"I don't think you could ask for better quality..."

Bill and Jenelle Bumgarner had four home-building experiences under their belts when they decided in 2000 to build a mountain home near Asheville, N.C. During construction, they were living in Greensboro, so had to trust in the builder they selected - Asheville-based Spear & Wills - to do the job right in their absence and keep them informed.

"I was very comfortable not being there," says Bill, who considers the experience with Spear & Wills the smoothest and easiest of any home he has had built. "You could depend on them," he says, reporting no delays and a sense of relief that the timeliness saved him from paying extra interest on his construction loan.

The Bumgarners had a great deal of custom work, including cabinets and molding. "I don't think you could ask for better quality," says Bill. "We're very pleased."

Ralph and Daneen Mills had Spear & Wills built their colonial farmhouse in the upscale Biltmore Park subdivision in south Asheville. Completed in 2000, the home has been problem-free. "The house was built very well," says Daneen. "It is everything we expected, and more."