Deals at the Doorstep

Residential Homes of America (RHA), located in Lake Bluff, Ill., has a knack for finding land. "Land always finds us," says Tim Grogan, RHA executive vice president. "Deals have even come to our doorstep."

He's not kidding. Since last fall, officials in the suburban Chicago villages of Grayslake and Addison both recommended the builder to land-sellers.

In Grayslake, the RHA pre-sold half of the 141-townhome Village Station in the nine months prior to the model opening in August. In Addison, the builder presented a townhome plan at its first public meeting and was asked to make changes. "When we came back to present our revised plan for 36 detached single-family homes, we got a standing ovation," Grogan says.

Grogan credits success to 20 years of good local relationships, a willingness to walk away from community conflict and a habit of providing references right away when pitching new municipalities.

The independent builder expects 300 closings this year - on the high end of a long-term target range of between 200 and 300.