Lindsay Cullum-Colwell, AIA NCARB, the managing principal at Cullum Homes, has fond memories of growing up as her parents’ business grew.
Thirty-five years ago, her parents, Rod and Kim Cullum, began Cullum Homes—now nationally known as one of the state’s most reputable luxury homebuilders and 2018’s National Custom Home Builder of the Year. Rod and Kim started Cullum Homes from their kitchen table with two small children at home. Cullum-Colwell recalls her dad running from job site to job site and her mom manning the office. As she grew up, she worked for the family business too and did “all of the jobs you can think of when you’re the daughter of homebuilders,” she says with a laugh.
“I’m pretty much the same age as the company,” Cullum-Colwell shares. “It’s been an adventure my whole life.”
“It would have been difficult to imagine our current organization, number of projects and custom homes from that kitchen table,” Kim recalls. “Our humble beginnings allowed for steady growth and low overhead. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how far we have come, and how many lives and businesses we impact.”
“It’s a privilege to provide such an important piece of our clients’ lives, and we are focused on remaining at the forefront of the architectural design capabilities and client-friendly technology that allow us to deliver an excellent client experience and a home they love to live in,” she continues. “We are proud of our team and the recognition they recently received from the 140,000-member-strong National Association of Home Builders, who named us National Custom Home Builder of the Year.”
Cullum-Colwell explains that Cullum Homes does the gamut of home builds—from lock-and-leave communities to luxury, one-of-a-kind builds.
“We do everything from home site selection to home design,” she explains.
While the business has grown to 60 employees, Cullum-Colwell says that they still retain their personal, family-like touch with clients and employees. In fact, the first official employee that the company hired 25 years ago is still with them.
“While we [Cullum Homes] may build homes every day, it’s likely something our clients only do once or twice in a lifetime,” Cullum-Colwell says. “We like to simplify the process as much as possible but also celebrate milestones with our clients. We always think: ‘How can we make this special?’”
Cullum-Colwell adds that one way that they treat them like family is to make sure that every part of the home-building process happens with the same team so there’s one contact for homebuyers.
“It’s a one-stop solution,” she says. “We also make sure to build on the customer’s budget. No matter how much house you’re buying, everyone has a budget, and we make sure to manage that.”
“We believe our 35 years of experience, our range of services, and our focus on making the process enjoyable sets us apart,” adds Rod. “We have clients who live near their projects and clients whose schedules rarely permit them to be in Arizona while their home progresses. We have the technology and professional staff to handle each of these scenarios easily, including the ability to send three-dimensional ‘fly-throughs’ of their home to their smartphones as the architectural design progresses.”
Luxury custom built homes and renovations are not the only options from Cullum Homes.
“In addition to multiple custom home estates, we also offer pre-curated floor plans in several luxury resort neighborhoods such as Silverleaf, Desert Mountain and Paradise Valley,” Kim explains. “We also offer for-sale model homes in each of those neighborhoods, for clients whose timelines for purchase and occupancy are shorter. Cullum Homes offers site selection, architectural design, construction management, renovations and home concierge services to our clients, all under one roof, and managed by our team of professionals.”
Paul Colwell, MBA, PMP, is Cullum-Colwell’s husband and the director of business process at Cullum Homes. He was brought on the team after a successful career in the Navy and is an intricate part of the business’ day-to-day operations.
“I was extremely honored when Rod and Kim asked me to come onboard to initially help with managing their business processes. I have always enjoyed analyzing processes, working to improve operations and seeing how to overall optimize the business,” Colwell says. “I definitely bring a unique perspective, having not worked in the construction industry before; I previously worked in the corporate world at Honeywell Aerospace and spent 10 years in the Navy as a nuclear submarine officer. If there is ever an organization that is obsessed with process improvement and operational excellence, it is the nuclear submarine force. It has been exciting to go from a job where Lindsay and I would not be able to communicate for months a time to now, where we carpool to work most days. I truly enjoy coming into work each day and working with this team that is so passionate about what they get to create. I look forward to helping Cullum Homes continue to excel and set the standard in the luxury custom home market in the years to come.”
In regards to the future, Rod shares that Cullum Homes has many big plans.
“We are launching two exciting new neighborhoods in coveted areas,” Rod says. “Ironwood Golf Villas, released in November, was met with great enthusiasm, as four of the available eight home sites are already sold. Located on the Camelback Country Club golf course, these custom homes offer an in-town Paradise Valley location, golf course and mountain views, and the ability to design a completely customized estate home. In North Scottsdale, we will be opening our spectacular for-sale model home at Seven Desert Mountain, our newest luxury lock-and-leave neighborhood. Named for the seventh and final golf course to be constructed in this world-renowned resort area, we are offering four floor plans beginning at 3,300 square feet, with prices starting at $1,995,000, and also the option to have a custom home designed and built on the home site of your choice.”
In addition to their business plans, Kim says that it’s important to the team to always give back to the community they’ve built their business in.
“Lindsay and Paul are chairing the big annual fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, happening in Scottsdale on April 24,” she explains. “Cullum Homes has been a supporter of this incredible organization for many years and we are honored to be involved with Blueprints and Bluejeans, their only large fundraising event of the year.”
“We have also been honored to support and serve on numerous community boards and fundraising event committees. Most recently the American Heart Association's annual Heart Ball, Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation Board, Trends Charitable Fund, and The Phoenix Theatre Company,” Kim continues. “Because we believe in advancing industry standards and best practices, we also actively participate in and support professional organizations within the fields of construction and architecture, including the National Association of Home Builders, The Design School at ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, and the AIA's Custom Residential Architects’ Network.”
To learn more about Cullum Homes, visit CullumHomes.com.