On the Ground Floor

By David Parsons
– The Daily News –

The Memphis Area Home Builders Association is presenting the second annual Muddy Boots Tour as a way to give building and design enthusiasts a preliminary look at the award-winning houses that will appear in the Vesta Home Show.

The Muddy Boots Tour, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Neighborhood of Schilling Farms in Collierville, will offer a one-time-only look at the six homes under construction that will be featured in Vesta, scheduled for October 9-24.

The show is designed to provide Mid-Southerners a chance to come away with free building and design ideas, said Amy Donald, special events director for the Memphis Area Home Builders Association.

"Muddy Boots gives the public a whole new perspective and insight into Vesta," Donald said.

"The details and craftsmanship that make these homes really unique can best be appreciated at this early stage of development."

Donald said Muddy Boots also is an opportunity to see the layers and structures that place these homes in a "class by themselves."

The builders will be on hand to answer questions regarding the construction on the houses, and visitors will get a first-hand education in modern building, she said.

"The innovative designs and custom features that differentiate a Vesta Home will be all the more visible in this infancy stage," Donald said.

"The homes will be near enough to completion to truly appreciate the magnificent stairwells, custom flooring and lavish architecture."

Each of the six showcase homes for the 1999 Vesta Home Show is being built by a registered builder.

In order to become a registered builder, a builder must have a Tennessee contractor’s license, controlled and supervised all phases of a minimum of six homes, demonstrate financial stability and adhere to the Memphis Area Home Builders Association’s code of ethics.

The registered builder symbol of quality also means that all registered builder homes carry at least a one-year limited warranty, and registered builders agree to abide by decisions of the registered builder committee in response to homeowner complaints.

This is designed to ensure a consistent and fair buyer/builder mediation system.

In addition to the individual homes, The Neighborhood at Schilling Farms, developed by Boyle Investment Company, is the type of neighborhood that highlights the standards of the registered builder program, according to the MAHBA.

In addition to the individual homes, The Neighborhood at Schilling Farms, developed by Boyle Investment Company, is the type of neighborhood that highlights the standards of the registered builder program, according to the MAHBA.

The development has strict building codes and offers amenities such as a white picket fence and mature tree-lined boulevard, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, park benches, wooded surroundings and classic architecture.

To locate the Vesta site, follow Poplar Avenue east to Collierville, then turn right on Schilling Boulevard. The Vesta site is on McGinnis Circle.

For additional information, call the MAHBA at 756-4500.

Parsons is chairman of the Vesta Home Show and second vice president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association.