Wayne and Alice Turner, owners of Heartland Home Developers, Inc., of Rockmart, GA, are helping a family that has fallen victim for the second time to devastating floods by providing a Nationwide Custom Homes systems-built home for them at cost.
Norman and Janet Taylor first endured a flood in July 2005 that was caused by two hurricanes, Dennis and Irvin. That flood brought four feet of water into their home at that time in a non-flood zone area. Now, the recent torrential rains that swept through Georgia brought flooding to the Taylors’ home on September 21. The house received so much flood damage – it was totally under water – that it was condemned and is set to be demolished. The Taylors moved from Austell to Carrollton to live with her mother and their work commute grew from 12 miles to a 58-mile commute one way to where Mrs. Taylor works at Community Bank of the South in Smyrna, GA. Their new home will be on the same Austell property, but on higher ground.
“They heard about us through a friend and about our homes and how quickly they can be constructed, then they came by our office to select their home,” said Wayne Turner of their business which serves homebuyers in the west Georgia and eastern Alabama market. “They do have flood insurance, but we are selling the house to them at no profit. We are very pleased we can be a part of helping a family who has been through a terrible disaster of totally losing their home.”
The home is The Boone model, a three-bedroom home design offered by Nationwide Custom Homes. Heartland Home Developers is a Nationwide approved independent builder and was named this year to Nationwide’s Builder Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors builders who have been approved independent builders with Nationwide for 12 years or more. Heartland Home Developers has been an approved independent builder since August 1997.
Janet and Norman Taylor’s home that flooded was bought in 1975 by her father, Robert T. Godfrey, a former Austell city councilman for 18 years. He also built a square dance hall at the top of the property’s horse barn where he called square dancing for more than 30 years. Janet and her husband bought the home seven years ago from her father who recently died of leukemia.
“After meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Turner and seeing the Nationwide Custom Home system, we knew right away this would be the best way to go,” said Janet Taylor. “Systems-built homes are built green ready and Energy Star ready off site, delivered and put on your building site.”
The home is expected to be completed and on site to be set on Tuesday, November 24. Heartland Home Developers will be hosting an invitation-only barbecue lunch at the home set on the Taylors’ property the day of the set and welcome other prospective home buyers to watch the home set and learn more about their business and systems-built homes.