Homearama awards announced

Published 8:33 pm Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The results are in for the People’s Choice Awards from the 2014 Homearama, which wrapped up at The Waterfront at Parkside on Nov. 3.

Sasser Construction, one of seven builders at the event, came out on top with five gold awards across the six categories.

Eric Sasser, left, president of the Tidewater Builders Association, and Sam Cohen, chairman of Homearama, stand at the Homearama site in August, while the homes were still under construction. The two builders managed to sweep all six gold awards available in the show, including people’s choice for Sasser Construction and master suite for Cohen’s Joey Corporation.

Eric Sasser, left, president of the Tidewater Builders Association, and Sam Cohen, chairman of Homearama, stand at the Homearama site in August, while the homes were still under construction. The two builders managed to sweep all six gold awards available in the show, including people’s choice for Sasser Construction and master suite for Cohen’s Joey Corporation.

Visitors to Homearama over its three weekends named the builder tops in landscaping, interior design and furnishings, kitchens, and outdoor living space. Sasser’s 3,110-square-foot house, called The Lorelai, was also voted Favorite House in Show and won silver in the master suite category.

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“It’s a nice compliment,” Sasser Construction President Eric Sasser said. He’s also president of Homearama host The Tidewater Builders Association.

“It was a great show,” Sasser said. “I thought we had great competition. I feel like there were a lot of great houses there.”

Joey Corporation won the sixth gold award, for master suite; The Suffolk House’s “all about me” closet in the master bedroom wowed visitors.

Joey Corporation also won silver in Favorite House in Show and interior design and furnishings, ahead of Preston Homes, with The Lilleigh Monroe, in both instances.

Preston Homes also won bronze in landscaping, behind Christopher Kait Construction with silver, as well as in master suite and outdoor living space, while winning silver in the kitchen category.

Besides for landscaping, Christopher Kait Construction, with The Isabelle, also picked up silver for outdoor living space and bronze for favorite kitchen.

Interest in homes was “solid,” according to Sasser. “At some shows, folks come out and are looking for decorating ideas; we sold a couple (of homes) from it,” he said.

And while The Lorelai is technically still for sale, “I have somebody very interested,” he added.

Hearndon Construction, parent company of one 2014 Homearama builder, HDS, LLC, “sold a house all the way down in Elizabeth City directly related to Homearama,” Sasser said.

When it’s all said and done, said Eric Sasser, builders build homes to make their customers happy.

“If you are not doing that, all the medals and plaques don’t mean anything,” he said.