The Temple Companies
Homebuyers Discover Quality and Affordability at Summerfields Friendly Village
Article published in the Greater New Jersey Builder + Architect Magazine (PDF)
By Heidi Denison Huett
S
ummerfields at Friendly Village — an impeccably clean community with wide, gently curving streets, wonderful homes and an abundance of trees — is a place anyone would be proud to call home. What some might find surprising, however, is this is also a manufactured home community.
“Manufactured home communities are not what many people envision,” says Brian Temple, President of The Temple Companies. “Our company has helped to bring manufactured home communities to a standard that is comparable to — and one that often exceeds — features and amenities offered in a stick-built neighborhood.”
Temple speaks from experience. The family-owned and operated company has been in the building business since the early 1950’s. They built their first manufactured home community in 1959 and have been an integral part of the evolving manufactured home landscape that today boasts beautiful, quality homes that are spacious and offer a value that cannot be touched by the competition.
Brian Temple is joined by his brother, Hugh Temple Jr., who serves as company Vice President, and his father, Hugh Temple Sr., Chairman of the Board. Together they have brought fine quality, affordable homes to families of all sizes and aages throughout the country. The family has developed, owned and managed more than 38 manufactured home communities with over 10,000 home sites nationwide.
The Temple Companies have also built an impressive reputation for quality in the communities they build — a quality that remains long after the last piece of heavy equipment leaves the building site. They don’t simply build and sell. They retain ownership – and management — of their communities, which ensures the integrity of their neighborhoods for years to come.
The Williamstown, New Jersey, community of Summerfields at Friendly Village is Temple Companies’ newest neighborhood and last example of the level of quality and value this firm has to offer.
“This community offers buyers fresh designs, spacious layouts, price ranges that are pleasing to many lifestyles and an array of attractive features that provide buyers the luxury of personalizing their homes,” says Temple.
In the heart of the Pinelands, Summerfields at Friendly Village is surrounded by a landscape of beautiful woods and has an attractive year-round climate and tree-shaded neighborhoods.
Buyers many choose home styles ranging in size from 1,056 to 1,558 square feet and priced from only $69,000. An elegant, private master bedroom with luxurious bath, and a thoughtfully designed floor plan are built into every home. Wall-to-wall carpeting, no-wax vinyl flooring, decorator cabinets, name brand kitchen appliances and an 8-by-8-foot backyard storage shed allow homeowners to enjoy a relaxed, carefree lifestyle at remarkably affordable prices. A variety of customizing options — such as one-car garages, sun and screen rooms, custom-built porches or decks, skylights, bay windows, and fireplaces — are available to further enhance the homes’ visual appeal, overall comfort and functionality.
The focal point of the community is the impressive Clubhouse.
“The entire facility has been newly renovated to accommodate residents’ enthusiasm for leisure activities and to provide a wonderful gathering place,” says Temple. Inside, the spacious clubhouse boasts a 20-by-20-foot dance floor, billiards and card room, a fully equipped kitchen, and an 80-person-capacity great room with fireplace. Outside, residents enjoy a beautiful in-ground swimming pool and comfortable outdoor seating areas.
“It’s a great place for neighbors to congregate and relax all year long,” says Temple.
Other amenities Summerfields at Friendly Village offers include common area maintenance, additional recreational facilities and scheduled community events throughout the year.
Located in the serene setting that distinguishes Gloucester County, Summerfields at Friendly Village is easily accessible to shopping opportunities, banks and medical facilities, as well as major highways to Philadelphia, New York City and Atlantic City. Additionally noteworthy is the fact that Monroe Township, of which Summerfields is such a thriving part, was recently rated the fifth best place to live in New Jersey, out of a whopping 566 total municipalities.
“There are numerous advantages to living in one of our manufactured home communities,” according to Temple. “And affordability — without sacrificing quality — is one of the biggest.” Residents purchase one the home itself in a manufactured home community and rent the land for a monthly fee, according to Temple.
“This frees individuals form investing a large portion of their homebuying dollars into land and permits them to use it how they choose,” he says. “Manufactured home community residents also don’t pay property taxes, which is another substantial savings.”
In addition to land lease, the fee includes community management services, city water, city sewerage, refuse collection and snow-removal services.
“The convenience and reasonable pricing of our communities appeal to many retirees and empty nesters,” according to Temple. And many of The Temple Companies’ communities are targeted to the active-adult market to meet the demand for affordable housing for mature homebuyers.
But affordability is nothing without quality, and this is where The Temple Companies excels.
“We have a 100 percent customer satisfaction policy,” says Temple. “And we are able to do this largely because our company retains ownership and professional management of our properties.”
On site warranty managers oversee any issue that may arise, and Brian Temple personally visits each New Jersey community monthly.
“Company ownership ensures quality because we provide management based on a wealth of experience and also because the management we provide is stable, unlike local homeowners associations where members — and standards — can change frequently,” he adds.
In addition to their popularity with homebuyers, Temple says, their active-adult communities are attractive to municipalities because they generate tax dollars without creating a drain on school systems. And, the company maintains responsibility for its own infrastructures, which eliminates the drain on municipalities’ public works systems, as well.
“The demand for quality, affordable housing is always great,” says Temple. “As Baby Boomers mature, the need for active-adult communities will continue to grow. With these factors in mind, The Temple Companies is in a unique position to provide one of the best and most widely available offerings — in New Jersey and throughout the entire country, both today and in the years to come. It’s something of which we’re extremely proud.”