 Established in 1993, Silver Nail Custom Homes, Inc. has become a name recognized for quality in the finer neighborhoods of the Mansfield, Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, DeSoto, Westlake, Fort Worth and the Joe Pool Lake area.
“In building a reputation for a company, it is important for a home builder you concentrate on finding good custom home neighborhoods to build in. By doing so, this will help the homes hold their value well,” explains Basil Devin, owner of Silver Nail Custom Homes.
Quality was evident from the beginning when the first house built by Silver Nail Custom Homes was the winner of the Spring Tour of New Homes TM Grand Award. This award is given to the house that accumulates the highest total number of points of all the houses that year. Since that year, Silver Nail Custom Homes has won numerous 1st place awards in the Spring Tour of New Homes TM.
 “When you strive for quality in your homes, you see the results in customer referrals. Homeowner referrals have become an important part of our growth. Our customers comment on how they appreciate the quality and detail difference in our homes. An important factor contributing to the quality and detail of our homes is our dedicated subcontractor pool. We have sought to associate ourselves with smaller more hands-on types of subcontractor business. Often these business owners are part of the job crew. We look for the true craftsmen in the industry.”
 Basil and his wife Janie, expect an equal set of qualifications and level of commitment from themselves and their staff. Basil describes himself as “the sticks and bricks guy.” He is on-site throughout the construction of every home built by Silver Nail. With the assistance of Raymond Schexnaydre as on-site superintendent, no detail goes unnoticed. Raymond’s previous experience, including framing and trim carpentry, gives him the ability to oversee and manage all phases of construction. Raymond gained his experience in the New Orleans area of Old World style homes, which has proven to be a valuable asset as home styles change.
 Basil and Janie also consider Ramiro Cabanas’ role on site an important one. “As our full-time project maintenance person, Ramiro is charged with the task of making sure all the houses are kept clean on a daily basis. “We feel a clean home site says something about the way you do business,” Basil explained.
Before construction Basil, Jane and Kevin are very involved in working with the potential home buyer, architect or home designer and interior home designer. “Our attendance at these meetings is critical. It is very necessary to evaluate the design goals from the construction and cost point of view,” said Janie. “After the design process is completed, we nail down exact specifications and details in order to develop highly specific room-by-room cost proposals.”
 Kevin Hawthorne, sales and customer service manager, works closely with customers from the design stage all the way through to selection and finishing.
“We spend all of this meeting time proving ourselves before we even know the job is ours,” Basil injected. “This has to be done in order to accurately price the project. One of our pricing options is a fee-based cost-plus arrangement. In any cost-plus deal, we keep detailed accounting records, and customers are given a copy of every invoice we pay. Our relationships with our customers are very personal and one-on-one. We pay total attention to every detail.”
In addition to custom homes, three to five spec homes are normally built each year. In all Silver Nail Custom Homes builds approximately 15 to 20 homes annually. Each one is approached as a new creative challenge. We provide the services of an ASID interior designer to all of our customer throughout the entire design and construction of the new home. “We feel it is our duty to be there personally to guide them on style and budget. If they don’t find what they are looking for, we’ll exhaust ourselves looking for it!”
“Through out the years, home buyer experience and expectations have increased exponentially”, says Basil. “The education level of today’s buyer is much greater than ever before. “They are looking for something different, and they expect creativity. In recent years we have done more faux finishes, custom art murals, hard floor surfaces and natural stone surfaces.
Safety and comfort are of paramount concern. “Let’s face it! We live in a tornado prone area. Consequently the savvy homeowner is in search of protection from the elements. We have addressed the severe weather by offering concrete safe rooms in our homes. Our built in accordance with design guidelines established by the Texas Tech Wind Institute and recognized by FEMA.”
Basil and Janie quickly acknowledge their business is built on teamwork. “At Silver nail Custom Homes, we are a team,” says Basil of his family and associates. “Craig and Cindy Devin, Kevin Hawthorne, Raymond Schexnaydre and Ramiro Cabanas are the best!” Not only do they openly boast of their employees, they also credit their tremendous subcontractors. “We all work together creating a product everyone involved can be proud of. Details, fine Old World craftsmanship and individual attention are the trademarks of Silver Nail Custom Homes.”
“Home building requires absolute dedication, patience and lots of hours,” says Basil. “This is a seven-day-a-week, hands-on job. You’ve got to love it to do it right!”
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