FRONT PORCH

The couple purchased the last home site in the neighborhood at the end of February and nearly six months later on Aug. 25, Chris and Kyle officially moved into their new home. They chose the two-story Tribute floor plan, which features three bedrooms, two-and-one-half bathrooms, a dining room that the two are using as a man cave, a great room and an open-concept kitchen. The couple also added a custom pool package.

During the building process, Chris and Kyle had the opportunity to visit the design center and pick out every element of their new home from flooring and paint colors to fixtures and lighting.

“The design center was by far the best part of the process,” says Chris. “They were very accommodating and would fit us in on a Saturday if we needed to. They were amazing. Being able to do our own thing was huge for us. We got to make all of our decisions together. We both agreed on everything.”

One of the initial aspects that drew Chris and Kyle to Magnolia Point was its coastal community feel and the use of bright colors and unique architectural elements.

“It’s very ‘Desperate Housewives,’” says Kyle. “Every house is a different color and no two houses look alike. I love our house. I walk up and can’t believe that’s our house.”

Kyle passed by Magnolia Point everyday going to and from work and at least once or twice a week he would swing into the neighborhood and check the home’s progress. On Fridays, the two would visit their new home together. For the first couple months, Chris and Kyle saw the walls go up and the rooms begin to take shape, but it wasn’t until the couple walked up to the construction site one day and saw a staircase that the two could finally see their new home in its entirety.

The couple was in constant communication with construction manager Tom Boyer. Tom kept Chris and Kyle updated throughout the entire building process, scheduling at least four meetings for homebuyer input. If Chris and Kyle happened to notice anything that needed to be changed, Tom and his team would look into it and get it fixed as quickly as possible.

“Having worked in real estate and new construction for years, I’ve seen the different issues that can arise, but the problems I expected to run into never happened,” says Chris. “I was very happy. Everything Neal Communities did was really good and the quality was really good.”

Since moving into their new home, Chris and Kyle, whose previous home in Michigan was a 1,000-square-foot bungalow, have enjoyed having ample space to relax and entertain family and friends while also riding out Hurricane Irma Sept. 10 in customary style.

Chris and Kyle are enjoying finally being able to trade in their moving boxes for knickknacks and tchotchkes and put the finishing touches on their home.

“We wanted to have our house back,” says Chris. “It feels like a home again.”

Chris and Kyle were so impressed with the entire homebuilding process that they even submitted their story to HGTV’s “House Hunters.” While the couple wasn’t selected for the show, Chris and Kyle couldn’t be more pleased with the way their homebuilding experience was scripted.

“I would recommend Neal every day,” says Chris.

“We got exactly what we wanted, and we also have projects to keep us busy,” says Kyle.