Epps had an affinity for working with his hands and learned about remodeling from his father and uncle at an early age. He expanded his remodeling territory throughout the midlands and realized the benefits of owning his own construction company far outweighed the challenges he would face as a practicing dentist.
After about two and a half years of renovating homes throughout Sumter and Florence, Epps went to work as a construction intern in 2017 with Beazer Homes in Myrtle Beach. He worked under one of their senior builders, David Remensnyder, who had more than 25 years of experience in the industry.
“During my short internship with Beazer Homes, I placed an emphasis on absorbing as much info as I could about new construction,” says Epps. “I was there to learn, and I had to learn quickly. I had access to building science resources specific for our climate and area. I implement these ‘Best Practices’ in my business today with Swift Creek Homes as a starting point.”
Another mentor for Epps was his uncle, Thomas Hayes, a home builder for 42-plus years.
“I learned techniques from Beazer that my uncle didn’t have experience with because he never worked for a high-volume corporate builder,” says Epps. “Our family is comprised of multiple generations of carpenters and my Uncle Tommy is a very successful builder. His experience and mentorship is invaluable, just like my time at Beazer. I’m thankful to have a quality group of builders who I can call and trust.”
It all culminated into Epps gathering those puzzle pieces to build his own company, Swift Creek Homes, with brother Josh as a partner and wife Allison as design consultant and real estate agent, in 2018, when the couple moved to Myrtle Beach.
“We got married the week before we moved here, and then started building new homes,” says Epps. “So Allison and I have been building and renovating homes since the very beginning. She helps a lot with meeting new clients, shopping for selections, and working with people on design questions about cabinets, sinks, flooring, countertops, and more.”
Interestingly enough, in 2018, Epps was building a home in the Waterway Palms Plantation community originally intended for the newlyweds at age 25 and in the honeymoon phase of his building career. But he wound up selling it to clients Tim and Christine Lordi instead.
“Ethan was so easy to work with,” shares Christine. “He listened to what I wanted in the home. We made a few changes while the house was being built and had to discuss those things, but ultimately he was able to do what I wanted him to do, so it was great!”
Epps likes to be involved with clients early in the process. “I work with people looking to buy land but they don’t know where to start,” he says. “They don’t know the right questions to ask or who to ask. I enjoy being a resource for my clients who are going through the land acquisition process. Sometimes I have to deliver bad news to clients about aspects of their project they don’t want to hear. It’s important to get it right in the beginning. I have found having those hard initial conversations can be tough, but ultimately it builds trust and strengthens our relationship.”
The Swift Creek Homes portfolio of custom-built homes extends from Georgetown to the North Carolina border, with a concentration of homes built in Carolina Forest. Epps lives and builds in the Waterway Palms Plantation neighborhood and enjoys being involved in the community’s social events and board meetings. He gives his perspective to the board as both a builder and as a resident of the rapidly growing community.
“I’ve always been an advocate for the neighborhood. I think this is one of the best neighborhoods in Carolina Forest to move to, with a high level of consistent architectural standards,” he says. “I’m thankful to live here and work here. It’s where I started my company and where I started putting my roots down.”
Once Swift Creek finalizes the land purchase and location with clients, the team moves on to work with the client, along with local designers, architects, and subcontractors, to custom build their dream home. Most projects range in size from 2,000 to 10,000 square feet. However, Epps has an interest in tiny homes or projects with unique complexities and features.
By focusing on just a handful of homes per year, Epps can work very closely with his clients to ensure the best experience and develop close relationships that turn clients into friends. Swift Creek has worked with many different client types. He has built homes for individuals, families, retirees and multigenerational households.
“There’s no project too small or too large,” says Epps, “but essentially, it should be what you truly want. You should be designing a home that fits your budget and your needs. We do find that most people moving to our area are either established families with two or three kids or they’re grandparents and retirees, which means the average home is typically four to five bedrooms and four to five baths.”
Greg and Marlene Quirk moved here from Texas to be closer to their daughter and three grandchildren, and worked with Epps to build their house in the Plantation Lakes community in 2018.
“At that time, Ethan was just starting out, but he performed well above our expectations,” says Greg. “His follow-up was very good, and the quality of subs that he contracted were well above what we expected them to be. And the finished product turned out so well that we plan on building another house with him.”
On top of the construction side of home-building, Epps handles the day-to-day duties that could range from inputting change orders in QuickBooks to invoicing clients or vendors to cleaning the street or sweeping out the house during construction.
“We are as hands-on as we need to be when the time comes,” he says. “I’m not afraid to pick up a broom and clean a jobsite when I see the task needs to be done. I may not be a professional carpenter or painter, but I can do it if I need to. I realize my strengths and weaknesses, and my strengths are managing projects. Together, we take you from the very start to the very end. And we don’t disappear at the end either. We make lasting, meaningful relationships with our clients.”
Epps focuses on maintaining clear and consistent communication with his clients. Steve and Mollie Fera, who built their new home in Atlantic Beach while they resided in Pennsylvania, can attest to Epps’s hands-on approach.
“The communication couldn’t have been any better,” says Mollie. “With FaceTime and pictures, I was instantly seeing everything, and it was like we were here, which made us feel at ease knowing that he was keeping us up to date on everything that was going on.”
“In my business, I always treat people the same way I would want to be treated,” says Epps, “with honesty and integrity.”
Robin Chater, a former Swift Creek client, can agree with that.
“He was very easy to work with, and I’ve worked in real estate for a long time, so I’ve seen some of the best and some of the worst. He’s definitely one of the best,” she laughs.
Honesty and integrity are two values, or pillars, that Swift Creek Homes is proud to be built on, which shows through the high-quality workmanship of their custom home designs.
Swift Creek Homes is a member of the Horry-Georgetown Home Builders Association, with Epps serving on the board of directors.
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