Couple helps build solutions to area's real estate needs

Photo by Judy WagleyHannah Techel is ready to say “Welcome home!” with Homes45.com.

 

GAYLORD — Hannah and Pat Techel have rolled out the “welcome” mat to home buyers in Northern Michigan. The couple recognize a need in the community and have responded with Homes45.com. They are passionate about sharing the Heckaman home brand and introducing it to the local housing market.

“In our county and surrounding area, we have a demand for new housing because of all the jobs that are coming in,” Hannah said. “We want to have options for the people who are moving here.”

The Techels are lifelong residents of Northern Michigan. Together they have been in the housing industry for nearly 20 years. For three years, Hannah has been a realtor with The Team Real Estate Group with Berkshire Hathaway. Pat is an oil and gas surveyor and travels throughout the Midwest.

 

“We knew we needed new homes, and we said. ‘Somebody is going to do it — so why not us?’ Hannah said. “I am a risk taker, but also a business-oriented person. Also, Pat works on the road, and we would like him to be able to come home and stay home.”

In 2017, the Techels traveled to Nappanee, Indiana to meet with representatives from Heckaman Homes and visit their construction facilities.

“Heckaman has been sold in our area for the last 20 years by Herb Russell. That’s how we connected with them,” Hannah said. “We signed up to be their distributors in Gaylord, and being a visual person, I knew we had to build a house here.”

Hannah said Heckaman offers a high-quality, yet affordable product. The result can be seen at the Gaylord model home, located just off Krys Road at 982 Krystal Meadow Lane.

“It is a manufactured home,” Hannah said. “We refer to them as ‘offsite-built homes.’ They are built to the same standards as if they were built onsite, but in a controlled environment. There are a lot of options for floor plans, cabinets, flooring and fixtures in a range of price points. It is more efficient to get them done in the controlled environment, there are fewer weather-related issues, and it is less costly, by quite a bit, than building onsite.”

Hannah emphasized that Heckaman homes feature Andersen windows, Trex decking and other well-known, name-brand building materials

“And we work with local companies,” she said. “Our general contractor is Matt Daly, and we use Stanley Kwapis at 45th Dirt Works, and also Hart Well Drilling.”

 

Hannah noted that timing is another advantage of an offsite-built home.

“It takes about a week to build a house start to finish,” she said. “If someone gets hired in and they need to move in three months — we can do that, and we can deliver these homes anywhere in Northern Michigan.”

The Techels are eager to show the newly built and decorated Heckaman home in Gaylord.

“Come and see for yourself,” Hannah said. “We are going to be open for people to come and view, or they can schedule an appointment.”

Call Hannah at (989) 858-0464, Pat at (989) 858-6663 or see Homes45.com.