By Iris Richmond. Filling a void in the Southern California market left by the departure of several luxury builders, WL Homes recently formed a new division to compete in the upper price segments. Tom Redwitz, the former SoCal manager at Taylor Woodrow, leads the new division and its staff of 12. Called the John Laing Homes Luxury Group, it is located adjacent to WL Homes’ corporate offices in Irvine, Calif.
“Very few builders in the area are approaching the luxury market in a focused way,” says Redwitz, “and we think there’s a great opportunity here. Our mission is to have a dedicated team, be very selective, be very hands on, and as a result, be the No. 1 luxury builder.”
During the three months it took to plan the division, the Luxury Group took advantage of opportunities to acquire two parcels of land. The two projects, Nautilus at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach and Oaks of Calabasas in Calabasas, consist of 40 and 26 lots respectively, and homes will be priced at over $1 million. Redwitz says the division plans to secure three projects yearly and build roughly 100 homes. The Luxury Group’s third project should be announced by the end of the summer.
Published in BIG BUILDER Magazine, July 2002