Clarkston is a growing community with essential quality. With all this growth, development in the area is on the rise. Carl Matisse, of Summit Properties, knows the importance of quality homes.
Matisse has been a Clarkston resident for seven years, along with his wife Marion and children Alex, Katie and Nicole. Matisse met Marion while in appraisal school. She was from North Carolina and he lived in Michigan.
After a long distance relationship, Marion moved to Michigan. The two were married in 1992. Their three children attend Clarkston Community Schools, and stay active in the community ? attending Deer Lake Athletic Club and other Clarkston favorites.
The family lived in Royal Oak for 11 years before deciding to move to Clarkston. This move was not easy.
‘At the time, we thought there was no better place to live than Royal Oak,? said Matisse. ‘Now, I couldn’t ever imagine leaving Clarkston.?
Matisse began his career at General Motors, where he worked for 11 years. He holds a degree in construction engineering, and is a licensed engineer and broker, a certified real estate appraiser and licensed builder.
‘I’m one of the only builders that actually went through four years of college to learn how to build,? said Matisse.
Summit Properties has an interesting beginning.The story begins with Marion, Matisse’s wife and a certified appraiser working for an appraisal company owned by Dave Harrison. Eventually, Marion introduced Matisse and Harrison, a distinguished member of the Clarkston community, who assisted in starting Clarkston State Bank. With Harrison’s love for building and Matisse’s trained skills, the two came together to form Summit Properties in 1994.
‘Leaving General Motors was a scary decision,? said Matisse. ‘But I had a good feeling.?
In 1997, Matisse acquired Harrison’s portion of the partnership. Summit Properties is known in Clarkston for building custom homes of excellence and variety. Since 1994, Summit has built over 100 homes throughout North Oakland County. Matisse guarantees the quality of his homes by working with the same contractors and staff project after project.s
‘I think it is very important to use the same group of contractors when building,? said Matisse. ‘We are well aware of how to get the job done.?
Matisse believes working with the same group separates his company from others; the contractors know what Matisse wants and they get the job done accordingly.
‘I love driving throughout the area and passing a house I built,? said Matisse. ‘I say to myself, ‘I built that, and I know what it looks like inside.? ?
Matisse formed a partnership with Bruce Mercado, and built the Links Building. Summit Properties and Keystone Real Estate, another of Matisse’s companies, are housed in the Links building, as well as Mercado’s dental office.
When Matisse is not building, he can be found golfing or scuba diving. Very active in the community, Matisse participates with organizations such as SCAMP and Lighthouse.
‘I love the Clarkston area, and I want to help the community,? said Matisse.
Expectations for the future are high, and Matisse is looking forward to growing with his hometown of Clarkston.