When Brett and Rebecca Jennings took a Saturday drive to Costco to grab steaks for grilling, they thought it would be just that. But a spontaneous detour led them to find their dream home on the drive back.
As a high performing realtor with Thomas James Homes and the owner of a top real estate group, Brett Jennings was familiar with the home they serendipitously stopped to see on their way home. He was the listing agent for another TJH home just a few streets away. But it wasn’t until he and his wife stepped foot inside of the 5-bedroom, 5-bath farmhouse-style home that they realized it would be the perfect fit for their family.
The Jennings Family |
For the past 7 years, Brett, Rebecca, and their two kids have been in a 3-bedroom home in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. It was a home and a neighborhood they loved. But when Covid led everyone to quarantine and all four family members had to work and study from home, it was hard to ignore that they needed more space.
They began planning for a remodel with the goal to build onto their current home. As they researched the renovation process, they realized they couldn’t bear the thought of moving to a rental for 6 months during a pandemic. Plus with full time jobs and kids in school, Brett and Rebecca didn’t have the time or energy to organize renovations and contractors. So they scrapped the remodel idea, and started the search for resale homes. |
After seeing the options for resale properties on the market, it was clear that the new TJH home they saw on their way back from Costco was the perfect home for them. “Most of the resale homes in Silicon Valley tend to be small and outdated for today’s lifestyle,” Brett explains. A lot of what we were seeing on the market was either older and required a lot of work, or had a floorplan that didn’t fit our family and still required work. Plus, since Silicon Valley is so developed, there isn’t much land available for new builds.”
The new Thomas James home offered plenty of space for everyone, the natural light they were looking for, and a well designed floor plan to accommodate the activities they love.
The indoor-outdoor living spaces and a large gourmet kitchen is ideal for family dinners or entertaining clients. There’s an upstairs loft where their kids are already envisioning endless movie nights and sleepovers to take place. Plus, it has a designated office for Brett and Rebecca to run their businesses from home. “I loved TJH homes so much, I had to buy my own,” Brett jokes.
After helping his own clients purchase a new TJH home, he knew he could expect a seamless experience for his family. Working with the TJH sales and design team was a smooth process and everything quickly fell into place. “Thomas James Homes is clearly a well-managed and well-run organization with great execution, and it shows,” says Brett. “The high quality of homes they build and the way they treat their clients is amazing—not only from a homebuyer’s perspective, but also as a realtor. It creates credibility with my own clients and I don’t have to think twice when I show a TJH home. It’s what differentiates them from other builders.”
“The high quality of homes they build and the way they treat their clients is amazing—not only from a homebuyer’s perspective, but also as a realtor. It creates credibility with my own clients and I don’t have to think twice when I show a TJH home. It’s what differentiates them from other builders.”
As Brett and his family prepare to move into their new Thomas James home, he is seeing many families experience the need for more space in the midst of a pandemic. “There’s been a huge increase in demand for new homes with four or more bedrooms,” says Brett. “It’s clearly a result of how this pandemic has changed the way we use our homes. People are looking for more space to be able to work remotely.”
With a higher demand for homes in the Bay Area and a need for more floor plans that adapt to today’s lifestyle, homebuyers are finding TJH homes to be the ideal fit. “Before TJH, there were maybe a handful of new custom-style homes that would pop up each year in Silicon Valley,” Brett explains. “With TJH building replacement homes in neighborhoods that people want to live in, there’s more opportunity to bring my clients new off-market properties that fit what they’re looking for and within their budget.”
Brett has been working with Thomas James Homes for about a year’s time, and is already a top-performing broker for the Northern California division. He chose to work with TJH specifically because they’re doing something new and innovative by bringing high-quality homes to neighborhoods in Silicon Valley that have a limited supply.
With the final touches complete and only a few short days until Brett and his family are able to enjoy their new home, they may find themselves back at Costco picking up food for grilling. Except this time, with newfound space, indoor-outdoor living, and a gourmet kitchen to host family gatherings for years to come, they are already planning to grab a few extra steaks to celebrate their new home with friends and family.
