(Photo above | Courtesy of Simplicity by Haden Homes)
As the population in Central Oregon continues to grow and the demands on the housing market become increasingly consumer-driven, the demand for ‘design and build’ on your own property is on the rise. Cascade Business News spoke to Ken Brodeck, president of Simplicity by Hayden Homes about the company’s unique business model.
What is the story behind Simplicity?
Hayden Homes, our sister company, was founded in 1989. By 2009, Hayden had grown to be the leader in value-driven, high quality neighborhood development across the Pacific Northwest. Over the course of that 20-year span, Dennis Murphy, the CEO of Hayden Homes, recognized a need for that same value-driven solution for customers who already owned land. And so in 2009, Simplicity by Hayden Homes was founded. This was no small feat; in 2009, Central Oregon, from which both Hayden and Simplicity are based, was in the depths of the recession. While most homebuilding companies we’re scaling back to shore up and ride out the next several years, Dennis saw opportunity to expand, presenting landowners with a high quality, affordable avenue toward home ownership.
What is the vision for Simplicity by Hayden Homes?
At Simplicity, the vision is to be the leaders in on-your-land homebuilding. This has meant nearly 700 percent growth in building units since Ken Brodeck took the helm in 2011. Their broad range of more than 40 value-engineered home designs include tiny homes from 400 square feet, dozens of residential home plans and an exclusive line of high-end home plans that will be launched to the public this Summer. The value proposition is grounded in lean back-end processes as well as the purchasing power that comes with a partnership with Hayden Homes. Together, Simplicity and Hayden Homes are the largest privately-held homebuilder in the Pacific Northwest.
Simplicity offers an online customer experience unlike any other nationwide, whereby they allow buyers to spec-out any of their home plans and receive pricing on-the-spot with a tool called the Instant Quote.
Simplicity’s tiny homes, called Wise Size, range from 400-1,064 square feet. The 400 square foot home plan, called The Acadia, includes a bedroom and a full bath, and starts at $69K. “The land where the home is to be built is always owned by the buyer, and costs associated with site development and permits are in addition to the base price,” says Brodeck. “These pre-construction processes may be managed by Simplicity if the buyer so chooses.” An added benefit many other builders don’t offer, according to Brodeck.
What is on the horizon for Simplicity in 2018?
“We will be launching a new line of home plans, called Select by Simplicity, later this summer that will cater to buyers seeking an exclusive level of finishes not found in most on-your-land home plan offerings,” says Amanda Lenke, marketing manager at Simplicity. “These home plans will include an array of high-end inclusive features — all included in the Select base prices. What this means to the customer is that they will experience the best in modern lighting and hardware finishes, hardwood, tile and granite, designer kitchens and luxurious master baths, without paying a penny over base price. Their only decisions will be from which designer color palate to choose. Base pricing for these Select plans begin in the low $300s, and we believe the Central Oregon buyer is uniquely qualified to take advantage of this innovative and exciting opportunity with Simplicity.”
Simplicity is building 26 Select homes for an investor in a development in NW Bend off Shevlin Park Road, called Shevlin Landing, listed for sale by Cascade Sotheby’s. Many of the homes have mountain views and are priced from the $700s.
What is the best thing about living and working in Central Oregon?
“Central Oregon has been Simplicity’s home-base since our inception, and we continue to be pleasantly overwhelmed by the feedback received from our homeowners,” says Brodeck. “We have had the opportunity to build everything from communities of tiny homes that offer an increasingly necessary workforce housing solution, custom-built vacation rentals in Tetherow and family homes with room to roam in the outskirts of Bend. We’re fortunate and humbled to call Central Oregon home and are thankful every day for the opportunity to live and work here.”
simplicity-homes.com • shevlinlanding.com
