Item 1. Business
ITEM 1
BUSINESS
Business Overview
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (“HEI”) conducts all of its homebuilding and financial services operations through its subsidiaries (references herein to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to HEI and its consolidated subsidiaries and should be understood to reflect the consolidated business of HEI’s subsidiaries). Through its subsidiaries, HEI designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes in planned residential developments and is one of the nation’s largest builders of residential homes. Founded in 1959 by Kevork Hovnanian, HEI was incorporated in New Jersey in 1967 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1983 . Since the incorporation of HEI’s predecessor company, the Company combined with its unconsolidated joint ventures have delivered in excess of 375,000 homes, including 6,201 homes in fiscal 2024 . The Company has two distinct operations: homebuilding and financial services. Our homebuilding operations consist of three reportable segments: Northeast, Southeast and West. Our financial services operations provide mortgage loans and title services to the customers of our homebuilding operations.
Excluding unconsolidated joint ventures, we are currently offering homes for sale in 130 communities in 27 markets in 13 states throughout the United States. We market and build homes for first-time buyers, move-up buyers, luxury buyers, active lifestyle buyers and empty nesters. We offer a variety of home styles at base prices ranging from $ 62,000 to $ 1,910,000 with an average sales price, including options, of $ 538,000 nationwide in fiscal 2024 .
Our operations span all significant aspects of the home-buying process – from design, construction, and sale, to mortgage origination and title services.
The following is a summary of our growth history:
1959 - Founded by Kevork Hovnanian as a New Jersey homebuilder.
1983 - Completed initial public offering.
1986 - Entered the North Carolina market through the investment in New Fortis Homes.
1992 - Entered the greater Washington, D.C. market.
1994 - Entered the Coastal Southern California market.
1998 - Expanded in the greater Washington, D.C. market through the acquisition of P.C. Homes.
1999 - Entered the Dallas, Texas market through our acquisition of Goodman Homes. Further diversified and strengthened our position as New Jersey’s largest homebuilder through the acquisition of Matzel & Mumford.
2001 - Continued expansion in the greater Washington D.C. and North Carolina markets through the acquisition of Washington Homes. This acquisition further strengthened our operations in each of these markets.
2002 - Entered the Central Valley market in Northern California and Inland Empire region of Southern California through the acquisition of Forecast Homes.
2003 - Expanded operations in Texas and entered the Houston market through the acquisition of Parkside Homes and Brighton Homes. Entered the greater Ohio market through our acquisition of Summit Homes and entered the greater metro Phoenix market through our acquisition of Great Western Homes.
2004 - Entered the greater Tampa, Florida market through the acquisition of Windward Homes and started operations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota market.
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2005 - Entered the Orlando, Florida market through our acquisition of Cambridge Homes and entered the greater Chicago, Illinois market and expanded our position in Florida and Minnesota through the acquisition of the operations of Town & Country Homes, which occurred concurrently with our entering into a joint venture with affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors to own and develop Town & Country Homes’ existing residential communities. We also entered the Cleveland, Ohio market through the acquisition of Oster Homes.
2006 - Entered the coastal markets of South Carolina and Georgia through the acquisition of Craftbuilt Homes.
During fiscal 2016 , we exited the Minneapolis, Minnesota and Raleigh, North Carolina markets and sold land portfolios in those markets. During fiscal 2018 , we completed a wind down of our operations in the San Francisco Bay area in Northern California and in Tampa, Florida. During fiscal 2020 , we began a wind down of our operations in the Chicago, Illinois market which was completed in fiscal 2023 .
Geographic Breakdown of Markets by Segment
The Company markets and builds homes that are constructed in 17 of the nation’s top 50 housing markets. We segregate our homebuilding operations geographically into the following three segments:
Northeast: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia
Southeast: Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
West: Arizona, California and Texas
For financial information about our segments, see Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Human Capital
As of October 31, 2024 , we employed 1,878 full-time associates of whom 1,211 were involved in our homebuilding operations, 171 were involved in our financial services operations and 496 were involved in our corporate operations. We do not have collective bargaining agreements relating to any of our associates.
Successful execution of our strategy is dependent on attracting, developing and retaining key associates and members of our management team. The skills, experience and industry knowledge of our team significantly benefit our operations and performance. We continuously evaluate, modify, and enhance our internal processes and technologies to increase engagement, productivity, efficiency and the skills our associates need to be successful.
We believe that talented associates are the Company’s greatest asset and play a key role in creating long-term value for our stakeholders. As of October 31, 2024 , 17.1 % of our associates had been with the Company for more than 15 years, and the average tenure of all associates was approximately 7.3 years. We understand that our ultimate success and ability to compete are significantly dependent on how well we identify, hire, train, and retain highly qualified personnel. We realize that each associate has a unique vision and their own special talents. We are committed to being an employer that fosters the growth of each associate, while building an inclusive and diverse workforce.
We believe that our focus on diversity and inclusion across the organization positions the Company to deliver innovation and growth. We have a diverse associate base comprised of 27.3 % non-white associates as of October 31, 2024 . Additionally, as of October 31, 2024 , 43.6 % of our associates were women, and women represent 38.5 % of all associates in manager and more senior positions.
Promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment is a major priority at Hovnanian. In 2020 , the Company formed a Diversity & Inclusion Committee that continues to be an important initiative. The committee is led by the CEO and comprised of members of senior leadership and associates in different functions throughout the organization representing various backgrounds. The objective of the committee is to advise on and evaluate the Company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives and to offer suggestions and guidance. All associates are required to take a diversity and inclusion training course on an annual basis. Those in leadership positions (representing approximately 21.8 % of all associates) are required to participate in more extensive diversity and inclusion training sessions.
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The Company is also a founding member of the Building Talent Foundation ( “ BTF ” ) whose mission is to advance the education, training and careers of people from underrepresented groups in the fields of skilled technical workers and as business owners in the residential construction industry. The Company actively utilizes BTF’s residential construction careers platform JobsToBuild to find new talent. In fiscal 2024 , we extended our partnership and financial commitment with BTF for another two years.
Over the last three years, our leadership team has conducted quarterly Town Halls. These events have become a staple in the organization and serve as an opportunity for associates to hear from senior leadership candidly about our Company and directly ask questions of our CEO, CFO, Executive Vice President and Group Presidents. In fiscal 2023, the Company also introduced two new channels for engaging associates companywide, “ Lunch & Learns ” and “ Coffee Chats ” . The goal of these new platforms is to fuel our companywide objective to foster a culture of engagement and facilitate more two -way communication.
Through a combination of competitive benefits and educational programs, we believe that we positively contribute to the well-being of our associates and the communities in which they live and work. Our benefits packages include medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as paid parental leave, health savings accounts, life insurance, disability income, 401 (k) savings plan with a company match and other assistance and wellness programs. Together, these benefits help keep our associates and their dependents healthy, while giving them tax-advantaged ways to save for retirement and establish long-term financial security. This package of programs is routinely reevaluated in order to meet the changing needs of our associates in our diverse organization.
In light of the Company’s experience managing the novel coronavirus ( “ COVID- 19 ” ) pandemic and the recognition of the associated environmental benefits, the Company previously introduced a hybrid work schedule and continued its use throughout fiscal 2024 , whereby most office associates may work two days a week from home. We believe this change to a hybrid work model promotes a healthier work and home life balance for our associates while simultaneously providing the environmental benefits of having fewer vehicles on the road. In addition to the weekly hybrid schedule, non-field associates can work remotely up to eight weeks a year.
We also have committed considerable resources to furthering our associates’ personal and professional growth. We have a repository of over 500 training modules/courses to facilitate these learning sessions in both in-person and virtual settings, including mandatory diversity, ethics, workplace harassment prevention, cybersecurity and safety training courses.
Corporate Offices and Available Information
Our corporate offices are located at 90 Matawan Road, Fifth Floor, Matawan, New Jersey 07747 (See Item 2 “ Properties ” ). Our telephone number is 732 - 747 - 7800 , and our Internet web site address is www.khov.com. Information available on or through our web site is not a part of this Form 10-K. We make available free of charge through our web site our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13 (d) or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , as amended (“Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ” ). Copies of the Company’s Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports are available free of charge upon request. The SEC also maintains an Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Business Strategies
As a result of the sharp increase in interest rates that began in fiscal 2022 , we have shifted our focus to increasing the availability of quick-move-in homes (“QMI homes”). The rationale behind this shift in focus is that QMI homes provide our customers with more certainty on what their mortgage payments will be at closing. QMI homes also allow us to offer customers mortgage rate buydowns that would be cost prohibitive on homes with a longer time until delivery. QMI homes greatly reduce the complexity of choices for our customers and significantly increase efficiencies for our trades, construction and purchasing teams. Beginning in fiscal 2023 , we began executing “ Build-For-Rent ” agreements to supplement our existing for sale business. The Build-For-Rent sales channel added incremental deliveries during fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024, which allowed us to increase inventory turnover.
We remain focused on maintaining adequate liquidity and identifying investment opportunities that make economic sense in light of our current sales prices and sales paces. Our excess liquidity in fiscal years 2024 , 2023 and 2022 allowed us to repurchase $ 113.5 million, $ 245.0 million and $ 100.0 million in aggregate principal of senior secured notes, respectively. Also, in May 2024, we completed a debt exchange resulting in a $75.3 million principal reduction of our senior notes and term loans which included an aggregate cash payment of $31.5 million. We also repurchased 188,800 shares of our Class A common stock with an aggregate market value of $26.5 million in fiscal 2024. In response to changing market conditions, we have been strategic in new land purchases at pricing that we believe will generate appropriate investment returns needed to sustain profitability. After the past several years of concentrating
on debt reduction, in fiscal 2024 we shifted our focus back to growth as a focal point. The
housing market continues to be driven by positive fundamentals and as a result
we increased our lot count, community count and spending on land and land
development during the year. In addition, we intend to continue to focus on our historic key business strategies, as enumerated below. We believe that these strategies separate us from our competitors in the residential homebuilding industry and the adoption, implementation and adherence to these principles will continue to benefit our business.
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Our goal is to become a significant builder in each of the selected markets in which we operate, which will enable us to achieve economies of scale and differentiate ourselves from most of our competitors.
As noted above, we offer a broad product array to provide housing to a wide range of customers. Our diverse product array includes single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill and active lifestyle homes.
We are committed to customer satisfaction and quality in the homes that we build. We recognize that our future success rests on the ability to deliver quality homes to satisfied customers. We seek to expand our commitment to customer service through a variety of quality initiatives. In addition, we remain focused on attracting and developing quality associates. See “ Human Capital ” above for further discussion.
We focus on achieving high returns on invested capital. Each new community is evaluated based on its ability to meet or exceed internal rate of return requirements. Our belief is that the best way to create lasting value for our shareholders is through a strong focus on return on invested capital.
We prefer to use a risk-averse land acquisition strategy. We attempt to acquire land with a minimum cash investment and negotiate takedown options, thereby limiting the financial exposure to the amounts invested in property and predevelopment costs. This approach significantly reduces our risk and generally allows us to obtain necessary development approvals before acquisition of the land.
Our strategy also includes homebuilding and land development joint ventures as a means of controlling lot positions, expanding our market opportunities, establishing strategic alliances, reducing our risk profile, leveraging our capital base and enhancing our returns on capital. Our homebuilding joint ventures are generally entered into with third-party investors to develop land and construct homes that are sold directly to home buyers. Our land development joint ventures include those with developers and other homebuilders, as well as financial investors to develop finished lots for sale to the joint venture’s members or other third-parties.
We manage our financial services operations to better serve all of our home buyers. Our current mortgage financing and title service operations enhance our contact with customers and allow us to coordinate the home-buying experience from beginning to end. Further, we are able to employ a range of pricing incentives through our mortgage financing operations, including temporary and permanent mortgage rate buy downs, which are tools that provide buyers with the opportunity to secure mortgage rates below market level.
Operating Policies and Procedures
We attempt to reduce the effect of certain risks inherent in the housing industry through the following policies and procedures:
Training - Our training is designed to provide our associates with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits necessary to succeed in their jobs. Our training department regularly conducts in-person, online or webinar training in sales, construction, administration and managerial skills.
Land Acquisition, Planning, and Development - Before entering into a contract to acquire land, we complete extensive comparative studies and analyses which assist us in evaluating the economic feasibility of such land acquisition.
●
Where possible, we acquire land for future development through the use of land options, which need not be exercised before the completion of the regulatory approval process. We attempt to structure these options with flexible takedown schedules rather than with an obligation to take down the entire parcel upon receiving regulatory approval. If we are unable to negotiate flexible takedown schedules, we will buy parcels in a single bulk purchase. Additionally, we purchase improved lots in certain markets by acquiring a small number of improved lots with an option on additional lots. This allows us to minimize the economic costs and risks of carrying a large inventory of land, while maintaining our ability to commence new developments during favorable market periods.
●
Our option and purchase agreements are typically subject to numerous conditions, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain necessary governmental approvals for the proposed community. Generally, the deposit on the agreement will be returned to us if all approvals are not obtained, although predevelopment costs may not be recoverable. By paying an additional nonrefundable deposit, we have the right to extend a significant number of our options for varying periods of time. In most instances, we have the right to cancel any of our land option agreements by forfeiture of our deposit on the agreement. In fiscal 2024 , 2023 and 2022 , rather than purchase additional lots in underperforming communities, we took advantage of this right and walked away from 3,800 lots, 3,838 lots and 5,121 lots, respectively, out of 39,059 total lots, 28,227 total lots and 27,617 total lots, respectively, under option, resulting in charges to income before taxes of $1.6 million, $ 1.5 million and $ 5.7 million, respectively.
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Design - Our residential communities are generally located in urban and suburban areas easily accessible through public and personal transportation. Our communities are designed as neighborhoods that fit existing land characteristics. We strive to create diversity within the overall planned community by offering a mix of homes with differing architecture, textures and colors. Recreational amenities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, clubhouses, open areas and tot lots, are frequently included.
Construction - We design and supervise the development and building of our communities. Our homes are constructed according to standardized prototypes, which are designed and engineered to provide innovative product design while attempting to minimize costs of construction. We generally employ subcontractors for the installation of site improvements and construction of homes. Agreements with subcontractors are generally short term and provide for a fixed price for labor and materials. We rigorously control costs through the use of computerized monitoring systems.
Because of the risks involved in speculative building, our general policy is to construct an attached condominium or townhouse building only after signing contracts for the sale of at least 50 % of the homes in that building. Historically, a majority of our single-family detached homes were constructed after the signing of a sales contract and mortgage approval was obtained, which limits the buildup of inventory of unsold homes and the costs of maintaining and carrying that inventory. Beginning in fiscal 2022 and continuing through fiscal 2024 , we have increased our inventory of QMI homes in connection with our current business strategy discussed above.
Materials and Subcontractors - We attempt to maintain efficient operations by utilizing standardized materials available from a variety of sources. In addition, we generally contract with subcontractors to construct our homes. We have reduced construction and administrative costs by consolidating the number of vendors serving certain markets and by executing national purchasing contracts with select vendors. Due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, we experienced construction delays from shortages in the supply of materials, as well as labor shortages in all of our markets. The impact and the particular materials associated with the delays varied from market to market. We have improved our cycle times since the beginning of fiscal 2023 by approximately 30 days but are still currently experiencing increased construction cycle times of 30 - 45 days over our pre-pandemic average in many of our markets. We cannot predict the extent to which shortages in necessary materials or labor will re-occur in our markets in the future.
Marketing and Sales - Our homes in residential communities are sold principally through on-site sales offices. In order to respond to our customers’ needs and trends in housing design, we rely upon our internal market research group to analyze information gathered from, among other sources, buyer profiles, exit interviews at model sites, focus groups and demographic databases. We make use of our website, internet, newspaper, radio, television, magazine, billboard, video and direct mail advertising, special and promotional events, illustrated brochures and full-sized and scale model homes in our comprehensive marketing program. We have also started offering curated “ Looks ” packages for customers to select, rather than a large number of a la carte options. This approach has continued to expand and provides customers with a more streamlined selection process and allows us to be more efficient in purchasing, sales and construction.
We have a national call center which is responsible for follow up generated by our website and our digital marketing efforts. The call center supports our ability to swiftly respond to incoming customer leads, schedule and conduct virtual tours and video chats, as well as set up in person model home tours.
Customer Service and Quality Control - In many of our markets, associates are responsible for customer service and preclosing quality control inspections as well as responding to post-closing customer needs. Prior to closing, each home is inspected, and any necessary completion work is undertaken by us or our subcontractors. Our homes are enrolled in a standard limited warranty program which, in general, provides a homebuyer with a limited warranty for the home’s materials and workmanship which follows each state’s applicable statute of repose. All of the warranties contain standard exceptions, including, but not limited to, damage caused by the customer.
Customer Financing - We sell our homes to customers who generally finance their purchases through mortgages. Our financial services segment provides our customers with competitive financing and coordinates and expedites the loan origination transaction through the steps of loan application, loan approval, and closing and title services. We originate loans in each of the states in which we build homes. We believe that our ability to offer financing to customers on competitive terms as a part of the sales process is an important factor in completing sales.
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During the year ended October 31, 2024 , for the markets in which our mortgage subsidiaries originated loans, 25.1 % of our home buyers paid in cash and 79.4 % of our noncash home buyers obtained mortgages from our mortgage banking subsidiary. The loans we originated in fiscal 2024 were 64.0 % conforming conventional loans and 35.4 % Federal Housing Administration/Veterans Affairs (“FHA/VA”). The remaining 0.6 % of our loan originations represented loans which exceeded conforming conventions.
We sell virtually all of the loans and loan-servicing rights that we originate within a short period of time. Loans are sold either individually or against forward commitments to institutional investors, including banks, mortgage banking firms, and savings and loan associations.
Residential Development Activities
Our residential development activities include site planning and engineering, obtaining environmental and other regulatory approvals and constructing roads, sewer, water, and drainage facilities, recreational facilities, and other amenities and marketing and selling homes. These activities are performed by our associates, together with independent architects, consultants and contractors. Our associates also carry out long-term planning of communities. A residential development generally includes single-family detached homes and/or a number of residential buildings containing from two to 24 individual homes per building, together with recreational amenities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, clubhouses, open areas and tot lots.
Information on housing revenues, homes delivered and average sales price by segment for the year ended October 31, 2024 , is set forth below:
(Housing revenues in thousands)
Housing Revenues
Homes Delivered
Average Sales Price
Northeast
$
1,007,596
1,646
$
612,148
Southeast
447,804
878
510,027
West
1,420,088
2,824
502,864
Consolidated total
$
2,875,488
5,348
$
537,675
Unconsolidated joint ventures( 1 )
$
539,028
853
$
631,920
( 1 ) Represents housing revenues and home deliveries for our unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures for the period. We provide this data as a supplement to our consolidated results as an indicator of the volume managed in our unconsolidated joint ventures. See Note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a further discussion of our unconsolidated joint ventures.
Net Sales Contracts
The dollar value of our net sales contracts, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures, was $ 2.8 billion and $ 2.5 billion for the years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023 , respectively, and the number of homes contracted increased 11.6 % to 5,186 in fiscal 2024 from 4,647 in fiscal 2023 .
Information on the dollar value of net sales contracts by segment for the years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023 , is set forth below:
Percentage of
(In thousands)
2024
2023
Change
Northeast
$
1,114,885
$
937,153
19.0
%
Southeast
279,431
445,970
(37.3)
%
West
1,367,203
1,126,011
21.4
%
Consolidated total
$
2,761,519
$
2,509,134
10.1
%
Unconsolidated joint ventures( 1 )
$
627,714
$
359,478
74.6
%
( 1 ) Represents net contract dollars for our unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures for the period. We provide this data as a supplement to our consolidated results as an indicator of the volume managed in our unconsolidated joint ventures. See Note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a further discussion of our unconsolidated joint ventures.
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Active Selling Communities
We ended fiscal 2024 with 130 active selling communities as compared to 113 active selling communities at October 31, 2023 . The average number of active selling communities increased to 119 for fiscal 2024 from 114 for fiscal 2023.
Information on our active selling communities by segment as of October 31, 2024 , is set forth below. Contracted not delivered and remaining homes available in our active selling communities are included in the consolidated total homesites under the total residential real estate chart in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Contracted
Remaining
Approved
Homes
Not
Homes
Communities
Homes
Delivered
Delivered( 1 )
Available( 2 )
Northeast
49
7,376
2,572
782
4,022
Southeast
16
2,647
1,110
239
1,298
West
65
10,071
4,066
628
5,377
Total
130
20,094
7,748
1,649
10,697
( 1 )
Includes 430 home sites under option.
( 2 )
Of the total remaining homes available, 1,106 were under construction or completed (including 85 models and sales offices), and 6,601 were under option.
Backlog
At October 31, 2024 and 2023 , including domestic unconsolidated joint ventures, we had a backlog of signed contracts for 2,052 homes and 2,196 homes, respectively, representing a 6.6 % decrease, with sales values aggregating $ 1.2 billion and $ 1.3 billion, respectively. Our focus on QMI homes continues to result in higher backlog conversion. Additionally at October 31, 2024 and 2023, we had a backlog of signed contracts for 276 homes and 50 homes, respectively, from our unconsolidated joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The majority of our backlog at October 31, 2024 is expected to be completed and closed within the next six to nine months.
Current base prices for our homes in contract backlog at October 31, 2024 , range from $ 62,000 to $ 1,910,000 in the Northeast, from $ 276,000 to $ 1,177,000 in the Southeast and from $ 250,000 to $ 880,000 in the West.
At November 30, 2024 and 2023 , our backlog of signed contracts, including domestic unconsolidated joint ventures, was 2,111 homes and 2,158 homes, respectively, with sales values aggregating $ 1.3 billion for both periods. Additionally at November 30, 2024 and 2023, we had a backlog of signed contracts for 20 homes for both periods, from our unconsolidated joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For information on our backlog excluding unconsolidated joint ventures, see the contract table in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Homebuilding: Key Performance Indicators.”
Sales of our homes typically are made pursuant to a standard sales contract that provides the customer with a statutorily mandated right of rescission for a period ranging up to 15 days after execution. Sales contracts require a nominal customer deposit at the time of signing. In addition, in some Northeast locations, we typically obtain an additional 5 % to 10 % down payment due within 30 to 60 days after signing. In most markets, an additional deposit is required when a customer selects and commits to optional upgrades in the home. The contract may include a financing contingency, which permits customers to cancel their obligation in the event mortgage financing at prevailing interest rates (including financing arranged or provided by us) is unobtainable within the period specified in the contract. This contingency period typically is four to eight weeks following the date of execution of the contract. When mortgage rates increase or housing values decline in certain markets, some customers cancel their contracts and forfeit their deposits. Sales contracts are included in backlog once the sales contract is signed by the customer, which in some cases includes contracts that are in the rescission or cancellation periods. However, revenues from sales of homes are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, when control is transferred to the buyer, which occurs when the buyer takes title to and possession of the home and there is no continuing involvement. For further information on cancellation rates, see the contract cancellation rates table in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Homebuilding: Key Performance Indicators.”
Residential Land Inventory in Planning
It is our objective to control a supply of land, primarily through options, whenever possible, consistent with anticipated homebuilding requirements in each of our housing markets. Controlled land (land owned and under option) as of October 31, 2024 , exclusive of active selling communities and excluding unconsolidated joint ventures, is summarized in the following table. The proposed developable home sites in communities in planning are included in the 41,895 consolidated total home sites under the total residential real estate table in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
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Communities in Planning
Total
Number
Proposed
Land
of Proposed
Developable
Option
Book
(Dollars in thousands)
Communities
Home Sites
Price
Value ( 1 )( 2 )
Northeast:
Under option
126
14,570
$
1,131,465
$
52,083
Owned
7
206
$
7,861
Total
133
14,776
$
59,944
Southeast:
Under option
43
5,300
$
388,777
$
37,110
Owned
11
324
$
39,249
Total
54
5,624
$
76,359
West:
Under option
71
8,358
$
712,510
$
88,173
Owned
11
791
$
37,629
Total
82
9,149
$
125,802
Totals:
Under option
240
28,228
$
2,232,752
$
177,366
Owned
29
1,321
$
84,739
Combined total
269
29,549
$
262,105
( 1 )
Properties under option also includes costs incurred on properties not under option but which are under evaluation. For properties under option, as of October 31, 2024 , option fees and deposits were $ 125.0 million. As of October 31, 2024 , we spent an additional $ 52.4 million in nonrefundable predevelopment costs on such properties, including properties not under option but under evaluation.
( 2 )
The book value for properties under option includes land banking costs of $ 23.6 million, which is included in “ Consolidated inventory not owned ” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
We either option or acquire improved or unimproved home sites from land developers or other sellers. Under a typical agreement with the land developer, we purchase a minimal number of home sites. The balance of the home sites to be purchased is covered under an option agreement or a nonrecourse purchase agreement. During a declining homebuilding market, we typically decide to “ mothball ” (or stop development on) certain communities where we have determined that current market conditions do not justify further investment at that time. When we decide to mothball a community, the inventory is reclassified on our Consolidated Balance Sheets from “ Sold and unsold homes and lots under development ” to “ Land and land options held for future development or sale ” .
Raw Materials
The homebuilding industry has from time-to-time experienced raw material and labor shortages. In particular, shortages and fluctuations in the price of lumber or other important raw materials has resulted in the past, and could result in the future, in start or completion delays or increases to the cost of developing one or more of our residential communities. We attempt to maintain efficient operations by utilizing standardized materials available from a variety of sources. In addition, we generally contract with subcontractors to construct our homes. We have reduced construction and administrative costs by consolidating the number of vendors serving certain markets and by executing national purchasing contracts with select vendors. Labor and material shortages that were initially due to the COVID- 19 pandemic have improved. For example, we previously experienced a significant rise in lumber prices caused by supply chain issues, but due to increased availability prices began to decrease during the second half of fiscal 2022 and into fiscal 2024 . We cannot predict, however, the extent to which shortages in necessary raw materials or labor may occur in the future.
Seasonality
Our business is seasonal in nature and, historically, weather-related problems, typically in the fall, late winter and early spring, can delay starts or closings and increase costs.
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Competition
Our homebuilding operations are highly competitive. We are among the top 20 homebuilders in the United States in both homebuilding revenues and home deliveries. We compete with numerous real estate developers in each of the geographic areas in which we operate. Our competition ranges from small local builders to larger private regional builders to publicly owned builders and developers, some of which have greater sales and financial resources than we do. Previously owned homes and the availability of rental housing provide additional competition. We compete primarily on the basis of reputation, price, location, design, quality, service and amenities.
Regulation and Environmental Matters
We are subject to extensive and complex laws and regulations that affect the development of land and home building, sales and customer financing processes concerning zoning, building design, construction, and similar matters, including local regulations which impose restrictive zoning and density requirements in order to limit the number of homes that can eventually be built within the boundaries of a particular locality. In addition, we are subject to registration and filing requirements in connection with the construction, advertisement and sale of our communities in certain states and localities in which we operate even if all necessary government approvals have been obtained. We may also be subject to periodic delays or may be precluded entirely from developing communities due to building moratoriums that could be implemented in the future in the states in which we operate. Generally, such moratoriums relate to insufficient water or sewerage facilities or inadequate road capacity.
In addition, some state and local governments in markets where we operate have approved, and others may approve, slow-growth, or no-growth initiatives that could negatively affect the availability of land and building opportunities within those areas. Approval of these initiatives could adversely affect our ability to build and sell homes in the affected markets and/or could require the satisfaction of additional administrative and regulatory requirements, which could result in slowing the progress or increasing the costs of our homebuilding operations in these markets. Any such delays or costs could have a negative effect on our future revenues and earnings.
We are also subject to a variety of local, state, federal and foreign laws and regulations concerning protection of health and the environment, including those regulating the emission or discharge of materials into the environment, the management of storm water runoff at construction sites, the handling, use, storage and disposal of hazardous substances, impacts to wetlands and other sensitive environments, and the remediation of contamination at properties that we have owned or developed or currently own or are developing (“environmental laws”). The particular environmental laws which apply to any given community vary greatly according to the community site, the site’s environmental conditions and the present and former uses of the site. See Risk Factors – “ Homebuilders are subject to a number of federal, local, state, and foreign laws and regulations concerning the development of land and homebuilding, sales and customer financing processes and the protection of the environment, which can cause us to incur delays and costs associated with compliance and which can prohibit or restrict our activity in some regions or areas”, Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” and Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Despite our past ability to obtain necessary permits and approvals for our communities, we anticipate that increasingly stringent requirements will be imposed on developers and homebuilders in the future. Although we cannot reliably predict the extent of any effect these requirements may have on us, they could result in time-consuming and expensive compliance programs and in substantial expenditures, which could cause delays and increase our cost of operations. In addition, our ability to obtain or renew permits or approvals and the continued effectiveness of permits already granted or approvals already obtained is dependent upon many factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as changes in policies, rules and regulations and their interpretation and application.
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