Amberwood Homes has been in the business of custom home building since 1985, under the direction of its founder, president and master builder, Billy Johnson, but his story began nine years earlier.
In the Valley since 1976, Billy arrived in Arizona, at Luke Air Force Base, with nothing more than his vehicle. After serving nine years in the military, in 1979, he took a job selling electronic equipment to companies across the United States. In his first year selling, he was one of a team of 13. Billy sold more than the other 12 combined. He had found his passion.
Not preferring to relocate to Boston for the company, Billy bought his first custom lot in the Groves, in Mesa. He then partnered with two individuals, and found, again, his passion and drive outworked his partners. His sales philosophy of eating what you kill catapulted him to start Amberwood Homes, building thousands of homes in hundreds of communities.
Today, Billy and his team specialize in luxury custom homes. While based in Mesa, Amberwood Homes also serves many other Valley cities, including Gilbert, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Cave Creek and Scottsdale.
Amberwood Homes is rooted in passion, and Billy brings that passion to each home he builds—remembering even the smallest details of a customer’s home, even years later.
“I enjoy what I do,” Billy said. “I love what I do.”
His enthusiastic attitude is rooted in the early days of combining business and family. “When I first began the business, I offered appointments at my home office every night and weekends at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. I worked from home to be available for my daughter, and always left Friday nights for a date with my wife. I couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning and do it all again.”
Billy’s passion comes from a personal involvement in his business, which has become not only uncommon, but also practically unheard of in recent times. Visit his website, and you will find his personal cell phone number, along with his personal email address. Visit his office, and you will be invited to speak with him. “You have to be personal,” he said, “and you have to do what you say.”
During his 30 years in business, it’s clear Billy has done a lot more than build houses. He has built long-lasting relationships, which have led him to build homes for generations of families. These relationships have been built through honesty, integrity, and a willingness to go above and beyond.
Admitting he is a perfectionist, and he can’t settle for anything less than precision, his standards are high, to say the least. “Everything has to be perfect, or it gets redone,” he said.
According to Billy, he has three jobs within the homebuilding process. “My buyers come to me for my expertise,” he said. “First, I ask buyers what their budget is, and I become the brake to keep them to their budget, and to be a voice of reason during the emotionally charged process. Second, I will never build anyone an ugly house. Third, I will leave each homeowner with a smile on their face.”
Billy appreciates positive feedback, too. “To have a homeowner say, ‘It’s even more beautiful than I imagined,’ that’s the reward,” he admitted.
Amberwood Homes excels at exceeding expectations, and the company motto, If you can dream it, we can build it, hasn’t been disproved yet.
This success can be attributed to Billy’s passionate, unrelenting work ethic, and the diligence of his team. “Amberwood is a tight group,” he said. “We’re a team, and we all work together.” He describes his team as a family, and takes the time to treat them as such. “When I come into my office, I come in and individually chat with everyone every day,” he said.
Not only generous with his time, Billy also spares no expense when it comes to helping customers enjoy the home of their dreams—even extending the home’s structural warranty eight years past the legal minimum of two years. “I give every buyer an additional eight years, and I pay for it myself,” he said.
This commitment to excellence and outstanding customer service seems to bring delight to his customers and to Billy, who has no plans of retiring any time soon.
“Building houses has been the joy of my life,” Billy stated.
For more information about Amberwood Homes, located in Mesa, at 4320 E. Brown Road, Suite 101, visit www.amberwoodhomes.com or call (480) 832-8161.