Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Starr.
Hi Shawn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Through my childhood I was always building houses with blocks or Lego, and then started drawing houses and floorplans. I loved visiting model homes, collecting floorplans and studying them. I wanted to be an architect, but got diverted in college and spent the first part of my career in the insurance industry. I had an opportunity to custom build a home I designed and had a great experience, which made me realize I could do the same thing for others. So I left the insurance industry to work for a national builder to learn the construction industry and how to build houses and get my contractor’s license, with the eventual goal of being on my own designing and building custom homes. I established Starr Custom Homes in 2009 and went full-time in the business in 2010. Now we’re celebrating 15 years of designing and building luxury custom homes and renovations.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Establishing the business during the economic downturn that started in 2006/2007 was a challenge. Even in 2010/2011 the market was in recovery mode and was not thriving. We were blessed to get enough work to see us through those first lean years and business has improved each year once the market fully recovered.
The Covid era was another huge challenge with significant supply chain delays and huge price increases across the board in all areas of construction. Fortunately pricing stabilized after that and has remained relatively flat since then.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Starr Custom Homes?
Starr® Custom Homes is an award-winning design/build luxury custom home firm in Jacksonville, FL. We specialize in designing and building luxury custom homes and large-scale renovations to our client’s specifications. We manage the design process for our clients and provide architectural and interior design services so that a unified, holistic approach is maintained throughout, which helps our client keep a balance between their vision and their budget. We’ve won several design awards for our homes over the years including an Aurora Award which is a regional design award across 14 states.
In addition to our unique approach to design-build, we are a very process-oriented, organized firm. Our client testimonials repeat how informed our clients were throughout their build process and how we kept their project on time and on budget.
When clients build a Starr® custom home they know they are not only getting a highly crafted home full of quality workmanship, but a home uniquely designed to fit and enhance their lifestyle that is both beautiful and functional.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest risk was simply leaving my regular nine-to-five job and starting my own business with no promise of success or income…literally having to earn my keep by getting in contact with prospective clients and selling. As a new entrepreneur this was a daunting but exciting task. Fortunately we’ve not only been able to win work but we’ve grown each year doing so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shawnstarrcustomhomes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starrcustom
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starrcustom
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnstarr1/
- Twitter: https://x.com/StarrCustom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@starrcustomhomesllc3107
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/starr-custom-homes-jacksonville
