Interview: Beethoven4 Owners Jimmy & Kathy [ Projects ]
/Jimmy and Kathy Ou are one of the homebuyers who purchased one of the Beethoven Four homes. They are newlyweds and enjoy living in their new home with their dog Buddy. Jimmy is a scientist in cancer therapeutics and Kathy is a manager in an internet advertising company. The two of them enjoy doing things around their home. Kathy enjoys baking desserts and Jimmy enjoys going on the roof deck and using the wood smoker that Kathy bought him.
"The home is a great fit for our lifestyle. There is plenty of space and we really like the architectural design elements."
After a year and half living in their new home, we decided to catch up with them to see how their homeownership experience was going.
The 4Corners Group: So you’ve been living in your new home for more than a year now. Is there anything in particular that you like about the home?
Jimmy: The home is a great fit for our lifestyle. There is plenty of space and we really like the architectural design elements. You can see a lot of thought was put into the design such as the window placement throughout the home to maximize natural light while maintaining privacy. There were also design features such as the floating staircase. We were impressed with the fixtures and finishes from the very beginning. I have seen a lot of builder grade houses where they skimp on those because it’s cheaper and it won’t really impact the sale of the home because people will buy it anyways. I liked the extra steps that you guys took such as the soft close drawers, extra high ceilings, and glass windows doors. We appreciate all those little things.
4Corners: And anything you would have liked to see done differently?
Jimmy: We would have really liked having at least a half bath on the living level because most of our time is spent in the kitchen or the living room. When we have dinner parties or guests over, it would have been helpful to have a bathroom on the living level rather than to have guests go upstairs or downstairs.
"I absolutely feel there is a sense of community. We came from a very large condo project that had 90 units and there is a different sense of community"
4Corners: As far as your thoughts on small lot subdivisions, do you feel there is a sense of community that is achieved with this type of development?
Jimmy: I absolutely feel there is a sense of community. We came from a very large condo project that had 90 units and there is a different sense of community in that you sort of know everybody in passing. But in small lot subdivision, because there are only four units, we get to know our neighbors on a more personal basis. Particularly, one of the residents at Beethoven Four is actually a director at my company, we help each other out. Even with our other neighbors, we all know each other; we have conversations in the driveway. When someone goes on vacation, we’ll watch out for each other’s units and we’ll check the mail for them. So there is definitely a pretty tight knit sense of community.
4Corners: That’s great. Are there any things that you feel that we could have done to further this sense of community? In terms of shared outdoor space or a little park?
Jimmy: No, I don’t think that as a feature that would have been a particular value add because each of us already have our own pretty spacious roof decks. I don’t think we would need anything like that. It’s just fine sharing the motor courtyard and we still have a feeling of a single family home rather than a townhome complex. And having no HOA fees is great.
4Corners: Overall, how would you rate your experience working with us, The 4Corners Group, particularly in the sales process?
Jimmy: It was a fantastic experience; all of you guys were receptive and quick to answer any questions. The realtors that you guys chose at Keller Williams were great as well as Metlife.
4Corners: After closing, how would you rate our post-sales performance?
Jimmy: As the builder and developer, you guys were absolutely great. The best experience we’ve had with any builder before. For instance, you guys had your 6 month as well as 1 year check up where you guys resealed the floors, checked for small loose hinges or screws, readjusted windows and door screens. I thought that was an absolutely great service. Also, Danny being the developer, designer, and contractor, how you talked through the project with me and all of the little things that you did and the engineering features like the interstitial space. I thought it showed a true pride in construction because you had invested so much of yourself into it and that carried over into our appreciation of the unit itself.