A testimonial from Jenna & Jon Hoke.
Our names are Jenna & Jon Hoke and we just recently moved into our new second home built by Mark Saunders Luxury Homes. As a little background, we live in Raleigh, NC but are originally from the north (Buffalo & Indiana) and have 3 kids ranging from 3 – 13 yrs. A few years back we decided we wanted to build our custom dream beach home and knew it would be on nothing other than beautiful Holden Beach.
Our friends had a home on the west end of Holden on Windjammer St. which introduced us to MSLH. They had built about 10 years prior, but you would never know it. The house was in immaculate shape as if it had just been built. When we were ready to move forward with the start of the building process, we knew we wanted MSLH to build for us because quality was at the top of our priority list. We had toured countless beach properties in and around Holden and the bottom line is that quality matters when you invest in a home, and it suffers with the number of homes and speed at which they are being built on the Brunswick Islands from other builders.
If you’ve already met with MSLH, you know that from the minute you walk in the door, you feel like you’re home and with family (or at least we did). We began the design process with Anthony who took the time to work with us based on our vision, how our family lives, and dealing with some parameters around design requirements from an HOA. We were able to come up with a one-of-a-kind design that after permitting, design, build, etc. took us just under 18 months to complete (Spring 2024). We had some unique design selections and add-ons to our home (including a pool, large yard, etc.) that added to our timeline compared to other homes where selections were made up front, less complexity, etc.
I can’t say enough about how much we love our home. The quality and attention to detail that has gone into our project are unlike anything else we’ve seen on the island. Bill Gordon was the PM and was in constant communication with us throughout the project and worked alongside us to help make decisions when needed which I appreciated. He built this house like it were his own so there truly isn’t a thing we would change. Even some of the things we had a carpenter build (drop zone, built-ins, etc.) were all made extremely well, and everything from the paint to the smallest detail on the exterior was perfect.
In summary, building a custom home on the coast takes patience, time, and collaboration. Some things may not go as planned, but we would talk through it and make a plan B together. I’ve loved getting to know the entire MSLH team – from Steve who handled all our change orders & budget to Nickayla who helped with design selections and coordination of different vendors. MSLH has an incredible network of trade resources and can’t say enough amazing things about everyone they recommended. Bill Gordon is a true gem and feel like he’s part of the family – I can’t say enough about how much we appreciate him delivering such a stunning final product.
Best of luck in your home journey!
Jenna & Jon Hoke
P.S. I think it’s good to note that this is a true customer testimonial that we were not compensated for – we know it’s nice to have another perspective when making such a major investment decision and couldn’t love our beautiful beach home more!
