As head of the area's first Real Living Design Realty office, Arlene Zuckerman is building a client base by constructing homes with more amenities and less of a price tag.
The mostly patio and townhomes her company builds typically range from $140,000 to $165,000, but Zuckerman said she can find a home in anyone's price range.
"To accommodate anyone is what we're here to do," she said, whether that means someone with $50,000 to spend, seniors looking to use reverse mortgage loans or someone with a condition that prevents them from walking.
All the homes the company builds are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and incorporate "universal design." Features like extra large doorways, rooms large enough to turn a wheelchair around in, and the absence of steps - even into the shower - are built in on the front end. At the same time, builders also lay the groundwork for additional safety amenities in case they are needed at some point in the future, making the home easily adaptable to a variety of situations and residents.
"These are features you don't necessarily have to have because of disabilities, they just make life easier," Zuckerman said.
Wooden supports for attaching grab bars in key locations throughout the house are added to the frame before the walls go up. The master bedroom's closet is large enough and is designed in such a way that it can easily be turned into an additional bedroom should someone need fairly constant care.
The company can also retrofit traditional homes.
Zuckerman and her co-worker Jill Hindman, who's never known life outside of a wheelchair and is an outspoken advocate for people with disabilities in Tennessee, act as consultants in special needs situations.
"I've always been interested in the field of disabilities," said Zuckerman, who saved and collected pennies as a 4-year-old to give to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As an adult, she started a travel company geared toward providing all-inclusive vacations for children with special needs, and has now spent more than 30 years working with special needs in a variety of roles. She also uses her experience as a transplant from New York to help clients relocate.
"I have a lot of fun working with people from different areas, getting them settled and knowing they aren't going to have some of the mix-ups I had when I moved here," she said.
Her parent company, Brookfield, is the world's second-largest global relocation services provider and has been in business for more than 100 years. The firm recently acquired Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, which is No. 3 in corporate relocation, according to a press packet.
"Under a licensing agreement, Prudential Real Estate brokerage affiliates will be able to continue to use the Prudential brand based on the terms of their franchise agreement," the press release states.