Since 2002, D.R. Horton has held the title of the largest new-construction homebuilder in the country. From its first home in 1978 to over 1,000,000 homes in 2023, its mission remains the same—to deliver quality and affordability across the country.
Active in 140 markets across 35 states, the builder began working in Western Pennsylvania four years ago, and they’re already making a big impression. The company, which also has central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania divisions, began working in Western PA after acquiring DRB Homes Pittsburgh Division.
With that acquisition, the builder grew from 15 to 74 employees overnight, which has served as a catalyst for growth for the past four years. In Pittsburgh, the company is known for its residential construction that includes townhomes, ranch homes, single-family homes and duplexes in some neighborhoods.
The company now has properties throughout the area, including Seel Estates in Glenshaw; McCandless Square Townhomes in Wexford; The Preserve at Blue Run in Fox Chapel; Sienna Valley Townhomes in Mars; Legacy Townhomes in Pittsburgh; River Ridge Townhomes and Rolling Hills Townhomes in Moon Township; Cherry Meadows in Scott Township; Victoria Ridge in Findlay Township; Leslie Farms in Evans City; Autum Woods Townhomes in Butler; Grandview Estates Ranch Homes in Greensburg; Seneca Hills Townhomes in Harmony; Regents Park in Venetia; Broadview Estates in New Stanton; and Duffy Highlands Ranch Homes in Butler, among others.
D.R. Horton also has a number of new developments coming within the next year. These include Highland Ridge in North Fayette Township; McIntyre Heights in Gibsonia; Virginia Village in Zelienople; Patriots Estates in Plum Borough; Meadowlane Heights in Greensburg; Neely Village in Cheat Lake, WV and Morgan Woods in Morgantown, WV.
In addition to building homes, D.R. Horton also has its own mortgage company, title and escrow company, and insurance company as well. Homeowners who purchase a D.R. Horton home are even able to include their cars in their insurance policy.
Housing at All Price Points
There are many advantages to choosing a D.R. Horton home. As a traditional spec builder that competes within the retail market, the company offers new homes for purchase at all stages of development.
“We are not a custom builder and that allows us to keep the price as low as possible,” said Marketing Manager Meghan Villegas. “We try to avoid too much customization so that we can offer homes at affordable price points.”
Customers who want to build from scratch can choose their own lot within a specific community and pick from a number of floor plans suited to that community. They can also select cabinet colors, floor colors and the color of the front of the home.
With spec homes, the company chooses all of these selections and the homes can be purchased any time from groundbreaking on. This allows D.R. Horton to provide quick move-in inventory so that homes can be closed on in 30 days, similar to a resale home. The builder makes its selections based on what has historically sold best, and the homes are move-in ready.
D.R. Horton “smart homes” also come with a number of standard options including Deako smart lighting systems and Safe Haven home security packages. The company has also partnered with Amazon to provide Amazon speakers in the home and buyers also have the opportunity to add other features to smart home packages if they choose.
Mandy Mayen-Mayen and husband James bought their D.R. Horton home this past June in Laurel Hills in Sarver, PA, and have been thrilled with their purchase ever since.
“I was looking for a home I love, though I’m a little untraditional—I was shopping first for a very large walk-in closet, and second, for an equally ‘wow’ kind of kitchen,” said Mandy. “The D.R. Horton home I found brought it all together and it was a good value. I acted on it as quickly as I could!”
While the couple had looked at a lot of other homes, they hadn’t originally considered new construction. Mayen-Mayen first looked northeast and southwest of Pittsburgh, traveling with a realtor to see what different amenities were available for the price they wanted to pay. “I looked at a lot of non-new construction and places near the city, but coming a little farther north made me happy, and that’s how we ended up in Laurel Hills,” she said.
Mayen-Mayen look at three different D.R. Horton neighborhoods before finding the perfect home in the nick of time. “I was looking at this home on Thursday when it was almost done; Saturday was their grand opening,” she said. “I slept on it overnight and then called the next day to make it mine.”
Even though the house wasn’t ready for sale yet and was still offering showings, Mayen-Mayen showed up at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning to sign on the dotted line. “Once I saw my dream home, it was one and done,” she laughed.
Mayen-Mayen said that she was won over by a number of different features. She could see herself cutting vegetables on the extra counter space that the large kitchen offered and was able to see how the island could work for a number of different uses. She also liked the locale, which she likens to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
“You can sit on the stoop and wave to people down the street,” she laughs. “It’s very pleasant; very friendly.”
She also credits the D.R. Horton team, including sales representatives Neil Freedline and Drew Lewis for making the purchase process easy.
“They showed me the house, and I liked everything I saw and heard,” she says. “From sales to arranging the mortgage to closing, everyone was very helpful. They all had relationships with each other, so it was easy to connect the dots.
“I’m a product manager, so I work in process; just tell me the next step and we’ll accomplish it,” she added. “They were very helpful in directing me to the right place and went the extra mile to make it easy. We started looking for homes on May 7, and we closed on June 24.”
Expanding Across Western PA
D.R. Horton homes is currently active in 27 communities in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny counties. It is also active in the South Hills. “We cover a lot of ground, and we’re looking at adding 10 more communities before the end of the year,” said Villegas.
D.R. Horton townhomes range from the upper $200,000s to $400,000 depending on the features, finishes and location. Single-family homes start in the low $300,000s and may go as high as $700,000 in areas such as Fox Chapel.
“Our goal is to provide affordable new homes to everyone: this includes homes in the low $300s in Butler and Chippewa to higher-end, upscale homes in Fox Chapel and Venetia that include nicer finishes, hardy siding and nicer countertops. Then we have a number of ranch homes sprinkled in between,” said Villegas.
Because the company works with numerous vendors on a national scale, it is able to keep costs down in order to ensure affordability. Everything is also included in the pricing, which saves homebuyers the surprise of added costs that often result in a customized home. D.R. Horton also always has available inventory, so homebuyers can close at almost any point in time.
The company’s clientele is as varied as their homes, and ranges from first-time homebuyers to empty-nesters downsizing, to retirees.
Abby Rebar and Jordan Ayersman moved into their D.R. Horton home last August after breaking ground in May. Now in a two-story single-family home in Millstone Village in Jefferson Hills, the couple were surprised to find that they could purchase a new-build home for the same price as an existing home.
“We came across D.R. Horton in our home search, and we loved the fact that we could have an open-floor plan where everything was new and updated,” said Rebar. “Our model also has a loft that I love, and the community is younger and close to our age.”
Ayersman especially appreciated that the company offered an elevation-based package, where they could choose from specific different options. “It takes the customization out of our hands and makes the home-buying process easier,” he said. “You just choose from A, B or C.”
After meeting with salesperson Jen West, the couple picked a floor plan and were then put in touch with the company’s financing company. “They offered a number of incentives and everything went smoothly,” said Rebar. “After we signed the papers, they kept us up to date during the construction process. The whole staff was always available to answer questions, and we could take a tour whenever we wanted.”
Though the couple did have a few smaller issues once the home was complete, all were addressed through the warranty process, and they say that they would definitely recommend D.R. Horton to friends looking to buy a home.
“We would buy from them again,” said Rebar. “We enjoyed the process and we love the house.”
This fiscal year, D.R. Horton is on schedule to close 500 homes, up 100 from the previous year. To date, the company has sold close to 1,000 homes in the Pittsburgh area. The builder has model homes in every community that they serve, which are staffed five days a week. Prospective homebuyers can also visit with a sales rep, talk to online sales consultants or set up virtual appointments.
“Our biggest goal is to let this area know who we are, what we do, and how we are different,” said Villegas. “People may not be familiar with a spec builder—new construction builders that have move-in ready homes available to buy. Our buyers like that they can not only find a new home fast, but that we take the guesswork out of it.” NH