Built by Brett Inc. owner enjoying success with custom and spec homes

The first home Brett Godfrey ever built was his own.

When the farming economy "kind of went down the tubes," he and his wife, Sherry, decided to move from their farm in Pennsboro and buy a home in Spring-field.

"We were looking at used homes to buy, and it seemed like the houses were kind of expensive," he said. "We got to looking at new homes versus used home prices, and it seemed like there wasn't that much of a difference." So, they decided to build a new home.

"Sherry's dad was a building contractor in California many years ago," he said. "He hadn't built a house in maybe 15 years, but he offered to help us." Godfrey did a lot of the work himself, he said, "and I kind of got the bug I really enjoyed it."

After they'd moved to town, he worked with his father-in-law building a couple more houses while attending Southwest Missouri State University. "I got my degree in hotel and restaurant administration, but things really didn't work out there," he said. Instead, "doors opened up for me in the building business."

In 1990 he started his own company, Built By Brett Inc.

"On the first few houses that I built, I did a lot of the different trades," he said. "My hands-on experience helps me in my business, because I understand from the subcontractor's point of view what it takes for them to get the job done."

"My father kind of showed him the ropes," said Sherry Godfrey, who three years ago quit her job at a local hospital to help with the business. "Then Brett developed the artistic flair and talent for making it succeed," she added.

In fact, Brett Godfrey recently was named the 2001 Builder of the Year by the Home Builders Association of Great-er Springfield.

Starting a career as a builder wasn't easy, Brett Godfrey said. "It's probably like anything else; you have to pay your dues."

When he first was starting out, he said, the market was just coming out of a slump.

"The money lenders were still cautious," he said. "I didn't build a custom house for two or three years; they were all spec houses. For loan institutions to have the confidence in you to give you loans, that's one thing that really helps get you started. We were lucky to have somebody take us under their wing on the financial side of it."

Now Godfrey builds both custom and spec homes, ranging in price from $250,000 to $1 million.

"Probably most of our houses fall in the $300,000 to $600,000 range," said Sherry Godfrey. "We have a development, Woodfield Park, off Plainview west of Campbell, and the homes in that development are in the $230,000 to $500,000 price range."

Construction in Woodfield Park began about a year and a half ago, he said. He also builds houses in several communities and subdivisions in and around Springfield, including Emerald Park, Highland Springs, Millwood, and Raven-wood South. "We've built homes all over the county," he said.

According to Sherry Godfrey, more and more people in the Springfield area are interested in living in gated communities.

"The reason they like them," Brett Godfrey said, "is they feel more of a neighborhood, tighter community-type feeling." A heightened sense of security is a natural outcome of the tight-knit sense of community within the gated area, he added. "Moms don't have to worry quite as much about the kids out running around, and having a stranger drive through the neighborhood. And at night the gates are shut and they feel a little more secure."

Added Sherry Godfrey, "We're starting to see a trend toward smaller square footage and more amenities. People are using their space more efficiently, putting in sound systems, lighting, things that make it more livable, rather than using that money for square footage."

Walk-out basement homes, always popular in this area, still are in high de-mand, she said.

Although floor plans have remained much the same in recent years, Brett Godfrey said, he's noticed an increased demand for plans with only two bedrooms on the main level. The other bedrooms are downstairs, freeing up more room on the main level for a larger kitchen or common area.

"People seem to be spending more and more on their kitchens, on things like appliances and cabinets," he said.

When it comes to decorating the interior, Godfrey said, "It seems that people are looking for the next trend, like maybe they're getting a little tired of the Spring-field version of the French country look." Instead of the exposed beams and rustic design, people are looking for more of a refined "European" look, he said.

"Color schemes inside are becoming more earthy, with warm, rich tones in-stead of white painted woodwork," he said. "The warm colors are fun to work with."

The Sept. 11 tragedy slowed business down for a short period, said Sherry Godfrey. "Nobody was out looking right after that," she said. "But it picked back up within a month, and we've seen a lot of activity, especially since the first of the year."

Overall, the market in Springfield has remained steady, Brett Godfrey said. "It seems like we've been insulated somewhat from the big highs and lows, and we've maintained a good steady growth." Short of a major hike in interest rates, he said, "I don't foresee anything that's go-ing to really slow it down."