Regina, Lou and Faith Gentile
Hopewell Junction
Where did you live before?
We lived in a townhouse-style condo in Fishkill, NY.
How did you decided to build a new home?
We looked for almost two years at existing homes prior to deciding to build new. Nothing that we found in those two years had what we were looking for in a home to raise our family. So we decided to build a house that would have the features we were looking for. Some of these features were a usable level lot for our children to play and for us to use for outdoor activities, a good neighborhood and location near the highways, and a house that is newer and doesn't require that much renovation. Also a large dining room for entertaining.
How did you find James M. Bello and Associates?
We found James Bello through the Poughkeepsie Journal. There was an advertisement for this specific lot in the home section.
Did you already own a piece of property on which to build?
No. James Bello was in contract to purchase the land.
How did you pick the particular style of home?
The lot that we built on was in an already existing neighborhood of more-or-less traditional colonial homes. So we wanted both to have a more traditional home and stay in line with what was already in the neighborhood.
Did you make any changes to the plans?
Yes, we decided to bump out both sides of the home a few feet to increase room in the bedrooms upstairs. We also adjusted the dividing wall between the formal living room and dining room to increase the room in the dining room since we will be doing a lot of entertaining in our future and require a good-size dining room. We also added custom shelving to the den and decided to close in our foyer, making extra sitting area space off the master bedroom to make it an official suite. We increased the size of the back deck and added room to the garage.
How was the building process?
The actual building process was pretty smooth. Unfortunately we had many delays that were from outside circumstances: weather, town building permits, when excavating we hit rock, and delays with the certificate of occupancy by the town.
Did you make changes during the build-out?
We only made a few small changes during the actual build-out. For example, we decided to put plywood in our attic for extra storage space, and we worked with James on the layout of our master bathroom.
Are you satisfied with the result?
Absolutely! The quality shows through in James Bello's homes. We have seen other new homes that just don't have the same quality. The house is solid. My husband and I both have builders in our family that see the quality that they don't see in other new homes. James Bello was also a pleasure to deal with. All questions were answered. He was reachable and took us for several walk-throughs during the process. That is definitely something that most builders do not make time for.
Do you have any advice for others thinking of building a new home?
My husband and I didn't originally set out to build. We saw it in the paper and then looked into it. And when we did decide to build we realized that there are so many decisions to make. I would just encourage anyone who was thinking of building to start sooner than later with making design choices, picking out items for the home, etc., so it doesn't all come at once because that can be a bit overwhelming.
Would you recommend buying pre-owned or building new?
Building new is ideal. You are able to customize everything to your needs and wants. A bonus is everything should be new and working. You don't have to worry about fixing any mechanicals, replacing appliances, renovating or inheriting problems.
Vanessa and Kyle Ramkissoon
Hopewell Junction
Where did you live previously?
In a house we owned in Beacon.
How did you decide to build a new home?
I searched for over a year and a half and just couldn’t find something that I was looking for. I wanted something modern; something that represented me, my personality and my style. I just couldn’t find it.
Every home that I did find in my price range had me telling my husband I was going to knock down this wall, or take that wall down and eventually he said, “you may as well build exactly what you want.”
My old house was a project-and-a-half, and once I was done with it, I sold it. My husband did not want to go through that again.
How did you find James M. Bello and Associates?
I was interviewing a lot of builders in the area and going to see houses they had built. I was working with a real estate agent who took me to see a house he had built, and that was the one house that I loved. But someone else bought it. The Realtor told me that the person who built the house builds other houses, so I called him.
It turned out that he was in a class with me at my gym, and I didn’t even know it! I ended up going with him because I loved the work that he did. Everything had a personal touch.
I saw with other builders I wasn’t going to get the personal attention I was looking for. With James, if I want to call him, I call him. I’m not calling 10 people and waiting three weeks for an answer. He promised he would give me personal attention and everyone I spoke to about him said that was true, that he would.
Did you already own a piece of property on which to build?
No.
How did you pick the particular style of the house?
James had a whole bunch of plans. And I had my own ideas. So I explained to him what we wanted, which was nice. He tried to come up with something. Of course, I had to conform a little bit to the development I chose, because I really wanted to be in that development. James understood what I was looking for and gave me some of his ideas and we came to a decision that way.
Did you make any changes to the plans?
We had custom plans because he didn’t have anything that was exactly what I wanted. We had to tweak a lot of things. I wanted a whole open first floor. There are no walls. We had to come up with a plan that would work. It took days and days. I enjoyed every minute of it.
How was the building process?
I was amazed at the timing! Everybody told me it would take forever but he finished it in less than a year! And it wasn’t like he finished it with stuff from the store… everything is custom. I have taste that the Hudson Valley didn’t carry. James took care of everything. I had the feeling from a lot of the other builders that I would have to pick from the lists they had. But James gave me the freedom to chose from the world.
Did you make any changes during the build-out?
Yes, I did. Made a couple of changes while he was working, but it all worked out in the end. He was flexible about it. He really wants to accommodate you, and really wants you to be happy.
Are you satisfied with the result?
Yes! I love my home! This is our dream home and this is the home we intend to stay in until the end and that’s it. We had a little problem and we called and it was fixed. Just like that. I couldn’t ask for more. Anything at all, we just call and he’s there.
Do you have any advice for others thinking of building a new home?
Make sure you have the time and the energy to put into the project. If you give it your time and energy and it’s something you really want to do, it’s going to be everything you want it to be. It takes time and effort, but it’s a wonderful experience.