New builder in town
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 11 months AGO
Realtor Amy Leicht cuts the ribbon on The Refuge at Mae Valley, the new development by Pro Made Homes on the west side of Moses Lake. With her are Dago Vasquez, First Security Bank; Tom Coyne, Umpqua Bank; Pro Made Head of Design Rita Maksimchuk; Pro Made Designer Ariana Strizhak (hidden behind Leicht); Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Ranch & Home Realtor Tami Canfield; Pro Made Head of Marketing Irena Radeva; and Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Ranch & Home Realtor Dustin Canfield, as well as members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Pro Made Homes Head of Design Rita Maksimchuk stands in the kitchen of the model home at The Refuge at Mae Valley. The model home shows several of the custom options available in the new development.
A crew puts up a home at The Refuge at Mae Valley Wednesday. Pro Made Homes, which is developing the neighborhood, can put up a home in about 60 days, according to Realtor Amy Leicht.
Pro Made Homes’ development The Refuge at Mae Valley consists of 50 lots, of which most are still available.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | October 25, 2024 3:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — The neighborhood is there. Now all it needs is some neighbors.
“Being a new builder and a new name to town, it does take a little bit to get name recognition up and running,” said Realtor Amy Leicht at the ribbon-cutting Tuesday for The Refuge at Mae Valley, a new housing development by Tri-Cities-based Pro Made Homes.
“I wouldn't say (homes are) flying off the shelf yet, but I think the reason is, I think people want to see what this builder is all about,” said Tami Canfield with Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Ranch & Home in Moses Lake, who’s handling sales locally for The Refuge at Mae Valley. “They want to see a finished product. And so that's what's great about having these spec and model homes, is that people have the opportunity now to see what the builder is all about, what kind of product they make.”
The event was in conjunction with the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce and held at Pro Made’s model home at the development, which is on the west side of Moses Lake just off Interstate 90. Pro Made has acquired 50 lots in the area and is putting up homes with a starting price point in the lower $300,000 range, Leicht said. This is Pro Made’s first foray into the Moses Lake market.
Two homes have been sold at The Refuge at Mae Valley so far, Leicht said.
“We've been fortunate that both of the pre-sells that we're building, the clients’ family members own houses with us in the Tri-Cities area,” she said. “So they were able to speak to their own family members and say, 'Hey, here's what our experience has been with this builder.’ They were super happy and found success in building with us … And then we've got one spec house that's currently under contract, and we've got a lot of activity and interest in our other houses here as well.”
Buyers can purchase one of the homes that’s already on the site, or custom-design one to their specifications, Leicht said.
The model home helps with visualizing the different options, said designer Rita Maksimchuk, rather than just picking options off a list.
“Over the years that I’ve been doing this … I can see a house in my head,” she said. “But people ask, ‘What does a 6-inch backsplash look like in the bathroom?’ So we're like, ‘Okay, here you have the 6-inch backsplash. You have the laminate counters. This is what a finished bathroom looks like. These are the glass shower doors. Just small elements that help people out.”
Once the home is selected, Leicht said, getting it built is relatively fast.
“A really unique opportunity for us as a builder is that we offer a really short build time frame,” she said. “We have a really solid construction team and site super that will oversee the construction progress. So our build time is 60 days from receipt of the construction permit.”
Most of Pro Made’s other developments have been in the Tri-Cities and lower Yakima Valley areas, but there are also projects in Spokane, Post Falls, Idaho, and Boardman, Ore.
“We're super excited for the opportunity to be here in Moses Lake,” Leicht said. “We look forward to great opportunities with sales here, and also looking at additional future land opportunities to continue expanding our footprint within the Moses Lake community as well.”
The Refuge at Mae Valley is away from the middle of town, but has easy access via the freeway to shopping, Canfield said. There is some commercial development going on nearby, she added, but she wasn’t sure what it would be when it’s finished.
“There's a lot more traffic coming out this way,” she said. “So with the future (elementary) school down Westshore (Drive), I think we're starting to see a lot more happening out on this side of town.”
Pro Made Homes Head of Design Rita Maksimchuk stands in the kitchen of the model home at The Refuge at Mae Valley. The model home shows several of the custom options available in the new development.
A crew puts up a home at The Refuge at Mae Valley Wednesday. Pro Made Homes, which is developing the neighborhood, can put up a home in about 60 days, according to Realtor Amy Leicht.
Pro Made Homes’ development The Refuge at Mae Valley consists of 50 lots, of which most are still available.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
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