In today’s day and age, there is no longer a stigma when it comes to apartment, condo and townhouse living. Quite the opposite, actually. Michael Dubb is the CEO and founder of Beechwood Homes, a building organization that holds the title of Long Island’s largest homebuilder and developer of sophisticated lifestyle communities. The company, which includes Dubb and his son Steven, who serves as principal, is ranked at the forefront of privately owned residential homebuilders nationwide. But for Dubb, building a home is more than a place for people to live, it’s creating a lifestyle.
“It’s my job to acquire sites that I deem suitable for development in these residential communities where people can live and enjoy a terrific lifestyle,” said Dubb of his role. “We started out small with our first community, Spruce Pond in North Hills, in the mid 1980s. There were 69 townhomes on Shelter Rock Road on the corner of the L.I.E. and at that point, condo living was relatively new, but there was a tremendous demand for it.”
Dubb noticed that people wanted to leave their houses and move away from the responsibilities of homeownership. Recognizing that this way of life could be the future of housing on Long Island, he focused on the opportunity of gated communities and the security they offer.
“It becomes a social event; people make friends, they meet at the pool or play cards, have dinners and parties. It’s the fun and excitement of making friends when you come from a home after your kids are grown up,” said Dubb, noting that these communities include similar aged people with like-minded interests.
The townhouse living population is mainly comprised of the empty nester community, which according to Dubb, begins when people are in their mid to late 40s.
“Twenty five percent of the community could be people of all ages and 75 percent is 55 and older,” said Dubb of the residents, who are predominantly empty nesters for the most part. “Often I find when I talk to people, they are making lateral moves into a place that is the equivalent size of what they lived in or slightly smaller, but they are downsizing on the responsibilities of being a homeowner.”
Most Beechwood Homes units are designed for single-level living, but there are models with a master bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room downstairs while upstairs is additional space for a bed or two and a den for when company comes. All of the properties also have basements for storage or extra space if needed.
As for the style of the homes, well-lit rooms with high ceiling heights and large glass windows lend a feeling of spaciousness and airiness. Each unit is customizable to a point where owners can choose from several different hardwood floors, granite countertops and cabinet colors. When it comes to appliances, the properties feature state-of-the-art appliances with Kohler fixtures throughout.
Within the Beechwood community, there are several high-end indoor and outdoor amenities offered such as swimming pools and hot tubs, lounges, bars, ballrooms, gyms, theaters, outdoor recreation areas, tennis courts and bocce ball courts.
So are you ready to move in? Dubb says that there is usually a supply of move-in ready units to occupy homes between one to four months out. If people have to move up their delivery dates or the closing of their prior home, then there is time to schedule new construction accordingly that would be ready in six months to a year. In most cases, Dubb can provide quickly for what fits the needs of the new residents.
Current communities have been in operation in Yaphank, Smithtown, Plainview and East Rockaway. A development in Huntington was recently completed and, according to Dubb, East Meadow is the next town to plan for.
Although Beechwood Homes is the largest builder and most established in building these types of communities on Long Island, the company has three decades under its tool belt, and that comes with a highly trained staff and loyal contractors who produce nothing but quality.
“Our clients know when they deal with us that they are getting a reputable, local builder that has been around for a long time,” said Dubb. “We have created fantastic lifestyles for thousands of people around the island.”
For more information on Beechwood Homes and to see current and future properties, call 800-616-5774 or visit beechwoodhomes.com.
