Plantation Homes — in partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME — broke ground on a new, mortgage-free home for U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Dumas in a ceremony held Jan. 27 in Little Elm.

Dumas and his family discovered they would be the recipients of the custom home at a surprise ceremony in the master-planned community of Union Park where the home will be located.

The ceremony was attended by Congressman Michael Burgess and representatives of Plantation Homes, Operation FINALLY HOME, the Dallas Builders Association and Union Park developer Hillwood Communities.

Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Plantation Homes, said this is the builder’s first collaboration with Operation FINALLY HOME in the Dallas area.

“Plantation Homes has worked with this amazing organization on two other occasions,” Tesch said. “We are honored to again have the opportunity to give back to the American servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much to keep our nation safe. We are looking forward to the day when we can present the Dumas family with the key to their new home.”

The home at 5108 Shallow Pond Drive is the builder’s two-story Kilgore II floor plan. In deference to Dumas’s combat-related ailments, the builder replaced a media room with a secluded owners retreat. It is slated for a dedication ceremony in June. 

Dumas joined the Army in 2009 as a medic. His unit deployed a few months later. It took fire on the first day. On the second day, following a meeting with the Afghan National Army, an ANA member opened fire on the group. Dumas was five feet away from the incident before the shooter was shot and killed. The events left him with PTSD and a sensitivity to loud noises. 

He was discharged honorably in 2014 after receiving many commendations including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Combat Medical Badge and several other awards.

Dumas now works full time as a claims adjuster for an insurance company while also attending college to complete a degree in business administration. He has a wife, Melissa, a young son, and one on the way due in May.

Plantation Homes builds in Dallas and Houston, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Union Park, the builder is active in 16 Dallas-area communities. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005, partnering with builder associations, builders, developers, corporate sponsors, individual contributors, and volunteers to help military veterans and their families transition to the home front. For more information about Operation FINALLY HOME, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.      

About Plantation Homes

Plantation Homes is part of a group of companies including Coventry Homes and McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. With a 30-year history in Texas, Plantation Homes currently builds in the state’s largest markets, including Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The builder has won numerous awards for its innovative product design, including local, state and national honors. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

About McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc.

Since its inception in 1988, McGuyer Homebuilders exceeds customers’ expectations through quality service, construction, and value. McGuyer Homebuilders offers its award-winning designs under its signature brands – Plantation Homes, Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in five markets across Texas. Celebrating 30 years as a Texas homebuilder, McGuyer Homebuilders builds thousands of homes annually and is honored as one of the top 30 homebuilding firms in the nation. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com.

Houston, TX (Oct. 2, 2017) – For the first time, U.S. Army SFC Demitra Jarrett came home to Woodforest last week, accepting the keys to a newly built Coventry Homes’ design through the Operation FINALLY HOME program and receiving a few very special surprises.

Family, friends, members of the Montgomery County Fire Department, Woodforest residents, Operation FINALLY HOME representatives and Coventry Homes staff were on hand to welcome Jarrett to her new home, provided free through the program. She and close family and friends were escorted to the one-story residence by the Patriot Guard Riders.

“I’m proud to say I’m finally home,” Jarrett told the crowd. “I thank Operation FINALLY HOME and Coventry Homes and everybody that had anything to do with this extravagant blessing.”

After comments from Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Coventry Homes; Paul Blackburn, MHI region president; and Lee Kirgan, vice president of operations for Operation FINALLY HOME, Jarrett was treated to the first of several surprises — her brother, U.S. Army Corporal Tramel Peterson, who was waiting in her new home. Peterson had been deployed to the Middle East for the last year and is currently stationed in Baltimore. It had been about five years since the two had seen each other.

“The bond that my sister and I have is unbelievable,” Peterson said. “This day is so special not only because this is the dedication of my sister SFC Demitra Jarrett’s new home, but because this is like a reunion.”

Jarrett served two years in the Army Reserve before going on active duty in 2002. She has been deployed overseas multiple times — including twice to Iraq and once to Kuwait — and suffered serious injuries during her first deployment in 2003. Today, Jarrett suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. She has received many awards for her service, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

The 2,456-square-foot home is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and includes many customizations to accommodate the wheelchair Jarrett often must use, including the height of the countertops, a wheelchair-accessible sink and a microwave oven installed into the lower cabinets.

“Demitra especially loved the high ceilings in the home, the two master suites connected via closets and the automated doggie door for her dog Bootsy,” Tesch said. “It was an amazing feeling to walk through the home with her and know you’re making a difference for a person who has given so much.”

Other surprises included ADA-compliant appliances, a furnished living room, kitchen and breakfast area, and an accent wall in her master bedroom painted purple, Jarrett’s favorite color.

Operation FINALLY HOME has more than 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, are under construction or are currently in the planning stages. This is Coventry Homes’ second partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME. Woodforest developer Johnson Development also partnered previously with the organization on several projects.

Learn more about Coventry Homes at www.coventryhomes.com. Details about Woodforest can be found at www.woodforest.com.

Click here to watch the video from our Dedication Ceremony for US Army SFC Demitra Jarrett.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes, is once again listed among the nation’s largest homebuilders.

The company ranked at No. 36 on the annual Builder 100 list compiled by BUILDER magazine. The annual tally is based on the total number of homes closed during the previous year. In 2016, MHI closed on 1,504 homes, an increase of 9 percent over 2015 closings.

“2016 was a good year for homebuilding in Texas,” said Gary Tesch, MHI president. “Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin were booming, the San Antonio market is becoming increasingly robust and Houston was recovering from the oil slump. For us to perform so well on a national platform when we are concentrated in a single state speaks to the strength of our program.”

Among privately held builders, MHI ranked No. 18.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., launched in 1988 and builds as Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in Austin and San Antonio, and Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. In all, the company builds in more than 90 Texas communities.

“What helps our three brands stand out are flexibility in our floor plans, solid building standards and a customer service program that has earned us a 98 percent buyer satisfaction rating,” Tesch said. “Plus, we are a leader in energy-efficient home design and construction.”

The company also supports many community initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, HomeAid Houston and Operation Finally Home, which awards mortgage-free homes to veterans. In 2015, it was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Greater Houston Builders Association in the Houston’s Best PRISM awards.

For more information on what MHI offers in Texas, visit www.coventryhomes.com, www.plantationhomes.com and www.wilshire-homes.com.

Wilshire Homes gave two married military veterans the keys to a newly completed home during a recent dedication ceremony.

Wilshire partnered with Operation Finally Home, a non-profit organization that works to supply homes for disabled veterans, to provide Nick and Shelby Nelms and their two children with a custom-built, mortgage-free home. The Nelms both suffer from combat-related ailments received while serving in Afghanistan.

The 2,752-square-foot home is located at 2705 Diego Drive within Paloma Lake, a 750-acre master-planned community in Round Rock. In addition to constructing the home, Wilshire furnished it.

“It was not enough to build this beautiful home for the Nelms,” said Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Wilshire Homes. “We felt they deserved so much more given the sacrifices they have made for our country. With the holidays approaching, we decided to give them a home full of furniture as an early Christmas present.”

Wilshire Homes broke ground on the residence — the builder’s Groveton design — in May. A “Notes of Love” signing event, where friends and neighbors could write supportive notes on the studs of the home, was held in August.

Those same friends and neighbors were on hand during the dedication ceremony to witness the Nelms receiving the keys to their new home. Also in attendance were representatives of MHI and Operation Finally Home, as well as Allen Banks, chief of police for Round Rock and other members of the community.

Wilshire Homes builds in Austin and San Antonio, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Paloma Lake, the builder is active in 14 Austin-area communities. Details about Wilshire Homes are available at www.wilshire-homes.com.

Operation Finally Home was established in 2005, partnering with builder associations, builders, developers, corporate sponsors, individual contributors, and volunteers to help military veterans and their families transition to the home front. For more information about Operation Finally Home, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

Click here to watch the video from the Dedication Ceremony. 

U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Dumas was handed the keys to his new mortgage-free home during an Operation FINALLY HOME dedication ceremony held May 24 in Little Elm.

The ceremony marked the 145th home dedication for deserving veterans through the Operation FINALLY HOME program. The home — the Plantation Homes’ Kilgore II design — was the third McGuyer Homebuilders Inc., (MHI), has built for the organization. 

 “These brave soldiers have given so much for our country and way of life,” said MHI President Gary Tesch, who spoke during the ceremony. “This is our way of giving back to enhance their way of life, now that they are home.”

Also attending the ceremony was Hillwood Communities President Fred Balda. Hillwood Communities donated a homesite in its Union Park development for the project, and 20+ vendors and trades donated time and material.

Plantation Homes broke ground on the home Jan. 27, adjusting the four-bedroom floor plan to accommodate Dumas’ combat-related ailments. In April, the public was invited to write “Notes of Love” on the studs of the home before drywall was installed.

Little Elm Mayor David Hillock wrote, “Welcome to Little Elm. I appreciate your service and look forward to returning the favor.” Another person welcomed the Dumas family saying, “May God bless your family and your home.”

Dumas joined the Army in 2009 as a medic. An incident involving the Afghan National Army occurred a few months later, leaving Dumas with PTSD, a sensitivity to loud noises and other traumatic injuries.

He was discharged honorably in 2014 after receiving many commendations including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Combat Medical Badge and several other awards.

Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005 with a mission of providing custom-built, mortgage-free homes to military heroes and the widows of the fallen.

The organization partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help military heroes and their families address one of their most pressing needs -- a home to call their own.

Operation FINALLY HOME has more than 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, are under construction or are currently in the planning stage. For more information about Operation FINALLY HOME, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

Plantation Homes builds in Dallas and Houston, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Union Park, the builder is active in 16 Dallas-area communities. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

(May 21, 2018) – McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. (MHI) continues to be recognized as one of the largest homebuilders in the nation by BUILDER Magazine, climbing two notches on the 2018 Builder 100 list to No. 34.

The firm is parent company of Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes.

The annual tally is based on data compiled via direct survey of the nation’s top builders. Rankings are determined by the total number of homes closed during the previous year. The Texas builder closed on 1,743 homes in 2017, a 15 percent increase over 2016.

“It’s an honor to be recognized again by this prestigious publication,” said Gary Tesch, MHI president. “This year we successfully expanded our offerings into some of the most prestigious developments in Texas, something we couldn’t have done without the support of our outstanding employees who ensure our homes are built to the highest standards. We expect 2018 to be an equally strong year.”

Known as a leader in energy-efficient home design and construction, the Austin and Dallas divisions of MHI were named LEED Homes Power Builders for 2017. The divisions were two of only four Texas builders to receive the designation, which requires award-winners to have LEED-certified 90 percent of their homes built during 2016.

“Our Eco Smart homes are a big selling point with buyers, but it’s our Built Around You approach that makes our customers happy,” Tesch said. “Our flexible floor plans are easy to customize so buyers get the home they want and need. I think it says something that we have a 98 percent buyer satisfaction rating.”

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. launched in 1988 and builds as Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in Austin and San Antonio, and Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. In all, the company builds in more than 90 Texas communities.

For more information on what MHI offers in Texas, visit www.coventryhomes.com, www.plantationhomes.com and www.wilshire-homes.com.

A new home for U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Dumas is being built with love – and there’s written proof.

Construction crews took a break on Thursday, April 5, so members of the public could come in and write words of encouragement and inspiration on the framing, before the sheetrock goes up.

“Welcome Dumas family,” one individual wrote. “May God bless your family and your home.”

Little Elm Mayor David Hillock joined in for the occasion. “Welcome to Little Elm,” he wrote. “I appreciate your service and look forward to returning the favor.”

The “Notes of Love” program is just one of the ways that Operation FINALLY HOME works to make military heroes feel appreciated. By placing these welcoming messages in the very bones of the house, the nonprofit aims to make the Dumas family feel loved every time they walk through its doors. Click here to get an inside look at the ‘Notes of Love Event’.

Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005 with a mission of providing custom-built, mortgage-free homes to military heroes and the widows of the fallen.

The organization partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help military heroes and their families address one of their most pressing needs -- a home to call their own.

Plantation Homes is working in partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME to build a house for Dumas and his family.

Dumas joined the Army in 2009 as a medic and deployed a few months later.

Shots were taken at his unit the first day on the ground. On the second day, the group met with the Afghan National Army, which then opened fire.

Dumas was right in the mix of the conflict. The shooter was eventually taken down, but the events of the day left Dumas with PTSD and a sensitivity to loud noises. 

He was discharged honorably in 2014 after receiving a number of commendations including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Medical Badge.

Dumas currently works full time as a claims adjuster for an insurance company while attending college to complete a degree in business administration. He and his wife Melissa have a young son and are expecting a second child in May.

Plantation Homes is building a two-story house at 5108 Shallow Pond Dr. in Aubrey’s Union Park for the couple, using the builder’s signature two-story Kilgore II floor plan.

The builder replaced a media room with a secluded owners retreat, a place of solace for Dumas.

A dedication ceremony, planned for late May, will celebrate the home’s completion.

Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Plantation Homes, said building the house is a privilege.

“We are looking forward to the day when we can present the Dumas family with the key to their new home,” he said. “We are honored to again have the opportunity to give back to the American servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much to keep our nation safe. “

This is the builder’s first collaboration with Operation FINALLY HOME in the Dallas area. Plantation Homes has worked with the organization twice before in other areas of Texas.

Plantation Homes builds in Dallas and Houston, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Union Park, the builder is active in 16 Dallas-area communities. For more information, visit https://www.plantationhomes.com/dallas-ft-worth.

Operation FINALLY HOME has more than 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, are under construction or are currently in the planning stage. For more information about Operation FINALLY HOME, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

About Plantation Homes

Plantation Homes is part of a group of companies including Coventry Homes and McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. With a 30-year history in Texas, Plantation Homes currently builds in the state’s largest markets, including Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The builder has won numerous awards for its innovative product design, including local, state and national honors. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

About McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc.

Since its inception in 1988, McGuyer Homebuilders exceeds customers’ expectations through quality service, construction, and value. McGuyer Homebuilders offers its award-winning designs under its signature brands – Plantation Homes, Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in five markets across Texas. Celebrating 30 years as a Texas homebuilder, McGuyer Homebuilders builds thousands of homes annually and is honored as one of the top 30 homebuilding firms in the nation. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com.

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 Plantation Homes — in partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME — broke ground on a new, mortgage-free home for U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Dumas in a ceremony held Jan. 27 in Little Elm.

Dumas and his family discovered they would be the recipients of the custom home at a surprise ceremony in the master-planned community of Union Park where the home will be located.

The ceremony was attended by Congressman Michael Burgess and representatives of Plantation Homes, Operation FINALLY HOME, the Dallas Builders Association and Union Park developer Hillwood Communities.

Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Plantation Homes, said this is the builder’s first collaboration with Operation FINALLY HOME in the Dallas area.

“Plantation Homes has worked with this amazing organization on two other occasions,” Tesch said. “We are honored to again have the opportunity to give back to the American servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much to keep our nation safe. We are looking forward to the day when we can present the Dumas family with the key to their new home.”

The home at 5108 Shallow Pond Drive is the builder’s two-story Kilgore II floor plan. In deference to Dumas’s combat-related ailments, the builder replaced a media room with a secluded owners retreat. It is slated for a dedication ceremony in June. 

Dumas joined the Army in 2009 as a medic. His unit deployed a few months later. It took fire on the first day. On the second day, following a meeting with the Afghan National Army, an ANA member opened fire on the group. Dumas was five feet away from the incident before the shooter was shot and killed. The events left him with PTSD and a sensitivity to loud noises. 

He was discharged honorably in 2014 after receiving many commendations including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Combat Medical Badge and several other awards.

Dumas now works full time as a claims adjuster for an insurance company while also attending college to complete a degree in business administration. He has a wife, Melissa, a young son, and one on the way due in May.

Plantation Homes builds in Dallas and Houston, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Union Park, the builder is active in 16 Dallas-area communities. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

Operation FINALLY HOME was established in 2005, partnering with builder associations, builders, developers, corporate sponsors, individual contributors, and volunteers to help military veterans and their families transition to the home front. For more information about Operation FINALLY HOME, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.      

About Plantation Homes

Plantation Homes is part of a group of companies including Coventry Homes and McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. With a 30-year history in Texas, Plantation Homes currently builds in the state’s largest markets, including Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The builder has won numerous awards for its innovative product design, including local, state and national honors. For more information, visit www.plantationhomes.com.

About McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc.

Since its inception in 1988, McGuyer Homebuilders exceeds customers’ expectations through quality service, construction, and value. McGuyer Homebuilders offers its award-winning designs under its signature brands – Plantation Homes, Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in five markets across Texas. Celebrating 30 years as a Texas homebuilder, McGuyer Homebuilders builds thousands of homes annually and is honored as one of the top 30 homebuilding firms in the nation. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com.

Houston, TX - McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI) was named Humanitarian of the Year in the recent Houston’s Best PRISM Awards hosted by the Greater Houston Builders Association.

The prestigious award recognized the yearlong efforts of employees of MHI, parent company of Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes. Notable among last year’s charitable endeavors was sponsorship and participation in KPRC’s Habitat for Humanity home, which saw corporate employees spend a day building a home for a single mother. Coventry Homes also built the Coventry Kids Castle, which was raffled off last year to raise more than $85,000 in the HomeAid Houston Project Playhouse initiative benefitting Houston’s homeless.

The MHI team also constructed a much-needed concession stand for the Cy-Fair Sports Association and donated 1,000 leather binders for clients of Dress for Success Houston, which helps women prepare for job interviews. Hundreds of pounds of food was donated by employees to the Houston Food Bank and monetary donations were made to The Sunshine Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer and the MS 150 bike race.

“Our contributions last year were far-reaching, and we made an effort to not only help those who needed it most, but to also extend our giving into many of the suburban communities in which we build,” said Gary Tesch, MHI president. “The Houston real estate community as a whole does an enormous amount of good work, and we are very honored to receive this special award.”

Plantation Homes also won for Best Product Design — $200,000-$250,000 for its Stuart V model home in Wildwood Glen. In addition, Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes were finalists for Best Product Design — $400,000-$500,000 and Coventry Homes was a finalist for Volume Builder — Best Kitchen.

For nearly 40 years, the Houston’s Best PRISM Awards have recognized the industry’s top people, products and promotions. More than 700 entries were received in this year’s contest.

Coventry Homes builds throughout the Houston region, with homes priced from the $300,000s to more than $1 million in more than 25 planned developments. Plantation Homes also is active in the Houston area, with homes offered in more than 20 developments. Pricing is from the $140,000s.

For more information on Coventry Homes, visit www.coventryhomes.com. Details about Plantation Homes are available at www.plantationhomes.com. 

Many factors, on the demand and supply sides, continue to hinder the home-construction market in the U.S. from returning to normal. But, several home builders say, the availability of construction loans no longer is one of them.

Indeed, lenders are opening the spigot at a steady, albeit moderate, pace for commercial and residential construction alike, which bodes well for output in those industries. That, in turn, stands to benefit the U.S. economy, given that rising construction spending contributes greatly to gross domestic product.

Figures released Wednesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. show that total outstanding balances on construction loans from FDIC-backed institutions amounted to $255.8 billion in the second quarter, up 3.9% from the first. That marks the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit, year-over-year percentage growth as construction lending rebounds from its nadir of $201.5 billion in early 2013.

The main residential component of that total–loans for constructing homes of single- to four-family units–also continued to gain ground this year. Outstanding balances on loans from FDIC-backed institutions for building those houses totaled $56.1 billion in the second quarter, up nearly 4.7% from the first.

“For residential-construction loans, this is the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in the range of 16% to 17.5%,” said Robert Dietz, a senior economist with the National Association of Home Builders. “Ongoing growth in residential construction loans points to additional expansion for single-family (construction) starts.”

That’s been the sticking point in recent years. Even with a good gain in new-home sales in July, the pace of sales that month amounted to only 51% of the average annual pace of the most recent normalized market in 2001 to 2003. Home construction needs to return to its normal output in order to contribute meaningfully to the U.S. economic recovery.

Opinions are plentiful on which factors are the biggest hindrances to home construction. But many say that construction lending no longer is one of them, which the FDIC figures underscore.

“I don’t see construction-loan availability as the problem now,” said Bill Davidson, owner and chief executive of California builder Davidson Communities, which anticipates building 200 homes this year. “It certainly was two years ago. But the market (demand) is not there yet for us to be building more houses than we are.”

Mr. Davidson is among those who point to weak demand to buy houses, particularly among younger, entry-level buyers, as the chief reason behind home-construction’s slower-than-anticipated rebound. Those buyers have been hobbled in recent years by a slow ramp-up in job growth, tepid wage gains, tight mortgage-qualification standards and mounting student debt. Meanwhile, Mr. Davidson said he finds construction loans “readily available now.”

To be sure, construction lending still has a long way to go in its recovery. Overall construction lending still is 59.5% less than its peak of $631.8 billion in early 2008. And lending for building single- to four-unit homes remains 70% less than its peak of $186.3 billion in early 2008.

Yet lenders say that the construction-loan market has made significant strides of late, with more competitors entering the fray. Russ Ruhnke, a senior vice president overseeing lending to home builders throughout the Midwest for Associated Banc-Corp., based in Green Bay, Wis., said the number of home-construction loans that the bank reviews for approval has increased by 40% to 50% in the past year.

“I do notice that we seem to have more competition…from the smaller, community banks,” Mr. Ruhnke said.

However, increased availability doesn’t mean looser terms. Many banks still won’t lend for as large a percentage of a project’s total cost as they would during last decade’s boom. And some banks want guarantees from builder executives to personally repay loans if their companies can’t, a proposal at which many builders balk.

Credit “is available, but it’s definitely more conservative,” said Gary Tesch, president of Houston-based McGuyer Homebuilders Inc., a closely held builder aiming to construct 1,500 homes this year. “On vertical construction, most banks are back in that business today. Not all are back in land-development financing.”

Some say that most perceived shortfalls in home-construction lending are actually rejections of riskier projects.

“I believe that there is sufficient supply of credit to meet the demand,” said R. Bird Anderson Jr., executive vice president in Wells Fargo & Co.’s home-builder banking group in Charlotte. “When we hear stories of a sponsor unable to get traditional senior bank debt, if you get to the details of the story you will find that it is a more speculative project or it’s a large project with high leverage requests and no recourse to the sponsor.”

This article originally appeared in the Economics section of The Wall Street Journal. For more information, visit www.wsj.com.

WASHINGTON - U.S. builders are preparing to ramp up home construction this summer, underscoring Americans’ growing demand for housing and potentially propelling the economy to stronger growth.

Groundbreakings surged to a seven-year high in April before falling 11% last month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The level of activity remained stable in May at an annual rate of 1.04 million units, and signs pointed to further gains in coming months.

Permits to build new homes surged 12% last month to an annual rate of 1.275 million, the highest since August 2007. Permits for apartment construction surged, while permits for single-family homes, a much broader segment, rose modestly.

The figures offer the latest sign the housing market is slowly gaining momentum as more Americans land jobs and start to see slightly higher wage gains, positioning them for home buying. Meanwhile, a rapid rise in home rents in recent years is making apartment construction more attractive.

”The fundamentals for single-family homebuilding are quite positive: job and income gains, pent-up demand, low mortgage rates, and easing access to credit,”Stuart Hoffman, PNC’s chief economist, said in a note to clients. “New rules designed to encourage mortgage lending, especially to first-time buyers, provide upside potential for single-family homebuilding.”

A pickup in home building would boost the economy, since it would increase construction jobs while supporting many other industries, from lumber to furniture makers.

Last month’s pullback in overall home construction may have been driven in part by weather. Unusually wet weather stymied builders in several states in May, especially those in the central and southern U.S. In Texas, which often vies with California as the busiest state for builders, May rainfall amounted to 8.93 inches, far exceeding the previous monthly record of 6.66 inches set in June 2004, according to the National Center for Environmental Information.

May rainfall totals in neighboring states were similarly high, including 8.12 inches in Louisiana, 14.06 inches in Oklahoma, 10.35 inches in Arkansas, 8.15 inches in Kansas and 5.27 inches in Colorado.

Tuesday’s report on housing starts showed that construction fell in all four regions, with the biggest declines occurring in the Northeast and Midwest.

Demand for new homes remained strong, builders say, but the constant rain in certain states made pouring foundations, framing and roofing all but impossible. DSLD Homes, a closely held builder based in Baton Rouge, La., started construction of 150 homes in May in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. That is roughly flat with DSLD’s year-ago tally, and it is a slowdown from the 15% year-over-year gains that the builder logged in March and April.

”We had crews idled, and things cost more when you’re trying to do them in between rain,” DSLD Chief Executive Saun Sullivan said. “Even if the same amount of construction happens, it costs more to get it to happen. There are more open items like sod (installation) and more crews working on the weekend.”

In Texas, McGuyer Homebuilders Inc. started 136 homes in May, up 20% from a year ago. Demand justified starting additional homes that month, but the rain wouldn’t allow it. McGuyer’s starts “would have been 33% higher if not for the weather delay,” McGuyer President Gary Tesch said.

U.S. housing starts are still far below historical norms. Even with the latest momentum groundbreakings are less than half their 2006 peak of 2.27 million homes, annualized. In the late 1990s starts routinely exceeded a 1.5 million pace.

Other reports show progress in the housing market. Confidence among home builders rose this month to the highest level since September, the industry’s National Association of Home Builders said this week.

Measures of current and future sales expectations “are at their highest levels since the last quarter of 2005, indicating a growing optimism among builders that housing will continue to strengthen in the months ahead,” NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said in a statement.

Pending home sales—a measure of purchases based on contract signings rather than closings—climbed in the first four months of the year, with April marking a nine-year high, the National Association of Realtors said last month.

The most closely watched measure of the housing market—sales of previously owned homes, based on closings—surged in March, but gave up some ground in April, the NAR said last month.

This article originally appeared in the Economy section of The Wall Street Journal. For more information, visit www.wsj.com. 

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes, has been listed as No. 31 on the 2015 Builder 100, the annual ranking of the nation’s 100 largest homebuilding companies.

Among privately held builders, MHI was ranked No. 13.

The Builder 100 list is compiled by BUILDER magazine, which has conducted the survey of public and private builders since 1984. Rankings are based on total number of homes closed during the previous year. In 2014, MHI companies closed 1,343 homes in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

“Once again, we are very pleased to rank so highly on this prestigious list of national homebuilders,” said Gary Tesch, president of MHI. “Many of the builders listed ahead of us have multi-state programs. The fact that we rank so high on a national list points to the strength of our building program in Texas.”

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., has been operating in Texas for more than 25 years. The company builds as Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in Austin, Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, and Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in San Antonio. In all, the company builds in more than 90 Texas communities.

“The foundation of our success in Texas has been building to the highest energy-efficient standards and offering our buyers complete flexibility in making structural and other changes to our designs to create a home perfectly suited to their needs,” Tesch said.

For more information on what MHI offers in Texas, visit www.coventryhomes.com, www.plantationhomes.com and www.wilshire-homes.com.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. Sponsors 2nd Home: The keys have been handed over to another new Habitat for Humanity beneficiary, Sandra Barrera, who is now living with her family in a home built partially by employees of Coventry Homes, KPRC Channel 2 and other community volunteers.

Twenty staffers from Coventry Homes’ corporate headquarters joined crews from KPRC Channel 2 and Houston Habitat for Humanity to work on a Habitat home that started construction in January. It is the builder’s second consecutive year to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home.

“Each year, we get opportunities to partner with various groups, so this one just really hits home,’ said Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes. “What’s really cool about this is so many of our folks from the corporate side get to come out and be part of this. We are honored to be part of this great endeavor.”

The Coventry team was responsible for decking, joints, weather stripping and installation of weather-proof insulation of the four-bedroom home in Harrel Park 2, a neighborhood being developed by Habitat for Humanity. Barrera, a working single mother who is studying to be a pharmacy technician, will live there with her two young children, grandmother and father. Moving from a small trailer home, Barrera said she has dreamed of living in a larger place to raise her children.

“I want to give them a bigger space to grow, play around and have their own space,” she said. “I want to bless you all for blessing me and my family.”

Coventry Homes joined Star Furniture, Noble Energy, Pappas Restaurants and Shipley Donuts in sponsoring the KPRC Habitat home. Other sponsor teams also had “build days,” joining Habitat for Humanity personnel and Barrera, who contributed 300 hours of sweat equity into the building of her home. Habitat for Humanity benefactors also must complete training on home ownership and purchase their home through no-interest loans.

The Houston Habitat for Humanity organization has been active in the Houston area for 27 years, building 960 homes for approximately 3,600 low-income residents. More information can be found at www.houstonhabitat.org.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI) offers homes throughout five major markets in Texas under its signature brands Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes. Coventry Homes builds in 26 developments in Houston, six in Austin and four in Dallas-Fort Worth. Plantation Homes offers designs in 19 Houston-area communities and 11 developments in Dallas-Fort Worth. Wilshire Homes builds in 13 communities in Austin and 10 in San Antonio. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com. 

Wilshire Homes gave two married military veterans the keys to a newly completed home during a recent dedication ceremony.

Wilshire partnered with Operation Finally Home, a non-profit organization that works to supply homes for disabled veterans, to provide Nick and Shelby Nelms and their two children with a custom-built, mortgage-free home. The Nelms both suffer from combat-related ailments received while serving in Afghanistan.

The 2,752-square-foot home is located at 2705 Diego Drive within Paloma Lake, a 750-acre master-planned community in Round Rock. In addition to constructing the home, Wilshire furnished it.

“It was not enough to build this beautiful home for the Nelms,” said Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Wilshire Homes. “We felt they deserved so much more given the sacrifices they have made for our country. With the holidays approaching, we decided to give them a home full of furniture as an early Christmas present.”

Wilshire Homes broke ground on the residence — the builder’s Groveton design — in May. A “Notes of Love” signing event, where friends and neighbors could write supportive notes on the studs of the home, was held in August.

Those same friends and neighbors were on hand during the dedication ceremony to witness the Nelms receiving the keys to their new home. Also in attendance were representatives of MHI and Operation Finally Home, as well as Allen Banks, chief of police for Round Rock and other members of the community.

Wilshire Homes builds in Austin and San Antonio, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Paloma Lake, the builder is active in 14 Austin-area communities. Details about Wilshire Homes are available at www.wilshire-homes.com.

Operation Finally Home was established in 2005, partnering with builder associations, builders, developers, corporate sponsors, individual contributors, and volunteers to help military veterans and their families transition to the home front. For more information about Operation Finally Home, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

Click here to watch the video from the Dedication Ceremony. 

AUSTIN, TX (May 18, 2016) –      Wilshire Homes, in partnership with Operation Finally Home, broke ground on a new home for two military veterans in a ceremony held May 17 in Round Rock.

This is the first time the builder has teamed up with the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to providing custom-built, mortgage-free homes for disabled or ill veterans and their families. Wilshire’s home will be located at 2705 Diego Drive within Paloma Lake, a 750-acre master-planned community in Round Rock.

“We were honored to be approached by Operation Finally Home in this endeavor,” said Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. (MHI), parent company of Wilshire Homes. “American servicemen and women have sacrificed so much in the defense of our nation’s freedoms and values. Building a home that will meet this family’s needs is the least we can do.”

Nick and Shelby Nelms who met while in the Army and both served in Afghanistan, were named the recipients of the mortgage-free home on the Bob Cole KOKE FM morning radio program shortly before the groundbreaking ceremony May 17. The couple was on a mission in 2011 when Shelby’s truck was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). An Army medic, Nick ran to the truck and pulled Shelby to safety. The pair married later that year upon returning from Afghanistan. They now have two children and still suffer from combat-related ailments.

Wilshire Homes builds in Austin and San Antonio, garnering a number of state and national product design awards along the way. In addition to Paloma Lake, the builder is active in 14 Austin-area communities. Details about Wilshire Homes are available at www.wilshire-homes.com.

Operation Finally Home was established in 2005, partnering with builder associations, builders, developers, corporate sponsors, individual contributors, and volunteers to help military veterans and their families transition to the home front. For more information about Operation Finally Home, visit www.operationfinallyhome.org.

Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes, in partnership with Builders Digital Experience (BDX), is being featured on New Home Source TV in a series of segments that highlight the builders’ philosophy and designs.

Hosted by Brett Tutor, a certified home inspector and green home auditor, New Home Source is an hour-long, HGTV-style real estate program focused on the Houston market. The show airs at 11 a.m., Sundays, on KHOU Channel 11, taking viewers on a tour of the latest floor plans, design trends, green features and neighborhood amenities offered by new home builders.

Segments featuring Coventry and Plantation began airing April 3 with a tour of a Coventry model home. Pieces about Plantation Homes, the builders’ “Built Around You” philosophy and the design center are slated to air weekly through July 24. Episodes also can be viewed on the New Home Source website, www.newhomesource.com/newhomesourcetv/houston.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for us to educate the public on what we offer,” said James Miller, region president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes. “Each segment will allow customers to tour our designs, as well as learn what makes us stand out from other Houston builders.”

Miller is particularly excited about the opportunity to explain the builders’ “Built Around You” philosophy and provide viewers with a tour of the design center.

“We always explain how our flexible floor plans can be customized to meet buyers’ needs,” Miller said. “On television, we can show exactly what we mean by that. We also can show people how our design center can help them create a one-of-a-kind home that expresses their personal style.”

Both Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes build in communities throughout the Houston area, including Towne Lake in Cypress, Firethorne in Katy, Aliana in Richmond and Pomona in Manvel. Coventry’s homes are priced from the $300,000s to more than $1 million. Plantation’s homes start from the $220,000s to the $500,000s.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. is one of the top 30 homebuilders in the nation and has been repeatedly recognized for its excellence in home design. It has been building homes in Texas for more than 25 years and markets in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

Houston, TX (April 12, 2016) – Home has never been so sweet for polio survivor Abdel Amraoui, who on Tuesday was handed the keys to his very first home.

Emigrated to the United States in 2001 from Casablanca, Amraoui faced homelessness, with a remaining paralysis in his legs and an inability to understand English. Hard work, determination and help from friends like Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and others involved in the 2016 KPRC Habitat Home has earned Amraoui, his wife and three children a new home through Houston Habitat for Humanity.

“We’re so excited to get out and move to a better place,” Amraoui said. “The kids are going to have their own space where they can do their homework, have their own area — it’s big for us.”

Work began on the KPRC Habitat Home in January in the parking lot of the KPRC Channel 2 studios. Corporate employees of Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes picked up tools early on to help construct the home, unloading and installing finished frames, securing the frame to the foundation and attaching anchors and windstorm clips. It is the third consecutive year Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes have participated in the project.

“On behalf of all the employees at Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes, we were honored to be part of this project once again,” said Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes. “This is such an exciting day, and to hear the story of the Amraoui family and to be part of it all is just tremendously special.”

The four-bedroom brick home is located in Harrel Park 2, a northeast Houston neighborhood being developed by Habitat for Humanity. The recipient selection process is new this year, with six approved families invited to participate in construction of the home. Amraoui, who now works full time in the IRS Taxpayer-Advocacy Division, and his wife Laila were told April 5 they had been selected to receive the home. Joining Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes in sponsoring the KPRC Habitat Home were Star Furniture, Christian Brothers Automotive, Pappas Restaurants and Shipley Donuts.

The Houston Habitat for Humanity organization has been active in the Houston area for 28 years, building 1,000 homes for approximately 4,000 low-income residents. More information can be found at www.houstonhabitat.org.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI) offers homes throughout five major markets in Texas under its signature brands Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes. The company received the Humanitarian of the Year award for its extensive community outreach during the 2015 Houston’s Best PRISM Awards presented by the Greater Houston Builders Association. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com. 

AUSTIN, TX (March 7, 2016) –     For a second consecutive year, McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI) has been named Production Builder of the Year in the Austin Business Journal’s Residential Real Estate Awards.

The winners of the 17^th annual awards program were announced March 3 during a sold-out luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Austin. Honored were top-selling Realtors; top custom, production and green builders; and the area’s leading master-planned community.

“We were excited to win this award last year and to be honored a second consecutive year among Austin’s elite in such a rapidly growing real estate market is incredible,” said Alex Dadidakis, Austin division president. “This award attests to our talented team members who excel in each of their respective fields, from sales, marketing, construction, design and management. It is their dedication and expertise that has made MHI a leader in the Austin market.”

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., builds as Wilshire Homes and Coventry Homes in Austin and was the first production builder to commit that every home it builds meets standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program, regardless of price. This LEED certification promises high-performance homes that use less energy, less water and fewer natural resources than homes not LEED-certified.

Coventry Homes builds from the $350,000s in six Austin-area master-planned communities, including Sweetwater and Rough Hollow in west Austin, Harrison Hills in Dripping Springs, Rim Rock in Driftwood, Rancho Santa Fe in Liberty Hill and its newest development — Lakeside at Lake Georgetown in Georgetown.

Wilshire Homes builds homes priced from the $210,000s in 14 Austin-area communities, opening new model homes and boasting new available homesites in several developments. Wilshire Homes has started presales in its newest community, Carneros Ranch in Leander, and is nearly sold out at West Cypress Hills in Spicewood and Highpointe in Austin.

For more information on Coventry Homes, visit www.coventryhomes.com. For details on Wilshire Homes, visit www.wilshire-homes.com. 

Houston, TX (Oct. 2, 2017) – For the first time, U.S. Army SFC Demitra Jarrett came home to Woodforest last week, accepting the keys to a newly built Coventry Homes’ design through the Operation FINALLY HOME program and receiving a few very special surprises.

Family, friends, members of the Montgomery County Fire Department, Woodforest residents, Operation FINALLY HOME representatives and Coventry Homes staff were on hand to welcome Jarrett to her new home, provided free through the program. She and close family and friends were escorted to the one-story residence by the Patriot Guard Riders.

“I’m proud to say I’m finally home,” Jarrett told the crowd. “I thank Operation FINALLY HOME and Coventry Homes and everybody that had anything to do with this extravagant blessing.”

After comments from Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Coventry Homes; Paul Blackburn, MHI region president; and Lee Kirgan, vice president of operations for Operation FINALLY HOME, Jarrett was treated to the first of several surprises — her brother, U.S. Army Corporal Tramel Peterson, who was waiting in her new home. Peterson had been deployed to the Middle East for the last year and is currently stationed in Baltimore. It had been about five years since the two had seen each other.

“The bond that my sister and I have is unbelievable,” Peterson said. “This day is so special not only because this is the dedication of my sister SFC Demitra Jarrett’s new home, but because this is like a reunion.”

Jarrett served two years in the Army Reserve before going on active duty in 2002. She has been deployed overseas multiple times — including twice to Iraq and once to Kuwait — and suffered serious injuries during her first deployment in 2003. Today, Jarrett suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. She has received many awards for her service, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

The 2,456-square-foot home is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and includes many customizations to accommodate the wheelchair Jarrett often must use, including the height of the countertops, a wheelchair-accessible sink and a microwave oven installed into the lower cabinets.

“Demitra especially loved the high ceilings in the home, the two master suites connected via closets and the automated doggie door for her dog Bootsy,” Tesch said. “It was an amazing feeling to walk through the home with her and know you’re making a difference for a person who has given so much.”

Other surprises included ADA-compliant appliances, a furnished living room, kitchen and breakfast area, and an accent wall in her master bedroom painted purple, Jarrett’s favorite color.

Operation FINALLY HOME has more than 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, are under construction or are currently in the planning stages. This is Coventry Homes’ second partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME. Woodforest developer Johnson Development also partnered previously with the organization on several projects.

Learn more about Coventry Homes at www.coventryhomes.com. Details about Woodforest can be found at www.woodforest.com.

Click here to watch the video from our Dedication Ceremony for US Army SFC Demitra Jarrett.

Messages of encouragement, thanks and even a “You are beautiful” were just some of the “Notes of Love” people wrote on wall studs, concrete and posts of a new, mortgage-free home being built for U.S. Army SFC Demitra Jarrett through the Operation FINALLY HOME program.

About 75 visited the home — being built by Coventry Homes in the Woodforest master-planned community — on July 14 to write their notes before the home is sheetrocked this week. Jarrett was there with her son Trey and other family members from Little Rock, Ark., and Orlando, Fla., to read the notes of appreciation left by fellow veterans, Montgomery Fire Department firemen, Coventry employees, Woodforest residents and other supporters who showed up.

“Demitra kept saying she was overwhelmed about the home and the kind notes people left,” said James Kotzur, Houston Division President for Coventry Homes. “She was so excited about her huge walk-in closet and got emotional walking into her bedroom for the first time. It is gratifying seeing her reaction and realizing what an impact you are making on someone’s life.”

Among the many messages, one visitor wrote, “You are beautiful” on the ground in chalk where her master bath vanity will be installed.

“I pointed it out to Demitra and told her that every time she looks in the mirror, she should remember that those words are on the ground beneath the flooring,” said Lee Kirgan, Operation FINALLY HOME Vice President of Construction and Project Manager for the home.

The one-story, 2,456-square-foot home is expected to be complete in about six weeks. It has several customizations for Jarrett and her family, including two master suites connected via closets — one suite for her and the second for her mother, who helps care for Jarrett. There will be an automated doggie door for Jarrett’s dog, Bootsy, and the kitchen will have two sinks, including one that is wheelchair-accessible.

Jarrett served two years in the Army Reserve before going on active duty in 2002. She has been deployed overseas multiple times — including twice to Iraq and once to Kuwait — and suffered serious injuries during her first deployment in 2003. After being diagnosed with lupus, Jarrett returned to duty in 2005. In 2012, she was accepted into Army Officer Candidate School (OCS), but was unable to attend due to her deteriorating condition. She served as a squad leader and platoon sergeant for the Fort Belvoir Wounded Warrior Battalion before she medically retired from the Army in 2013. Jarrett has earned a multitude of awards during her time in the Army, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and many more.

Today, Jarrett suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Operation FINALLY HOME was founded in 2005 by Texas custom homebuilder Dan Wallrath. Today, Operation FINALLY HOME has more than 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, are under construction or are currently in the planning stage. This is Coventry Homes’ second partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME. Woodforest developer Johnson Development also partnered previously with the organization on several projects.

Learn more about Operation FINALLY HOME at www.operationfinallyhome.org and about Coventry Homes at www.coventryhomes.com. Details about Woodforest can be found at www.woodforest.com.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., (MHI), parent company of Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Wilshire Homes, is once again listed among the nation’s largest homebuilders.

The company ranked at No. 36 on the annual Builder 100 list compiled by BUILDER magazine. The annual tally is based on the total number of homes closed during the previous year. In 2016, MHI closed on 1,504 homes, an increase of 9 percent over 2015 closings.

“2016 was a good year for homebuilding in Texas,” said Gary Tesch, MHI president. “Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin were booming, the San Antonio market is becoming increasingly robust and Houston was recovering from the oil slump. For us to perform so well on a national platform when we are concentrated in a single state speaks to the strength of our program.”

Among privately held builders, MHI ranked No. 18.

McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., launched in 1988 and builds as Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in Austin and San Antonio, and Coventry Homes and Plantation Homes in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. In all, the company builds in more than 90 Texas communities.

“What helps our three brands stand out are flexibility in our floor plans, solid building standards and a customer service program that has earned us a 98 percent buyer satisfaction rating,” Tesch said. “Plus, we are a leader in energy-efficient home design and construction.”

The company also supports many community initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, HomeAid Houston and Operation Finally Home, which awards mortgage-free homes to veterans. In 2015, it was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Greater Houston Builders Association in the Houston’s Best PRISM awards.

For more information on what MHI offers in Texas, visit www.coventryhomes.com, www.plantationhomes.com and www.wilshire-homes.com.

HOUSTON, TX (May 19, 2017) –  Coventry Homes — in partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME — is breaking ground on a new custom home for U.S. Army SFC Demitra Jarrett in honor of her years of military service.

Jarrett discovered she would be the recipient of the mortgage-free home in a special surprise ceremony at the site of their new home in South Montgomery County’s Woodforest Thursday.

Gary Tesch, president of McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc., parent company of Coventry Homes, said he felt it was important to continue his firm’s partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME to support veterans.

“There’s so much we’d like to do as a country and as an organization, and if there’s one thing we can do for all that you’ve sacrificed for me, my family and all of those here today, we should,” Tesch said during the event. “This is something we can do to give back, and we couldn’t be more excited about this process.”

Jarrett served two years in the Army Reserve before going on active duty in 2002. She has been deployed overseas multiple times — including twice to Iraq and once to Kuwait — and suffered serious injuries during her first deployment in 2003. After being diagnosed with lupus, Jarrett returned to duty in 2005. In 2012, she was accepted into Army Officer Candidate School (OCS), but was unable to attend due to her deteriorating condition. She served as a squad leader and platoon sergeant for the Fort Belvoir Wounded Warrior Battalion before she medically retired from the Army in 2013. Jarrett has earned a multitude of awards during her time in the Army, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and many more.

Today, Jarrett suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Coventry is building Jarrett’s new home to accommodate her wheelchair.

“I thank God for you and my mom,” Jarrett told well-wishers, including members of the Montgomery County fire and sheriff’s departments. “This is more than just a home for me. I struggle every day to get out of the bed and to get going, to find a reason, and this is hope for me just to keep going and to keep volunteering, and to find my purpose. I really appreciate you all just being here and for the support and giving back. This means so much, I can’t even express. Thank you so much. And to my fellow comrades and veterans, thank you. Thank all of you.”

Paul Blackburn, MHI region president for Houston, spoke during the event, as well.

“This day is more overwhelming than I could have imagined,” he said. “I’ve been involved in the construction of thousands of homes and never got so attached to a home more than this one.”

Jarrett, who holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management and an associate’s degree in management studies, is continuing her education studying for a master’s degree in psychology. She said she plans to finish her Ph.D. in endocrinology/rheumatology and hopes to study her own illness and provide coping skills to fellow veterans suffering from PTSD.

“We are grateful to continue the outstanding relationship between Operation FINALLY HOME and Johnson Development,” said Virgil Yoakum, general manager of Woodforest. “Jarrett’s story will become part of the fabric that is the Woodforest community.”

Operation FINALLY HOME first selects a builder for each project and then moves on to choosing a veteran and location. Partnering with builders, developers, corporate sponsors, builder associations, individual contributors and volunteers, the organization is able to deliver a custom-built home mortgage free to selected military heroes. The announcement of the recipient is a surprise; Jarrett believed she was coming to Woodforest to meet with representatives of Operation FINALLY HOME and Coventry Homes as part of the application process.

Operation FINALLY HOME was founded in 2005 Texas custom homebuilder Dan Wallrath.  Today, Operation FINALLY HOME has over 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, under construction or are currently in the planning stage. This is Coventry Homes’ second partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME. Woodforest developer; Johnson Development also partnered previously with the organization on several projects.

Learn more about Operation FINALLY HOME at www.operationfinallyhome.org and about Coventry Homes at www.coventryhomes.com. Details about Woodforest can be found at www.woodforest.com.

About Coventry Homes
Coventry Homes is an integral part of a group of companies including Plantation Homes and McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. The original founders continue to manage the company, leading a team of top professionals in architecture, construction, land, finance and customer service. Coventry Homes has won numerous local and state awards for best product design and has been building in Texas for more than 25 years, with current programs in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. For more information, visit www.coventryhomes.com.

About McGuyer Homebuilders, Inc. 
Since its inception in 1988, McGuyer Homebuilders exceeds customers’ expectations through quality service, construction, and value. McGuyer Homebuilders offers its award-winning designs under its signature brands – Plantation Homes, Coventry Homes and Wilshire Homes in five markets across Texas. Celebrating more than 25 years as a Texas homebuilder, McGuyer Homebuilders builds thousands of homes annually and is honored as one of the top 30 homebuilding firms in the nation. For more information, visit www.mcguyerhomebuilders.com.