Are We Homebuilders?

There is often confusion about our role in the formation and generation of Morrison Ranch. And this is especially true because one of the homebuilders throughout the ranch goes by the name of Taylor Morrison, formerly known as Morrison Homes. But I ask you, would you trust your home to be built by this man?



Well, actually, somebody did. This picture was taken a few days ago at a lunch break in Mexico, where The Mister was, yep, building a house. For the past dozen years, we have gone south of the border for a long weekend with a bunch of friends and helped to jump-start a family's economic position by building a very basic structure in which to live. There is an outfit out of San Diego called Amor that coordinates everything from the recipients of the houses to the building materials, and then we provide the labor. It is a most satisfying, though exhausting, way to spend three days. This year, the structure we built will be used as a child care facility next to a center that provides family counseling and help for drug and alcohol abuse. So, while a family will not be living there, it is still a worthy project. Here is the finished product, with both builders and beneficiaries pictured. The Mister is second from the right:



So, to return to the original question: are we homebuilders? Yes. And no. We build one house a year in Mexico. We do not build houses in Morrison Ranch. Our role is to design the community, and then to help maintain that design throughout the community and throughout the years. We honestly don't know much about building houses, so we leave that to the experts, and we have some very fine builders. You will see Ashton Woods and Taylor Morrison homes going up in Lakeview Trails as we speak. And I will add that we in the U.S. are very fortunate to have access to homes that might be considered palatial. With running water. Electricity. Bathrooms. And lots of space. Not to mention a variety of floor plans.

By the way, do you know that the tax credit for first time home buyers has been extended? You may not know, however, that a new credit was attached to that legislation for folks that already own a home but are looking to move. So if you have been thinking of moving to a larger home, and you have been in your current home at least 5 years, now might be the time to do it, from a financial standpoint. Ask your tax preparer. Please ask before you act. As a CPA, I BEG you to ask before acting, to make sure you qualify. The accountants are always the last to know, it seems. And then trust the expert homebuilders.