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GIANTS by the Numbers

How do the GIANTS stack up against each other? Which performance measures separate one group from another? Where do opportunities for improvement lie within each organization, within each group? Check out the data below from the 2004 GIANTS and see whe...

April 1, 2004
2 min read

 

Have You Heard?

"The trend that concerns me is the movement of new home mortgage finance away from fixed-rate into ARMs and 'interest-only' loans literally overnight. ARMs were 15% to 20% of the market until last December, when they suddenly shot up to 41%."

- Ivy Zelman, Housing Stock Analyst, Credit Suisse First Boston

How do the GIANTS stack up against each other? Which performance measures separate one group from another? Where do opportunities for improvement lie within each organization, within each group? Check out the data below from the 2004 GIANTS and see where your organization rates. Other pertinent facts about the 2004 GIANT 400:

 

 

  • GIANT 400 housing revenue in 2003 was up 18.5% compared with 2002, while closings were up 9.7%.

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  • The 2004 GIANTS include 50 builders that were not GIANTS last year.

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  • Approximately 15 of the 2003 GIANTS were dropped because of acquisitions.

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  • The 400th GIANT in terms of closings built 179 units.

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  • The biggest upward movers in ranking include:
    * No. 58 MCZ Development (Chicago), up 139 places.
    * No. 113 Young Homes LLC (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), up 168 places.
    * No. 190 Wathen-Castanos Inc. (Fresno, Calif.), up 103 places.
    * No. 197 Fluornoy Construction Co. LLC (Columbus, Ga.), up 156 places.
    * No. 201 Probuilt Homes Inc. (Bakersfield, Calif.), up 115 places.
    * No. 254 LeCesse Development Corp. (Winter Park, Fla.), up 130 places.
    • Unit Costs
    (for 2003 activity)
    Total
    GIANT 400
    Masters of
    the Universe
    (GIANTS #1-20)
    Rich and
    Famous
    (GIANTS #21-125)
    Achievers
    (GIANTS #126-275)
    Strivers
    (GIANTS #276-400)
    Land/Entitlement/Financing Expenses
    Raw Land
    9.44%
    9.02%
    9.32%
    9.64%
    9.33%
    Land Improvements
    5.08%
    1.50%
    5.88%
    5.57%
    4.38%
    Improved Lot Costs
    5.83%
    13.10%
    6.23%
    5.76%
    4.76%
    Fees (permits, impact)
    2.16%
    0.93%
    2.38%
    2.51%
    1.72%
    Financing Costs
    2.54%
    1.97%
    2.78%
    2.57%
    2.42%
    Hard Costs
    Materials
    28.23%
    26.25%
    26.34%
    28.00%
    30.01%
    Construction Labor
    22.12%
    20.77%
    21.48%
    21.75%
    23.17%
    Indirect
    Construction Costs
    2.53%
    0.45%
    2.61%
    2.34%
    2.98%
    Sales/Marketing Expenses
    Advertising
    1.18%
    1.17%
    1.13%
    1.08%
    1.34%
    Marketing
    1.15%
    1.14%
    1.33%
    1.14%
    1.04%
    Model Merchandising
    0.86%
    0.75%
    0.86%
    0.84%
    0.89%
    Sales Commissions
    2.93%
    2.59%
    2.49%
    2.98%
    3.20%
    Overhead/Miscellaneous/Profit
    Overhead Expense
    5.46%
    6.22%
    4.84%
    5.26%
    6.03%
    Miscellaneous
    0.66%
    0.75%
    1.06%
    0.55%
    0.53%
    Profit
    9.81%
    13.39%
    11.28%
    10.01%
    8.17%
    Total
    100.00%
    100.00%
    100.00%
    100.00%
    100.00%

    About the Author

    Heather McCune, Editor in Chief

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