John Crosland is back! Charlotte legend and his team build homes in Charlotte again

Charlotte, NC, April 9, 2000 - John Crosland Jr., a Charlotte homebuilding legend for more than 45 years, has re-entered the Queen City's home building market after a 13-year hiatus. The new building company, called Lillian Floyd Homes in honor of Crosland's mother, will begin selling homes next weekend.

Crosland, now 71, like his father was a home building pioneer in the early development of Charlotte. Crosland's home building company constructed more than 20,000 homes in 80 neighborhoods. He is credited with developing many neighborhoods, including Beverly Woods, Huntington Farms, parts of Myers Park and Beverly Woods East. In 1987, Crosland sold his home building company to Texas-based Centex. Now that the non-compete agreement has expired Crosland is ready for his Lillian Floyd Homes debut.

The first neighborhood to showcase a Lillian Floyd home will be The Greens at Birkdale Village, where The Crosland Group will play a large role in shaping the neighborhood's mixed-use Birkdale Village.

Crosland and the Lillian Floyd Homes management team plan to build Lillian Floyd homes in developments that include special components such as commercial and lifestyle elements, like Birkdale and Fort Mill's Baxter, where Lillian Floyd Homes construction will begin in mid-April. The homebuilder will also concentrate on infill single-family neighborhoods and condominium communities.

Plans are already underway to develop a neighborhood on prized Cotswold land. Lady Fern Circle, off Sharon Amity, will include 19 homes starting at $250,000. Lillian Floyd Homes condominium impact will be felt in Ballantyne's Scots Hill and Pecan Avenue's Kensington Court, where it will be the general contractor for Tuscan Development.

"Coming back into the market where you got your start is exciting business," said Crosland. "I am enjoying the planning and look forward to reaching an even higher quality level than the first time around."

Crosland will provide wisdom and oversight to the Lillian Floyd team. He has turned operations over to his accomplished colleagues Todd Mansfield, The Crosland Group CEO; Martin Kerr, Lillian Floyd president; and Mike McLendon, vice president. Kerr's grandfather and McLendon's father were early Charlotte homebuilders, and each has more than 20 years industry experience. Mansfield's background includes heralded Walt Disney Company projects, including the creation and development of the 5,000-acre Town of Celebration. Mansfield also led worldwide real estate activities for Disney. "When it comes to homebuilding you could not ask for a finer mentor than John Crosland Jr.," said Mansfield. "John's insight into this market is extraordinary. He understands what makes people love their homes; he has over 45 years experience listening to families and acting on their needs." Lillian Floyd Homes' management team has reviewed proposals from eight national architectural firms to create proprietary products for the homebuilder. Kerr said Lillian Floyd Homes will be known for their strong architectural details and their livable, comfortable floor plans For example, the plans will include garages in different locations, creating diverse and interesting streetscapes. Families will be encouraged to customize Lillian Floyd plans to meet special functional needs or just personal tastes. The Lillian Floyd management team also hopes to establish a precedent with its customer focused sales process. "When John Crosland began building houses, the sales process was clear and simple. You were treated with great respect, and all your questions were answered promptly. In many cases this personalized approach has been lost," Mansfield said. Lillian Floyd Homes will employ full-time customer service representatives to serve as the buyer's contact for all inquiries, including customer selection, construction details and warranty issues. The company, due to its local and private financial backing, will also see that homes will be closed only when they are 100 percent complete and approved by the customer. The Lillian Floyd group believes their commitment to detail and customer service can alter how consumers search for a home. "Currently, buyers list the homebuilder as the fourth or fifth reason they selected a home behind location, floor plan and neighborhood amenities," said McLendon. "But Lillian Floyd Homes is creating a new and interested dynamic. When John Crosland first built homes, people often selected a house because of the builder. I think we can make that happen again."

For more information about Lillian Floyd Homes, call 704-987-8789.