Since Eric was young, building was in his blood. His grandfather, Mr. Huneycutt, developed and built houses in the 80’s and 90’s. Eric would see them go from idea to a complete home and it left him inspired to do the same.
Eric’s Dad even got into the mix and built some houses as well, which got Eric closer to the action and made him more passionate about building. The only question that remained was how he’d get started.
Thankfully, Eric’s family was setting him up for a lifetime in real estate well before he was born. His grandmother and grandfather had created Huneycutt Realtors in 1976. They both worked there full-time and were very hands on.
“I always saw them doing the right thing, no matter how hard it was, and that became part of who I am and how I run my business,” Eric said.
After high school, Eric went right into real estate and started flipping houses. He also worked with his father in property management. By 2008, Eric’s dream of building quickly became a reality with a partner.
While Eric was working on getting his license to become a general contractor in Tennessee, he was also making another huge move personally: Marrying the love of his life, Amanda.
The couple married in 2010, and in 2011, Huneycutt LLC was created. The mission of Huneycutt LLC was then what it is today: to build high quality multi-unit family and residential developments throughout Clarksville and beyond.
2011 was no small year for the Huneycutts. Amanda and Eric had their first baby in January, a boy they named Broc. Eric took his licensing test in February while Amanda and their newborn cheered him on from the car. Then, they built 40 single family homes by December. Fast forward to 2022, where they’ll likely have built 440 apartment units by the end of December.
“Around here, we just get it done,” Eric said.
And while the numbers make it look like an instant success story, Eric is the first one to admit it wasn’t always easy.
“Everything I know, I really taught myself or learned the hard way. I’ve read more books than I can count about building, and I’ve watched others and learned from them as much as I possibly could, “ Eric said.
Sometimes, the hardest situations are the best teaching moments. Take for example the Huneycutt’s first downtown Clarksville development.
“We owned rental homes that were very old, and in bad shape. Our partner in this deal wanted out, so we tore down the old properties and went back in to build new townhomes. We thought everything was going great until we got stopped by the city. We didn’t follow the plans to their liking and didn’t follow the elevation properly. They threatened to stop production and require tear down, which was really scary for us.” Eric said. “Thankfully, we didn’t have to tear it down. We eventually made it through and learned a lot through the process. Business-wise and personally, I learned most about how to overcome a really bad situation.”
2013 was another year that really stood out. It was the year Amanda and Eric welcomed their second-born child, a daughter, which they named Abby, and also started to build multi-unit developments for investors.
“Our attorney at the time came to the hospital and did closing documents right after I gave birth for some closings Eric had!,” Amanda recalled.
Huneycutt LLC has been an incredible journey for Amanda, who not only became a wife and a mother during some pivotal years of the company’s growth, but also worked right alongside Eric to build it.
“I do all of the bookkeeping and design work. Communication and warranty details come through me as well. I also work with investors to design their projects,” Amanda said.
Working as husband and wife at the same company you’ve built together can be wonderful, but it’s not always roses and sunshine.
“At first, it was difficult learning how to work together in a business setting and not take things personally, but we’ve grown together and learned to overcome it. What I love most is that I get to be a hands-on mom in addition to working with my husband,” Amanda said.
The Huneycutt’s now have an incredible team to help them continue building new homes and welcoming neighbors into the greater Clarksville area. Meet the team here.
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