John Caprio, Vice President of City Operations, said, “It’s fantastic market share, which I think can be attributed to multiple things. First, we do our homework before we move forward on a property. Second, D.R. Horton is more committed than our competition. We have local leadership. Decision makers are here, whereas for most of our competition, Myrtle Beach is a satellite.” John continued, “For me one of the biggest things is our culture – we have fun. We enjoy each other’s company, and our turnover is very low.” Another positive John added is, “Don Horton, our founder and Chairman is very active. He comes here every 12 to 18 months to visit all of our projects. He and the rest of our executive team are so committed to what we’re doing.”

D.R. Horton once again was ranked the number one builder in the country based on volume. This is the 14th year in a row that Builder magazine has recognized D.R. Horton as number one. John said, “Even though we’re the largest builder in the country, part of our business is decentralized. That allows us to sell the way we need to sell, and build the product we need to build to be successful.”

D.R. Horton currently offers four brands in the Myrtle Beach area. D.R Horton, the namesake and largest product line can be seen in communities from Brunswick County to Murrells Inlet. A new D.R. Horton community in Murrells Inlet, The Farm at Timberlake, is coming in 2017. Emerald Homes communities combines luxury and livability. Express Homes offer quality at affordable pricing, developed to attract first-time buyers. The fourth and newest brand, Freedom Homes, caters to the active adult buyer, offering easy living and low maintenance. A new single-family Freedom Homes section is coming to Tuscany in Myrtle Beach. Another Freedom Homes community is currently under development closer to Conway.

Regardless of the product line, John noted, “What’s most important is we build what people want: floor plans that work for people’s lifestyles at prices that get people excited. We’re not the least expensive builder, and we’re not the most expensive builder; we feel like we’ve got the right fit, and I think that’s why we’ve had so much success.” Marketing Coordinator Sara Umberger added, “We try to be ahead of the curve, and we have people designated to do the research on what people want.”

The local D.R. Horton management team also listens to the field. John said, “About four ago we went through a revamp of our entire lineup. We asked for feedback from all the sales people in our division: Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington. We took the feedback on how people are living today and tweaked almost every single plan. We changed a lot of the kitchens, for example, because people wanted a bigger counter-level island.”

Homeowners that can attest to the value of a good floor plan are Sharon and Pat McInerney and Terry and Jimmy Rosa. Both families love the open concept of their homes in two different sections of Carrara at Tuscany. The McInerneys moved from Michigan and had never heard of D.R. Horton. They were referred to real estate agent Monica Westcott, a sales representative for the company. Sharon said, “I have to give her kudos because they didn’t have any properties that I was really interested in; I wanted a view. Monica reminded me of this whole [newest Carrara] section that opened up and said I could pick out any lot I wanted that was on the water, and that clinched the deal. It’s a very nice view, very pretty.” Sharon also appreciates the way houses are set on the lots. “They’ve angled them so you have privacy.” Sharon also credits Monica for sending pictures and keeping them informed throughout the building process since she and Pat were still in Michigan when construction began.

With the Rosas, they chose D.R. Horton first and Tuscany second. Terry Rosa said, “For the last 10 to 15 years, D.R. Horton was a familiar name to us in Raleigh and in Florida. We knew the company was a reputable builder.” The Rosas looked at other builders, but kept coming back to Tuscany. Terry added, “We liked the location, but we liked the builder more. For the tail end of our buying experience, it was an awesome experience, and it was very easy.” They purchased a home that had already been built, but to which they requested upgrades prior to finalizing the sale. This was the fourth new home the Rosas have purchased, and the one in which they will begin to enjoy retirement.

Terry said, “When you do the walk through you have this gulping fear that ‘this is not going to get done.’” She said the supervisor put tape on all the things that had to be done and Terry thought there was no way it was going to get done in seven days. On the final walk-through the morning of closing, Terry remembered, “Absolutely everything was done and that’s what impressed me. This meant they had to get subcontractors on the same page for the same quality.” Terry also gives credit to Monica Westcott and the company for their on-going customer service.

Besides loving their homes and lake views, the McInerneys and Rosas enjoy the lifestyle at Tuscany. Sharon named some of the amenities, “We have a beautiful swimming pool, the lazy river that’s being built, and they’re supposed to build another pool, and then they have a clubhouse and 2,000-square-foot fitness center and tennis courts.” Terry and Jimmy also enjoy riding their bicycles and walking around the neighborhood, and the relaxed friendliness of the community.

Sara Umberger mentioned the convenience of one-stop shopping with DHI Mortgage and DHI Title, affiliate companies offering mortgages and title insurance. Sharon McInerney said they had shopped mortgages and found the DHI rate was favorable, and that using them made the process a bit easier.

Summing up, John said, “I think D.R. Horton is America’s Builder because we’re an everyman builder. We consider people’s lifestyles; we consider their needs and their wants. D.R. Horton is the best mixture of quality, value, and customer service. We don’t have the mentality of volume, even though we do volume; we treat people like family.”

Beyond building communities, D.R. Horton is involved in the larger community. They host blood drives for American Red Cross and have raised money for Fostering Hope. Staff also painted the Boys and Girls Club of Myrtle Beach, gave it fresh curb appeal, and cleaned up the playground. John serves on the Board of HGHBA as Secretary and Treasurer.