Rewinding The Odd-lot Clock

The scenic overlook atop Mt. Washington is a must-see for most visitors to Pittsburgh. This skyline view of the Golden Triangle is entrancing, so much so that USA Weekend magazine named it one of the 10 most beautiful views in the country.
But while thousands of visitors come and go, the neighborhood known as Mount Washington remains the everyday home of some 10,000 people. Though many of the homes in this neighborhood of undulating landscapes were built as long as a century ago, where there is suitable land, new homes continue to be built, often on challenging ground. In fact, three such homes are under construction right now by Heartland Everywhere, a division of Heartland Homes.
“They are being built on in-fill lots,” said Brad Roth, director of  operations for Heartland Everywhere. “These are homes designed to fit the confines of the lot sizes.” Soon, a fourth home will get under way.
Officially established in November 2007, Heartland Everywhere differs in a significant way from its parent company. Heartland Homes concentrates on developing entire communities; the new division builds custom homes on property owned by individuals.
“You could say we rewound the clock,” Roth explained. “This division is simply a throwback to how Heartland originally started in 1984.”
But as the homebuilder expanded into developing land and building communities, its focus shifted. Nevertheless, said Roth, people who knew the Heartland name and reputation for quality continued to call, asking about building custom homes on their own property. “We realized we were missing an opportunity,” said Roth.
So far, Roth said, he has talked to more than 200 potential clients. In terms of residential construction, the new division has dealt with an array of designs and lot sizes, building homes on 18-acre spreads as well as tight city confines.
Heartland Everywhere can bid on its traditional Heartland Homes’ designs, client-owned plans or start the design from the ground up. The company can also provide financing for new construction through Princeton Financial, an affiliated company. "If our clients utilize Princeton Financial we will finance construction,” Roth said.  “This can save our customers thousands of dollars in interest payments during construction."
Currently, Roth is bidding on custom-built homes in Upper St.Clair, Cranberry and Cecil townships, to name a few. The tether preventing the division’s going too far afield too fast is the distance  its trade partners can reasonably travel to build a home. “I want to use our traditional vendor base,” Roth explained. “I want to give folks the quality of construction they expect. It’s the reason they called us in the first place.” 
Roth has no doubt the new division is poised to satisfy demand for new quality custom homes in the marketplace. “Our company is still family owned and operated—just larger than we were in the early 1980s when we began. Heartland Everywhere is positioned to offer our clients the backing of our warranty and the health and stability of our growing organization."