Building pace heating up in Rodrock Development’s communities

While summer means downtime for many, it’s the busy season in home construction. However, “busy” doesn’t begin to describe the pace that’s being set in Rodrock Development communities at the moment. The developer is thrilled to currently be managing more than 250 homes under construction throughout its communities. And it’s absolutely indebted to its outstanding home builders for ramping up production to keep pace with the exciting number of sales.

“Demand for our homes in Rodrock Developments this spring has been extremely high, resulting in sales well beyond our predictions,” said Ben Tarwater, president of James Engle Custom Homes LLC.

The company has approximately 30 homes in production in Rodrock Development communities.

“It speaks to the amount of thought that Darol (Rodrock) and his team have put into each of their communities,” Tarwater said. “Buyers have choices, so choosing to be in Rodrock Development communities tells us that they like what they see. It isn’t just our plans either, the ‘feel and look’ of the community are a big draw.”

Gabe Anderson, president of Gabriel Homes Inc., said his company has 31 homes going in Rodrock Development communities right now.

“It’s like all factors of our industry came together at the same time: Consumer confidence, low interest rates and availability of developed lots in all of Rodrock Development’s subdivisions,” Anderson said. “The demand for new housing has required us to ramp up and streamline our procedures to meet that demand and still maintain the quality of final product the buyers and we expect. We hope this continues and becomes the norm.”

Chris George Custom Homes has more than 20 homes under construction or in the permitting stage in Rodrock Development communities. It’s the busiest the home builder has been in several years.

“In fact, over half the homes we currently have under construction are in Rodrock Development communities,” said Chris George, the company’s president. “I don’t think there are many places that compare with the value, amenities and stability that Rodrock offers buyers. We seldom have a spec home that isn’t sold before it’s complete or shortly after completion in these communities. Our lending partners also see the value and are always ready and willing to finance our homes in Rodrock communities, which I believe says a lot about the investment aspect of purchasing a home in one of these great communities.”

In the meantime, Brenda Sanders, president of Rodrock & Associates, Realtors, said “Rodrock Development has been working hard to offer as much support as necessary to all of its builders, because we know how extremely hard they work. Managing numerous projects and the expectations of buyers can be very challenging. There are probably 100 individuals (subcontractors/vendors) involved in the process of building a single home, and the line of communication has to be pretty seamless between the builder and all of their subs.”

Adding to that challenge is the weather, which has been a big factor lately. “But through it all, we’re so proud to be associated with all of our builders and extremely proud of the work that they do,” Sanders continued. “It’s a very rewarding experience when the homeowners move in and begin their new life in a beautiful home in a Rodrock community.”

But top-notch builders are only part of the equation. It takes an impressive team to manage such continued demand and growth. Under Darol Rodrock’s ownership and leadership are two key players who help Rodrock Development continue to flourish and offer the very best to homebuyers.

Tom Langhofer, Rodrock Development’s general manager, uses his extensive background in real estate and real estate finance to handle much of the day-to-day operations of the company. Langhofer has served as Rodrock Development’s general manager since 1989.

With specialized hands-on real estate and construction loan expertise, Langhofer manages the company’s daily operating budget and helps oversee the financing of long-range development and construction projects. He also helps oversee the many marketing and public relations efforts involved in the successful and ongoing promotion of what’s now the largest new-home community developer in Johnson County.

On the real-estate side of things, Rodrock relies on Sanders. She began her real estate career in the resale market and then went to work for Rodrock Development in 1992 to focus on new-home construction. A licensed Realtor for 25-plus years in Kansas and Missouri, Sanders has specialized in new-home construction and closed more than 1,000 “new” homes with many of the top builders in Kansas City. After successful stints at J.S. Robinson Fine Homes and James Engle Custom Homes, she returned to Rodrock Development as vice president of Strategic Development before taking on her new role as the president of Rodrock & Associates, Realtors.

Langhofer and Sanders are only part of a small but mighty group who’ve been with Rodrock for decades. They function like a family and treat each homebuyer with the utmost of care. Between some of Kansas City’s top builders working their hardest and a devoted team at Rodrock Development, homebuyers should know that they’re in the best of hands as they invest in their home-buying dreams.

For more information, visit Rodrock.com.

This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 7:00 PM.