Business View Magazine | November 2019

46 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 The company builds strictly spec houses; no custom or commercial projects. Ramsey comes up with a basic design idea, does a rough sketch using computer software, and sends that to a draftsman they work closely with to create a formal floorplan. That plan then goes to an engineer to get stamped, and then they can build the home. Why not do custom? Ramsey explains, “The custom home building process is very stressful for a homeowner. It’s most likely their dream home and they have a vision and want it to be perfect. But construction isn’t perfect. So by the end of it, they’re not happy with the process at all, and from what I’ve seen on the outside looking in, the builder gets the blame. We just didn’t want to get into that niche because it’s hard to keep those people completely satisfied.” Until recently, they built houses on infill lots – scattered lots that were never developed or are in need of redevelopment. But now, the first Ramsey & Walker subdivision is underway. They bought a vacant piece of land, set to work putting in the infrastructure for roads and utilities, and their subdivision of 35 homes will be built out toward the end of next year. The decision to start developing for land inventory instead of buying infill lots came about because the company has grown to a size where it’s difficult to find enough scattered lots to maintain the volume. With the thriving real estate market and a large influx of builders buying up property, a land shortage is inevitable. “It wasn’t revolutionary foresight,” says Ramsey. “We just saw that in order to maintain our volume, we either had to develop subdivisions or go into different markets, which is always on the table, but we would prefer to stay where we believe we fit better than anyone else.”