One of the nation’s largest homebuilders is poised to broaden its presence and commitment to Nevada. CENTEX Homes, which operates in more than 90 markets in 25 states, plans to increase the number of neighborhoods in production while continuing to give back to the community.
In the Southern Nevada Division, CENTEX Homes gained a foothold when it purchased Real Homes in 1999. Real Homes owner Brad Burns stayed on to serve as the division president. Since, growth has become a CENTEX cornerstone. “Each year, we have increased the number of neighborhoods in production and total closings,” said Nikki Liesse, operational marketing manager for CENTEX Homes. “This fiscal year, which ends in March 2006, we plan to close 1,200 homes.”
The company is focused on building neighborhoods in largely suburban areas, with no plans to build in outlying areas in the immediate future. Homes range from the $270,000s to the $480,000s, with a variety of home types available, from entry-level and first and second move-up homes to luxury homes within planned communities.
With rising costs of undeveloped land and materials impacting every facet of the industry, CENTEX has not resorted to the increasing industry practice of building exclusively on smaller lots. Instead, the company carefully reviews each piece of land, layout and location with the prospective homebuyer to determine the most appropriate lot dimensions, which means lot sizes may vary, taking neighborhood amenities and overall community design into account as well.
For materials, “We use commodity tracking reports and supply-chain management tools to remain competitive and communicate our needs to our vendors, so they can partner with us to strategically source all our building needs while continuing to support our growth in these challenging times,” said Greg Campbell, CENTEX estimating manager.
One neighborhood of particular interest is Ardiente, the division’s first foray into age-restricted active-adult communities. Located in North Las Vegas, Ardiente will include 788 homes and six themed parks. The first of several private preview events was held in late August and there is already a waiting list of prospective buyers.
Business is equally brisk in the north. The Northern Nevada Division continues to focus on a number of unique neighborhoods in Reno and Sparks, including Copper Creek at Damonte Ranch, a master-planned community located at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and Colinas at Miramonte in Sparks.
But the Northern Nevada Division is also working hard to build ties to the community. Earlier this year, the division helped build a home in Reno for the Truckee Meadows Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds affordable housing and sells the homes (at no profit) to working families who might otherwise be unable to afford a home of their own. The four-bedroom home, built on land donated by the city of Reno, is the second such Habitat project for CENTEX in Northern Nevada and is part of its long-time sponsorship of the organization and dedication to building and strengthening the Reno community.
Although some experts predict the market will soon cool throughout Nevada, bringing with it a decrease in new home development and sales, CENTEX remains optimistically poised for growth.
“We have not experienced a cooling or slow down,” said Liesse. “In fact, we continue to grow in the number of homes we build and in the size of our company each year.”