Company History

It's a toss-up who admires Curtis W. Mickan most: the people who buy his homes, or the people who help him build them. Mickan is president of Mickan Inc., d/b/a Heritage Properties, a Georgetown custom builder that offers homes virtually across the scale, from value-packed starter and economy enriched retirement homes to upscale models with all the amenities and sophistication expected in each market bracket. Established in 1992, the company originated as a custom home construction company specialist & remains that way today. Mickan also notes that his is a full-service home building home company. Son-in-law Danny Swafford represents the firm as its Real Estate Broker and Development manager. With his background experience in finance and real estate, Mickan Inc./Heritage Properties offers an extra dimension of service and professionalism seldom found in Central Texas home builders. Buyers often sing the praises of the builder who constructed their home. They're happy in their new domicile, and they genuinely appreciate the builder who put them in it. But in the case of Curtis Mickan, the buyers' chorus is joined by a large and quite vocal group - his subcontractors. The subs' affection for Mickan is the direct result of the approach he has taken to home building. Mickan insists upon a close and continuing relationship with all his subs - and he actively encourages similar relationships between the subs themselves. "We have a real strong bond with our subs," Mickan explains. "I don't bid out the work for each house I build. I use single-source subs, people who work for me home after home. That way, we don't reinvent the wheel; we don't have to establish a working relationship with every new job. I think that's why our quality is superior." The relationship with each of Mickan's Homebuyers is further enhanced by close Builder communication. This is further enhanced by the company's office administrator Jill Sumner, an employee of Mickan's since the company's inception. Tenured employees and sub-contractors set this company a level above most other custom builders. "The subs are really our public relations people out there on the jobsites," he adds, "because when other prospective buyers come through, they run into one of the subs. What the sub says can influence the prospect's attitude toward buying from Heritage Properties. We probably work harder at building a 'we're all in this together' atmosphere than anything else - except building quality into our houses." That quality is important to the buyer, and it is of overriding importance to Mickan. He comes from a background of European craftsmanship: His father, Walter, was a Williamson County home builder, and his grandfather was well-known in the county for his expert handiwork at many a county home - or barn-raising. As a youngster, Mickan spent his vacations and summers at his father's side, swinging a hammer and wielding a saw. It took a while for Curtis to follow in his father's footsteps in the home building business. The younger Mickan made a decades-long detour through the corporate world before coming back home to his roots in Williamson County. He worked his way up from a traffic clerk with Auto Convoy, an auto-transport firm serving the major manufacturers, to president of the company. As president, he oversaw the construction of 39 facilities, including a 28,000 square foot home office building. The construction supervision was one of the more satisfying aspects of his job. Mickan's meticulous attention to detail and his commitment to quality have not gone unnoticed among his peers in the home building industry. He was the founding President of the Home Builder's Association of Georgetown and currently serves on the board of directors as liaison to the Georgetown Habitat for Humanity home project. That is only one way in which Mickan seeks to contribute to his community. He served as a regent for Concordia University in Austin, is currently serving as Chairman of the Board for Concordia Academy - Greater Austin Area High School Association, is extremely active in his church, and serves Habitat for Humanity as a Board member, among other charitable interests. Heritage homes can be found throughout Georgetown in upscale country club communities, master-planned subdivisions and private country estates. In addition, the firm has built on individual lots and acreage throughout Williamson County including Mickan's newest development, TWIN CREEK FARMS, east of historic Walburg, Texas. They range from entry-level starter homes - though Mickan says about one-third of his buyers in that bracket are retirees scaling down - to estate homes where only budget and desire determine how extravagant the home may become. Mickan refuses to build yesterday's homes today. He attends at least two conferences each year to keep abreast of current technology. Each home is a reflection of its owner. Heritage Properties brings that plan to a reality and provides the home their customers are proud of as a safe haven and a sound investment in their future. But he also keeps firmly rooted in the past, a past that includes a grandfather who was always welcome at a barn-raising and a father who spent 42 years putting well constructed roofs over the heads of Williamson County residents. The family traits of economy, conservative tradition, trust and service are common elements in this company's daily operation. We're proud to offer you a Mickan built, Heritage Properties Home.