Most spec homes are designed to offend nobody. Beige walls, builder-grade lights, and a kitchen you have seen in forty other listings.
Lilium Homes builds the opposite on purpose. The family-owned builder entered more homes than almost anyone in the 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes, and it walked out of the October 7 awards gala with two Gold awards, a Silver, and a Bronze. Its 2026 entries run from an $850,000 home in Franklinton to a $3 million estate on 8.77 acres. Its co-founder says roughly 90% of what Lilium builds is spec.
That last number matters most. When you buy a Lilium home, you are usually buying a finished design, not commissioning one. This guide explains what that means and what to check before you write the offer.
Who Is Lilium Homes?
Lilium Homes is a family-owned builder founded in 2019 and led by co-founder and managing partner Juana Martinez, according to a June 2026 Jim Allen Group builder feature. Martinez and her husband came from residential construction and concrete work. Her uncle brought decades of construction and home-design experience and draws many of the company’s floor plans.
The documented history
The Franklin County Home Builders Association lists Lilium Homes, Inc. as a builder member at 5 W Mason St in Franklinton. Its Triangle Parade company profile places it in Raleigh. The company’s own “Our Story” page explains the name: lilium is the scientific name for the lily, the favorite flower of the founders’ grandmother, and the goal is a house that feels like her home did.
The website does not publish a license number or count of completed homes. Confirm the contracting entity and license status with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors before you sign anything.
Where Lilium builds
Lilium’s site lists homes in nine towns: Youngsville, Franklinton, fuquay-varina, Louisburg, raleigh, Spring Hope, wake-forest, wendell, and zebulon. Its 2026 Parade homes cluster in Youngsville and Franklinton, in Sorrell Oaks, Lily Meadows, Manors at Harvest View, Harvest View Estates, North Pastures, and Sanders Grove, plus Carriage Farm in Raleigh.
Communities where Lilium Homes builds
Lilium Homes builds in these communities, based on our team’s own knowledge of the builder’s work. Ask the builder which have homesites open today before you plan around one.
- Carriage Farm, Raleigh
- Cotton Farms, Fuquay-Varina
- Sorrell Oaks, Youngsville
- Lily’s Meadow, Youngsville
- Cedar Knolls, Youngsville
- The Manors at Harvest View, Franklinton
- Sanders Grove, Zebulon
What Does Lilium Homes Build?
Lilium builds single-family homes with a strong design point of view, mostly as spec homes. The Jim Allen Group feature describes dramatic lighting, bold color such as green islands with gold accents, and floor plans tuned to family life: usable mudrooms, deliberate pantry placement, durable flooring.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| Build model | About 90% spec homes, per co-founder Juana Martinez |
| Current pricing | $799,000 (45 Harvest View Way) to $3,000,000 (120 Derby Lane) on current listings |
| Price philosophy | Same local custom cabinet maker on a $300,000 home and a million-dollar home, per Martinez |
| Design hallmark | Curated lighting, bold finishes, layouts built around family routines |
| Warranty | 10-year Quality Builders Warranty (QBW), backed by Liberty Mutual per the builder’s site |
| Recognition | First perfect score in Franklin County Parade history (The Alma, Cedar Knolls); four 2026 awards |
The 2026 Parade homes
Lilium entered seven homes in the 2026 Franklin County Parade and five in the 2026 Triangle Parade. The figures below come from the source named in each row. Square footage for the same house differs between the builder’s site and the Parade listings, so confirm it against the plans.
| Home | Community | Size and beds | Price | 2026 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 Derby Lane, Franklinton | North Pastures | 6,305 sq ft, 5 bed | $3,000,000 | Gold, plus Best Outdoor Living (8.77 acres, pool house, tennis court) |
| 357 Black Caviar Way, Raleigh | Carriage Farm | 4,626 sq ft, 4 bed | $1,575,000 (Triangle Parade listing) | Triangle Parade entry |
| 170 Cherry Bark Drive, Youngsville | Sorrell Oaks | 3,832 sq ft, 4 bed | $1,250,000 | Silver |
| 20 Cherry Bark Drive, Youngsville | Sorrell Oaks | 3,296 sq ft, 4 bed | $1,050,000 | Gold, plus Best Owner’s Suite and Best Interior Lighting |
| 10 Geranium Drive, Youngsville | Lily Meadows | 3,474 sq ft, 4 bed (Triangle Parade listing) | $1,019,000 (Triangle Parade listing); marked sold on the JAG Parade site | Parade entry |
| 40 Serenity Woods Trail, Franklinton | Manors at Harvest View | 3,234 sq ft, 4 bed | $850,000 | Bronze, plus Best Kitchen |
| 45 Harvest View Way, Franklinton | Harvest View Estates | 3,200 sq ft, 4 bed, 0.72-acre corner lot (Parade guide) | $799,000 | Franklin County Parade entry |
Lilium’s Parade listings also include 15 Geranium Drive in Lily Meadows and 12620 Mallard Rock Road in Sanders Grove.
How Does Buying a Lilium Home Work?
Buying a Lilium home usually means buying a spec house that is finished or under construction. Martinez says she curates cohesive interiors rather than handing buyers an endless options list.
- Find the house. Lilium’s “Quick Move-Ins” page lists homes by status: available, pending, or sold.
- Tour it. Parade weekends and listing open houses are the easiest way in.
- Make an offer. A spec home is a purchase contract, not a construction contract, unless you buy early enough to influence finishes.
- Inspect. Independent inspections still apply to new construction.
- Close and register the warranty. Service requests then run through QBW’s online system.
If you buy before completion
Buying a Lilium spec mid-construction can let you weigh in on some selections. Get every agreed change in writing with a price and a deadline. Ask what happens if a selection is unavailable.
What Should You Verify Before Buying a Lilium Home?
Before buying from Lilium Homes, verify the house in front of you rather than the awards on the wall. A Gold award judges design and craft on one house. Your purchase depends on the one you sign for. Our guides to finding a Triangle builder and why the builder’s agent works for the builder explain how to keep someone on your side of the table.
Match the square footage to the plans
The same Lilium home appears with different square footage on different sites. 10 Geranium Drive, for example, shows 3,474 square feet on its Triangle Parade entry and a different figure on the builder’s own listing. Price per square foot only means something if the square footage is right. Ask for the stamped plans and the heated-area calculation.
Pay for an independent inspection
Design is Lilium’s signature. Inspections check what design does not show: flashing, attic insulation, duct sealing, grading, and drainage. Schedule a pre-drywall inspection if the house is not finished, and a final inspection either way.
Check the land
Many Lilium lots are large, pool-ready, and on private wells and septic. Ask for the septic permit, the well report, and the survey. On 120 Derby Lane’s 8.77 acres, ask which outdoor features are included in the price.
Read the warranty
Lilium uses a 10-year QBW policy. Read the coverage by year, the exclusions, and the claim timelines, and compare them against our home-builder warranty guide.
How Does Lilium Compare With Other Building Options?
Lilium is a design-forward spec builder. That puts it between a production builder’s catalog and a full custom build.
| Option | Design input | Price certainty | Time to move in | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lilium spec home | Low (designer-curated) | High | Short | Buyers who love the finished design |
| Lilium spec bought early | Limited | Moderate | Medium | Buyers who want a few changes |
| Production builder | Options catalog | High | Medium | Buyers who want a standard plan |
| Full custom builder | Total | Develops with plans | Long | Buyers with a specific vision and time |
Who Is a Strong Fit for Lilium Homes?
Lilium fits a buyer who wants a finished, distinctive home and would rather react to a designer’s choices than make two hundred decisions themselves. Martinez says second- and third-time buyers respond most.
The strongest candidates usually:
- have owned before and know what they dislike about standard builder finishes;
- want Youngsville or Franklinton land at the $850,000 to $1.25 million level;
- like bold design and would keep it rather than repaint it;
- want to move soon rather than wait a year for a custom build;
- will still bring an independent agent and inspector.
It is a weaker fit for someone who wants to choose every finish from scratch.
Final Thoughts About Lilium Homes From Tim Clarke
Lilium earned its place on the 2026 Parade circuit: four awards, a perfect-score history, and houses buyers remember after the tour. That is rare among spec builders.
It is still a spec purchase, and spec purchases reward buyers who check the basics. Confirm the square footage. Inspect before drywall if you can. Read the septic permit and the warranty.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we know where a beautiful finished house can hide a problem and where it usually does not. Disclosure: our team is part of The Jim Allen Group, which markets several of these Lilium communities. That is why we tell you to verify independently.
If a Lilium home caught your eye on the Parade, call us at (919) 355-8462. We’ll walk it with you, pull the comparable sales, and represent you, not the seller, from the offer to the final walkthrough.
Sources
- https://lilium-homes.com/
- https://lilium-homes.com/our-story/
- https://lilium-homes.com/homes/
- https://lilium-homes.com/find-your-new-home/
- https://lilium-homes.com/warranty/
- https://www.jimallen.com/builder-spotlight-lilium/ (June 2026 builder feature: founding year, leadership, spec share, perfect-score history)
- https://www.jimallen.com/jag-builder-partners-bring-home-20-awards-at-2026-franklin-county-parade-of-homes/ (2026 awards, prices, home details)
- https://members.franklincountyhba.com/member-directory/Details/lilium-homes-inc-4688682 (Franklin County HBA member listing)
- https://www.triangleparade.com/companies/lilium-homes
- https://www.triangleparade.com/entries/1042 (357 Black Caviar Way)
- https://www.triangleparade.com/entries/1110 (20 Cherry Bark Drive)
- https://www.triangleparade.com/entries/1112 (170 Cherry Bark Drive)
- https://www.triangleparade.com/entries/1113 (10 Geranium Drive)
- https://www.triangleparade.com/entries/1115 (120 Derby Lane)
- https://jagparade.com/all-homes (JAG Parade entries and status)
- https://issuu.com/circamagazine/docs/2026_franklin_county_parade_of_homes_guide (2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes guide, page 37: Casa Lily, 45 Harvest View Way)
- https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/2621/2026/09/2026-Parade-Map-compressed.jpg (2026 Franklin County Parade map and entry list)
- Tim M. Clarke Team field knowledge, October 2026 (community list confirmed by Tim M. Clarke)
