Walters Group Marks 30th AnniversaryGeneral Real EstateUpdated on Dec 29, 2014 View more like this | Visit BARNEGAT, NJ | Contact Caryl Communications, Inc. |
Still Growing After All These Years
BARNEGAT, N.J., Dec. 29, 2014 – As Walters Group celebrates its 30th anniversary and three decades of accomplishments as one of the leading builders in southern New Jersey, company founder Ed Walters, Jr. is proud to have weathered the changes and challenges that have occurred in the real estate industry. The firm is now 74 employees strong and still growing, delivering award-winning projects with two offices in Barnegat and Haddonfield.
In today’s competitive real estate market, Walters still sees plenty of opportunities in custom home building. Two years ago, the firm started a new custom home division to meet the needs of residents at the Jersey Shore who were rebuilding following Superstorm Sandy. By promoting resilient, sustainable construction, ReBUILD has created an opportunity for residents to rebuild smarter, safer coastal homes. In addition to meeting FEMA’s guidelines for building in designated flood zones, newly constructed homes are Energy Star certified.
“We make the rebuilding process as seamless as possible,” added Walters. “Residents are finding that it’s an opportunity to make their homes stronger and more attractive than they were before the storm.”
Since 2012, ReBUILD has actively changed the face of the Jersey Shore one house at a time. By year-end, the firm expects to close on over 80 homes, and nearly 60 more are already pending for next year. For homeowners who opt to rebuild their home on their lot, ReBUILD offers dozens of plans and design elements to choose from. Each home is specifically crafted for its site with layouts varying in size from 500 square feet to over 2,000 square feet. ReBUILD has two sales offices in Ortley Beach and Manahawkin.
“The real estate market has started to rebound, and our focus for the future will continue to be to mix sustainable building practices with custom home building,” said Walters.
Building a company from the ground up
Walters recalls when he and his brother Greg started building luxury summer retreats on Long Beach Island in 1984 – a time when the housing market was booming. But by the end of the decade, the market began to slump, and while some builders retreated, the two brothers persevered. The team decided to go from seasonal builders to primary home developers, partnering with long-time friend Tim Regan, chief financial officer, and later with Joe DelDuca, real estate attorney. The partners jumped on an opportunity to make their mark in the single-family market by purchasing a large tract of land in Stafford Township in Ocean County known as the “Oaks of Stafford.”
By taking a methodical approach, Walters explains that they were able to slowly and steadily diversify their portfolio. And in 1996, the firm formed the commercial arm of the company by acquiring 400 acres in Barnegat to develop retail, office, and multi-family projects which now includes Barnegat Village Square, Atlantic Commons, Atlantic Heights, Brookville Manor, and Rose Hill Estates.
“We never bit off more than we could chew and that has helped us ride out the boom and bust cycles,” said Walters. “Diversification has been an important ingredient in our company’s success,” added Walters.
A significant milestone in the company’s growth came in 2003 when Walters Group undertook the large-scale mixed-use Stafford Park redevelopment. They overcame numerous challeges to complete construction on the LEED-Silver-certified retail complex, which is home to a long list of successful retailers and restaurants. The development also comprises the state’s first LEED-Gold certified housing project, Stafford Park Apartments.
Today, Walters continues to build vibrant communities that benefit the environment. Laurel Oaks and Whispering Hills apartments are new affordable apartment communities recently completed in Barnegat. These projects were built using green building methods and materials. Laurel Oaks achieved LEED Platinum and Energy Star certification.
The Walters Group is looking forward to the future of building custom homes and building affordable apartment communities. “We believe there is an unmet need for affordable housing in New Jersey,” said Walters. “We are working diligently to build the highest quality affordable housing for the people in New Jersey that have been priced out of the housing market. This business model fits right in with the company’s long-standing mission of giving back to the community.”
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BARNEGAT, N.J., Dec. 29, 2014 – As Walters Group celebrates its 30th anniversary and three decades of accomplishments as one of the leading builders in southern New Jersey, company founder Ed Walters, Jr. is proud to have weathered the changes and challenges that have occurred in the real estate industry. The firm is now 74 employees strong and still growing, delivering award-winning projects with two offices in Barnegat and Haddonfield.
In today’s competitive real estate market, Walters still sees plenty of opportunities in custom home building. Two years ago, the firm started a new custom home division to meet the needs of residents at the Jersey Shore who were rebuilding following Superstorm Sandy. By promoting resilient, sustainable construction, ReBUILD has created an opportunity for residents to rebuild smarter, safer coastal homes. In addition to meeting FEMA’s guidelines for building in designated flood zones, newly constructed homes are Energy Star certified.
“We make the rebuilding process as seamless as possible,” added Walters. “Residents are finding that it’s an opportunity to make their homes stronger and more attractive than they were before the storm.”
Since 2012, ReBUILD has actively changed the face of the Jersey Shore one house at a time. By year-end, the firm expects to close on over 80 homes, and nearly 60 more are already pending for next year. For homeowners who opt to rebuild their home on their lot, ReBUILD offers dozens of plans and design elements to choose from. Each home is specifically crafted for its site with layouts varying in size from 500 square feet to over 2,000 square feet. ReBUILD has two sales offices in Ortley Beach and Manahawkin.
“The real estate market has started to rebound, and our focus for the future will continue to be to mix sustainable building practices with custom home building,” said Walters.
Building a company from the ground up
Walters recalls when he and his brother Greg started building luxury summer retreats on Long Beach Island in 1984 – a time when the housing market was booming. But by the end of the decade, the market began to slump, and while some builders retreated, the two brothers persevered. The team decided to go from seasonal builders to primary home developers, partnering with long-time friend Tim Regan, chief financial officer, and later with Joe DelDuca, real estate attorney. The partners jumped on an opportunity to make their mark in the single-family market by purchasing a large tract of land in Stafford Township in Ocean County known as the “Oaks of Stafford.”
By taking a methodical approach, Walters explains that they were able to slowly and steadily diversify their portfolio. And in 1996, the firm formed the commercial arm of the company by acquiring 400 acres in Barnegat to develop retail, office, and multi-family projects which now includes Barnegat Village Square, Atlantic Commons, Atlantic Heights, Brookville Manor, and Rose Hill Estates.
“We never bit off more than we could chew and that has helped us ride out the boom and bust cycles,” said Walters. “Diversification has been an important ingredient in our company’s success,” added Walters.
A significant milestone in the company’s growth came in 2003 when Walters Group undertook the large-scale mixed-use Stafford Park redevelopment. They overcame numerous challeges to complete construction on the LEED-Silver-certified retail complex, which is home to a long list of successful retailers and restaurants. The development also comprises the state’s first LEED-Gold certified housing project, Stafford Park Apartments.
Today, Walters continues to build vibrant communities that benefit the environment. Laurel Oaks and Whispering Hills apartments are new affordable apartment communities recently completed in Barnegat. These projects were built using green building methods and materials. Laurel Oaks achieved LEED Platinum and Energy Star certification.
The Walters Group is looking forward to the future of building custom homes and building affordable apartment communities. “We believe there is an unmet need for affordable housing in New Jersey,” said Walters. “We are working diligently to build the highest quality affordable housing for the people in New Jersey that have been priced out of the housing market. This business model fits right in with the company’s long-standing mission of giving back to the community.”
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