Family and construction are inextricably entwined for Eli. His father, Pablo Tarin, worked for builders when Eli was just a child, and then went on to start his own construction business. Moving from the Las Cruces area to the Hatch area, Eli watched his father’s progression in the building industry, eventually working with his father on his construction projects. He learned the basics early on, and absorbed much of his father’s experiences and knowledge at an early age. Though Eli probably did not realize it at the time, he was part of the solid second tier of a home-building family legacy that promises to continue well into the future here in the Borderlands.
As a young man, Eli joined the Air Force right out of high school and served a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1971 and 1972. Returning to Las Cruces, Eli enrolled at NMSU in Engineering Technology for two years, and then began working for a friend who owned a construction company in Alamagordo. It was during that time he met his lovely wife of 30 years, Lilly.
Soon, with a budding family in tow, the Tarins moved to the Hatch area where Eli worked primarily remodeling older homes.
“There was some money to be made there in remodels,” says Eli. “And remodels are a great place to start because you learn how to do every bit of it. We learned to do plumbing, electrical...all of it, really.”
Earning his contractor’s license in 1979, Eli threw himself and his business into building and remodeling homes literally from the ground up. Slabs, framing, drywall, plumbing ... you name it, Eli has done it. His experiences with all aspects of the home building trade have allowed him to cultivate a thorough, intimate knowledge of what is needed to complete truly solid and spectacular homes. But, as with everything, markets change and needs change, and business must move with it.
“With a family, there are lots of considerations, and we made the decision to move to Las Cruces around 1987. I started in the 80’s doing spec homes in Las Cruces, though at that time the market was not as fluid as it is now,” says Eli. “Things weren’t moving as quickly. It was kind of tough.”
In the early 90’s, Eli got involved with the Las Cruces Home Builders Association. Starting out as a member in the organization, Eli quickly was recruited by several committees, then was elected to the board of the LCHBA. In no time, he was on the ladder to President, a seat he held twice.
“That was something I never really intended to do,” says Eli. “I’m not the type of person who likes to get up in front of a group of people and talk, you know? When they first asked me to stand up and say my name, I was shaky! But once I got involved it really changed me. After awhile, it seemed natural, easy.”
Eli went on to serve on the State Board of the Home Builders Association, and has chaired the Showcase of Homes for several years. After awhile, though, Eli wanted to step back from leadership roles a bit.
“That didn’t happen,” Eli laughs. He ended up serving a second term as President of the LCHBA six years after his first term as President ended. “It is a big commitment of time. I’m the type who needs to be at every meeting. It is a good cause, though, and I’m in the industry so I want to do everything I can to make it the best quality industry it can be.”
Currently, Eli is blessed with a very quick-selling market, and he is clear on how he wants to proceed with his business, building homes in many of the fastest growing subdivisions in the city. Eli, Jr., has the opportunity to work closely with his father on many of these projects.
Tarin Construction, for the most part however, tends to build homes in the upper end of the pricing scale, choosing to concentrate very closely on 6 or 7 homes per year.
“As far as spec homes,” says Eli, “I love them. We pay a lot of attention to detail. It is my responsibility to make sure that everyone who works for me does the best possible job, down to the finest detail, so that no one ever has to redo their work. It is a point of pride for me.”
Pride in a job well done is what makes Tarin Construction such a highly sought-after company. Their Parade of Homes offering will be a 1.3 to 1.5 million dollar spec home spectacularly designed, constructed and decorated. Eli attributes a great deal of his recent successes to his working relationship with Mariann Novack, an interior designer who has in the past year come to work with Tarin Construction very closely.
Mariann deals directly with Eli’s customers on custom homes helping them to make important decisions about materials and design elements. Because of Mariann’s sensitivity to the customers’ needs and her ability to translate those needs clearly and concisely to the builders, she acts as an important liason and critical cog in the finely-tuned clockworks of Tarin Construction’s business. She takes a great deal of pressure off both the buyer and the builder, and her own detail-oriented sensibilities mesh seamlessly with Eli’s in creating homes that are both outstanding and comfortable.
“Mariann loves to bring in things that have not been seen before,” Eli says. “She’s great with new ideas and concepts. In our relationship with Mariann, we realized that, well, almost anyone can build a house. We wanted to step up our game and create truly beautiful and unique custom homes for this area.”
What about those Corvettes in the driveway? Eli laughs a little and says he guesses everything comes as a legacy - business, families, and hobbies. He loved Corvettes back in high school but could not afford them. In the past decade, though, Eli and his son have been able to indulge in their passion for the low, fast, sleek automobiles. Eli owns a 1991 and a 2001, and Eli, Jr., owns a 1977 and 2002. Eli wants a 2006 as well.
“You know, the average age of a Corvette owner is 45,” Eli states. “What can I say? We love the cars and it’s something we share, my son and I.”
So where does Eli see himself in the next decade?
“I intend to stay in it,” he says. “I don’t feel old yet! I can’t just be sitting around. Sometimes I want to go back and get my hands in framing again, just to get away from the paperwork and the office and really get back into the heart of my buildings. It’s relaxing. It kind of clears your head. Maybe I’ll do that when I retire. I think, though, it’s almost time for the younger generation to take the lead.”
He glances over at a photograph of Eli, Jr., and smiles.
“Yeah. I’ll always help wherever I can, though. This is family. It’s what we do.”
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