The Builders & Buyers Show

by Jennifer McGuffin

You may not feel entirely comfortable admitting that you watch certain reality TV shows... like the ones where 20 women compete for the affection of a bachelor, or a foul-mouthed chef throws pans across a kitchen... but you KNOW those shows are out there. But did you know that in recent months a new program has put Naperville on the reality TV map? And this show, you'll be proud to say you watch.

The show is called Builders & Buyers,and it shines the spotlight on luxury, customhome building in the area. Camera crews follow construction from start to finish, and interview the homeowners and builders along the way. And the audience for this show is growing faster than you can say custom cherry cabinets.

“It really has gotten a lot of exposure. I'm getting stopped at the Jewel by people who have seen the show,” says builder Steve Turner, president of Executive Custom Home Builders of Naperville, who was featured on the show. “It's just bizarre.”

MAKING THE SHOW A REALITY
The show is the vision of veteran cameraman Ozie Baldwin, who serves at the show's executive producer. His wife, Deb Baldwin, is the host. The motorcycle- riding host. Why the bike? “My motorcycle has been my favorite mode of transportation to check out the latest homes in the area,” says Deb Baldwin. “We ride around on Sundays looking at houses.”

The idea began when the Baldwins began building their own Victorian replica home in Lemont in 2004. It took more than three years to take the show from concept to its pre- miere on Comcast in December of 2007. (Their house was finished long before then.)

Deb says Ozie had a real belief in the Builders & Buyersproject, saying, “Some of the best build- ing and highest standards are in the Chicago area. We wanted to share that with the world.”

Deb, on the other hand, did not have a background in television production or construction. Her experience was in human resources, specializing in diversity training. She says, however, that those people skills are what make her a good TV host. “My love for people is the common piece,” says Deb. “I have met so many people who are frightened taking the stage at first, and I think I help make them feel comfortable on the show.”

But all of those good feelings aside, it took a long to time to get someone to pick up the show. Both HGTV and Oprah's Harpo Studios loved the project, but were hesitant put their money on the Baldwins, who had never before produced a show. Deb says they were given a lot of support and feedback from those studios... and asked to keep in touch.

BRINGING HOMEBUILDING INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES
The show begins with western- themed music playing while Deb maneuvers her motorcycle through a high-end neighbor- hood. However, it doesn't take long for her to get off the bike and get to work, leading tours of the million dollar homes and conducting interviews with both the builders and buyers. They revisit each home often over the course of its construc- tion, showing the true drama of real estate development.

Forty luxury homes have been featured so far. They are divided into shows with titles like Spec Homes, Surviving the Downturn and even a home- builder's Holiday Special. The most recent offering, in April, was called the Green Episode, and featured dozens of cutting-edge techniques and equipment to make homes more environmentally friendly.

Three homes on the show so far have been built by David Huber, president of Naperville- based Huber Homes, LLC. Each time, he says, was a great experience for his company, the subcontractors, suppliers and homeowners. They were all proud to show off the finished product. On the buyers' side of the equation, the show has been a hit, as well. Lory Watson's “French eclectic” home in Naperville's Jefferson Estates was highlighted in Builders & Buyers'first episode. Ozie approached her at her home's construction site one day and asked if she would be willing to take part. Watson describes Ozie as “a true professional and an extremely nice person,” who made the television production process painless. Watson teases that she only has one regret about the show—that she wishes she had dressed more nicely for the tapings!

One unusual project was a $2 million home near downtown Naperville, built by Turner's Exclusive Custom Home Builders... for Turner himself. He called his wife,“My toughest buyer yet,” but said being both the builder and the buyer for the show made for an interesting twist.

THE TRUTH ABOUT REALITY TV
To answer the question, “So is all of that reality TV really real?” The answer appears to be “yes.”

Huber says, “It was brutal to see myself on TV, but the houses looked great!” He adds,“With the editing,they can make you look great or they can make you look like a doofus. But Ozie does a great job of making you look really good with a polished presentation. It's enjoyable television.”

“Nothing is rehearsed,” says Turner. “It's a true reality program. Everything was off the cuff. It's raw footage. I'm amazed how it seemed so natural, but the end product was so polished and professional,” he says.

Both builders and buyers agree that the show is evidence of the complexity of constructing a luxury home.“Those other reality shows where they build a home in a week are misleading,” Huber says. “You would never want to live, own or even stand in one of those houses. It takes longer than seven days to cure concrete.Good things always take time.”

As for the drama that is the hallmark of other reality shows, it is refreshingly absent from this reality program. “My life is very boring compared to other reality shows,” laughs Watson. “But it's great to have a show as a record for us to look back on... and to help other people as they think about building their own homes,” she says.

Here's another reality: The program, while being economical to produce, is still not cheap. Cameras, editing equipment and production time all cost money. However, the Baldwins are the show's sole financial backers, in an effort to keep it objective and free from the influence of builders or building suppliers.

BUILDING ON SUCCESS
Builders & Buyers has been a hit— much to the pleasure of the Baldwins and many custom home building junkies in the 'burbs. While Deb and Ozie have still kept their day jobs, support for Builders & Buyerscontinues to grow. Deb says Comcast officials are telling her it's one of the fastest growing programs On Demand, and is even getting a large enough audience to register on the Nielsen ratings.

“ ” “The word for us is expansion,” she says. “Expanding the audience. Our previously aired shows are on our web- site, and we're getting a lot of questions about when we're going national or international. We do have supporters in Atlanta, and have thought about doing the same thing in other cities.”

“As a builder,” Turner says, “I watch Cribson MTV to get ideas from homes in Hollywood. People will watch this show for the same reason.” He goes on to say,“Ozie and Deb are ultra professional. The product they put out is incredible. I think it will go big. Network.”

It certainly looks like the Baldwins are building something big... and that Naperville viewers are buying into their twist on reality television.

For more information about the program, visit www.buildersandbuyerstv.com.

You can catch Builders & Buyerson Comcast On Demand and Comcast channel 100. It's currently airing nine times each week, including:
Saturday at 10 a.m.
Sunday at 9 a.m.
Thursday at 7:30 p.m.