Testimonials

To anyone who wants to build a beautiful home:

In the Spring of 2006, Bill and I made a fateful trip to Arden, North Carolina, with the thought of purchasing a lot to build a second home on in the future, when our children were in college. Luckily, our real estate contact there was Nancy Thompson, who showed us many properties, but most importantly, introduced us to her husband, John. John was in the process of building a house at the twelfth fairway of The Cliffs of Walnut Cove, and Bill and I immediately loved it.

The house was a shell, and we purchased it at an opportune time to begin putting our ideas into it. So began a two year, long distance building project, completed by e-mail, digital pictures, and very quick trips to North Carolina. We can truly say, the whole process has been extremely successful and a pleasure!

Although we live 3 states away, we never felt removed from this project. John and his staff are sticklers for detail, budget, planning, and scheduling. John directed every step of our construction, all while working on other projects. The quality of the finished work is outstanding; any changes we requested were always welcomed and carried out perfectly. The craftsmen that John contracted to do cabinet work, stone work, finishing work, etc., were truly talented and did an excellent job. John (and Nancy) also recommended a talented interior designer who is as excellent a designer as we have ever worked with.

As our home was completed, Bill and I felt like we had started a completely new chapter of our lives: beautiful countryside, new home, and wonderful friends. We count John and Nancy as two of our closest friends in Arden. When you can say that you love spending time with folks that you have paid a great dealof money for services, well, that says a lot about how we feel about John and Nancy. They are wonderful people, and as a builder, John is one of the very best.

It has been an absolute pleasure working with John. We look forward to a long friendship with him and Nancy!

Sincerely,
Bill and Missy Sanderson
Home Owners
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

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My husband, Bill, and I just recently completed a custom home of over 5,000 square feet in The Cliffs at Walnut Cove at 36 Wood Lily Trail. Mark Shattuck was our architect and Thompson Properties was our builder.

We had an incredibly good experience building with John Thompson from the beginning to the end. I do not say this lightly; we have worked with many builders in the past but have never had as good an experience as we did with Thompson Properties.

There were several factors that contributed to our overall satisfaction:

• John is extremely knowledgeable about building. He keeps up to date with all the latest products and techniques. Also, he isn’t afraid of trying something new. I had wanted an interior wall made of stone for our family room, which was very complicated to do because the wall was also curved. John worked hard with the architect and the stone mason to ensure that it was done correctly. It is absolutely beautiful and is the focal point of our new home.
• John is very honest and has the utmost integrity. He has an excellent reputation within the community, particularly among his clients. The fact that he lives within Walnut Cove and has such good relationships with all the people for whom he has built homes is a true testament to his abilities and integrity.
• John has outstanding people working with him. He has a full-time project manager who is as anxious to please as John is. And because he has been building in the area for a long time, he knows the best sub-contractors. We were very pleased with all the people who worked on our job,from the framers to the finishers. And it is obvious that everyone who works for John has the utmost respect for him; they all speak very highly of him.
• John is very flexible. Our house was extremely custom and I was personally involved in every aspect. I made many changes, both large and small, to the house as we went along. John never once put up any obstacles to my changes and there were never any upcharges for them, which is very unusual with a builder. Every time I called John to discuss a change, he always responded with, “That’s no problem – we can do that.”
• I can not say enough good things about John and I am not alone in my opinion. During the building process, people always asked us who was building our house. As soon as we responded, “Thompson Properties,” we always received the same reaction. We were told what a great reputation they had and were always assured that we would end up very happy that we chose them. We even received this response from the Buncombe County building inspector. We were at the house about halfway through the process when one of the inspectors came to look at the plumbing. He told us that John is one of the few builders he never has to worry about and that John’s houses are of the highest quality. I don’t know of another builder in Asheville who enjoys the reputation that Thompson Properties have established for themselves.

Bill and I did a lot of homework before choosing Thompson Properties. After doing some research we chose four builders to meet with. We sent them identical packages with details about the house we were envisioning. John Thompson was, by far, the most prepared and the most professional at the interview. Hehad read all the information we had sent him and was fully prepared to discuss the relevant details regarding the house. He even brought in an architect from Georgia to the meeting because he thought that he would be a good match for us, which, as it turned out, he was. Surprisingly, two of the builders never even read the package we sent; they just showed up with their generic presentation and had not invested any time in customizing their presentation to our needs. It was obvious from our first meeting with Thompson Properties that they were a cut above the rest. And we never wavered from that opinion throughout the entire process.

While John himself is an excellent builder, I do need to add that one of his greatest assets is his wife, Nancy Thompson. She worked tirelessly with me to take me to all the building supply stores where I made my selections for plumbing, tile, cabinetry, stone, etc. She dropped off all the house plans ahead of time and set up appointments with the salespeople with whom she had the most confidence. So when we arrived, a very competent, knowledgeable person who was already familiar with our house would be waiting for us with suggestions. A process that could have been intimidating and grueling was turned into an easy, streamlined process where I ended up having great confidence in my decisions. And she invested all this time with us before we even signed a contract. They wanted to be sure that their estimate was accurate, therefore they were willing to put in all this time upfront, before even signing the contract, to
make sure we were all “on the same page” when discussing the house and the costs. I had never worked with a builder this way before and found that it greatly reduced the anxiety and miscommunication that so often accompanies building a custom home. And Nancy was terrific to work with in many other respects. She is a great communicator and is always on top of everything. It is wonderful to have two such competent people so intimately involved in a big project like ours – nothing ever falls through the cracks

Additionally, there is one other aspect relating to John and Nancy that made them such a pleasure to work with. They are both very positive about the Cliffs and extremely supportive of Walnut Cove. While they may recognize that there are some issues that need attention, as we all do, they are very loyal to the Cliffs and are anxious to do everything in their power to help realize the vision that we all had when we invested in Walnut Cove. I think that is crucial for a builder who is representing the community. I know that there are several local builders who are extremely disillusioned by recent events and do not hesitate to let everyone know that. John and Nancy, however, are always positive and are quick to point out all the wonderful qualities of all the Cliffs communities. And I think the fact that they actually live within the gates is a huge asset; when they speak about the Cliffs, they are talking not only from a professional point of view, but from a personal one, as well. That gives them a lot of credibility when talking to potential homeowners. It is definitely a factor we took into consideration when deciding which company we wanted to build our home.

I would be happy to discuss our experience with Thompson Properties or to give you a tour of our house if you feel you would like more information. I, and many others in the community, consider the Thompsons to be the preeminent builders of Walnut Cove. Please feel free to give me a call at any time.

Sincerely,
Nancy H. Norton
Home Owner
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

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"I've never encountered the sophistication and client care in a builder team like John and Nancy Thompson with Thompson Properties. They take the building process far beyond the typical working relationship, to the level of trusted friendship. In addition, they still deliver an exceptional finished product which is clearly evident by the homes they've built. Execution of details, outstanding management, and attention to cost are provided at the level custom home owners expect. As you consider the many choices in builders, I highly recommend Thompson Properties. Meeting them and their past clients (now current friends) will reveal them as the obvious choice."

- Mark Shattuck, Architect
The Cornerstone Design + Build Solution

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Having just completed the building of our home in Cliffs Community at Walnut Cove we are thrilled to recommend builders who made it all possible.

Thompson Properties made the "building experience" a positive, pleasurable and professionally managed process. From the site location of the house to design recommendations and implementation the quality of workmanship exceeded our goals.

Nancy and John Thompson worked with our vision and budget, together we created a timeline which fit our needs. We do not live in the area and building from a distance is a big undertaking that warrants trust and communication, we had both in our builders. Any questions or concerns we may have had were quickly addressed. Partnering with builders who live and are involved in the community was a very positive choice for us.

My wife Barbara and I working with Nancy and John Thompson were able to build a lovely home which is already filled with good memories.

I am happy to be contacted and provide any additional information in support of Thompson Properties.

-John Eager
Home Owner
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

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“As an architect, working together with the client and the builder can be a challenge. I can say that John respects both sides. He handles the balance well. He is very personable, detail-oriented, responsive, and he stays on budget.” “John has been easy to work with. I respect how conscientious he is when working with clients.”

- Vince Weigman, President
Weigman Associates Architects, AIA

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“The quality of trim carpentry, stair details, stonework, flooring installation and painting exceeded our expectations, and we are very pleased with the final product. John was very helpful in the selection of suppliers and components and finding the best pricing for the materials ... Several times, we changed our minds and John was able to rapidly implement these changes with no objections ... John Thompson has a reputation as a quality builder, with quality subcontractors who deliver a high quality, well-built home.”

- Joy & David Lowles
Home Owners

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“John is easy to work with, very patient. Building a home can be very stressful. It was nice to work with someone who can keep his cool. I found him willing and open when it came time to customize the details that make it your home. He was great about suggesting the use of other materials that would cut the cost without sacrificing the workmanship.”

- Leslie Christoffel
Home Owner

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“My husband and I have had the pleasure of building what we call our haven, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Working with John Thompson and his crew has been a delightful experience. They are all very communicative and cooperative. We felt we were always presented with an assortment of creative options and most importantly with the utmost respect and patience. We highly recommend Thompson Properties and wish them a very prosperous future.”

- Nohra Scuderi
Home Owner

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“I am happy to recommend Thompson Properties without reservation to anyone considering building a new home. John Thompson has constructed two homes for me in the Cliffs at Walnut Cove. Both homes were of outstanding quality and John goes above and beyond what is required by code to make sure the homes are energy efficient and well built. He only used superior building materials and reputable subcontractors which resulted in virtually no warranty issues. I was pleased that both homes were completed on time and on budget and always felt that Thompson Properties was working for my best interests. I am not alone in my experience because Thompson Properties has an excellent reputation in Western North Carolina as a quality, custom builder. John and Nancy Thompson are also known in our community for their integrity and support of many non-profit organizations which benefit our citizens."

- Joe Brumit
Home Owner
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

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To Other Prospective Home Builders:

My wife and I are about one month from the completion of our home in Walnut Cove. When we began this journey we talked with others in the area as we searched for the perfect home builder to meet our needs. Every person we asked pointed us towards Thompson Properties. It was the best decision we ever made.

From the very beginning of the process, nothing was too much trouble and all requests were thoughtfully and carefully considered in terms of quality and cost. John and Nancy Thompson put us in touch with Mark Shattuck of Tentmakers Design Studio, who became the architect for the project. We had very specific ideas on design features and the overall look we wanted to achieve. Mark worked with us closely and developed an overall design that exceeded our expectations. We have some unusual features that include a bridge and water feature that we believe will make our home truly distinctive. Mark was creative and eager to help bring some of these unique features to reality.

The actual building process was remarkable. We are still living in Columbus, Ohio, so we could not be on-site more than a few time during the process. John and Nancy took care of every need and concern we had about the home. Each week they posted pictures on the "Homebuilder's Website" so we could be a part of the process from long distance. The quality of their workmanship, attention to detail and their cost consciousness made the entire process enjoyable.

During the building process we engaged Cheryl Smith Associates from Hendersonville to be the intertior designer for us. She helped with lighting, colors, fabrics and a whole host of other choices that were required along the way. She did an outstanding job of adding character and warmth to our home.

To us, this felt like a team effort with Tentmakers doing the design work. Thompson Properties doing the actual building and Cheryl Smith working to help add the finishing touches to our home. John and Nancy Thompson were the captains of this team and worked on our behalf to ensure that every aspect of the home was exactly as we envisioned it to be. Obviously, we would give the highest level of recommendation to anyone considering Thompson Properties. Anyone who wants a home built with care, quality and attention to detail should look no further that Thompson Properties. We are prous to say that Thompson Properties build our magnificent home, and we are honored that we count both John and Nancy as dear friends.

Sincerely,
George & Cynthia Stoe