Buzz

P11: How long have you been in the home building/multifamily industry? Where did you begin your career? What sparked your interest in it?

DB: I joined Brandywine Homes In 2001 after spending several years out of college in finance and consulting. As Brandywine is a family business started by my father in 1994 (he also had a few other homebuilding companies prior to that) I had been exposed to the business for my whole life, so it seemed like a natural progression.

P11: In a nutshell, what have you learned during this time? What’s changed?

DB: I’ve learned that this business is constantly changing. Entitlement times have more than doubled and construction cycle times have ballooned as well. The days of entitling, building, selling, and closing a project in a little more than 18 months are long gone, which has led to increases in cost and risk. Add to that, changes in building materials, regulations, and requirements, and I think there are more things that have changed than have stayed constant.

P11: What gets you most excited or motivated about your job?

DB: The people. From providing quality homes to people who need them, to provide a job for our amazing Brandywine Homes team, the people are the best part for me.

P11: What current challenges must be faced in the industry?

DB: We need to find more efficient and cost-effective ways to build homes in Southern California. With land prices continuing to rise and construction costs skyrocketing, the ability to build and deliver houses that most people can afford is disappearing.

P11: What can we all do today to improve the home building/multifamily industry?

DB: Again, I think this goes back to finding new and creative ways to design and build homes that people want to live in at a cost that they can afford. There are many innovative processes that are being tested right now, but perfecting those and getting them into the mainstream will be key.

P11: What are some of your favorite communities you’ve worked on and why?

DB: Several of our communities over the last few years have had an affordable component. One of those, Verdana, is currently selling in the city of La Verne. In these communities, we have been able to build and sell homes that the majority of folks can actually afford in Southern California.  Seeing those buyers get keys to a home that they never thought they could buy is definitely one of the best aspects of this job.

P11: What does the word “home” mean to you?

DB: Comfort and safety. Home is a place where you can relax and recharge with those who mean the most to you.

P11: Search your imagination. What do you see for the future of the home building industry?

DB: In SoCal, I see a shift in product type for a typical new home community. Affordability Is going to be an issue in this area forever, so to combat that, I think we will see innovative new ideas of what new home communities will look like. Higher density, creative amenity spaces, new building materials and methods.

P11: What’s something that people don’t know about you that’s fun?

DB: In college, a friend and I played guitar and sang songs for free beer in bars and coffee shops around Santa Cruz. Nobody would pay us in actual money, but I think we got the better part of that deal.

P11: What do you love and appreciate about P11?

DB: We have been working for so long with P11 that they know exactly what we like, how we like it to look, and what we want it to say. It makes the entire process of marketing our communities seamless and easy!

P11: What’s playing on your turntable these days?

DB: I spent two nights watching Marcus King and Zac Brown Band close down Five Pointe Amphitheater. Different sets each night. It was pretty Incredible. They have been on heavy rotation since then.

The Brandywine/P11 synergy is something our team is extremely proud of. Since 1999, we’ve worked with this amazing group to bring much-needed infill properties to life throughout Southern California. Their commitment to not just innovation in our industry but for always doing what is right and fair is a philosophy we share. And Dave, our stage is always available if you want to play guitar and sing a few tunes…we’ll supply the beer.