Chomo Santana has been in the construction business since he was 16, where he started out as a subcontractor.
Since then, he’s worked his way up through the trades and added civil engineering and construction management to his background. Now, at 50, he offers bespoke construction as part of his business, Teal Point Homes.
“It's nice to come from the perspective where you're the ‘little guy’ first,” he said.
Founded in 1999 in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Teal Point Homes and Santana are now both a part of Boise. Teal Point Homes opened a second location to service the Treasure Valley and surrounding areas, while Santana relocated his family.
“As a newcomer to Boise, from the outdoor activities to the amount of outdoor concerts, indoor concerts, the Greenbelt, the ski resorts, the reservoir, and 10 minutes away from downtown, it truly is the biggest little town feel that I've ever experienced in my life,” Santana said. “I spent a lot of time traveling around and fell in love with Boise.”
Santana and his business partner, Wynne DeLozier, founded their company on a holistic approach to building new homes, particularly those in the $2 million to $10 million range.
“We just saw a need for that platform that really didn't exist at the time,” he said. “There were a few builders that did something similar, but none had really a full, encompassing, design-build concept like we started. And it took off. People wanted a one-stop-shop where architecture was in-house, construction was in-house, interior design was in-house. And we found in just short order it was just the right recipe.”
To get clients’ dream homes off the ground here in Boise, Santana and Teal Point Homes have created Tesoro: a 17-acre development in the Foothills.
“Everything we do is a one-off design and every home we build is only built once,” Santana said. “We’ve never built the same home twice. Everybody kind of comes with a pretty unique need for what they're looking for. Everything we design is truly custom. Those designs are originated with the actual client. So, they get to hand-pick every last facet of the home, from architecture to layout to finish colors. Every last thing your eye sees is what the client gets to do on our platform.”
While he doesn’t reuse floorplans, Santana said Tesoro has seen a very popular design theme.
“Desert Modern,” he said. “There’s a high level of interest with all the buyers that we've spoke to. So the theme of the development is more just high-end Desert Modern. A lot of flat roofs, a lot of stucco, lots of large windows, and open floorplan concepts.”
“I knew (Chomo) was looking to get started in our local market as he was already building his personal family home here,” 208 Market Real Estate Founder April Florczyk said. “I located the Tesoro development for sale off market and reached out to Teal Point. This development offered larger lot sizes with it being a 17-acre piece, and I knew would fit well with what they specialize in.”
Santana’s dedication to creating a client’s custom dwelling left Florcyzk excited about the possibilities for the Valley.
“I was impressed with how sophisticated yet relatable he was when working with clients,” she said. “A lot of clients in our market are looking for an option where they have the freedom to do exactly what they want and what they envision in their mind. Chomo works with the clients for sometimes up to two years. And he’s truly creating a relationship with these people.”
While Boise remains a hot market for out-of-state buyers, both Santana and Florcyzk said they’ve seen a lot of local interest.
“In Tesoro right now, 65 percent of our buyers are local buyers who've lived in our marketplace who just couldn't find what they what they were looking for in our market,” Florcyzk said. “I always think that there's a big assumption made that people coming and spending that kind of money are coming in from out of state, but that's not necessarily true.”
Santana has also been singing Boise’s praises to others, including the network of subcontractors he helped develop in Lake Oswego.
“We brought in probably a third of our subcontractor base that was looking for something different,” he said. “And then everybody goes to Boise, and they love it. Just great quality of life, lots of decency, and lots of really good people. And then we've been growing ever since.”
“Boise is now home to myself and my family,” Santana said. “We want to be amongst the community and making sure we’re an asset to the Valley.”
To learn more about Santana and Teal Point Homes, visit tealpointcustomhomes.com/Idaho.