Ashton Woods Homes: Over 24 Years of Award-winning Building Designed for Livability

Ashton Woods Homes (Ashton) is a nationally recognized builder known for designs that inspire, floor plans suited to fit any lifestyle, as well as unmatched personalized options. The general contracting company built its first home in 1989, and 24 years later, Ashton has over 11 locations spread between Raleigh, N.C., and Phoenix, Ariz.

According to Gary Rae, president of Ashton’s Dallas division, his location serves the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metropolitan area. “We really push for innovation in our products and option offerings,” shares Rae. “We strive for excellence and exceeding our customers’ expectations. We’re large enough to deliver competitive prices, yet small enough to move quickly on any project. We operate in the top submarkets in Dallas area with a balanced portfolio ranging from $180,000 projects to million-dollar homes.”

Rae is an industry veteran, having worked in the building sector for an impressive 27 years. “I’ve always enjoyed this type of work,” he admits. “I started out doing brokerage and land deals before I got into the building side of things; I’ve been here since and I like that it’s something new every day.” Rae is certainly up for the daily challenge, working with his team to install thousands of customized homes in some of the largest development markets in Texas.

Design for Life

Creating the right home with all of the essential features is easy with Ashton’s flexible floor plans. “Our plans enable homeowners to create the right living environment for evolving family needs, from supporting an elderly parent to accommodating a child moving back in after college,” says Rae. Ashton provides living areas that serve as entertainment centers, bonus rooms with closets and baths, in-law quarters, game and media rooms, home office and personalized outdoor spaces for ultimate relaxation.

“Our goal is to provide custom designs that fit our clients’ taste and budget,” shares Rae. “A great example of this is the Highland Ridge development in Frisco, Texas.” Highland Ridge offers family-oriented amenities such as a resort-style swimming pool with kiddie splash pools, a large clubhouse, fitness center and hiking and biking trails with serene views. The development is conveniently situated near local schools, shopping centers, parks and other attractions.

“We’ve also recently performed work at The Preserve community in Allen, Texas, consisting of over 104 homes surrounding a lake, which is also one of the top submarkets in the Dallas area,” details Rae. “Another up-and-coming job is the two-acre Montalcino development in Flower Mound, Texas. Here, we’ll be working on homes in the $750,000 range.

As a general contractor, Ashton deals with a variety of subcontractors and suppliers, all of which must meet high standards. “We have a set network of people we repeatedly work with, but we’re always looking for a new subcontractor or vendor,” admits Rae. “A number of our vendors have been with us for many years. As we continue to grow we’re seeking out top-quality people to join our team.”

Nationally Recognized

In addition to the company’s Dallas division, Ashton’s main headquarters is located in Atlanta. However, Ashton is also able to cover Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Killeen, Texas, as well as Orlando, Sarasota and Tampa, Fla.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Charleston, S.C. The company as a whole is a well-established, awarded name in the building industry.

Ashton was named No. 1 Most Trusted Builder in America by a Lifestory Research study among 132 other companies in the industry. The ground-breaking national research included more that 21,500 new home shoppers and 133 builders in the top 27 housing markets in the U.S. The study found that 76 percent of customers revealed that trust is one of the critical factors in benchmarking the quality of a homebuilder. Ashton had the highest score from consumers.

The study, which is in its first year, focuses on how brands influence the purchase behavior of home shoppers. “Being named No. 1 is a great honor and an achievement of which we are all extremely proud,” says Ken Balogh, president and CEO of Ashton. “This accomplishment speaks to every facet of our business; from our sales teams’ knowledge to our outstanding architectural and construction crews that focus on delivering world-class design and quality.”

Rae admits even the troublesome economic situation hasn’t wavered Ashton. “We actually haven’t fallen behind,” he reveals. “We’ve experienced growth during the downturn. Luckily, we’ve been much more fortunate than other parts of the country. Here in Texas, we’ve faired pretty well. The job growth in our area is strong and qualified labor is plentiful.”

Rae has no doubts the company will continue to build on its current success. “I think we’ll grow by at least 50 percent over the next couple of years,” he shares. Ashton Woods Homes continues to provide custom-fit, award-winning home design and construction throughout the country.

For more information about Ashton Woods Homes, please visit: www.ashtonwoodshomes.com.