By Kellie Speed
Roberts Communities has set out to prove home ownership should be an attainable goal within everyone’s reach.
They offer affordably priced manufactured homes throughout Texas and Colorado. With in-house financing and homebuyer incentives, they are able to help prospective buyers achieve their dreams of becoming homeowners.
“We have a lot of pride in being able to create opportunity for people to own their house,” Scott Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of Roberts Resorts and Roberts Communities, recently said in a phone interview. “A lot of our success has to do with the fact that we are breaking the mold with a heavy amenity package that creates a real sense of community.”
When they initially started, Roberts Communities had a mission statement of “Building communities and fulfilling dreams.”
“That was our mantra for a couple of years,” Roberts said. “We then took a closer look at it and decided to change it to ‘building community and fulfilling dreams,’ which has a very different meaning. Everyone here is family.”
Through difficult times, they stood by their residents.
“When Covid hit, we asked our clients to tell us their situation and we would customize a plan to help them stay in their home,” Roberts said. “It was a better offer than many, who, at the time, were offering a blanket $50 off rent. One person’s job might be impacted where another one’s isn’t. It proved to be a better business decision for us and better for our customer.”
Creating a Family
Roberts Communities has been in business for more than 55 years. Now in its second generation of operation, the Roberts family prides itself on maintaining long-term relationships not only with their residents and visitors, but also employees.
“When you walk into our sales communities, we promote the fact that our company has such longevity,” he said. “Most of the residents know me by face. We have such great home consultants on our team as well. They are so passionate. Many started from humble beginnings but are now making a great living. It’s a very different non-corporate environment.”
Roberts still sees some challenges in the manufactured home industry.
“The exteriors of manufactured homes are still lagging but once you walk inside, people are wowed by what they find,” he said. “There is also a big barrier to get people to consider manufactured housing because of the stigma often associated with it. We want people to know that our housing offers a quality community lifestyle.”
While they have a proven successful business model, about 30 to 40 percent of Roberts Communities’ sales have been through word-of-mouth.
“Our properties sell themselves,” Roberts said. “What makes us different is that you have to own the property, not rent it. Our customers come in with a minimum $10,000 downpayment. They are interested in becoming a part of the community. Many people cry when they are handed over the keys to their new home. It’s a very powerful thing to see.”
With the increased cost of living, Roberts says his communities offer significant savings to the homeowner.
“In Texas, there are incredibly high property taxes, but we pay the property tax for the homeowners,” he noted. “The housing market has gone up in price so much and with interest rates around 6 percent, it can be difficult for people to get into a home. The world is changing due to affordability. Manufactured housing offers a great opportunity for an affordably priced home.”
Giving Back, Building a Future
Roberts Communities knows the importance of giving back.
“We have been very fortunate to have a great track record,” Roberts said. “As a result, we give back to a lot of local charities, including senior communities. We offer back-to-school backpacks for residents’ kids that, filled with notebooks and crayons. We host a Christmas event where Santa has gifts for the kids. Right now, we are super motivated to create a strong after-school program where we help children get their homework done. They can work through math problems or spelling issues with tutors and teachers.”
This year, Roberts anticipates spending $20 million in new development. They focus their development efforts primarily in Texas in the markets of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, as well as in part of Colorado. He and his team also currently are looking to expand their development opportunities to other communities in Arizona and Utah.
“Our biggest challenge right now is being able to develop new communities with the cost of everything going up,” he said. “We used to be able to build a site for less than $10,000. Now, that site is $70,000. It’s still sticker shock. The cost of development and the ability to get capital from lenders or equity today is a challenge that faces the industry as a whole.”
Despite the challenges, Roberts Communities has a bright future ahead.
“We are looking at about 7,000 properties this year with another 2,500 in the pipeline,” Roberts said. “By 2033, our goal is to be 30,000 units to be built, not acquired. We will be the most active, privately owned company in the development space, and we are not lowering our expectations on sales. As long as there are great communities out there and the markets need us, we will keep developing.”
