“I just wasn’t content in the finance world; I didn’t feel connected to finance and money,” the Canonsburg native explained. “One day I came home and said to my wife, ‘Let’s start a home building and development company.’ So we did.”

Though he had limited construction knowledge, Scarmazzi had a great deal of experience with commercial real estate financing, which he calls his “core strength.” He began working with EPCON Homes and Communities out of Ohio, building luxury patio homes.

“EPCON developed homes for empty nesters and retirees in the late 1980s, and I was intrigued by their business model,” Scarmazzi explained. “And this demographic only continues to grow.”

In the beginning, Scarmazzi Homes worked on one community at a time, which could be a 15-year commitment. As the company has grown and gotten more sophisticated, it began to build multiple communities in different counties and municipalities at the same time.

“We went from building a project to building a business,” said Scarmazzi.

One-Level Living

Today, Scarmazzi Homes specializes in building one-level patio homes for empty nesters and active retirees, designed specifically with their needs in mind.

“The design is a very conscious effort to build what they are looking for in terms of square footage, options and layout,” said Scarmazzi. “The homes are light, bright and airy, and designed for great livability.”

To determine what this clientele wanted, Scarmazzi interviewed 1,600 “boomers” and then compiled and downloaded this information to an architectural design competition. The result is that Scarmazzi Homes feature nine-foot ceilings, 6-foot-high windows, large kitchen islands, open floor plans, master suites on the first floor, convenient laundries and beautiful courtyards designed to incorporate outdoor living.

“While standard one-level homes are typically two bed/two bath, home buyers can add a second story with a third bedroom as well as basements,” said Jessica Pompeani, brand ambassador, Scarmazzi Homes. “Every home also includes an exterior patio slab, 2 x 6 walls instead of 2 x 4 walls, and floor drains in the garage.”

She adds that every home is also designed for energy efficiency and include home warranties.

Scarmazzi Homes currently has homes in Cecil and Chartiers Townships, and is also building in Finleyville, South Park, Robinson Township, and Hopewell Township in Beaver County. Scarmazzi provides its buyers with a large amount of customizable design options, and prospective homeowners can choose from six floor plans as well as a number of other structural options such as sitting rooms, covered porches, and zero-threshold walk-in showers.

“Buyers come into our Design Center, which is connected to our main office in Canonsburg on Adams Avenue, for preview appointments as well as to finalize selections,” said Pompeani. “They can choose everything from flooring samples to carpet, hardware and fixtures.”

While Scarmazzi Homes are not limited to those 55 and up, its primary buyers are active adults planning for the future and looking for one-level living.

“Many currently have large homes with rooms they are not using, and they want something more practical,” said Pompeani. “They want the laundry right next to the master instead of in the garage. They want to prioritize their space so that they can comfortably age in place.”

While the base price of a Scarmazzi home differs in each community, most range from the high 300s to mid-400s, depending on the options that home buyers choose.

Scarmazzi also recently began building townhomes in order to reach a younger demographic that might find larger homes financially out of reach. 

“We found affordability to be a challenge; the escalation of home prices is out of control,” said Scarmazzi. “We wanted to reach a younger demographic that is looking to get out of renting by buying a home.” 

The company, which has built for-rent townhomes for the past two years is now building for-sale townhomes in Chartiers Township and Peters Township, with more to follow in Rostraver and Cecil townships.

“Our land development team has been very busy, so we have a lot of land and buyers can look forward to us building new homes to sell,” said Pompeani.

Satisfied Customers

Cheryl and Greg Hardy closed on their Scarmazzi home on November 5, 2023, and now live in Highland Village in Washington County, Union Township.

“We actually visited a model in Cecil back in May of 2020. We kind of happened upon it without planning to go and fell in love with the floor plan,” said Cheryl Hardy, noting that they began the home buying process in earnest in August/September of 2022.

“The biggest plus is that it’s on one level, but I also really like that the guest bedroom and bath are at the opposite end of the house, giving  both our guests and us privacy,” she added. “I also love how the living/dining/kitchen areas are set up. I’ve never had such a spacious and workable kitchen; it really feels glorious.” 

According to Hardy, single-level living is an added perk, as is the open floor plan.

“I love the single level! I really like how the master suite is designed and it gives us plenty of space,” she said. “I adore our zero-entry shower and would be lost without it. I also really like the open floor plan; when I’m working in the kitchen, I don’t feel like I’m away from the others in the house. I also appreciate that the outdoor spaces are done in such a way that when I’m out on my porch, I’m not staring at my next door neighbor’s porch. We are close in proximity, but still have some privacy.”

The couple worked with Scarmazzi’s Design Center to ensure that the home met their needs, even as COVID delayed the building process.

“New Home Consultant Robin O’Connor sat with us to go over all of the different options that were available to us at the time, taking us through step-by-step as though we were making choices—not specific tile or flooring, but things like optional windows, fireplace, style of kitchen and more,” said Hardy. “Since we knew it was going to be a few years before we would actually be building, we really appreciated her taking the time because it allowed us to really think and talk things through in the following months. We realized that some of the add-ons that we originally really liked we could do without, and others we really wanted. This really prepared us for when we went to the design center to work with Design Consultant Peggy DeTillio. 

“Then it was just a matter of choosing which flooring, tile, and things like that we wanted,” she added. “We also went to the different models during those years and found it helpful to see different flooring or counters in a home and get a better idea what it would look like in our home.”

Hardy says that they are thrilled with their home and thankful for those who built it.

“We feel like this home is giving us the opportunity to enjoy a bit of a simpler lifestyle and we hope that we will be able to age here long-term,” she said. “We love that our community has a clubhouse and thoroughly enjoy all the things our community does together. It really has enriched our lives.”

Enriching the Homeowner Experience

One of the keys behind Scarmazzi Homes’ success is that its people believe in what they do, according to its founder.

“We have incredible people here who understand that we don’t build homes; we change people’s lives,” Scarmazzi said. “With that mission in mind, they take their jobs seriously.

“The execution of a person’s home is a big deal and we care very deeply about our customers,” he added. “We’re not always perfect, but if there’s an issue, we fix it. That carries through from the first time a customer walks into a model home to after they move into their home and deal with our service side. We are not a large burn-and-churn company.”

He adds that company leadership is connected to every part of the operation and is kept abreast of everything going on.

“Growth and profit is not our first motive; the customer experience is at the forefront of what we do,” Scarmazzi said. “That’s what defines us.”

While they are a growing company, Pompeani says that Scarmazzi thinks of itself as more of a mom-and-pop shop.

“We’re not just selling a home, we’re helping them buy,” she says of the company’s customers. “We care if it’s the right decision for them. From the first time they step foot in a model home, we want to understand their pain points and why their current situation isn’t working for them.”

During the building process, buyers get weekly updates with photos showing the progress on their homes, as well as information on the process of building the home.

“They can see the progress on the building journey; they’re not left in the dark,” says Pompeani. “We also have a good warranty process in place after they get the keys and move in.”

The company’s commitment to its customers extends to the communities in which it builds, and Scarmazzi Homes is known for giving back. In addition to contributing millions in real estate taxes, the company has provided scholarships for Canon-McMillan students, bought a middle school in Canonsburg to repurpose as an educational and cultural institute, contributed a portion of every sale back to the Washington City Mission, funded schools in Haiti, supported local sports teams and more.

“We look at business as a vehicle to give back, because you can’t take it with you at the end of the day,” said Scarmazzi. “We’re only here for a limited period of time, so when we see an opportunity to help, we seize it. We get a lot of joy out of contributing to these communities; we just love it.”