two hours away during the construction, Thistle's
timely long distance communications were invaluable. What's more we received
regular online photographs at every phase of the project. When we were on -site,
they listened to us, responded with helpful consultation and made the many
necessary decisions easy and done "our way".
From early planning to design to construction to the final landscaping and
furnishings, the process was one of the most rewarding we have ever experienced.
There were several instances when we were perfectly satisfied with a stage of
work, but Bill wasn't and changes were made without any delays or additional
costs to us.
I can see why many of the Atteberry's customers return to them to build
again. We could not be happier with our completed Thistle home. And we even
received more than that. Bill and Laurie have become great friends.
Mike and Judy Corwin
