Each home featured in this year’s Parade reflects our commitment as a trusted Kansas City custom home builder focused on detail, livability, and timeless design.

First Place – Distinctive Design (KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes)

TruMark Homes received First Place in Distinctive Design at the KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes for:

• 424 SE Maxwell Drive, Blue Springs, Missouri

This award highlights our focus on custom home design, architectural detail, and elevated finishes that set our homes apart in the Kansas City homebuilding market.

Pick of the Parade – Gold Award Winner

We are also honored to have received a Pick of the Parade Gold Award at the KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes for:

• 4205 SE Adams Drive, Blue Springs, Missouri

This Gold Award-winning home showcases premium craftsmanship, thoughtful layout design, and modern functionality—hallmarks of TruMark Homes as a leading custom home builder in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Pick of the Parade – Silver Award Winners

TruMark Homes also received multiple Pick of the Parade Silver Awards at the KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes for the following homes:

• 2123 NW Killarney Lane, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
• 300 NW Earle Lane, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
• 4304 SE Adams Drive, Blue Springs, Missouri
• 4312 SE Adams Drive, Blue Springs, Missouri

Each of these homes reflects our commitment to building high-quality custom homes in Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs, Missouri, with a focus on livability, design, and craftsmanship.

Award-Winning Kansas City Home Builder

These awards from the KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes reinforce TruMark Homes’ reputation as a trusted Kansas City home builder specializing in custom homes. Our team continues to deliver thoughtfully designed homes that blend function, style, and lasting value.

We are grateful to everyone who toured our homes during the Parade and to our dedicated team, trade partners, and suppliers who helped bring these projects to life.

Build Your Custom Home with TruMark Homes

If you are looking for a custom home builder in Kansas City, Blue Springs, or Lee’s Summit, Missouri, TruMark Homes would love to help bring your vision to life. Our award-winning designs and craftsmanship speak for themselves.

Contact us today to learn more about building your next home. https://markthebuilder.info/contact-trumark-homes/

The post TruMark Homes Wins Multiple Awards at the KC 2026 Spring Parade of Homes appeared first on Mark the Builder - TruMark Homes.

A multigenerational home is a household with more than two adult generations living
under the same roof or grandparents living with grandchildren under the age of 25. They
are becoming increasingly common in the United States. According to the group
Generations United, 51.4 million Americans now live in multigenerational households.
This is a 10% increase since 2007. 15% of home buyers purchased a multigenerational
property between April and June of 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19.
With housing prices at a record high and still increasing, family members who combine
their money together can usually afford a larger, higher-end home.
What are some of the other benefits to multi-family housing? According to GU.org, 98%
of Americans living in a multigenerational home say their household functions
successfully, with various factors that contribute to the success of the living
arrangement.

Some benefits to multigenerational living include:
â— Enhanced relationships among family members (79 percent)
â— Improved finances for at least one family member (76 percent)
â— Positive impacts on personal, mental and/or physical health (76 percent)
â— Making it possible for at least one family member to continue school or enroll in
job training (71 percent)

There are some additional benefits we have heard directly from our clients when they
are considering a multigenerational home for themselves. One is that it would be much
easier to give care to their elderly parents when they are all under the same roof.
Another possible perk is that grandparents who are more self-sufficient would be able to
help with childcare more regularly with this kind of living arrangement.

What could be some of the drawbacks to joining generations in a household?
â— Multigeneration properties can be priced higher than a traditional family home.
â— Less privacy.
â— Potential family fall out – Be prepared for a clash of opinions on occasion,
keeping in mind that it is you who will have to compromise and let go of some
things.

At TruMark Homes, we have received many requests for a plan to accommodate
families who have parents or an older adult child living with them, especially during this
last year. Our builder, Mark Yancik has designed a brand new floor plan called the
Marie III, specifically for those who are desiring a multigenerational home with two
master bedrooms on the main level. Listening to the needs of our clients and attempting
to fill a need, Mark the builder has jumped into action. TruMark’s first creation of this
plan will soon be introduced in Cobey Creek in Lee’s Summit.
Both of these main floor ensuites have beautiful bathrooms attached. The front master
bedroom includes a sitting area. This reverse 1.5 Story plan has two additional
bedrooms in the lower level, for a total of four bedrooms. A 5th bedroom in the lower
level is also an option. Our clients love the open concept living area and kitchen on the
main level and the large family/rec room with wet bar in the lower level. Interested in the
Marie III or another plan you see online? Please give us a call at 816-223-9540 or email
us at trumarkhomesinfo@gmail.com for more information.

The post TruMark’s New Multigenerational Home Plan appeared first on Mark the Builder - TruMark Homes.

All homes tend to need some renovation after a certain number of years. Homeowners often wonder if it makes more sense to build instead of doing remodeling when that time comes. There are a considerable number of things to think about when making this decision.

1. Consider the return on investment. Take a look at where your house falls in terms of current value in the neighborhood where you currently live. If your house falls in the lower price range of the subdivision, it may make sense to remodel. You may have a better chance of getting back on that investment when you sell. However, if your home is at the very high end of your area, you may price yourself out of your neighborhood if you make significant changes. For example, a mid-range remodeling of the kitchen costs an average of $22,507, and a major kitchen renovation costs an average of $66,196, according to Remodeling Magazine. A mid-range bathroom addition can cost $47,427. If remodeling, those costs can add up quickly. This  fixr.com article shows some of the most common improvements and what kind of ROI you can expect from each.
   
   
2. Is it practical to remodel? Are you able to stay in the home while you remodel or will you need to move out temporarily? Are the renovations so extensive that it makes more sense to start from scratch? For example, are you wanting to entirely change the style in more than a couple of the rooms?
   
   
3. Does it make more sense to sell and build in a seller’s market? Because of the shortage of houses that are active on the market, homeowners can usually sell without doing any major updates. Most of our TruMark Homes clients are finding it extremely easy to sell their home when doing a build job, which relieves a lot of the stress from the process. And after finding out what the home down the street from them sold for, they realize that they can easily have a large down payment for their new home.
   
   
   
   
4. Can you find the resources to help with your remodel? Right now, it is difficult to find contractors for remodeling. Remodeling your home is a project that has to be managed. You will have to deal with people in your home, coming and going. There will be times when people may not show up. The time frame they give for completion is often extended past the estimated date of completion. It’s sometimes easiest and more reliable to hire a larger company to manage your project, but this can be more expensive. If you can do some of the remodeling yourself, this can help keep the costs down. But will you have the time to do it?
   
   
5. Will this home be what I want in the next ten years? Are you happy with the location of the home? Does it have enough space? Are you wishing you had a more open concept?  Renovating your current home may not give you that location that you are dreaming of. Maybe you want to re-configure and have a larger living space and fewer bedrooms. We call that “resizingâ€. Maybe you need a home office (or two). When you build a custom home, you will be able to take into consideration all of those things that will meet your current needs and desires.

Deciding whether to stay and remodel or renovate or to build new is not an easy decision. It’s a good idea to have an experienced real estate agent do an assessment of what your home value would be with and without a remodel or renovation. Then, sit down with a builder to price out a home that would check off all the boxes on your list.  Gathering information and making the comparisons will help you make an informed decision. 

The post Skip the Remodel: Reasons to Build appeared first on Mark the Builder - TruMark Homes.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we need our homes to function. Families have never spent as much time in their homes as they have in 2020. 40% of homeowners have made changes to their homes and people who are in the market for a new home are looking for different specifications than the previous years. We are getting feedback from potential clients about what they would like to see in their new build as a result of the pandemic and their answers may surprise you.

More family members are spending lots of hours at home. Mom and/or dad need a quiet office space. Many households have both spouses looking for quiet areas to do conduct their zoom meetings. When building a new home, many clients are looking for a pocket office on the main level or an additional bedroom that they can make into an office. Children are also needing their own space for their schoolwork on virtual days, which can mean that they need a desk in their rooms. Some parents have been looking for larger bedrooms in a new home to accommodate this new workspace.

The realities of homeschooling and working also have some families looking at open-concept living areas in cases where children are at the age where they must be supervised closely while doing schoolwork. A large kitchen island is something people are looking for more than ever, as well as cabinet storage. Needs vary depending on the age of the children and the work situation of the parents. 

Buyers are also showing more appreciation for bathrooms, such as a large shower with a dual shower head and more storage and space in their bathrooms as well.

We don’t just need more indoor space, but people also desire a more comfortable space outdoors as well.  When the weather is nice, people are beating the “cooped up†feeling by sitting outside. The number one outdoor upgrade home buyers want to see in 2021 is a firepit, according to 54% of the agents surveyed by HomeLight. Firepits are most popular in the midwest and the northeast.

People are also having extended family over who may not feel comfortable gathering inside a family member’s home. Expansive decks are in demand, as well as outdoor kitchens and seating that will be comfortable for groups of people. Homeowners are looking for privacy in the form of shrubs, fences, or cabana curtains. Screened-in porches are also on the rise, as well as pergolas, wireless speaker systems, water features, solar lights, and built-in seating. 

The year 2020 has brought about many changes in our lifestyles, which are reflected in the way we use our homes, both indoors and outdoors. Trumark Homes is continually adjusting their floor plans to meet the needs of today’s buyers.

The post Pandemic Changes Features Home Buyers are Looking For appeared first on Mark the Builder - TruMark Homes.