Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Abaee.
Hi Jonathan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up around construction and was always drawn to architecture and design. When I was younger, I actually thought I’d become an architect one day. Instead, my career started in the energy industry, where I spent years around engineering, systems, problem solving, and large-scale projects. Looking back, that experience shaped the way I approach home building today more than I realized at the time.
My path into luxury home building really started when I built my first personal home with a building company that honestly missed the mark in a lot of ways. The project ran roughly 30% over budget, communication was lacking, and despite the price point, it didn’t truly feel like a well thought out luxury home. I found myself heavily involved in the process, solving problems daily and eventually taking on much more of the project than I ever expected.
That experience pushed me to learn every aspect of the building process firsthand. Later, I built another home largely on my own with guidance from a close builder friend, and that’s where everything really started to come together. I began combining my engineering background with building science, construction management, and design to create homes that weren’t just visually appealing, but highly engineered, efficient, and intentional behind the walls as well.
Today, that hands-on mindset still defines how I run my company. I stay closely involved in every project, show up on job sites regularly, communicate with clients daily, and intentionally keep the number of homes we build limited so every client gets direct attention throughout the process. I’ve also always had a strong appreciation for art and design, which helps me collaborate well with architects, designers, trades, and homeowners from all different backgrounds.
For me, building homes is a balance of engineering, creativity, communication, and trust. That combination is what ultimately shaped Abaee Custom Homes into what it is today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like any business, the road hasn’t always been perfectly smooth, but a lot of the challenges along the way ultimately helped shape how I build and operate today.
Breaking into the luxury home industry as a younger, first-generation builder took time. Early on, one of the biggest challenges was earning trust and proving that our process, attention to detail, and construction standards were different from what many people were used to seeing. It has taken years of refining systems, building relationships, and developing processes that give clients confidence not only in the final appearance of their home, but in the quality and performance behind the walls as well.
One thing I’ve learned is that truly custom homes are about much more than finishes or square footage. There’s a major difference between a home that simply looks impressive and one that is carefully planned, engineered, and built to perform well long term. Part of my role has become helping clients understand those differences and guiding them through decisions that impact durability, comfort, efficiency, and overall quality of life inside the home.
As the company has grown, I’ve been fortunate to work with great clients who value transparency, communication, and craftsmanship. That has allowed me to continue building in a very hands-on way while focusing on a smaller number of projects so each home still receives the level of attention it deserves.
In many ways, the obstacles helped define the company culture we have today. They pushed me to become more detail oriented, more transparent, and more intentional about every part of the client experience.
We’ve been impressed with Abaee Custom Homes, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Abaee Custom Homes is a luxury residential construction company focused on highly customized, detail-driven homes that combine thoughtful design, engineering, and building science. We specialize in creating homes that are not only visually distinctive, but also carefully engineered for long-term performance, comfort, efficiency, and durability.
What sets us apart is the level of involvement and transparency throughout the building process. I stay personally involved in every project, communicate directly with clients on a daily basis, and intentionally limit the number of homes we build at one time so each project receives the attention it deserves. Our approach is much more hands-on and relationship driven than the traditional volume builder model.
We also place a major emphasis on transparency and communication throughout the entire experience. Clients have access to project management software that allows them to track budgeting, selections, approvals, scheduling, receipts, invoices, and daily progress in real time. I work closely with homeowners, architects, and interior designers throughout the process to make sure expectations, design intent, and budgeting are aligned from the beginning. That collaboration helps avoid surprises and allows clients to feel fully involved and informed as their home comes together.
A large part of our focus is on the things most people never see behind the walls. Proper structural planning, moisture management, HVAC design, insulation strategy, air sealing, sound control, and overall system integration are all things we spend a great deal of time refining. We routinely incorporate advanced building techniques and details such as concrete second-floor systems, enhanced soundproofing between rooms and plumbing walls, insulated interior walls, engineered HVAC layouts, oversized window packages, custom steel and glass features, and high-end indoor/outdoor living spaces designed specifically around each client’s lifestyle.
We also pay close attention to the overall experience of living in the home. Things like reducing plumbing noise, improving room-to-room privacy, creating better natural lighting, balancing temperatures evenly throughout the house, and designing functional luxury spaces are just as important to us as the finishes themselves. Luxury, in our opinion, should be something you feel every day living in the home, not just something that photographs well.
My background in engineering and problem solving naturally carried into construction, and over time that evolved into a passion for high-performance luxury homes that feel as good as they look. At the same time, I’ve always had a strong appreciation for architecture, interior design, and the artistic side of building. I enjoy collaborating closely with homeowners, architects, and designers to create homes that feel personal and unique to each family rather than repetitive or production driven.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the trust our clients place in us and the reputation we’ve built for communication, honesty, and quality. Building a custom home is a very personal process, and we work hard to make clients feel involved, informed, and confident from start to finish.
Ultimately, we want people to know that we’re passionate about creating homes that are both beautiful and intelligently built, with a level of care and attention that’s difficult to achieve in a high-volume environment.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my earliest memories was getting a small carpentry and tool set from my parents when I was around six years old. Being an ‘80s kid, it wasn’t plastic toy tools either. It had a real hammer, a small handsaw, nails, and everything else needed to build little projects. I honestly don’t remember exactly what I made with it, but I still vividly remember the blue-headed hammer, the tiny saw, and how excited I was to use them. Looking back, that was probably one of the first signs that I was naturally drawn toward building and creating things with my hands.
Another big part of my childhood memories revolves around music. I spent a lot of time in my parents’ living room listening to old records from artists like Elvis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Kenny Rogers. I would play them repeatedly, memorizing lyrics and studying the songs without even realizing it at the time. My great-grandfather also played guitar, and that eventually inspired me to start playing when I was around thirteen years old. For a while, I even dreamed about becoming a country music artist someday.
That path obviously turned out differently, but music still became a huge part of my creative side and probably influenced the artistic side of my work as well. Even today, at 46 years old, I’m still learning and taking piano lessons. I think both construction and music tap into the same part of my personality. They’re both creative, technical, emotional, and deeply personal in their own ways.
Pricing:
- Typical custom home projects range from approximately $2.5M to $6M+ depending on size, location, design complexity, and level of finish.
- Homes are fully custom designed and engineered around each client’s lifestyle, property, and architectural vision.
- Projects commonly include luxury features such as oversized glass packages, custom steel elements, advanced HVAC systems, indoor/outdoor living spaces, wine rooms, concrete second-floor systems, and high-performance building science details.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abaeecustomhomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abaeecustomhomes
