Wall Homes celebrates 3 years of custom builds

Creighton A. Welch, EXPRESS-NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

Last week, Steve Wall celebrated the three-year anniversary of his company, Wall Homes. Wall Homes is a Dallas-based custom-home builder that bills itself as affordable. Wall has built homes in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Since opening in 2005, the company has closed on 941 homes, including 167 in San Antonio. In 2007, Wall closed on 558 homes. Through rapid expansions and acquisitions, Wall hopes to close on 1,200 homes in 2008, defying the national slowdown in home building.

Some of the Wall neighborhoods in San Antonio include Dancing Bear Ranch, Hunter's Pond and Stillwater Ranch. Today, the company's San Antonio homes range in cost from about $118,000 to the $534,000s.

We asked Wall a few questions.

What's unique about your company? Our strategy was to focus on the fact that people really like to have input on the entire process of building their home. We allow people to make changes, to add things. You want them to have everything they want in a house, and nothing they don't. Their expectation is that they'll have input in the process.

What has the Texas market been like for you? Really, in our three-year period, it's been pretty flat. I would say it's been very similar the entire time. If you're offering a good value out there, you're selling houses. I'd say it has been pretty difficult because of the competition.

What are your thoughts on San Antonio's market? That's definitely been our best market. We generate more traffic in San Antonio than our other cities. We're looking for new opportunities there every day.

How do you see the Texas housing market faring this year? I think we have a competitive market due to the national issues. I think the fact that we haven't had a huge run-up in prices is why we haven't been hurt as badly as other areas.

Where do you see your company three years down the road? We're looking at markets outside of Texas. I think that as the market improves, at some point we would like to be in Atlanta or Phoenix, or possibly a market in Florida.