How many homes have you built in the past 10 years?
We’ve built approximately 150 custom homes in the last 10 years in a wide variety of styles and price ranges, throughout the Las Cruces area.

What is the average price per sq. ft; mild, moderate, extensive amenities?
The price per square foot for the homes we currently have under construction ranges from $115.00 to $265.00, exclusive of land. We have crafted a very user friendly process that affords you a high degree of control over the detailing for your project.

Any past or current complaints and what type of resolution? Any past or current law suits?
From our inception in 1996, Desert Sage has been involved in no litigation. We have used the assistance of a mediator twice over the course of that same time frame, to aid in the resolution of a dispute. We currently have no issues that would fall under either of those categories.

Do you utilize subcontractors or own crew?
We have a staff of about 12 people who work either in the field, the office or both, including full time design, drafting, project management, selections administration and warranty service. We utilize trade contractors for all physical work with the exception of our finish carpentry. We have a crew of four talented carpenters on staff who have executed our detailing for roughly the last 5 years. Many of our trade contractors have been with us for 5 to 10 years.

Please describe what your field organization looks like?
The process begins with the design and drafting of your home plans with our staff. We place a lot of emphasis on the creation of your plans, as this is critical to delivering a superior finished product. Being intimately familiar with your plans, our draftsman also participates in the management of your project, coordinating design of roof trusses, HVAC systems and framing detailing. We also have a full time project manager in the field overseeing all phases of construction. We also provide a full time “selections administrator” to help you assemble “the palate” for the home including the selection of cabinetry, counters, flooring colors, etc., rather than leaving you in the hands of local vendors or a third party designer. This person is also charged with helping you to track your budgets to keep the bottom line on target. After the completion of your project, we have a full time warranty service administrator, so you have a full time contact dedicated to service after the sale.

How are changes handled and at what cost to the owner?
Being a full custom design/build firm, we never want to limit your choices. We understand that there will be opportunities that present themselves throughout the process that you may want to take advantage of. To that end, it is our responsibility to keep you informed as to the appropriate time to consider those changes to limit the financial impact to either you or us. When a change is decided and approved, you are charged only for the cost difference between the original selection and the new choice. There is no “administrative charge” in addition to the difference. We have a comprehensive system for tracking and reviewing change orders throughout the project so there are no surprises upon completion.

Given the current economic climate, have price incentives been built into your estimates and construction budget?
We have found that the cost of labor and materials is becoming more and more competitive. This helped us to avoid our last two regularly scheduled price increases. Beyond that, we have been able to help our clients’ budgets buy far more than they have in the recent past. We are also able to offer some attractive incentives, depending on your package.