Ellison Development broke ground March 2 on Williams Reserve East, a 46-home community, east of FM 1484 in Conroe. The first home in the community to break ground March 2 is part of the Greater Houston Builders Association's Benefit Homes Project, where profits from the home sale will go to support HomeAid Houston and Operation Finally Home, according to a March 2 news release.
Affordable homebuilder ASGI Homes, founded by Bill Ellison, broke ground on the home. Developer Ellison Development is part of the ASGI family of companies, according to the release.
Homes in Williams Reserve East will span from three quarters of an acre to 1.5 acres with prices ranging from about $325,000 to $350,000, Bill Ellison said in a phone interview. As of March 6, six homes are under construction with one being the benefit home and one being a model home, he said.
Ellison said he anticipates the community will be sold out in about 6 months. He said a committee member approached him last year about providing one of the benefit homes.
“I said, ‘absolutely,’” he said. “We certainly have a heart of giving companywide. This benefit home—it's not just the profits that I'm making [that are being donated], but we have been able to secure ... over 102% of that home's value is being donated by all of our vendors, trades and subcontractors. All of their labor, all of their material, everything.”
He said 102% of the home's value is being donated by vendors, trades and subcontractors—more labor and supplies than is needed to build one home in Williams Reserve East. As such, he said the home is priced around $380,000, and he anticipates donating over $380,000 to the nonprofits from the sale of the benefit home; Ellison Development also donated the land site for the home.
“We can't do this on our own; we have over 50 vendors,” VP of Sales and Marketing Colleen Ellison said in a phone interview. “What will be unique about this benefit home is that while it will have some of the standards that we are going to incorporate in the community, these vendors are going over and above and donating other parts and pieces to the house that aren't standard. The great news is whoever gets this home first is going to get a lot of extras donated by our vendors.”
The single-story benefit home spans 1,932 square feet with three bedrooms, two baths, an open-concept common area and a study as well as a three-car garage, according to the release.
Since its start 43 years ago, the GHBA Benefit Homes Project has helped construct 115 homes and raised $13 million for charities.
Williams Reserve East's groundbreaking comes as the final phase of Marie Village is also getting underway with about 240 homes starting in the $120,000s, Colleen Ellison said.
Marie Village is an affordable front-porch community that opened in 2022, where homes include a front porch instead of a garage to encourage building relationships with neighbors, Community Impact previously reported.
