A Chattanooga homebuilder is ringing in 2025 with a resolution to create affordable living choices for today and tomorrow.
When the founders of RP Homes launched their company in 2018, they focused on meeting the demands of a market that was hungry for single-family homes.
As CEO and managing partner Gabe Thomas, managing partner Trey Moss, managing partner Robert Johnston, chief financial officer Jeremy Jenkins and chief construction officer Josh Williams approached the new year, they decided to answer the call to produce a product that’s attainable and focused on building communities.
To demonstrate their intent to the pubic, the principals of their company have not only fashioned a new product of which they are proud – according to their statements below – but also changed the name of their company.
So, as 2024 yields to 2025, RP Homes is now RP Communities. Here, the principals collectively answer questions about their new venture and how they intend to help shape the Chattanooga housing landscape today and tomorrow.
Take us through the history of RP Homes and the product it provided.
“We founded RP Homes in 2018 originally as a production homebuilder focusing on single-family homes. At that point, our projects were taking place all around Chattanooga and had a general sales price range of $200,000 to $300,000.”
RP Communities started as a division of RP Homes. When and why?
“Though we started RP Homes as a production homebuilder, as the growth of the regional housing market became more complex, our leadership team had to start considering different types of builds to ensure we were well-positioned to meet the varying dynamics of the market. So, we first introduced RP Communities in 2023 as a new division of RP Homes. RP Communities, then and now, exists to build unique communities with a focus on livable functionality and affordability. We now lead with RP Communities and treat that as the primary entity in the RP family.”
Why have you elevated RP Communities from a division to the primary brand and name of the company?
“The shift reflects our significant pivot toward developing entire communities rather than just focusing on single-family homes. We decided to change the name since we now lead with Communities and believe it’s helpful to our potential customers to be clear about our organization’s area of emphasis. This pivot allows us to offer both for-sale and for-rent communities, expanding our portfolio to better meet the needs of a diverse range of residents.”
What kinds of projects can the public expect from RP Communities and in what price ranges will they fall?
“RP Communities is always seeking opportunities for neighborhood development and urban infill projects so we can do our part to address the much-discussed housing shortage. A couple of examples Chattanoogans might be familiar with are The Bexley adjacent to Fort Wood and The Guild in East Brainerd. By focusing on these types of projects, we can offer finished products at more approachable price points than we’ve been able to previously. The most successful businesses adapt to the circumstances around them, and this is exactly what we’re doing with RP Communities.”
How will these projects fit into the future housing landscape in Chattanooga?
“These projects will be a key part of Chattanooga’s housing future. By focusing on attainable housing, we’re making sure there are options that are accessible to more people at varying price points, helping create a more inclusive community. Our developments not only address the current housing shortage but also support the city’s long-term growth, offering affordable living choices for both today’s residents and future generations. Chattanooga has an opportunity to borrow ideas from peer markets, like Nashville and Atlanta, which have been working through the challenges of growth for a longer time and then focus our collective energies on creatively utilizing different housing types and products that meet the demands of a diverse community.”
What does RP Communities consider to be affordable and what percentage of your product will fall into this category?
“Housing is a problem across the entirety of our market at every income level. Our focus is on affordability and attainability as we continue to try and adapt to the changes within the housing industry. Starting price points will be unique in each of our communities, some starting in the $300,000s with others topping out close to $600,000. Naturally, the overall economy will cause these numbers to fluctuate over time but our long-term goal is to put as many units as possible on the market that can be attained by buyers of various financial means.”
Are you still going to build single spec homes?
“Yes. Though we now lead with Communities, we will continue to construct spec homes as part of our overall strategy to meet market demand and provide a variety of options for potential buyers.”
Provide us with an update on The Bexley.
“We’ve grown and learned a lot as a company and we’re really proud of The Bexley. It’s a project that looks amazing, lives well and provides a needed product in an underserved segment of our community that’s walkable to UTC, Erlanger Hospital and is just a short distance from downtown Chattanooga. We’ve experienced strong demand so far from both investors and residents who want to take advantage of living in such a great area. We have townhomes currently available for sale at The Bexley and are actively building more for future buyers. This neighborhood will have a total of 56 townhomes with three different floor plans offered.”