TODD WOOD, INC.
GULFPORT, FLORIDA

Castlewood Custom Builders was created by its principals with the following mission in mind: Castlewood has accomplished these objectives and more, making it a desirable choice for those buyers seeking not only a high quality, “one of a kind” finished product, but also a process that is exciting, fun and rewarding along the way. By design, Castlewood is not a large company — and our clients uniformly agree that that is a very GOOD thing! We are a true “boutique” operation, providing our clients with an building experience that is truly intimate — an approach that creates many positive, long-term relationships with our often-elated customers. Interwoven within this framework are features and characteristics that reflect the individual personality of each client, making each finished product truly “one of a kind”. , with over 50 years of combined experience in professional arenas beyond mere construction; a circumstance that enhances every aspect of service that we provide. Castlewood Custom Builders was created by its principals with the following mission in mind: Castlewood has accomplished these objectives and more, making it a desirable choice for those buyers seeking not only a high quality, “one of a kind” finished product, but also a process that is exciting, fun and rewarding along the way. By design, Castlewood is not a large company — and our clients uniformly agree that that is a very GOOD thing! We are a true “boutique” operation, providing our clients with an building experience that is truly intimate — an approach that creates many positive, long-term relationships with our often-elated customers. Interwoven within this framework are features and characteristics that reflect the individual personality of each client, making each finished product truly “one of a kind”. , with over 50 years of combined experience in professional arenas beyond mere construction; a circumstance that enhances every aspect of service that we provide. Purchasing a home is an exciting, yet stressful endeavor, which is understandable given that for most of us, our homes represent our single-most-valuable asset! Add to the mix any issues related to home inspections and financing and you have yourself a potential pressure cooker. Building a custom home adds even more layers to the normal home-purchase scenario, so much so, that many consider it to be a process so daunting that they cannot imagine themselves ever doing such a thing. But, as with most life experiences, removing the “mystery” from the equation goes a long way toward reducing (or even eliminating) one’s natural fears. This is why a big part of Castlewood’s mission is to demystify the custom home-building process, and help our clients “enjoy the ride” in creating their ultimate personal living space. We pride ourselves in a clearly and simply stated 7 step process to building your dream home. With that goal in mind, let’s get started! The bottom line is: the more educated you become regarding all of these issues, the more prepared you will be to effectively answer each of these required questions. Castlewood’s diverse collection of in-house talent can help you do this, with as much or as little guidance as you need, when you need it. And, when we DON’T know an answer or think that you need additional information, we not only will let you know, but will also help you find it through our vast industry network of other sources. A common method of acquisition is to sign a contract to purchase a lot, but perform certain “due diligence” prior to closing to determine, among other things, the lot’s suitability for the particular design, size and dimensions of the home you want to build. In this context, the lot purchase becomes part of the overall financing of the project. That is, you have one closing at the beginning of the project, at which you finance both the lot purchase and the construction as part of one loan, where the bank provides some portion of the purchase price (to allow you to take title to the property before you begin building), and then finances the construction through a pre-determined “draw schedule.” This type of financing is commonly referred to as Construction/PERM (i.e., “permanent”) financing. A less common method of doing this would be for the builder to acquire the lot, build your home on it, and then sell you the finished product. This would obviously be the most expensive method of lot acquisition, as it would require the greatest time commitment and assumption of risk by the builder. We know that all of this may seem a bit overwhelming, but we also know that the more knowledge you gain the more comfortable you will become. Castlewood’s diverse expertise and depth of knowledge can help you get there! We think that you can tell a great deal about a custom builder by looking at its NON-CUSTOM projects — that is, take a look at the builder’s speculative (or “spec” as called in the trade) house projects. This should give you a good idea of the builder’s baseline product, specifically, what designs, features, amenities and workmanship the builder considers to be “standard” for its projects. This will provide keen insight as to whether the builder’s standards of design, quality and workmanship match your own. Chances are, that if a particular builder’s established standards meet or exceed your own ideas in that regard, at the price points that you have in mind, then you have found the right builder for you. One of Castlewood’s trademark features in these spec homes is the fully finished “Attic Suite,” which comprises what is normally the unfinished 3rd floor (i.e., the “rafter” area) of the home. The Attic Suite always includes a large open sitting (or “bonus”) room, along with a fully complimented guest bedroom suite (i.e., a separate bedroom, with its own walk-in closet and full bathroom), and is accessible by a full-size oak staircase. This standard amenity is incorporated into all of our custom-home designs, and provides our customers with the tremendous convenience of an additional 25% of above-grade living space (adds between 750 to 1250 sq. ft. per design), without increasing the footprint of the house.