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GREENWICH, Conn. The downward housing market has not hurt business for Nick Barile, who builds custom and spec houses and is celebrating his company's fifth win in a home-building contest.
Its definitely slowed things down a bit, but were very positive and optimistic about the next year, said Barile, president and founder of Greenwich-based York Construction & Development. Its affected us only in that banks are not providing lending right now. When we build homes that are for sale with the banks providing lending, then its affected. For custom homes, when clients are financing the homes themselves, they may have difficulty getting a loan.
Barile, who has a background in engineering, started the construction firm 10 years ago. I just had a desire to always be in developing and building and started the business with the idea of doing just that, he said.
York Construction & Development recently won Best Spec House Between $2 million and $3 million from the Home Builders Association of Connecticut.
Over the years, York built its reputation on building custom and spec, or built for sale, homes that highlight traditional architecture with historic and period touches but filled with modern amenities.
Yorks winning house this year is a classic Tudor in one of Greenwichs most sought-after neighborhoods. The six-bedroom, six-bath home is just less than 7,000 square feet and marries a sophisticated Tudor architecture with modern conveniences. A family purchased the home while it was still under construction.
Im happy that our peers and the judges in the association appreciate the detail that we try to put into our homes, said Barile. We spend a lot of time considering every corner of the house, and we put a lot of thought into the design, the craftsmanship, making sure its the highest quality installation from the carpenters to the masons. We strive for excellence in all the different trades, and its nice when thats appreciated.
The homes standout feature is its entry with a double sweeping staircase that splits the foyer in half, giving the illusion that it is suspended in midair. All bedrooms have en suite baths, and the master suite has a private balcony. The kitchen is adjacent to the family room, and there is a formal dining room, living room, and den. The lower level features a wet bar and family area.
York is known for its HOBI award-winning homes, including a central Greenwich Classic Georgian that won for Best Spec House between $4 million to $5 Million in 2009; a Shore Colonial in Old Greenwich that won Outstanding House Between $3 million to $4 Million in 2008; a Lutyens European Tudor-style home that won Best Spec Home in the $5 million to $6 million range in 2006; and a classic New England Shingle-Style home that won Best Spec Home in the $3 million to $4 million category in 2005.
York is building another house in central Greenwich near Greenwich Hospital and the library that is listed by Curtis Wood of Prudential Connecticut Realty in Greenwich. It will be completed by spring.
The 5,500- to 5,800-square-foot house will have a master suite, four bedrooms each with their own bath, a formal living room, a formal dining room, an office, gourmet kitchen, laundry, a finished lower level and an elevator option. It sits on private, quiet street that is walking distance to Greenwich Avenue and to the library, said Barile. Its a terrific location.
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