K4M Construction & Development

Founded in 2009 by Kirt McGhee and his wife Karrie, K4M Construction & Development began as an investment firm called Turn Key Investments LLC that was focused on the rebounding housing market in Houston. Since then the company has grown into a home building and renovation company. Located in Missouri City, Texas, K4M Construction has continued to grow every year since its inception.

The name of the company is derived from the McGhee family, as Kirt, his wife and their two children, Kaelyn and Kai, all have names that begin with K. “We started the business together as a team and now it grown into a thriving business that we are both very proud of,” says Karrie. “It is our hope that the business will be something that we can pass down to our children in the years to come.”

Serving Houston, Austin and the Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) area, K4M Construction designs and builds midlevel to high-end homes and has developed a niche market for the custom-built market. “We often work for people who want to have a unique home and not a standard cookie-cutter house,” says Kirt McGhee, founder and owner of K4M Construction. “I prefer to do custom work for people.”

Standing out

Affordability and luxury are what sets K4M Construction apart from the competition. The retention of property value is a major factor in the success of the company. “Our approach is simple,” says McGhee. “We identify the client’s goals and determine an agreed-upon plan of action. Every stage of the process is integrated, combining teamwork, communication and experience.”

While K4M hires subcontractors for a majority of the work performed, McGhee works closely with architects to design each home. “I design it with the architect and bring in a top producer local Realtor,” says McGhee. “We do this to make that we’re not only designing them correctly but also finishing them out correctly so they will sell.” K4M Construction also works with a company called Art Hous Design which assists in the creativity of the specifications of each home. “We want people to love the house that they are moving into.”

In the Lake LBJ area, K4M Construction has secured more than 90 acres to build a lakeside development. With more than 700 feet of linear waterfront, the company will be building numerous homes on the lot and many will become vacation rental by owner (VRBO) properties. McGhee says the many benefits of Lake LBJ will attract many homebuyers looking to invest in vacation properties. “It is a constant-level lake which the Lower Colorado River Authority regulates with the use of two dams on each side of the lake which generate electricity,” says McGhee. “These are going to be amazing houses.”

Seizing opportunity

McGhee has been involved in the real estate and building industry for 17 years. After spending a decade building a profitable mortgage and real estate company, McGhee decided to switch paths after seeing where the housing market was headed. “You name it I had my hands in it,” says McGhee.

“I did investment seminars all over the country and worked with builders and investors. When I saw how the government can take everything away from you at the drop of a hat I decided to switch gears and I began talking to investors and we took a path of building and doing our own thing. It was very scary to spend so much time and energy building a financial company that was basically at the mercy of the Government and the secondary market or Wall Street.”

There are many ways to measure success in the general contracting industry other than the bottom line. Depending on which sector a company is focused on, success may present itself in the form of repeat business from a commercial customer or a referral to a potential client in the industrial sector. At K4M Construction, McGhee measures the success of his company by the satisfaction of the client when they get to move into their new home.

“It’s all about the look on the client’s face when they move into the house,” McGhee explains. “We like to let them move in and then get some pictures of them standing in front of the house; that makes me very happy. Ultimately it all boils down to our reputation and creating a good name for ourselves.”

McGhee notes that the economic outlook in Houston is creating a surge in the housing market. As the third most populated city in the United States, Houston has been ranked as the fastest growing city in the country by Forbes magazine. “Things are great here right now,” says McGhee. “As one of the oil capitals of the country, it has been statistically proven that we can survive on oil being in the $30 to $40 per barrel range and right now it’s about twice that much. It’s also been proven that Houston can survive the housing market crash.”

When McGhee isn’t running his company, he might be found boating with his wife and children or at a motorcycle rally with his custom Harley-Davidson.