For the second consecutive year Rodrock Homes has earned a place on PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS’ Housing Giants list. The annual ranking from the industry’s leading national publication recognizes the top home builders across the country based on revenue from homes closed in one year.

Not only did the family-owned and operated home builder make the list again, but also moved up five spots from last year to grab the #179 position. The top of the list is dominated by publically traded national building companies.

Being able to compete against the largest companies from around the nation is not something being taken lightly by the residential construction company. “One of the main reasons Rodrock Homes not only made the list, but also moved up is because we focus on taking care of people,” said Brian Rodrock, CEO of Rodrock Homes. He continued, “We strive to create a flexible, highly-customized homebuilding experience with everyone that chooses to live a Rodrock Home.” Based on the recent recognition, it appears to be working.

Photo Credit: Laurel D. Austin

Fueled by a boost in first-quarter sales, the launch of four new furnished models in Wyngate, and the recent acquisition of the Summerwood community, Rodrock Homes is giving recession-weary Johnson County home buyers something more: more quality, more selection, more service, and more value than ever before.

Led by Rodrock Homes’ CEO Brian Rodrock, the three principals of the third generation family-owned building and development company recently explained why and how they’re offering home seekers more–even during times when other builders are cutting back.

What can buyers expect to see from Rodrock Homes this spring and summer?

Brian Rodrock, Chief Executive Officer:  We just opened four new furnished models in Overland Park’s Wyngate community for buyers to tour.  People will be able to see things on that model row they haven’t seen before in the city—all new floor plans, a whole new level of trim detail, and innovative interior design by Twigs’ Interiors.  Combined with our showcase homes, shoppers can see more homes, more quickly at Wyngate than anywhere else in the area.

Isn’t it expensive to feature so many model homes?

BR:  In a word, yes.  But we’ve got the financial strength to do it and we feel like it’s worth it, because buyers appreciate being able to see, feel, and touch the quality of their home before they sign on the dotted line.

How long does it take to build a Rodrock Home?

Jeff Gifford, Chief Operating Officer:  Not as long as people might think.  Clients choosing from our existing inventory now can build a custom home that’s just the way they want it and still be moved in before school starts in August.

You build homes at lots of different price points.  Why?

BR: We do, and we think our clients benefit.  Because we buy a wide array of materials and finishes, customers can better choose where they want to spend their money—and where they want to save.  We don’t make you spend $8,000 on a garage door if you don’t want to–we can also give you a $2,000 option so you’ll have the extra $6,000 to spend somewhere else.

What do you think home buyers fear most about building a new home?

Jeff Reglin, Chief Marketing Officer: I think they worry they won’t get enough of a voice in the process.  In addition to the project managers that all builders have, we recently hired new builder liaisons—they’re industry professionals assigned to each homeowner to answer questions and address concerns every step of the way, even on nights and weekends.

What else are you doing that’s unique to the industry?

BR:   I’m probably most excited about the way we customize each of our homes.  Our partnership with Twigs’ Interiors gives our upper-end clients the opportunity to build what feels like a million-dollar home for much less.  Each homeowner gets a personalized, one-on-one design experience with a local firm that’s won national awards. Twigs is evolving people’s homes so far beyond just Johnson County beige—come see our models.

What amenities are buyers loving?

JG:  The trim detail on our homes is phenomenal compared to what it was even a few years ago–custom moldings, wainscoting, cabinetry, and box beam ceilings.  The outdoor areas have evolved too—on most of our homes a covered porch comes standard.

Sales with realtors are up 40% so far this year.  Before that, how did Rodrock Homes weather the economic storm?

BR:  Believe it or not, the storm was important for us.  It made us stronger, smarter, and even more determined to serve our homeowners.  In any boom there’s always a bust—and the reason we’re surviving now is that we’ve stuck to our family principles of treating people right through both those times.

In addition to building homes, you develop communities too.  What’s the significance?

JR:  If you build a home in one of our communities like Wyngate, Summerwood, or Bristol Ridge, you can be sure we’re just as invested in protecting the long-term value of your home as you are.

You’ve been developing and building a lot in southern Johnson County recently.  Why there?

BR:  The Rodrock name has been developing communities in Johnson County for over three decades now.  We believe that the quality of life there means it’s the right place to be for many of our buyers.

Do you have a mantra that drives your business?

BR:  Yes, and I was just repeating it to myself this morning as I pulled out of my driveway.  It’s “make the right decision, every time.”  In other words, never take the easy way out.

What’s the best way for folks to learn more about Rodrock Homes?

JR: Come tour our models in Wyngate, Chapel Hill, and Bristol Ridge, or call us for a meet and greet.  We’ll walk a potential home site with you or meet you in our office any time.

The builder and developer’s recent acquisition of the Summerwood community, located just steps from 159th and Quivira, represents more than just another expansion in the company’s already substantial south Overland Park footprint.

For buyers, it means more and better home site choices than ever before.

In addition to its sought-after location and proximity to Blue Valley’s newest award-winning schools, Summerwood features something other nearby communities don’t: extended and estate-sized lots surrounded by an unprecedented abundance of green.

“Summerwood’s unique in that it gives homeowners the best of both worlds,” says Rodrock.

“It’s both a hub and a haven,” he explains. “It’s located next to Blue Valley’s top schools with quick access to Overland Park amenities, and yet homeowners say it feels like a sanctuary.”

Perhaps that’s because the majority of Summerwood home sites back to undisturbed fields dotted with native grasses and trees.

Serene and expansive, the sites make picture-perfect settings for the sprawling open home plans, covered decks, patios, and outdoor fireplaces that today’s buyers crave.

And while the number of large home sites available for purchase within the Blue Valley school district are dwindling, prices remain within reach.  Estate-sized sites and homes in the neighborhood’s exclusive Summerwood Estates can be purchased for $750,000 and up, and Summerwood homes and sites begin at $450,000.

With nineteen homes in Summerwood Estates already occupied, a limited supply of just sixteen estate-sized sites remain.

In Summerwood, construction of twelve showcase homes is ongoing with more sites available for purchase.

Still, potential homebuyers may want to hurry. Despite its plentiful green space, only 212 total residents will get to call Summerwood home.

But fewer residents doesn’t mean Summerwood homeowners won’t get to enjoy the large scale, community-building amenities Rodrock Homes is known for; to the contrary, the planned zero-entry pool, luxury clubhouse, and looped walking trail will rival those found in more populous neighborhoods.

The value of Summerwood’s amenities, wide open spaces, award-wining schools and a locale close-in aren’t lost on Kent Welch, the Graham-Welch Co-founder who recently signed on with Rodrock Homes to promote the community.

“Summerwood’s Overland Park location, its Blue Valley schools, and its green space—you put all those together and it’s a recipe for success,” says Welch.

But because Rodrock Homes measures success in terms of customer satisfaction, the company is offering its customers the option of another nearby neighborhood in which to build the home of their dreams.

Which is why—less than a mile west of Summerwood along 159th Street—Rodrock Homes is also giving buyers a choice to build in Wyngate.

Also developed by Rodrock Homes, Overland Park’s Wyngate community is similar to Summerwood with its luxury amenities, close-in locale, award-winning Blue Valley schools, and starting home price of $450,000.

And while Wyngate home sites aren’t quite as expansive as those in Summerwood, the community’s kids enjoy a luxury their Summerwood counterparts don’t: the freedom to walk to school.

In addition to amenities like a swimming pool, clubhouse, and sport courts, Wyngate features a paved neighborhood nature trail connecting its community to Cedar Hills Elementary and Pleasant Ridge Middle School.  From it, Wyngate children and parents can reach their schools within minutes.

Similar and yet different, Summerwood and Wyngate present Overland Park buyers with a sweet dilemma: the task of choosing between two great options.

“You’ve got two of the best new home communities sharing the best schools virtually along the same [159th] street,” says Rodrock, who’s built his business by giving clients plenty of options.  “Between the two, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for,” he says.

But how to choose?

Jeff Reglin, Rodrock Home’s Chief Marketing Officer, suggests seeing for yourself.

“The bottom line is that folks need to come out and take a look at both neighborhoods and tour our furnished homes in Wyngate’s new model row,” says Reglin.

Industry watchers say the expanded model row, which opened just this spring and features homes available for immediate construction in both Summerwood and Wyngate, offers new home seekers one-stop shopping at its best.

“In recent years buyers haven’t had the choice to tour this many furnished homes at one time,” says Rosemary Vitale, Vice President of New Homes for Reece & Nichols, Wyngate’s chosen realtor.

“In Wyngate’s model row you get to see all the hottest design trends, latest floor plans, layout features, and creative uses for materials that provide maximum functionality and beauty,” Vitale says.

Decorated by Kansas City’s award-winning Twigs Interiors design firm, the homes showcase the latest in both architecture and decor.  Outdoor fireplaces, European double showers, wine closets, and paneled great rooms are adorned with the latest materials including river rock, grass cloth, silvery faux paint, and even tangerine-hued leather.

Undoubtedly, the fresh-faced homes will give potential buyers visiting Wyngate and Summerwood a lot to think about. “When you see it all together, it’s always exciting,” says Vitale, who adds, “Sometimes you have to see it, feel it, and touch it to be convinced.”

“Choosing a builder shouldn’t require a leap of faith,” says Rodrock Homes’ CEO Brian Rodrock.  “Buyers want to see before they believe.”

With up to ten furnished homes open for viewing in Overland Park, Olathe, and Lenexa, the company is using its financial strength to give new home seekers what they want most in a home: see-it-and-believe-it proof of the builder’s quality, selection, and value.

“Rodrock has always been a frontrunner,” says Kathy Koehler, CEO of Reece & Nichols’ Koehler Bortnick Team.  “Most builders pulled back on their spec and model home inventory back in 2008, but Rodrock understands you have to spend money to earn a buyer’s trust.”

The builder says expanding its number of furnished homes in communities like Overland Park’s Wyngate and Olathe’s Prairie Point is well worth the cost.  It’s a strategy backed by realtors and real estate experts alike.

“People want to see what kind of refinements have occurred since the last home the builder built,” says Dan Whitney, President and Owner of Landmarketing, an independent new home market research company.  “For buyers who might be hesitant about coming back into the market, it gives them that extra bit of reassurance,” says Whitney.

And because buyers have withheld from the marketplace over the last several years, Whitney cites a “tremendous pent-up demand” for new homes that he predicts will continue to grow throughout 2012.  “We’re already seeing that the number of new home permits in January and February is twice what it was last year,” says Whitney.

Koehler also notes her team’s transactions have doubled since last year.  She expects the lowest interest rates in 40 years coupled with unseasonably warm weather in March to push those numbers even higher.  “Because of the weather, the spring home market is beginning about 40 days earlier this year,” she says.

For new home seekers, that means shopping time is now.  “It’s a good thing we’ve readied our homes early,” says Rodrock Homes’ Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Reglin, who notes that shoppers can see the most furnished new models in one place in Rodrock Homes’ Wyngate community.  “We’ve got three new homes in Wyngate’s model row plus additional furnished homes open for viewing throughout the neighborhood,” says Reglin.

Located in Overland Park near the intersection of 159th and Grant, Wyngate’s model row is impressing shoppers in terms of both quantity and quality.  Placed one after another, its models showcase highly evolved versions of the builder’s best homes, featuring carefully crafted luxuries like custom crown moldings, stone and stucco exteriors, designer-tile double European showers, and covered decks and patios with fireplaces.

“If a buyer can see the portrait a builder has painted in a finished a model and the quality of the workmanship, it makes them feel much better about entering into a contract,” says Koehler.

In addition to top-notch quality, Wyngate model-row visitors are seeing something unexpected in the homes they tour:  inspired, innovative interior design.  Thanks to a partnership with Kansas City’s award-winning design firm Twigs’ Interiors, shoppers are walking away with fresh ideas in décor.

“We try to push the envelope as much as we can,” says Lisa Mermis, Owner of Twigs Interiors.  “Visitors will see things like more trim detail than ever before, stone walls, iron newel posts plus spindles, and items influenced by travel.”

Case in point is Wyngate’s Lancaster III, a traditional 2-story where modern luxury reigns.

Described as “collected and unafraid,” the home’s interior design is a meld of styles, says Mermis.  While the kitchen’s mosaic Mexican tile archway and turquoise beaded chandelier are inspired by exotic locales, touches like crisp-white wainscoting and lamp-shaded sconces reflect a more buttoned-up glamour.  Other elements like floor-to-ceiling stone walls and river rock entry floors incorporate the textural beauty of nature.

“We’re fortunate to have a developer in Rodrock Homes who’s willing to bring a fresh design perspective to Kansas City,” says Mermis, who recently incorporated 2012’s hottest color, Tangerine, into one of the homes on Wyngate’s model row.

“People want to see our model row,” says Reglin, “because it’s a traditional row with some non-traditional decor mixed in.”

But even if buyers don’t find the design of their dreams amidst the furnished models and in-process homes awaiting them at Overland Park’s Wyngate, Olathe’s Prairie Point and Maple Brook Park, or Lenexa’s Bristol Ridge and The Reserve, Rodrock Homes’ Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gifford says there are still more options.

“We’ll sit down with you and redraw an existing home plan to meet your needs,” says Gifford.

Yet chances are, most buyers will discover what Maple Brook Park homeowner David Everett did when he first walked into the model that would ultimately become his home.  “This place just bit us,” recalls Everett, “we knew we had to have it.”

With over 20 finely tuned home plans to choose from, Rodrock Homes’ clients of all ages and life stages are finding homes they love to live in.  Traditional 2-stories, open 1 ½ and reverse 1 ½ plans, and luxuriously updated ranch homes are inspiring buyers with new visions for their lifestyles.

“While you still see a lot of 2-story homes, more people of all ages are wanting their bedroom on the main level,” says Rodrock Homes’ Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Reglin.  “We’ve responded by adding more 1 ½, reverse 1 ½, and ranch plans to our offerings.  Our St. Maarten 1 ½, Dillon reverse 1 ½ , and Heartland ranch plans are new additions that are resonating with buyers.”

What’s more, many of Rodrock Home’s more traditional 2-story plans feature a first-floor flex room.  Adjacent to a bath and shower, the space converts easily to an extra bedroom, cozy den, convenient office, or toy room and draws praise from newlyweds, empty nesters, and those caring for young children and parents alike.

Going a step further, buyers say Rodrock Home’s unique willingness to customize floor plans to match customers’ lifestyles is what sets the company apart.  “I recently had a client who was looking for a specific plan,” explains Keller Williams’ Michelle Campbell.  “Rodrock Homes pulled out an all-new plan and reworked it several times to accommodate my buyers,” says Campbell.

Rodrock Homes’ CEO Brian Rodrock isn’t one to advocate a one-size-fits-all approach to homebuilding.  “We’re not too proud to move a fireplace, window, or even a wall if it makes sense for our client,” says Rodrock.

When Bristol Ridge homeowner Dan Byers asked for nearly all three of those modifications, Rodrock Homes agreed.  “Knowing Rodrock and seeing what they had done in the past, it didn’t surprise me that they wanted to help us every step of the way,” says Byers, who chose to combine the best of two Rodrock Homes’ plans—the Goodland and Goodland II—to create his customized reverse 1 ½ story home.

“We literally took the fireplace out of the house and moved it outside to a covered, screened-in deck that’s visible from the living room,” says Byers.  “We also added a television cabinet above the fireplace and a door to give us access to the deck from our master bedroom.”

And since the homeowner wanted room for all his “toys,”—three cars, a motorcycle, and a golf cart, says Byers—Rodrock Homes’ Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gifford suggested expanding the 3-car garage.  “They enlarged the garage by setting it on an angle, and in doing so expanded it to 3 ½ spaces,” explains Byers, who says Rodrock Homes’ flexibility made building his 5th new house a better-than-ever experience.

Because Wyngate homebuyer Sally Kuntz had also built new homes before, she expected to pay more for the changes she requested to her 2-story, 5-bedroom Sterling III home.  “I was very pleased and surprised that I didn’t get charged a lot more,” says Kuntz.

While she chose the Sterling for its elegant, “almost circular” entry staircase, upstairs laundry, entertainment-friendly butler’s pantry, and his-and-hers television space in the master suite, she longed for a first-floor workspace she could share with her husband.

The solution?  “We converted our main-level bedroom and shower into an expanded den and office space just off of our living room,” explains Kuntz.  She finds the new customized area—which features an arched opening, cabinets, an extra computer workstation, and cozy faux wood beams–to be perfect for working alongside her husband.

“We both have our own space,” she says, “and I can pay bills, work on the computer, or even watch television while he does his work too.”

Like he did for the Kuntz’s, Rodrock’s Jeff Gifford doesn’t hesitate to sit down with homebuyers to redraw blueprints.  “Some of our best floor plans have resulted from changes we’ve made to accommodate clients’ lifestyles,” he explains.  “We’ve evolved lots of our most popular plans, like our Larsen, Lancaster, and Sterling over time—they just get better and better,” says Gifford.

Which brings us back to Dan and Shefali Rouen, lovers of the latest Larsen plan.  While the Bluestem homebuyers are enamored with the 2-story home’s open feel, efficient use of space, and “amazing” master suite, Dan Rouen says he’s really excited about recent changes to his kitchen floor plan.  “We just enlarged the kitchen to include an expanded 4 by 8 foot island,” says the homebuyer.

Because his home backs up to a lake, Rouen also agreed to elongate the windows in his great room into floor-to-ceiling models.

“That was Brian Rodrock and Jeff Gifford’s idea,” explains Rouen, who says the Rodrock brothers’-in-law passion for building have made his experience “ten times better” than his last new-home build. “These guys help you as if they were working on their own homes,” he adds.

But if you’re considering buying a new home, knowing where and when to buy is especially important.  Fortunately, smart homebuyers looking to fourth quarter statistics are finding short and sweet answers to both questions. 

Where to buy?  In Wyngate.  When to buy?  Now.

Recent data shows Wyngate is tops with buyers and builders alike.  “More buyers in our price range chose to make Wyngate their home last quarter than any other new home community in south Overland Park,” says Wyngate developer and Rodrock Homes CEO Brian Rodrock.

“The number of homes sold in Wyngate equaled the number sold in four other nearby communities combined,” adds Rodrock, who notes the data applies to single family homes south of 135th street ranging in price from $375,000 to $575,000.

What’s more, the trend seems to be continuing into 2012, with Wyngate’s premiere status bolstered by the sale of six new homes just last month. 

And to meet its increasing demand for houses, Wyngate builders including Rodrock Homes and Wheeler Design are giving springtime home shoppers a luxury: a sneak peak at up to eight different homes, with five models furnished in partnership with Kansas City’s Twigs Interiors.

“You won’t see models like this anywhere else,” says Rodrock Homes’ Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Reglin, who’s energized by both the number and quality of home plans Wyngate builders are offering shoppers.

“Wyngate’s model row is the equivalent of a one-stop showroom for new home buyers,” says Reglin.  “It gives them the chance to view the most homes in one place at one time with design features they won’t find anywhere else,” he adds.

Wheeler Design’s current showcase home is one prime example.  Details like soaring box-beam ceilings, custom millwork on walls, and a see-through fireplace enjoyed from both inside and outside the home add luxurious charm, while elements like a mudroom expanded to include computer workspace increase the home’s modern livability. 

Thanks to Twigs Interiors’ in-demand designs, many of Wyngate’s model homes transcend Johnson County beige for a fresh, sophisticated, and up-to-date look.  Features like antiqued crystal chandeliers, ceilings stenciled in silvery grays, mosaic-inset entry floors, and river-rock master baths make the models interior design standouts.

“We’re focused on bringing the best interior design from all over the country right here to Kansas City,” says Lisa Mermis, owner of Twigs Interiors.  “We’re lucky to get the opportunity to do that in Wyngate,” she says.

With up to 30 home plans available, Wyngate buyers also have ample opportunity to find exactly what they want in a home.  Many reverse, 2-story, and 1 ½ story plans come standard with amenities new homebuyers crave: stone and stucco exteriors, covered decks and patios, European baths with double showers, custom cabinetry and millwork, granite countertops, and 3-car garages.

Some homes also feature a main floor flex room that’s perfect for use as an office or bedroom.  “We want your home to fit the way you live,” says Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gifford.  “That means we’ll sit down with you to modify a floor plan to meet your needs.”

And while customization usually costs homebuyers a pretty penny, homes start at just $400,000.  What’s more, residents say home sites are some of the lowest-priced in Blue Valley. 

“We fell in love with a model home in Wilshire Farms, where the lot would have cost us much more,” says homebuyer Marcy Saylan.  “Lucky for us, Rodrock Homes agreed to build us the same home in Wyngate.” 

In addition to value-added pricing, Wyngate homeowners enjoy something else over Wilshire Farms residents: backdoor access to some of Blue Valley’s best schools. 

With a paved neighborhood nature trail connecting to Cedar Hills Elementary and Pleasant Ridge Middle School, Wyngate kids can walk to school in minutes. 

“Residents never have to bother with the car-line,’’ says Kerwin Holloway, Reece & Nichols Broker Associate, “because the school drop-off point is virtually within their own community.”

Although Wyngate sits in the heart of Blue Valley at 159th and Grant, its location nestled between woods to the east and a tree-line to the west make it seem miles away from the hustle, bustle, and noise of suburbia.

Add to that a surprising 9-½ acres of parkland, paved nature trail, and single, winding rose-lined entrance, and it’s easy to see why this picturesque community appeals to new home seekers and builders alike.

“Wyngate presents a special opportunity for homebuyers—it’s one of those rare communities that puts a homeowner in the heart of the action but still seems restful,” says Jerry Reece, CEO of Reece & Nichols Realtors.  “Even with schools, shopping, and businesses close-by, the neighborhood maintains a secluded feel.”

And while experts and statistics don’t lie, seeing means believing for builders and buyers throughout the metro.  To see for yourself the most new homes, the latest in interior design, and the fourth quarter top-selling community in its price range in southern Johnson County, visit Wyngate today.