Grey Goose Landing subdivision moving forward

FREMONT – An expansion of the Grey Goose Landing subdivision on the edge of Fremont is moving forward, with a production homebuilder planning to close on 15 lots and begin offering new houses later this year.

The builder, Appleton-based Tom McHugh Construction, has the remaining residential lots under contract in the existing Grey Goose Landing subdivision and expects to close on the purchase in about two weeks and begin building this year, Chief Executive Tom McHugh said.

The typical homes planned are ranch-style of about 1,300 to 1,700 square feet, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. All lots, even those originally platted for duplexes, will receive single-family houses, he said.

While McHugh said the goal is to include full 8-foot basements whenever the lot allows, the final home design will depend heavily on the site’s water table. Crews were out last week drilling test holes to check the water table so the company can match floor plans to lots and set basement elevations to ensure homeowners do not experience future water issues.

“We won’t force a certain style of build in a community if homeowners will have water problems in the future,” McHugh said. “Some solutions to this are bi-level or raised ranch style homes where there is only four feet of basement in the ground, or a ranch floor plan with a four foot crawl space.”

McHugh specializes in turnkey construction, a model designed for buyers who cannot or do not want to take out a construction loan. Under that approach, buyers select a lot, floor plan and finishes, put down a deposit, and then the builder carries the construction financing until the home is complete.

He said the model lets first-time buyers using Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, who often can’t qualify for traditional construction loans, still get into new construction. McHugh added that it benefits any home buyer seeking new construction.

The company covers construction financing costs, eliminating loan fees, interest, utilities and insurance for the buyer. This provides an advantage for those putting down less than the standard 20% required by most lenders, he said, and it also helps buyers who do have 20% to put down by saving them nearly $14,000, or about 4%, in typical construction loan fees.

While home-and-lot packages are likely to start around $349,900, McHugh estimated that in a best-case scenario, pricing could start at $339,900. The final price can vary because site-specific costs in Fremont, including wells, sanitary assessments and permits, are added on top of the base per-square-foot price.

McHugh said the homes sit on spacious lots, most of which are more than a half-acre. The subdivision also includes a large private pond and a walking trail that is jointly owned by property owners.

All of the streets have a municipal sewer system, the majority of them have curb and gutter and several also have ditches. Buyers will have private wells, which adds an upfront cost but eliminates monthly water bills.

McHugh said the company has only recently put the Grey Goose Landing lots under contract and is in the early stages of site due diligence. The company expects to roll out “build sheets” and begin pre-selling homes around June 1, allowing buyers to choose a lot and floor plan before construction starts.

The goal is to build out the initial 15 homes this year and then evaluate whether to move ahead with additional phases to the east, where about 30 lots are already platted but not yet developed, he said.

“Building out the remaining lots secures our partnership with the development on the final phase of Grey Goose, potentially as soon as next year,” McHugh said.

McHugh said Fremont’s small size makes it harder to predict exactly how fast the new homes will sell, but he believes the price point and lack of newer housing stock in the area will generate demand.