“I went to Suncadia and I fell in love.”

Who knew that a weekend trip would result in a lifelong devotion to an area and a calling to share in the magic he discovered?

Suncadia is only about 80 miles along Interstate 90 from Seattle, on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains, but it captivated Drew Bauer with its natural beauty, amenities, and activities.

In 2013, Bauer visited Suncadia for a weekend with his wife and some friends, stayed in a penthouse unit in The Lodge and admitted “We were in awe.”

Already an accomplished kitchen and bathroom remodeler — he’s the CEO of Eastside Kitchen & Bath — Drew imagined building a second home here and told his father, Pete, about it. Pete, a gifted and skilled homebuilder in his own right, having built hundreds of homes and condominiums in the Seattle area, saw nothing but upside. “As soon as we started looking, I saw this is a good opportunity to build homes that really excite us,” Pete said. “I’d like to have a retirement home here.”

That desire helped drive them to create Bauer Custom Homes in 2017, dedicated to building individualized homes that match the area’s beauty with the desire to get away from the big city. They started slowly, building one house that first year. This year, they will start their 10th home.

In just four years, Bauer Custom Homes has been named one of only 12 featured builders who get to work with these discerning clients as they design and build their dream homes.

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Why Suncadia?

Drew left Suncadia after that 2013 weekend, but Suncadia never left him. Four years later, he returned, and it was like he never left. He rented a house and played golf.

“By the end of the round, I had decided to build here,” he said. “By the end of the week, I bought a lot.”

Corey Atherton, managing broker at Suncadia Real Estate, understood Drew’s fascination. While Seattle has an average of 150 rainy days a year, there’s an average of 200 sunny days a year at Suncadia.

“You talk to a lot of owners. They come here for the vitamin D,” Atherton said.

Once they get here, there’s so much to do within its 6,400 acres: hiking, biking, rafting, fishing, swimming and golfing in the summer; cross country skiing, tubing, sledding and snowshoeing in the winter.

The amenities are top-notch, too: a full-service spa, several restaurants, high-speed internet, modern touches in each unit, some pet-friendly units, meeting rooms, wedding facilities — the list goes on.

“Most owners are using their homes over 100 nights a year, even if it’s a second home,” Atherton said.

Why Bauer Custom Homes?

Drew Bauer admits that he doesn’t accept anything but the best. His motto is “building excellence.” There are many things that set them apart.

First, they offer design services, if clients choose to go in that direction. This has several advantages: It reduces the conflicts that arise between designers and contractor as well as the disagreements that occur among individuals, developers and the builder. Also, the scheduling is much smoother, and the whole project usually gets done faster for less money — and Drew said he will do what it takes to keep the project on schedule.

In fact, they efficiently complete the whole process in less than two years.

Second, they’re available. Drew is always happy to meet the client in the city or at Suncadia.

Third, they’re a featured builder. Atherton said there’s a thorough vetting process that Bauer Custom Homes met. It included looking at internal financials and the experience factor. Pete and Drew are seasoned homebuilders with more than 50 years in the industry. Plus, they built a beautiful home on one of the Suncadia golf courses.

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Join Bauer Custom Homes

When Bauer Custom Homes undertakes a project, they’re looking for successful, easygoing individuals who want a good building experience, who have ideas of what they want and can communicate them, and who also trusts that the builder will do right by them.

“A team effort” is how Pete phrases it.

If you love Suncadia as much as they do and want a team that can understand your vision and then build your vacation home, Bauer Custom Homes is right for you. They appreciate this most beautiful place, and they can’t wait to hear from you to get started.

“We’re building excellence, one custom home at a time,” Drew said.

Our Process

We are proud of our effective building process that results in our beautiful crafted custom homes.

Land Acquisition

Land Acquisition is the first step in the custom home building process. If you already have an amazing piece of land to build on, great! If not we can connect you with a Suncadia realtor to help you acquire a lot.

Designer

The second step in this process is to create a plan set. At Bauer Custom Homes we have a team of experienced designers on our team, but are happy to work with professionals you have an existing relationship with.

Planning Meetings

We meet with you to discuss your plan requirements, priorities, and budget details. This information is used to determine your project’s feasibility and potential timeline.

Suncadia Design Review

Suncadia has strict guidelines regarding the design and material requirements for your future home. Bauer Custom Homes works closely with the DRC to approve your plan set. This review process will take about 3-4 months.

Permitting

At Bauer Custom Homes, we work with Kittitas County to obtain the permits required for your custom home build. Obtaining necessary permits is about a 2-3 month process.

Ready for Construction!

Once all the necessary permits are acquired and your plans are finalized, we are ready to start construction!

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