Patterson Client Story.
Mike and
Marcia Patterson -
Ranch and home situated on the Great Western
Cattle Trail
In his “buttoned
down” career, Mike Patterson worked as a
petroleum geologist in the international
division of various oil and gas
companies. His last project, before
retiring in 2007, was the development of
China’s offshore oil and gas fields. As
a geologist the native Texan was drawn
to the hilly terrain and large rock
formations in the Hill Country. In his
youth he hunted for fossils in the area
and he remembers thinking that one day
he would live in the Hill Country.
In January 2005, his wish became a
reality when a land broker in Kerrville
sold Mike and Marcia Patterson a
350-acre ranch property that is situated
on the historic Great Western Cattle
Trail, located 2 miles south of Bandera
Pass on Highway 173. An old metal
building on the property served as the
Patterson’s weekend bunkhouse. The
couple spent two years scouring the
ranch in search of the perfect spot to
build their retirement home. Their
chosen spot was a promontory overlooking
Bandera Creek.
While becoming familiar with the
surrounding towns, Marcia Patterson was
drawn to the design style of the Hill
Country homes found in the Comanche
Trace community. On a visit to the sales
office, Mike and Marcia requested a list
of Comanche Trace homebuilders. Although
it was a Sunday afternoon, the sales
secretary suggested the couple visit
Tony Robert’s family home.
Mike Patterson shares their dream home
story.
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We made an immediate
connection with Tony and the Roberts family
on several levels, including the discovery
that Tony is also a graduate of Texas A & M.
We were so impressed with Tony and his wife
and the style and design of their home was
very close to what we wanted in ours. Tony
offered to share his house plans with us and
we hired Mustard Design in Fredericksburg to
draw up our blueprints using the Roberts
home as a guide. The house is 5,000 square
feet with a swimming pool that includes a
pool house with a fully functioning kitchen.
There is also a screen deck that stretches
across the back of the house with a French
door entry from the master bedroom and a
sweeping view of Bandera creek and the
valley below. |
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Our Hill Country
retirement home is the fifth house that I’ve
had built, and in my experience, I have
found that most builders are capable of
constructing a pretty good house. But
working with Tony Roberts is an adventure
that goes far beyond just building a home.
Tony paints a picture and tells you this is
what we are going to capture for you. From
there, you just know that he is going to
make your home a pretty good place to live.
Marcia and I decided not to hire a
decorator, so Tony gave us a list of
recommended suppliers for the granite and
tile and appliances. He also sent us to see
several homes using a variety of stone
exteriors. Tony was very good at
understanding what we wanted and
incorporating that into the design of the
house.
We had a file cabinet full of magazine
pictures and it took hours and hours to make
our selections. At times it was frustrating,
but there isn’t much of anything that we
would do differently today. We learned a lot
and had fun. Marcia said she would do it all
over again without using a decorator. |
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Tony estimated it would
take 12 to 14 months to build our home, but
it took longer because we hired a special
craftsman to build our kitchen cabinets,
which turned out beautifully. Tony was
always accessible and I was very impressed
with all of his sub contractors. During the
time our home was being built, we often
stayed in the bunkhouse on the property, so
we felt included the whole process.
When something in the building plans needed
changing, the team was right on top of it.
The accounting was professionally handled
and every little thing you did was accounted
for plus or minus. Tony is one of those guys
that once you work with him for a few
months, you feel like you are part of the
family. |
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We moved into
our new home on June 12, 2007 with
the “quickest punch list” I have
ever seen.
Every morning Marcia and I wake up
and experience beautiful views in
every direction—including big open
pastures and the hills of Bandera
Pass. The Great Western Cattle trail
that runs through our property is
rich with history and heritage and
our first Christmas was shared with
family and friends. If I were to
build another house next week I
wouldn’t call anybody else but Tony
Roberts. We got what I consider a
good friend and we had a wonderful
experience along the way. |
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