D.R. Horton dominating in Mecklenburg homebuilding race

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CHARLOTTE — D.R. Horton is easily the early leader in the annual top Mecklenburg homebuilder-of-the-year sweepstakes sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Charlotte. By a lot and, literally, lots.

Horton, based in Fort Worth, Texas, had pulled 87 county building permits for single-family detached homes worth nearly $11.9 million as of the end of February, according to a just-released monthly HBAC report.

That puts Horton out in front of second-place Pulte Homes by a margin of more than 2-to-1. In the first two months of 2013, Pulte, based in suburban Detroit, has been awarded 41 permits for the benchmark single family home worth nearly $7 million. In third so far this year, last year’s top builder, Columbus, Ohio-based M/I Homes, pulled 35 permits valued at $5.3 million.

After the top three, the rankings grow slightly more complicated because they vary when measured by number of permits issued and the value of the permits.

In the number of permits race, a local-only Charlotte builder and a Charlotte based regional builder — one that is active in the local market and in other Southeastern locales — are among the top five, which is usually owned exclusively by the big, national production builders.

The local builder, Oakmont Homes, has been awarded 32 permits. The company has been kept busy by an unusual project to build for-rent homes for a private investment firm, Oakmont owner Judson Stringfellow said.

The regional builder, Eastwood Homes, is a close fifth with 31 permits.

But if measured by the value of the permits instead of the number, Eastwood and Oakmont — both of which build more affordable homes — drop down in the rankings to No. 7 and No. 11 respectively. Eastwood’s permits are valued at $3.5 million and Oakmont’s at $2.7 million.

Defined by the value of permits, the top three spots are still Horton, Pulte and M/I. Mattamy Homes of Canada jumps from No. 6 in the number of permits (30) to No. 4 ($5.1 million) in the value-of-permits rankings. Fifth place in terms of value goes to Greater Los Angeles-based Standard Pacific Homes with $4.5 million in value. In terms of number of permits, Standard Pacific drops to No. 7 with 26.

Other production builders that appear in the Top 10 by number of permits and value include L.A.-based Ryland Homes, Ryan Homes of Greater Washington, D.C., and Miami-based Lennar. Another regional builder, True Homes of Monroe, comes in at No. 10 on both lists.