Article originally written by Beverly Smirnis, Builder/Architect Magazine Dallas/Fort Worth Edition
More and more people in the DFW Metroplex seek to move to the country for a number of reasons-more space and privacy, less traffic, smaller and better school districts, and a great place to raise kids. Danny Moss can fulfill country living dreams by providing the land to build on and a custom home building experience that his customers won’t regret. His home buyers can be assured that their home will meet the highest of expectations and the strictest of building standards.
While Haslet is now starting to attract the attention of many builders and developers, Danny was raised on a ranch in Haslet and has now lived there for over 40 years. His father taught him at an early age the values of honesty, hard work and perseverance toward a goal; these lessons have been invaluable to him in his home building career. Danny’s interest in the home building industry was piqued when he got a job working with a framing contractor in 1975. He was active in the framing business until 1979 and ran his own framing crew during the latter part of those years. He eventually built a home for his own family, sold that one, and the roots of his home building business were laid. By 1983, business started blossoming through word of mouth, and D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes was established.
The company has established a specialty in building country-setting homes in Tarrant, Denton, Wise and Parker counties. Prices for homes by D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes have ranged from $200,000. to $750,000. Designs have included Colonial Ranch, Texas Hill Country and Old World.
In addition to being an active home builder, Danny has also been a Certified Professional Code Administrator since 1984, and works for the city of Bedford as a building official and building project manager. He served two terms as president of the State Building Officials Association from 1992 to 1994. During his presidency, Danny was credited with helping create the annual Building Professional’s Institute, which is offered as a week-long continuing education program by University of Texas at Arlington’s Construction Research Center. Over 1,000 building inspectors, architects and engineers now attend this annual training to update their knowledge in construction technology. This is just one of the sources that assist in keeping Danny attuned to the latest trends and products. He continues to serve on the board of UTA’s Construction Research Center and is also an active member of the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association.
“Structural integrity of a home is the key to long-term home values,” explained Danny. “My lumber company tells me that no one builds houses with as much timber as I do. I also pier the foundation of every house I build. It’s a cheap insurance policy to spend an extra $2,000 now rather than pay $15,000 later to put a Band-Aid on something if you have a problem. My cable placement for post-tension slabs is closer than most. I would rather err on the conservative side, because the foundation and structure of a house is something you can’t go back and upgrade later.
“Energy conservation is another focus point. I put lots of effort and detail to incorporate energy-saving features into each home and utilize only the highest level of energy-efficient systems and appliances,” added Danny.
Insistence on quality has its payback. Many houses built by D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes are now in excess of 15 years old and still look almost new; many are still lived in by the same original owners. These satisfied customers have referred their friends and family to Danny for their new home needs.
D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes’ homes are loaded with quality finish-out, including Austin stone accents inside and outside, specially crafted fluted trim made on site, large MDF baseboards which hold paint better, scalloped windowsills, lighted art niches, hand-trowelled walls, brick surrounds in kitchens, solid surface kitchen countertops, appliances garages in kitchen and baths, central vacuum systems, hat racks, peg boards and three-way mirrors in master closets, master bedroom sitting areas, large glass-block showers and windows, jetted tubs, window seats and reading lighting, and home theaters with Surround Sound throughout the house and back patio. Garages with side and rear entries for enhanced curb appeal, circular drives, pull-through porte-cocheres and outdoor fireplaces made from Austin stone are some of the signature touches Danny adds on the outside.
Danny pays careful attention to use every available space, often building exercise or game rooms above the garage area or attic, which are separately heated and cooled. He is also seeing more demand for attached mother-in-law quarters, including a bedroom, sitting area and small kitchenette with its own separate HVAC zone.
“The home buyer is the team leader in the design of the home. When we’re ready to get started, I introduce them to one of the architectural firms we use. In the design and building process, we bend over backwards to incorporate every vision and dream into their houses. I use computer technology and digital photographs to showcase our existing homes and communicate design ideas to my clients,” said Danny. “But if their budget is tight, I educate them on the primary importance of building their house right. They can always upgrade light fixtures or change carpet, but we can’t go back and beef up the structure later, so I must insist on doing that part of it my way,” explained Danny.
Danny builds on a cost-plus basis, which helps save his customers money. Utilizing the latest in computer software helps to provide accurate estimates and creates a reporting format that is easy for his buyers to understand, which keeps them informed of the cost of every detail on their home. A recent letter from one of the area banks praised the professional manner in which his projects costs are tracked and reported to make the process better for everyone.
The entire construction process is a very hands-on one. In recent years, Danny has sometimes had to turn business away in order to control the team’s ability to provide the type of service he insists on. Starting with the purchase of the land, through the financing and design stages. Danny works hand in hand with every customer. During construction, he is on site everyday. He personally walks through the home with the customer at every stage to make sure their needs and expectations are being taken care of. Danny’s wife Kelly, helps customers with interior selection. The fact that not only Danny and his family, but his subcontractors also, receive Christmas cards from past customers every year gives an idea of how personal their service is.
“Fair pricing and the service provided by myself and my team of subcontractors keeps the referrals coming,” he said. “Most of my subcontractors have worked for me for better than 10 years. Many of them are from surrounding rural areas and they enjoy working out here on my jobs as opposed to fighting the traffic to get to the city job sites. In fact, I’ve built houses for several of my crew members. They know the process of building with D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes, and understand the needs and concerns of the home buyers because they’ve gone through it themselves. Courteous custom service is the expectation of each team member, and is one of the keys to success,” said Danny.
“My subs have grown with me to understand that things have to be done a certain way on my jobs because of my high expectations, code knowledge and continued drive for improvement. We all take pride in professionalism, and we know that doing it right means very few warranty callbacks later, and that’s good for all of us,” said Danny. “My buyers appreciate the detailed attention given to every phase of their home.”
Without city codes and city services such as water, sewer, and gas, those desiring to move to the country do have some legitimate concerns, but D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes covers all the bases to ease these concerns.
“Twenty years of building in the country teaches you a lot of lessons that can only be learned through experience,” Danny added, pointing out some of the advancements that have been made to water wells, septic and propane systems which must be used in rural areas.
Danny is one of two home builders appointed by Governor George Bush to serve on the State of Texas On-Site Waste Water Research Council. He was appointed in 1996 and is currently serving his third term. This council reviews new and regulatory laws and provides research grants pertaining to on-site septic systems utilized in rural areas.
“I promote the use of aerobic spray, irrigation-type system for septic system. These aerobic systems actually work like mini sewage-treatment plants. They treat and chlorinate the waste water from the home. Then, it is recycled through a separate lawn sprinkler system. With absolutely no smell or nutrients left, the sprinkler system disburses the waste water to the landscape and eliminates the need to have a septic leach field. A small panel allows the homeowner to easily check the status of the system. A red light and audio alarm will tell them if it needs service,” explained Danny.
Another important consideration when building in a rural area is what may be next to you, since there are no protective city zoning ordinances. That is why Danny’s own master-planned developments are so attractive to his buyers. He is currently selling Phase III in his own Willow Springs West Development in Haslet, which encompasses just over 156 acres with lot provisions for a 62-home subdivision of upscale country homes. 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 acre lots. Owners are allowed one horse or other approved livestock per acre.
“Our location inside Tarrant County offers several advantages,” explained Danny. “We are close to one of the best job markets in the state. Restaurants, theaters and several supermarkets are just a few minutes to the south. Tarrant County residents also can get better insurance policies. In these ranchette type of developments.
In Willow Springs West, building minimums are set at 2,400 square feet, although the average size has been about 3,250 feet. Architectural guidelines stipulate masonry home exteriors and land maintenance provisions to protect owners’ investments, without the burden of homeowners’ association dues. County-approved, asphalt-paved streets and underground TXU Electric and Southwestern Bell Telephone utilities are provided. The new Haslet Elementary School, two miles to the east, is part of the highly ranked Northwest ISD. The community is served by school bus service.
Though the rural atmosphere makes the area seem far away from the city, it is actually just three miles from the Fort Worth city limits, and 14 miles from the Tarrant County Court House in downtown Fort Worth. Alliance Airport is only minutes away, yet Willow Springs West is not under its flight path. The Alliance Business Park is only five miles to the east.
Nearby recreational opportunities are abundant. The development is located adjacent to the Willow Springs Golf Course, an 18-hole public course established in 1996. Residents enjoy Eagle Mountain Lake just about seven miles away. Many of the custom homes have attractive metal buildings on the home sites to store boats and jet skis or golf carts. Several of his customers are American Airlines pilots, and since many of them fly for a hobby also, they like the fact that Hicks Air Field is only 3-1/2 miles to the southwest. Away from city lights and buildings, residents can also enjoy spectacular sunsets and star-gazing nights.
As one homebuyer from California said, he got acreage, and a house he only dreamed of before, for the same price he sold a condo for in urban California. And he had fun building it, and would do it all over again with Danny Moss.
“Out here, we start with natural, undisturbed ground and create country living dreams out of it for families to enjoy,” says Danny. Proof of that is growing around him in Haslet.
For more information about D.R. Moss Quality Custom Homes, call (817) 439-3032.
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