Legacy Homes: The Homebuilder Dream Team Delivers Exceptional Value
In the tech world, the phrase “user experience” is often mentioned, referring to how easy and pleasing a software or website is for the user. The same could be said for Legacy Homes, who have applied this high concept to homebuilding, giving their homeowners more functional, spacious, and comfortable living spaces, yet maintaining beautiful craftsmanship at an incredible price. In short, they build homes that give families a nest for creating memories and a lasting legacy. As President Jeff Korotky explained, “We wanted to deliver the most luxury home for the money.”
In the fall of 2013, the four Legacy Homes founders met with a blank white board before them, discussing their concepts for a unique, new homebuilding company. “We wanted to build quality, energy-efficient homes with innovative designs at an extraordinary value,” Korotky recalled. They left that meeting forming a homebuilder’s dream team. Their combined work experiences equaled more than 100 years in the building industry—experiences ranging from small, custom homebuilders to high-production builders—as well as dovetailing skill sets. Korotky, a CPA, ended up partnering with Dan Nash, a Civil Engineer (PE), Mark Hunter, an attorney, and Shawn Fairburn, an architect. As a man of faith, Korotky elaborated, “We’ve each been given unique talents and abilities, and it’s our responsibility to use these to the best of our ability for the glory of God, per 1 Corinthians 10:31.” Together, the foursome took great care in thinking through everything from the fine-tuning of the name to the mission statement.
In 2014, the four partners began acquiring land, developing new subdivisions, designing home plans, and creating solid master cost estimates. That year, they closed 14 homes. They took stock, assessed what they learned, and refined their internal processes and procedures. By year’s end 2015, they had closed 82 homes. In 2016, they are forecasted to close 130 homes, with their stretch goal of 160 closings.
In refining their internal processes after 2014, the Legacy Homes team focused on thorough communication. Their daily meetings include all of the stakeholders for every home project. In any given meeting, one can find the Contracts/Closings Manager, Design Center Coordinator, Accounting Manager, VP of Construction, Estimating Manager and any other relevant staff plus the owners getting together, to foster accountability, identify action items and ensure they hit their targeted deadlines.
Today they have 25 employees in a family-oriented environment, fostering each person towards interpersonal and professional growth. That growth includes getting involved in community charities in Huntsville and Madison. The owners are big believers in giving back to their community, and that includes providing, time, money and talent to organizations like the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), 305 8th Street, BUDS (Bringing Up Down Syndrome), and more.
The team at Legacy Homes works hard and plays hard. Between monthly catered birthday celebration lunches, trivia contests and the recent March Madness bracket contest (each year, the person with the worst bracket gets an unopened bag of peanuts that gets passed each year to subsequent losers while the winners enjoy gift cards to local restaurants), they are never at a loss for cultivating fun in the midst of their blueprints and Gantt charts.
The end game for Legacy Homes is instilling a culture of excellence that runs throughout the organization, and is ultimately recognized by the homeowners. Concluded Korotky, “It’s important to surround yourself with employees who want to learn and grow and feel like they are part of accomplishing our mission.” Together, their mission is “providing a First Class home buying experience that exceeds our client’s expectations.”
