Credit Maple City Homes for continually bucking the trend.
When the company came into being in 2017, it did so with a bold vision to build larger numbers of homes than local home builders had done in the past. By their third year, they were building 50 homes a year.
Then 75.
Then 100.
And next year, they plan to build 150, followed by 300 homes and condo units the year after.
While their workload is spiraling upwards, the ownership group had had enough with skyrocketing housing prices.
In an unprecedented move, Maple City Homes capped their home prices at $599,000 per unit for the rest of 2022. For 14 home buyers who pre-purchased, they handed these folks each $80,000.
That’s $1.12 million.
Why? As the company’s president, Robb Nelson said, “We didn’t feel that was a fair price point.”
That’s right, as we’re seeing the Big Oil companies reaping huge profits by tacking on higher prices in a thin attempt to hide the hikes behind the war in Ukraine, here is a home builder, in the middle of fast-rising home prices, saying enough was enough.
Sure, they could pocket more profits, but instead, Maple City’s braintrust seeks to have an impact on the housing market and stem the rise.
Kudos to these folks for putting social responsibility over profits.
Maple City Homes is doing big business in Chatham-Kent, and whenever possible uses local subcontractors and suppliers. In all, there are 47 local companies helping to build their homes.
That’s a huge boost to the local economy on all kinds of levels.
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You may have noticed a lack of coverage in this week’s issue of The Voice over a visit from Andrea Horwath, leader of the provincial NDP. She stopped by for a chat in a backyard in Charing Cross.
Well, despite what some people may believe, we here at The Voice are not psychic. Horwath’s personnel did not reach out to us to let us know she was coming. Apparently, to them, corporate media is all that matters.
Chatham-Kent–Leamington NDP hopeful Brock McGregor has passed our contact information onto the leadership team. Hopefully, if Horwath returns, they’ll reach out.
