A quarter of a century ago, the dream was a simple one: build homes that emphasized quality design and delivered an exceptional level of quality throughout.

That was Sam Irvin’s dream. It was 1983 in Ocala, Florida and Sam had $5,000 in his pocket, a Rolodex full of contacts and experience he’d gained working directly with a local contractor. He also had a lifetime of growing up in Iowa farm country – and that dream – to build upon. Reluctant to return to the cold weather in Iowa (Sam had grown quite fond of the Florida sunshine) and sure that his dream would match up quite nicely with that of the Ocala home buyer, he determined to make a go of it.

The first Irvin Construction homes were small, approximately 1,300 sq. ft., built on speculation and located in Ocala. They sold for around $40,000. In 1985, just two years later, Irvin Construction Company entered the Marion County Parade of Homes and won Best of Show! Paul Irvin, Sam’s son and the current CEO of Irvin Construction Company attributes their win to a “revolutionary home design that included a laundry room moved from the garage to inside the house and a master bathroom with his and hers sinks.” The home sold for $200,000 – quite a sum in Ocala in 1985!

that he had a flair for home design that set his homes apart from the other homes in their categories. It encouraged him to expand upon his ideas about design and trends and give his home buyers more of what they’ve really been searching for in a new home.

Irvin Construction Company quickly began to evolve and grow as more and more homes were built and word began to spread. In every home, the Mid-western sensibilities that formed Sam Irvin became a philosophy that infused the homes he built.

According to Paul Irvin, “Where we came from, most things you wanted or needed you had to do for yourself. So, you made sure you did it right the first time. Dad just naturally built his homes that way, using only the very best materials and the best labor. Just like he’d do it for himself.” Today, Irvin Construction Company, Inc. builds their homes with that very same philosophy firmly in place, though Sam’s two sons, Paul and Mark, are running the company now. Both came to Irvin Construction in 2001. Paul, CEO of Irvin Construction, became a licensed real estate broker and a licensed contractor and is in charge of their Ocala Division. Mark Irvin, President, helped set up and directs the Orlando Division, a major part of the company that has grown dramatically since its inception. Together, the two sons purchased the company from their father in 2007.

Yet, Sam Irvin’s original dream is still intact, carried on by the vision of his two sons. The company builds an average of twelve to fourteen custom homes per year, with most of their business coming from the most reliable of all advertising, word of mouth. According to Mark Irvin, “We can attribute over 80% of our business to referrals from previous customers.”

The word continues to spread. Says Paul Irvin, “People end up building with us because they have confidence that we will deliver what we promise. They trust us. And that relationship that forms between builder and buyer is one of the secrets to the success of Irvin Construction.

“Building a home can be a very stressful undertaking. And it will last an average of a year or more. So, we’re going to be partners in our customers’ dreams for a long time. That’s why a good relationship is essential when you build a home. Choosing the right builder is absolutely critical. You have to feel confident in and trust your builder or it just won’t work. It’s so important to us that if we don’t feel a connection with a potential customer, we’ll go so far as to suggest other builders they may want to talk to. That’s why, when all is said and done, I believe every one of our customers would say that they got the home they wanted, built to an exceptional level of quality, at a fair price.”

The “home they wanted” is key. Irvin Construction’s typical customer has a pretty good idea of the home they want. “But,” says Mark, “they rarely bring a complete set of plans. Usually it’s several plans, some that they may have downloaded from the Internet or some just bring us pictures of homes and they tell us what it is they like about each one. From that, we can begin to design the home they truly want.”

“It’s a process,” according to Paul, “that, the more we talk and we learn about our customers’ families, about the demands their lives place on them, the more we can arrive at the right home design. It’s a partnership that begins on the very first day.”

Let us not forget that the “process” also involves the actual construction of the house and here is where Irvin Construction has a decided advantage. Good materials to start with is the easy part. The more difficult part of the process involves the many trades people and subcontractors who have a hand in the actual building of the home. Relationships play a key role here as well.

“We use the same trades people again and again – I have a trim carpenter in Ocala who’s been with us so long, we now work with his son – because they know what we expect from them.” says Paul. “We have a level of trust and confidence in them that goes both ways. One of the reasons our quality is so high in our homes is because of them.

They catch things on the job before we ever get a chance to see them. They work hard for us, and we repay them by being loyal to them. There are a lot of subs out there who want to work for us. But we stay with the ones who know what we expect of them, until they give us cause to change.”

“It’s important,” says Mark Irvin, “because most people have no idea about the detail and organization it takes to build the homes we do. You want your home builder to have experience building the size and type of home you’re interested in. They may say they can do it. You’ll want to see the proof in the homes they have built.”

The “Triana”, built by Irvin Construction and the centerpiece of this year’s Street of Dreams, is a prime example of how important detail and planning is to a new custom home. At 16,194 total sq. ft., the Triana took almost 2.5 years to complete. Planning and site preparation alone took months and over 500 truckloads of dirt to complete. But all the planning and the preparation were worth it. This stunning home is a seamless combination of Old Hollywood glamour and gracious, modern living. As intimate as it is dramatic, warmly comfortable as it is technologically advanced.

Enter through the front doors and a dramatic wall of two-story windows on the back side of the home frames a breathtaking outdoor pool and lakefront view that some may say is the equal of the house itself – and that is only the beginning.

Throughout the Triana, the luxuries present themselves in overwhelming numbers and with meticulous detail: the majestic wet bar and walkin wine cellar topped with a balcony; the gourmet kitchen with polished granite countertops, rich wood cabinets and copper farmhouse sink; the wood-beamed pub room that leads to an opulent, multi-level theater room; two-story master bedroom with massive headboard swathed in 26-foot draperies with a loft on the second story; intimate bookcase-lined library with spiral staircase; magnificent outdoor kitchen with 8-burner stainless steel grill, Sub-Zero refrigerator and a large, flat screen TV…And the list goes on for many more rooms and more design triumphs.

In a nod to technology and introducing a smart home design that has never before been available for private residences on this scale, the Triana is also a showcase for the new myPAD system. From a small touchscreen pad no larger than an open book, myPAD puts the controls to the entire home at your fingertips. Dim the lights, adjust the air conditioning, view the latest news off the Associated Press wire, select music for the home system, check your e-mail and surf the Net, browse the menus of the local restaurants and order dinner for the evening – myPAD puts that immense capability right in the palm of your hand.

Only a highly-qualified home builder could even attempt to build homes on the scale of an Irvin Construction Company home. It requires a commitment to be constantly vigilant and know what goes on at a job site every day. “Our customers can’t be on the job site when we’re building their home. They depend on us for that,” says Paul Irvin.

“I almost lived in this home (the Triana) for the last month and a half before it was finished,” said Mark Irvin. “That is the kind of commitment that sets an Irvin Construction Company home apart.”

When asked to elaborate on the Irvin difference, Paul Irvin did not hesitate. “We are a familyowned business that values its customers. We are experienced and organized. I couldn’t think of anything more rewarding than being able to sit down and talk with a customer, figure out what they’ve been dreaming of and then, to be instrumental in giving them their dream.”

According to Mark, “We are problem solvers. That’s one thing I enjoy. A new home is like a puzzle and we meet and get to know our customers to get the pieces of the puzzle. And then we solve it for them.”

“One last thing I would like people to know,” said Paul. “When you build a home with Irvin Construction, because of the process and the way we build a home – the right way, I promise you, you will get your dream.”