Design Homes and Development

What Design Homes and Development does

Design Homes and Development Company Inc. is a privately held, Ohio-domiciled custom luxury home builder operating in the Dayton / Miami Valley region since 1987. The company designs and builds high-end single-family homes both on customer-owned land (offsite builds) and within its own developed residential communities, with the flagship Soraya Farms in Clearcreek Township representing a $150 million infrastructure investment and 300+ homes delivered across nine phases to date. Complementary communities span Beavercreek, Centerville, Springboro, and Waynesville, and a new 38-home Mill Creek community in Washington Township is in development for 2026. The operational model combines in-house architecture, an in-house design center staffed by professional interior designers, site evaluation and development capabilities, and Buildertrend-based client project tracking, supported by a 3% realtor referral program and four preferred-lender partnerships.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led, centered on a model home and sales center at 1419 Lemans Blvd. in Centerville, complemented by phone, website, blog content, local TV (Living Dayton), and realtor referrals. With approximately 20 employees and an annual production cadence of 20–30 homes, Design Homes generates revenue primarily through one-time home sales (featured listings range from $949,900 to $1,389,900, with Phase 9 custom builds spanning $700,000 to $1.5 million) and lot sales within its developed communities, with secondary affiliate-style revenue from preferred-lender referrals. Target segments include affluent luxury buyers, land owners seeking offsite builds, empty nesters / rightsizers, and families in school-district-driven communities (Springboro, Centerville). Ryan Reed serves as President following a 2025 transition from General Manager, and the company was named HBA of Dayton Builder of the Year in 2025.

Name

Design Homes and Development

Legal name

Design Homes & Development Company

Website

https://designhomesco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Homes and Development is a privately held, Dayton, Ohio-area custom luxury home builder founded in 1987, serving affluent buyers, land owners, and families via offsite builds and its own communities (flagship Soraya Farms; upcoming Mill Creek), completing 20–30 homes per year priced $700K–$1.5M.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Home Building

NAICS

New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Home Building (IMAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Custom home building
• Luxury residential construction
• Community development
• Offsite home builds
• Move-in ready homes

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Home Construction: Design and build custom luxury homes for customers either on their own land or in company's developed communities. Revenue generated from home sales at closing.
2. Land Development: Develop residential communities (Soraya Farms, Mill Creek) with infrastructure, amenities, and homesites. Revenue from lot sales and home construction.
3. Preferred Lender Referrals: Partnership with preferred lenders for mortgage financing; lenders pay referral fees or maintain business relationship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Design Homes and Development is a luxury custom home builder and residential community developer based in the Dayton, Ohio area. The company designs and constructs custom luxury homes either on customer-owned land (offsite builds) or within its developed communities such as Soraya Farms and the upcoming Mill Creek. Services span feasibility and site evaluation, architectural design, project management via Buildertrend software, in-house interior design selections, and full construction through an 8-step building process, with move-in ready spec homes also available for purchase.

Product overview

Design Homes and Development is a luxury custom home builder operating in the Dayton, Ohio area since 1987. The company offers custom home building on customer-owned land (offsite builds) as well as move-in ready homes in their developed communities. Their primary product is the custom home building service which includes site evaluation, architectural design, construction, and finishing through their in-house design center. They develop luxury communities including Soraya Farms (a $150 million resort-style development) and Mill Creek (upcoming 38-lot estate community). The company also offers market-ready homes with various floor plans such as The Oliver, The Ryanne, and The Napa, ranging from 2,000 to 4,500+ square feet with features like gourmet kitchens, spa bathrooms, and smart home capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Home Building

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ homes delivered at Soraya Farms alone with 60+ still planned
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BuildertrendcoreTechnology or IntegrationHome building project management software that allows clients to track progress online, view updates, and stay informed throughout the construction process from anywhere.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• M/I Homes: Public homebuilder (NYSE: MHO) with deep Ohio roots (Columbus HQ) and active Dayton/Cincinnati/Springboro operations. Comparable on luxury and move-up home segments with similar floor-plan offerings and community development model, though at materially larger scale.
• Drees Homes: Family-owned regional custom homebuilder based in Cincinnati with active operations across the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana tri-state, including Dayton-area communities. Comparable on custom design-build model, luxury positioning, family-owned structure, and master-planned community development.
• Keystone Custom Homes: Regional custom homebuilder in Pennsylvania/Mid-Atlantic offering design-build custom homes in master-planned communities with similar price points. Comparable on custom design center model, design-build process, and family/privately-held operational structure.
• Fischer Homes: One of the largest privately-held homebuilders in the Midwest, headquartered in Erlanger, KY with significant Dayton/Cincinnati presence. Directly comparable as a regional custom and semi-custom homebuilder serving affluent Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana buyers with similar pricing tiers and master-planned communities.
• Bob Webb Homes: Central Ohio custom homebuilder (Columbus-area) with a similar design-build model and focus on affluent suburban buyers. Comparable on integrated design center, custom floor plans, and master-planned community development, though operating in the adjacent Columbus rather than Dayton submarket.

Broad incumbents

• NVR (Ryan Homes): Large national homebuilder (NYSE: NVR) operating Ryan Homes and NVHomes brands with active Ohio presence including Dayton-area communities. NVHomes brand is a particularly close comparator on the move-up/luxury segment with similar community amenity positioning.
• PulteGroup: One of the largest US homebuilders (NYSE: PHM) with Centex, Del Webb, and Pulte brands active across Ohio including Dayton. Comparable on community-based homebuilding but spans entry-level through luxury, offering broader competition at multiple price points within the same Dayton submarkets.
• Toll Brothers: National luxury homebuilder (NYSE: TOL) with communities across multiple states, including active Ohio operations. Comparable on luxury price point ($700K+) and custom design capabilities, but operates at vastly greater scale and broader geographic footprint than Design Homes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/designhomesanddevelopment

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Homes and Development