Homebuilder betting region will perk up

A major international homebuilder is opening an office in Elk Grove today in the belief that demand for new homes is coming back.

GJ Gardner Homes, whose new office will be at 9605 E. Stockton Ave. in Elk Grove, thinks there is a market here for the custom homes the company builds, said Greg Dettwiler, a partner and head of the firm's California operations.

"There's a demand for new housing that is not being fulfilled," Dettwiler said. "We're not going to wait for the boom to come."

The company specializes in building custom homes for the same price as a tract house, Dettwiler said. It did $1 billion worth of work last year. Locally, GJ Gardner hopes to build 200 to 300 homes from Fresno to Sacramento this year. The new office should contribute about 20 to 30 homes, Dettwiler said.

For more information on the company, visit their website at gjgardner.com.
---
Written by Robert Lewis, The Sacramento Bee