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ASHLAND — Brandon Hunsinger began working construction with his father before he could drive a car.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Hunsinger, a Madison High School graduate, has remained in the industry ever since. His parents, Walter and Linda Hunsinger, formed Hunsinger Builders, LLC in 1995 — the same year they launched Tower Lakes Condominiums, a luxury condo community in Mansfield.
“That was also the year I graduated high school, so on summer breaks I would work here with the family in this community,” Hunsinger said recently.
“I had a point in college that I decided I wanted to come home and do this full time with my family.”
Now the managing partner of Hunsinger Builders, his latest project aims to construct a condo community — similar to Tower Lakes — in Ashland near Smith and Baney roads.
Early stages of the Ashland project date back to February 2021 when Hunsinger Builders purchased the nearly 60-acre farmland property from Ward-Whitcomb Inc. for $390,510.
“Ashland has room for somewhere in the neighborhood of 175 condominiums (on the property),” Hunsinger said. “Right now, phase one is underway in Ashland. The community is named Eagle Landings.”
Phase one underway at Eagle Landings
Infrastructure work at the site, behind Peace Lutheran Church off Smith Road, began in May, he said. Crafting the future community’s infrastructure should take about six months, Hunsinger estimated.
“We are hopeful, if weather conditions are cooperative, that we will get to a point later this year where we can even start some structural building work,” he said. “It depends on the weather and how long that infrastructure (work) takes. We don’t do excavation or foundation work in freezing temperatures.”
Phase one should prepare enough acreage to accommodate approximately 80 condos.
Hunsinger said the project includes design work for both duplexes and standalone condominiums — which are essentially single-family homes that are still included in the condo community, part of its homeowner association and eligible to receive all of the same amenities of a multi-unit building.
Examples of those amenities include snow removal, lawn care, trash service and landscaping work.
“Folks that move into these don’t really have a whole lot of outdoor maintenance (to be responsible for),” Hunsinger said.
Constructing a community takes time
Ashland lawmakers approved a rezoning request in November 2022 which allowed Hunsinger’s project to move forward. In January 2024, the city planning commission approved the preliminary plat design for Eagle Landings.
“There’s a lot involved to take a vacant piece of land and form it into a community. You don’t just buy it, put a bulldozer on it and start moving dirt around,” Hunsinger said.
Prior to purchasing the farmland property, he said visible and positive growth in Ashland attracted the company to consider creating a condo community in the city.
Availability of utilities, including water, sewer, gas and electric, also made the piece of land attractive to the developer.
Condo customizations available
Hunsinger Builders works directly with buyers when folks become interested in purchasing a spot in the condominium community. Multiple floor plan options will be available, with options for further customizations depending on future buyers’ interests.
“We have a lot of one-on-one contact and communication with our buyers to build the floor plan of their selection exactly to their specifications,” Hunsinger said. “It typically starts by interested parties simply reaching out to us.”
Buyers essentially determine the final price of the home, he said. After a lot and floor plan are finalized, Hunsinger provides the price.
“That price is a finished, move-in-ready home within allowances. There’s allowances for cabinetry, trim, faucets, light fixtures, flooring, countertops, you name it,” he said.
Clients have flexibility to customize nearly “anything they want” in the home, Hunsinger said, which has a direct impact on the final purchase price.
Each condominium could vary in price, based on factors including the lot, acreage of the lot, floor plan and any buyer customizations. He said he is hopeful duplex units will start under $400,000 per unit.
Standalone units will start above $400,000, but a more approximate estimate is hard to nail down at this stage of the project, Hunsinger said.
He said several people have already contacted him expressing interest in Eagle Landings.
“Some folks I’ve been communicating with for a couple years now. Some folks started reaching out and kept in contact ever since we rezoned,” Hunsinger said. “The amount of interest in what we’re doing over there has been highly encouraging.
“The relationships of working with members of the city in Ashland, from the mayor, council, planning commission and the engineer’s office, everybody has been absolutely wonderful to work with.”
