It’s Thursday morning, April 1, and I’m standing inside what will become the sales office for Kituwah Homes, slated to open in about a month. It’s one of eight model homes for the company on a site located across the road from Food Lion in Cherokee.
Although there are eight examples on site, the company that makes model homes has about 50 single-family and duplex options.
Kituwah LLC is an economic development entity owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in 2019. Last year, the company purchased Cardinal Homes, a boutique modular home building company based in Virginia that has been in business for more than 20 years, and is bringing the houses to the mountains.
“What we’re trying to do in our area is put out a superior home product,” said Jeremiah Wiggins, President of Kituwah Homes.
Mark Hubble, CEO of Kituwah LLC, saw the need to form a construction company so the company can take the home from factory to turn key. There are about 130 homes sites in the works from Buncombe County to Swain, ranging from tiny homes to spacious five-bedrooms.
Two such projects are in the works here in Swain County. The first project will be for homes that will be available for rent and it is located in Whittier on the Old Whittier School site.
“We’re finalizing engineering and homes have been ordered,” explained Travis Smith, regional director of operations for Kituwah Homes. The site will start with eight homes that will be 1,449 square feet. The hope is the first group of homes will be available by Aug. 1. Once complete, there will be about 40 homes in this location.
The second project is on Arlington Avenue in Bryson City, where 11 homes are planned that will be for sale. The houses will range from $275,000-$325,000 with lots ranging from ¼ to a half-acre. Wiggins said they just signed on the pre-sale for one of the homes and the homebuyer is a local teacher.
Questions might arise for those unfamiliar with modular built homes but they meet all the same standards as stick built homes built on the site.
Both Smith and Wiggins were in the stick building business for about 20 years before joining Kituwah.
“It’s not unusual to have naysayers in the modular world,” Smith said. “A modular home is built like any other house. It’s wood construction and we’re adding rigors like 2x6 in the walls, 9-foot ceilings.”
By comparison, modular homes are built to be strong enough to travel and then be lifted by a crane on site. They are also built to last and are built to meet all the current standards for efficiency and green building.
Standing inside the future sales office, the standard features for the homes are on display. The exterior is built with 2x6 planks, the interior has standard sheet rock, luxury vinyl tiles, and coveted features like granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are standard.
On the benefits of modular, Wiggins starts with how they are built indoors in a climate controlled facility. “They never see weather,” he said.
One of the ways they can meet the great need in western North Carolina for housing: speed.
“Once we get funding on a project we can get to a point in 90 days or less on their site-ready pads,” Wiggins said, adding that in today’s market, being able to deliver on speed is a valuable asset.
Another advantage they see to the model is predictability in terms of pricing since the company purchases materials in bulk, so no added surcharges for the homebuyer, and an overall reduced cost. By comparison, modular homes offer 20 percent savings compared to stick-built homes, according to Wiggins.
Once the house is on site, there is still the remaining construction hook ups, the boxes that comprise the different pieces of the house are set together and touch-ups form painting to sheetrock and flooring are finished.
Smith said one of the driving factors for Kituwah Builders being established was the tribe saw the need for additional housing in the area for people who are employed by the tribe, and especially with the growth at the casino and the hospital.
“We have a 350-home shortage for our workforce today. Are we saying we’ll be able to meet that need? No, but we’ll be able to help a bit,” Smith said.
He sees both the properties in the works in Swain County as well as a project in Haywood County as targeting that goal.
Wiggins adds that both Smith and he are from here, adding, “Nothing would make us happier than all locals being able to buy our homes. We know in today’s market that might not be realistic.”
Regardless, Smith said, they are working to be a part of the community. One way that’s happening is through hiring local subcontractors.
Another perk for the homebuyer? Kituwah has hired two designers who are staging the model homes, and they will have lighting and furniture for sale. They see it as a benefit for the home buyers because it prevents them from having to travel to Asheville or Knoxville to make those purchases. “There’s not a lot of profit in it, but it’s something we need here,” Wiggins said.
On the question of affordability, Smith noted they have flexibility. “We can customize the homes we’re doing we can also go back down from those standards to make them more affordable.”
“Not everyone is able to afford a $350,000 home. We can build project to get them to the finish line,” adding that they can help meet quality of home and the financial needs of customers in the area.
One thing is for certain this is just the beginning for the company. When asked about their vision and future growth, Wiggins outlined it as three-fold. First, the retail side of selling about 100 single-family residences through the home center. Second, building developments with a market of about 150 miles from Cherokee. Third, commercial, with two commercial projects already in the works including a hotel in Sevierville and a long-term care facility in Charlotte.
To learn more, visit kituwahllc.com.