Revisiting Randy’s first house | Renaissance beginnings
February 19, 2014
With more than 2,500 homes under his tool belt, Renaissance Homes President Randy Sebastian took a drive recently to view the first home he built in 1984. As his company celebrates 30 years in business this year, it’s a unique story to learn how the business got started – with one house.
[caption id="attachment_14322" align="alignright" width="430"]
Renaissance Homes president Randy Sebastian revisits the first home he built 30 years ago in SE Portland.[/caption]
“We all have to start somewhere,” he said, “but this home still looks great. I was really lucky and got really good subcontractors from the start. It’s a really well-built home.”
Located at 4232 SE 126th in Portland, Sebastian refers to the 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home as his “starter house.”
“It is 40 feet, six-inches wide. You don’t forget that stuff,” he said. “It’s an open floorplan. The kitchen, living room and dining room are vaulted. It was a spec home, but it sold before it was finished. As far as I know, the same couple still lives there. I visited them five years ago.”
Sebastian’s first home led to a handful of other home builds just down the street – one for his first homeowner’s brother.
“I built that one, that one, that one, that one looks great – I built that one,” Sebastian said while driving through the neighborhood at the intersection of SE 126th Ave. and SE Cora Street.
Starting his first home build was a feat.
“A friend of mine was a builder and he seemed to be having fun,” Sebastian said. “My cousin was a framer and he gave me the name of a few subs.”
Sebastian credit’s his late uncle – who he calls a “very smart business man” – for coming up with the business name Renaissance Homes.
“It was fresh and new, and the name had legs,” Sebastian said, who started the company when he was 20. “It was a name we had to grow into, and I liked that.”
To build up capital, Sebastian sold his food cart business that he started operating after high school graduation.
“I had a couple locations – a few trailers and vans selling Hawaiian shaved ice,” Sebastian said. “And I sold my car.”
His first house completed at an interesting time economically.
“It was a tough market,” Sebastian said. “Interest rates were in the teens. I sold the house for $34,950. In 1985 I built and closed 26 homes in Portland.”
It wasn’t until the 1990s that Renaissance Homes started building in the suburbs of Portland such as West Linn, Sherwood, Lake Oswego.
“It’s fun to think about that time,” Sebastian said. “I always wanted to work outside and building houses allowed me to be outside.”
And not much has changed since Sebastian got started – he’s still excited to come to work each day and holds his team to high building standards and green initiatives. He tends to joke in staff meetings that he does “a Randy white glove test on each finished home.”
“If it’s not perfect,” he said. “It isn’t finished.”
Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building for the Portland market. Visit our Design Studio to personalize your next home.
[caption id="attachment_14323" align="aligncenter" width="614"]
Renaissance Homes President Randy Sebastian looks on to the neighborhood that gave him his start in the building industry.[/caption]
Renaissance Homes president Randy Sebastian revisits the first home he built 30 years ago in SE Portland.[/caption]
“We all have to start somewhere,” he said, “but this home still looks great. I was really lucky and got really good subcontractors from the start. It’s a really well-built home.”
Located at 4232 SE 126th in Portland, Sebastian refers to the 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home as his “starter house.”
“It is 40 feet, six-inches wide. You don’t forget that stuff,” he said. “It’s an open floorplan. The kitchen, living room and dining room are vaulted. It was a spec home, but it sold before it was finished. As far as I know, the same couple still lives there. I visited them five years ago.”
Sebastian’s first home led to a handful of other home builds just down the street – one for his first homeowner’s brother.
“I built that one, that one, that one, that one looks great – I built that one,” Sebastian said while driving through the neighborhood at the intersection of SE 126th Ave. and SE Cora Street.
Starting his first home build was a feat.
“A friend of mine was a builder and he seemed to be having fun,” Sebastian said. “My cousin was a framer and he gave me the name of a few subs.”
Sebastian credit’s his late uncle – who he calls a “very smart business man” – for coming up with the business name Renaissance Homes.
“It was fresh and new, and the name had legs,” Sebastian said, who started the company when he was 20. “It was a name we had to grow into, and I liked that.”
To build up capital, Sebastian sold his food cart business that he started operating after high school graduation.
“I had a couple locations – a few trailers and vans selling Hawaiian shaved ice,” Sebastian said. “And I sold my car.”
His first house completed at an interesting time economically.
“It was a tough market,” Sebastian said. “Interest rates were in the teens. I sold the house for $34,950. In 1985 I built and closed 26 homes in Portland.”
It wasn’t until the 1990s that Renaissance Homes started building in the suburbs of Portland such as West Linn, Sherwood, Lake Oswego.
“It’s fun to think about that time,” Sebastian said. “I always wanted to work outside and building houses allowed me to be outside.”
And not much has changed since Sebastian got started – he’s still excited to come to work each day and holds his team to high building standards and green initiatives. He tends to joke in staff meetings that he does “a Randy white glove test on each finished home.”
“If it’s not perfect,” he said. “It isn’t finished.”
Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building for the Portland market. Visit our Design Studio to personalize your next home.
[caption id="attachment_14323" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Renaissance Homes President Randy Sebastian looks on to the neighborhood that gave him his start in the building industry.[/caption]