About Us

Not Just Any Home, an HBD Home!

Since the beginning, HBD has been building homes of the highest quality. It is our belief that a home should be a haven for its owner(s), not a burden. A traditional mortgage has a term of thirty years, in that time the homeowner should need only to spend money on the house payment, not repairs.

For over 20 years we have successfully developed a building program that consistently delivers the highest quality home. We have turned a great deal of attention towards delivering an unsurpassed level of value as well. “Value” is a term that a consumer will see used in all literature from home builders. It would appear that it is one of those catch phrases. The question that you should ask is “What do they mean by “value”.

At HBD value is a concept. One that has many components and when properly assembled will leave you knowing that you acquired more than you paid for. Much more than you would have gotten from any other builder!

Value is also closely linked to price. What do you get for your hard earned money? This is the easiest way for you to compare several different builders at once. Please pay close attention when doing this. At HBD, our standard features list has everything that most homebuyers want, included in the price of the home. The larger corporate builders have this part of their smoke and mirrors campaign down to a science.

The corporate builders will lure you in with a low price. Especially a low cost per square foot. It is only after you are in the buying process that you realize that the low price is based on a shell of a house. It seems that everything is an option with additional cost. For example, a garage door opener is an option. The electric outlet that you need to operate the garage door opener is an option. The supply line for the ice maker in the refrigerator is a $250.00 option. A light switch used to turn on a light in a bedroom is an option. The light is an option. If you want a fan/light combination in the room this is another option. They believe that you could get by without a garage door opener, ice maker, outlet for a washer or dryer, ceiling mounted lighting, fans, etc.

We suggest that you make a list of all the options that are offered from the different builders. Be sure to get real prices for each one of those options, not a package price. Then make a list of the standard features offered by the different builders. Now you can make a side by side comparison. You will see that the end price of the equally equipped corporate house will be significantly higher than a HBD home.

Concierge Service

When building a home with HBD, you will be dealing with us. Sure, there are professional sales and support persons involved in the process. However, in-person meetings with the builder, Bob Jr., is the norm, not the exception. We are never too busy running the company to spend time with our customers. The company is built around its customers.

We will custom design a home plan or modify an existing floor plan to meet your unique and specific needs. This service will be at no charge to you if you have us build your home. For example, we design homes around pieces of furniture. We may need to come to your home in order to make sure we get it right. Few others would do that.

Once we have established a floor plan and location we will walk you through the contract process. We will take as much time as needed to explain everything in detail.

Here is a list of preferred lenders that we have an established relationship with. Each lender has a special thing that sets them apart from the others. This greatly increases the odds of finding the one that is just perfect for you.

When building a new home there are many decisions to be made. The number of choices that are made available to the home owners today is endless. Many people find this to be overwhelming. What should I pick? How much does it cost? What is my budget? These things cause a great deal of stress. We believe that we have found a way to relieve that stress.

As a part of our program you will receive assistance from our in house interior design coordinators. They will meet with you at your home if needed in order to get a feel for your taste and style. They will then walk you through the selection process step by step. From making the appointments for you at the various showrooms, to actually going with you to help you make decisions as necessary. You will not find this service anywhere else. You will also find this service to be very valuable. This is done at no cost to you. If you wish, you can also have them help you with all the little things that make a house a home.

Most new homebuyers have a home to sell. If this is the case for you, we have made special arrangements with several real-estate brokers such as Remax, Coldwell Banker, Strano, and Century 21 to name a few.

Many people worry that they will sell their home during the building process before their new home is completed, leaving them without a place to stay. HBD is confident that you will sell your home in a timely manner, especially if you choose one of the persons that we refer you to. Once again in order to make the building process as pain free as possible for our customers, HBD has made arrangements for just such a situation. We have partnered with Gerald Moving, a long respected leader in this local moving and warehousing business. Further more we have partnered with Green Mount Lakes in O'Fallon IL.

In the event that your home is sold before your new home is ready, you will not be inconvenienced at all. Gerold moving will come and load all of your belongings and move them to their secure climate controlled warehouse .You take only what you need to wear with you to your fully furnished apartment located at one of two new upscale complexes. One, two, or three bedrooms are available. You may choose Green Mount Lakes or Northgate Apartments (if you have pets). When your new home is completed your belongings will be delivered without delay or complication. All you need to do is bring your clothes. There is no long-term lease agreement that you need to sign; it is a day by day lease which is guaranteed by HBD. We know of no other builder that offers this.

At the end of the building process there will be a walk through conducted by Bob Jr., along with all of the principal persons in your family. This will be an informative orientation style walk through. There is no time limit on this meeting we will not leave until you are comfortable that you know how everything in your new home works. In addition to all of the multi year warranties that are given by most of the products and materials from the foundation to the lighting fixtures. HBD gives a full warranty for one year from closing date. The warranty is monitored by HBD.

It is important to note that these services are included as a part of the home, on all the homes we build. That being said, whether you are spending $175,000 or $750,000 you will receive nothing less than fantastic service.

When you compare our standard features to those of other builders, you will see that in order to get our standards you will need to spend 10 to 15% more in options with someone else. This can quickly become a lot of money.

Why Our Custom Homes are Better

The starting point of our building process is you. When you feel comfortable that you have found the home that meets your needs, and all of the desired changes have been made, we will sit down with you and go over the cost of the home. During this meeting you will be speaking with the builder, Bob Dee Jr., not one of our representatives. More than likely, this will not be our first in person meeting.

Selection:

The selection is at the beginning of the process and is among the most important steps. As a homebuyer you most likely have an idea of what you want in your new home. Do you want a ranch or a two story, or perhaps a master down plan? The atrium ranch has become very popular lately. Whichever best meets your needs we have several floor plans in each category. We are a custom home builder, so you can feel free to bring us your own plans. We would also be happy to design a home from scratch, to meet your specific needs. This is done at no cost to you if you have us build your home.

Placement:

Now that you have made a choice on a home plan, you need to decide as where to build your new home. HBD is actively building in several different developments across the metro east. HBD builds homes in the municipalities of O'Fallon, Shiloh, Swansea, Belleville, Freeburg, Mascoutah, Millstadt, Lebanon, Smithton, Columbia, Fairview Heights and Waterloo.

Contract:

Now that the home plan and location have been established, the next step is coming to an agreement on the specifics and price of the new home. This is the contract phase. Here all of the specific changes that are to made to a floor plan, and the price of those changes are outlined in the contract and put on paper. If there are selections that still need to be made at this time, an allowance will be given for those items. These allowances will be agreed upon by both parties, in order to produce a sales price.

Financing:

In order for HBD to execute a contract and start construction of your new home, we will need proof of commitment from a lending institution. If you have your own lender, great! If not, we would suggest a lender such as The Bank of Edwardsville. Once we have a loan commitment from a qualifying institution we can begin with your new home. Depending on the type and cost of the home we may ask for a deposit that will be credited towards the sales price.

Construction:

Now we are ready to begin. Your new home will be staked off on the home site. You will have an opportunity to review the placement of the home. Once we have your approval, or waiver, we will start digging. This is the beginning of our 140 day build cycle. It is our intention – but not guarantee, due to weather – to have your new home ready for move in, 140 days from this point. In order to keep this pace it is important that all of the necessary materials are ready when we need them. It is for this reason that we request that all of your selections be made before we begin construction. Waiting for these decisions to be made may greatly lengthen the time it takes to build your home.

Progress:

During the building process, not only are you allowed to visit the job site, we actually encourage it. Many builders will not let you on the job without a scheduled appointment of which you will get two. We believe that this is your home, we have nothing to hide. All of our customers seem to appreciate this, and have a greater understanding of the quality work that is being done. When finished you will know that you have a well built home and will feel good about your choice of builder. If there is something that you do not understand or want to change, that is fine. Please go through the correct channel, Bob Jr. The craftsmen working on your home do not have the authority to make changes in material or design. A home is much like a puzzle. If a piece is being changed we need to be the ones to change it. Each piece no matter how small will affect the pieces around it.

Completion:

Now your new home is complete and ready to move into. As we get close to the end of the process we must get together and go over any change orders that may have been created during construction. We check to see if there are any overages or credits on the allowances. We come to a total sale price of the home. Those numbers are submitted to the bank. The title work is ordered and a closing time is established.

Orientation:

After the home is closed, funds are transferred, and all parties are satisfied. There is the orientation. As a part of our service to you, there will be a personal walk through. You, the homeowner, will meet with the builder, Bob Jr. We will walk you through the home giving detailed instructions on how all of the features in the home work. As well as tips on how to maintain and get the most out of your new investment. This meeting will take as long as needed to ensure that all of the questions are answered.

Homebuyer Services Throughout the Building Process

HBD offers the following services to homebuyers:

• Assisting in selecting the perfect homesite
• Designing and/or customizing a floorplan
• Suggesting ideas to help the homebuyer create a special living space
• Writing a contract that includes all the homebuyers’ specifications
• Assisting in obtaining the right financing plan to meet the individual homebuyer’s specifications
• Providing an interior design coordinator to assist with homebuyers’ final selections
• Maintaining open communications
• Conducting a walk-through and orientation of the new homesite
• Facilitating the closing process with the homebuyer and the builder
• Providing a one-year follow-up service plan after the sale is closed

Do you have home envy?

Would you like to be able to track the entire process of your new home build? We provide all our clients with access to a secure website with every detail of their project, including: 

• Budget tracking that ensures there are NEVER ANY PRICING SURPRISES
• All communication are categorized and archived
• Photo galleries detailing the progress
• Tracking of all major milestones
• The ability to login from anywhere & more…

High Quality Materials

HBD only uses the highest quality materials in our homes. As is with most things, the highest quality products cost more. As a builder we could save thousands of dollars in material cost by using the less expensive materials that other builders commonly use. These less expensive materials do pass the building codes, and are approved. But, that does not mean that they pass our standards! If we would not put a product in our own home, you will not find it in yours. For example, all homes built by HBD have the following list of materials standard – regardless of the price point of the home.

• At least an 8' basement, with the form a drain footing system, carrying a lifetime warranty against leaks. This is "The WATCH DOG system".
• Copper termite shield, placed between the foundation wall and the sill sealer. This is a very effective way to stop termites without the use of toxic chemicals. This is not used by most builders due to the cost of the copper. Chemicals lose their potency after time requiring a costly maintenance program.
• Foam sill sealer will be used to fill in the voids between the sill plate and the foundation. This stops most of the air infiltration in the basement.
• Rim boards are sealed with foam.
• Treated sill on all walls and on the steel beams.
• Engineered "I" joist flooring system that is professionally engineered for each individual home.
• Advantech 3/4" tongue and grove sub floor, which is glued and then screwed down to eliminate any squeaks in the floor. This is extremely effective. Few builders go to this expense.
• Premium grade studs placed 16" on center on all walls, including interior non load bearing walls.
• Exterior walls are sheeted with 7/16 exposure rated, engineered wood.
• Original Tyvek HomeWrap system used which helps keep water and air out while allowing water vapor to escape.
• Anderson Silverline windows or better. Single hung insulated double pane thermal windows, and maintenance free vinyl.
• Engineered roof trusses, with vaulted ceilings in the great room.
• 1/2" plywood on the roof, fir plywood on most homes.
• 30 year architectural shingles over felt paper and full drip edge.
• 12" overhang on all roofs.
• Fully vented aluminum soffit, and aluminum fascia on all homes.
• All band boards are insulated
• All exterior walls insulated to a R15 minimum R30 in the attic minimum
• Insulated double pane vinyl windows from Silverline by Anderson