By Scott Walsh

Brandywine Homes, a respected builder of fine homes in Southern California since 1994, has taken its reputation for fine craftsmanship and uncompromising standards to new heights with the establishment of a custom home division. Whether it is an 11,000-square-foot estate with subterranean levels in Newport Coast, Calif.'s Crystal Cove or a luxurious Tuscan-style residence in the Hidden Hills neighborhood of Yorba Linda, Calif., each house constructed by the Brandywine Custom Homes team truly embodies the unique aspirations of its owner.

"The process of building custom homes, from the design to the details, and eventually the delivery, is something that I truly love," Terry Bassett, vice president of Irvine, Calif.-based Brandywine Custom Homes, said. "Even the nicest tract house is, by definition, very limited in design. There's just not much to it -- you have a plan and you put it up. But when you build a custom home, you are intimately involved with everyone from the architect to the owner on a daily basis to create a place that reflects their vision."

Bassett knows what he's talking about. He has more than two decades of experience building custom and estate residences in Southern California, in some of Orange County's most distinguished custom neighborhoods, including Shady Canyon in Irvine and Crystal Cove.

Perhaps the most surprising thing to those looking to design and build their dream home is the sheer number of decisions and how often they have to be made, from the framing to the drywall to the colors. It seems like there are key decisions to be made every day and many of them must be made months in advance. "It's very important that you're comfortable with your custom builder, who will help guide you through the decision-making processes," Bassett said. "You need a builder who knows what decisions have to be made, when they have to be made and what the options are."

"People also want to know if now is a good time to start the process of building their dream home," Bassett continued. "My response is always that this is actually an excellent time to build a custom home. Changes in the marketplace over the last few years have resulted in building costs that are really at rock bottom. Labor costs are down and the number of quality artisans and craftsmen that are available is incredible. With land prices and labor costs so low, the price of a custom home is a relative bargain."

There are two hot trends in the custom housing market right now. The first is creating usable outdoor living spaces that meld with the indoor, giving the effect of more square footage. People want living areas to flow in and out.

The second style has custom home buyers going underground -- literally. As homeowners seek to get more space on smaller lots, there's nowhere left to go but down. These subterranean living spaces are much more than just basements, they're complete, finished living areas and can include everything from an extra bed and bathroom to a temperature- and humidity-controlled wine cellar, a gym, a media entertainment room and even an underground garage.

Brandywine Custom Homes is an affiliate of Brandywine Homes, a respected developer of fine homes in Southern California for almost two decades. "That's where our advantage lies. We have experience, stability and a track record of building beautiful homes," Mark Whitehead, vice president of operations at Brandywine, said. "But what really sets us apart is customer service. This is a completely hands-on experience and it's vital to have good communications with the owners every day. The owner must be involved every step of the way.

We're there explaining the process and helping them through it. We help them make the right decisions and really listen to them before we make a move. It can't be any other way."

Scott Walsh is a senior writer at Anton Communications, a public relations and marketing firm based in Southern California. He may be contacted at info@antonpr.com.