Episode of The Shell Group Podcast featuring Matt Sandifer of Cretin Townsend Homes

Matt Sandifer helps run Cretin Townsend Homes, a custom home builder doing around 300 homes a year from the Texas/Louisiana line all the way to Destin, Florida. We've worked with Matt and his team for years, and in this episode we sat down to dig into what we've learned from them about building, buying, and running a business that doesn't run you.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Why a New Custom Home Can Cost Less to Own Than a Resale

Most people assume "custom" means unaffordable. Matt explains why that usually isn't true. Cretin Townsend locks your price up front, so you can move in with equity on day one. And when you factor in the real cost of ownership (insurance, utilities, and maintenance), a brand-new home can actually be cheaper to own than an older resale. We also talk about why new construction has an edge in a slower market.

"Custom" Doesn't Have to Mean Luxury

According to Matt, the word "custom" got hijacked to mean luxury. He breaks down what most people get wrong about custom vs. spec homes, how fixed pricing compares to cost-plus building (including his shingle example), and why your architect can't actually price your home.

From 60 Homes a Year to 300

Matt walks through the business side of the growth: building a five-person leadership team instead of trying to be the guy who does everything, working on the business instead of in it, going into business with friends, and why Cretin Townsend counts the money last. He also shares how their Builder Ops system helps other builders buy their time back.

Culture Beats Checklists

One of our favorite stories: a builder show class where the whole room showed up to learn how to handle difficult customers, and the speaker opened with, "You're the reason your customers aren't happy." That mindset runs through everything Matt talks about, from hiring for character instead of experience to why a checklist doesn't create a good client experience but culture does.

Going All In on Digital

Cretin Townsend reaches about 4 million people a month. They pulled their billboards and print and went all in on digital. Matt explains the villain builder character they created ("OBI," the Other Builder), why TikTok beats Meta for finding new people, and why most builders and agents just aren't willing to put in the reps.

A Few Episode Highlights

• 1:37 – Why new construction has the edge in a slow market
• 3:25 – Fixed pricing and moving in with instant equity
• 5:18 – The real cost of ownership: insurance, utilities, maintenance
• 16:37 – The CT timeline: design, mortgage, build
• 28:32 – "You're the reason your customers aren't happy"
• 50:08 – "Custom" got hijacked to mean luxury
• 52:14 – Fixed price vs. cost plus, and the shingle example
• 1:00:34 – Creating OBI, the villain builder
• 1:24:23 – 4 million views a month and going all in on digital
• 1:32:50 – CT's service area and the free budget conversation

Thinking About Building on the Gulf Coast?

Cretin Townsend Homes builds from the Texas/Louisiana border along I-10 and I-12 all the way to Destin, about 45 minutes north and south of the interstate. Their Pensacola office has a mortgage team member on site, so even if you're just starting to think about it, you can walk out knowing your budget.

Learn more about building with Cretin Townsend at mybuildercares.com and follow along on Instagram at @cretintownsendhomes.

Whether you're thinking about building new, buying, or selling in Pensacola, we'd love to help you weigh your options. Reach out to The Shell Group at 850-572-0488 or hello@shellgroup.co. You can also follow us on Instagram at @______theshellgroup.

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