About Us

Meet Your Dedicated Builder

By choosing SandStar Homes, LLC, an independently owned and operated franchise of AR Homes®, you can create your custom luxury home with complete confidence in the quality of work and integrity of the local team involved in building your new custom home.

Jim Sanders

Franchise Owner

Jim brings nearly four decades of homebuilding expertise and success to SandStar Homes, LLC. He is well known for creating timeless waterfront homes and delivering a remarkable building experience to his Charlotte County customers. His team of building professionals based in Punta Gorda is dedicated to meticulous detail and is sensitive to each homebuyer’s unique tastes, needs and lifestyle. His homes have won numerous awards and are recognized throughout the area for their quality, craftsmanship and beauty. Before forming SandStar Homes, LLC in 1991, Jim founded Five Star General Contracting in Southwest Florida.


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

David Tam

Vice President, Construction

David currently heads the construction department for AR Homes® Punta Gorda (SandStar Homes, LLC). He has been with SandStar since 2019 and manages all aspects of the construction process of each home, from start to finish. David uses his extensive knowledge and background to help keep the home-building process running efficiently and smoothly for clients, vendors and employees.

 

David is originally from Granger, Indiana, and moved to Florida when he was sixteen. He graduated from Florida Southwestern College with a Bachelor of Arts in management. He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard and was an account manager for a national mechanical contractor.

 

In his free time, David likes to spend time with his beautiful wife, Lindsey. He stays active and enjoys activities such as fishing, shooting, golfing, baseball, basketball, and watching Notre Dame football. For David, it’s all about sports, sports, and more sports!


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

Cheryl Vogt

Kitchen & Bath Designer

Cheryl is our talented Kitchen and Bath Designer and has been with our company since 2013. Her duties include cabinetry design and ordering, tile design elevations using AutoCAD, assisting clients with the selections process, and client/vendor correspondence. She works closely with construction managers to ensure jobs are completed to meet clients’ expectations. One of Cheryl’s highlighted achievements was winning the 2022 Top Producer Award for Executive Cabinetry!

 

Cheryl graduated from Southwest Florida College with an Associate of Science degree in interior design and currently resides in North Port with her husband, Chad, and they have one daughter, Jessica. Cheryl enjoys many activities, such as boating, four-wheeling, gardening, fashion and design, and spending time with her dogs.


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

Allison Fenn

Interior Designer

Allison is dedicated to assisting new home buyers with all the interior and exterior selections for their homes and helping all clients with full-service design projects, including privacy and decorative window treatments, furniture, wallcoverings, art, and accessories.

 

She earned a Bachelor of Science in graphic design from Millersville University in 1987 and an Associate of Applied Science in interior design from Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1990. She has 32 years of commercial and residential interior design experience in Southwest Florida.

 

Some of Allison’s professional achievements include the Lee County Parade of Homes Best Interior Design Award, the 1998 LBIA Pinnacle Award for “Best Interior Design,” and the 1999 & 2000 AR Homes Designer of the Year Award. She is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification and is a Florida Licensed Interior Designer.

 

Allison is passionate about all forms of art and architecture and creating sterling silver jewelry and silver smithing. She has two fur babies, Georgi and Marvin.


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

Janique Tenney

Accounts Payable

As Accounts Payable, Janique plays a vital role in our company. She performs day-to-day financial transactions, including verifying, classifying, and recording accounts payable. She verifies and investigates discrepancies, if any, by reconciling vendor accounts and monthly vendor statements. She also prepares and processes lien releases and Notice to Owner (NTO) documents to and from subcontractors.

 

Janique attended Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers and has always had an integral part in her family’s business, from taking over accounting duties to even electrical work. But Janique’s accomplishments don’t stop there. She’s also a CNA (certified nursing assistant) and provides pastoral care leadership while assisting her husband, Shane, in outreach ministries for their church.

 

When not working or spending time with her husband and their cat, Linkx, and dog, Copper, Janique enjoys cooking and baking, attending church events, sewing and crafts, taking long hikes to explore nature, kayaking, and riding bikes.


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

Nicole Evans

Purchasing Manager, Accounts Receivable

Nicole has been running her own businesses since 2012, bringing her savviness to our team. She graduated from Western Illinois University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in business management with an emphasis in accounting.

 

As purchasing manager, Nicole procures the materials needed to complete new construction projects. As accounts receivable, she monitors and manages billing accounts and follows up with any customers on payments due during the project.

 

Nicole is married to Jason Evans (who just so happens to be our remodeling production manager for SandStar Remodeling!), and they have seven children, two grandchildren, and one dog, Waylon. They are originally from Iowa and enjoy boating and fishing in their spare time.


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

Desiree Harnish

Controller

Desiree joined the team in 2021 as our controller and acts as the financial steward for our companies, overseeing all the accounting functions. Desiree was born and lived in Indiana, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master of Business Administration from Ball State University before making the official move to Florida in January 2021.

 

She and her husband of over thirty years, Chris, have two daughters and three grandchildren. Desiree’s interests include boating, gardening, fishing, cooking, and, most especially, spending time with her grandchildren!


Your Custom Home Builder in Punta Gorda, FL SandStar Homes

David Tam Sr.

Construction Manager

With over fifty years in the construction industry, David oversees the building of new homes from start to completion. He has helped build houses, shopping centers, roads, and golf courses and owned a construction business for over twenty years.

 

David is married with three adult children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild! In his leisure time, David enjoys building furniture and gardening.