For the next few weeks, the public can tour the dream home and buy tickets that might make it their own. Hefty’s creation is Oklahoma City’s 2011 St. Jude Dream Home, open free to the public until June 19. The winner will be announced June 26.
EDMOND — The turret anchoring the front of this house might be what puts the “dream” in “dream home.”
Then again, so could the theater room inside, the soaring ceilings throughout or the game room upstairs, complete with a wet bar. The windows up there overlook a golf course, which creates a rolling, fairy-tale panorama of lush green. And out of sight — but not out of mind — fully encapsulated foam insulation keeps it all comfortable. For Oklahoma City builder Chad Hefty, 40, that’s an important point.
“It’s kind of the Old World style,” he said. “But I want to be known more for energy efficiency than anything.”
For the next few weeks, the public can tour the home on weekends and buy tickets that might make it their own. Hefty’s creation is Oklahoma City’s 2011 St. Jude Dream Home, open free to the public until June 19. The winner will be announced June 26.
The dream home giveaway is staged in about 30 cities across the country and is the largest fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Actor Danny Thomas founded St. Jude in 1962; about 5,700 young patients are treated at the facility each year.
Hefty first crossed paths with St. Jude as production manager for Manchester Green Homes, which built its 2009 Dream Home here.
“It was such a great experience,” he said. “There’s not a better charity to work with.”
When the developers behind Fairfax Estates and Golf Community landed the 2011 Oklahoma City dream home, they turned to Hefty, now an independent builder and owner of Chad Hefty Custom Homes. The home is at 3008 Saint Fergus Drive. The neighborhood is east of Coltrane Road, north of Covell Road.
“They’ve always known I was interested in doing it again,” Hefty said. “So, since I’ve done it before, they called and asked if I’d be interested in doing it again this year.”
Developer J.W. Armstrong donated a lot in Garden IV of his Fairfax development, which is no small feat, Hefty said. “It’s unbelievable to completely donate a $55,000 lot,” he said.
Dream home reality
Construction started in January. Hefty said he had a house plan in mind when he undertook the task but had to go back to the drawing board to ensure it would fit the lot. “It’s a 3,800-square-foot house, and rather wide, so we had to redesign the house,” he said. “But it looks like a castle with the round turret on the front. It’s a pretty unique house.”The idea, he said, is to showcase both his talents as a builder and the emerging neighborhood.
“It basically comes down to how cost-effective we can build a dream home, the home somebody would love to win, and raise the most money for St. Jude,” he said.
Builders shoot for homes valued at $300,000 and above.
“It makes people more willing to put out that hundred dollars,” he said.
St. Jude’s Dream Home fundraisers began with a Shreveport, La., property in 1991, and they have raised $200 million for the hospital in the 20 years since, according to St. Jude figures. It’s not just the developers and the homebuilders fueling the efforts, though. It’s also donations in varying degrees.
“When I did this two years ago, we had something like 20 percent donations,” Hefty said. “This year, we had a lot of people step up, saying they’ll do everything. And when it came down to it, with the economy, their mouth got a little ahead of their pocketbook and couldn’t do it. But then stuff would fall into line to where we’re at like 81 percent donations right now. So that’s amazing.”
That had Hefty juggling vendors he was not used to as the stressful days ticked down to the grand opening, including some from out of state.
The site was bustling with activity 10 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week in the month leading up to the opening. But that is part of the rush, he said, watching everyone involved going above and beyond.
“And then everything just falls into place.” Plus, he said, it all helps a worthy cause. “It’s just about the kids,” he said.
Source http://newsok.com/
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