Housing Giants - November 10, 2008 - (Page 25)

“it offends me greatly when i feel we haven’t done something right by the customer.” — Jeff Blandford Homes — which markets itself as Mountain Bridge — as many of the builders that grew rapidly during the boom years are the ones hit hardest now. More recently, Blandford has focused on just one or two developments to better manage its resources. Blandford’s developments typically have several neighborhoods, each with its own price range of homes. This enables the company to appeal to first-time home buyers, buyers looking to move up to a larger home and even those looking for luxury estates. This helps fuel repeat and generational buyers, who either want to stay in the community or live close to other family. For some builders, putting all of your business in just one or two development projects might seem too risky. Blandford, however, doesn’t conceive of a new master plan without a lot of forethought and planning. “If I couldn’t find the right piece of ground, I wouldn’t do it,” he says. “I don’t just go out and say I’ll put $100 million in this one property. I think about it for years.” For example, Blandford kept his eye on some state-owned property for almost 10 years and had to pursue it aggressively when he finally deemed the time right to buy. Similarly, he works with landowners for years so that he stays top-of-mind when they are ready to sell. “Creating a relationship years in advance is truly an advantage,” he says. team approacH Meanwhile, Blandford knows how important superintendents and subcontractors are to customer delight and has hired some of the best in the business, paying them “way above industry standards and treating them well.” As a result, the company has low turnover, with the average employee being with the company for 15 years. “Titles don’t mean much in our company,” Blandford says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a laborer or one of the top guys, we treat everyone the same. It creates professionalism and respect throughout the organization.” “In the end,” Blandford says, “our guys www.Housinggiants.com 11.10.08 Housing giants 25 http://www.housinggiants.com

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