October 13, 2007: Warmington Homes
Cheryl O'Connor, Warmington Homes California
By Linnea Smith Jessup

Vice president of sales and marketing for Warmington Homes’ Northern California division, based in San Ramon, O’Connor often finds herself in the minority – home building is traditionally a male-dominated industry. But she contributes a beneficial outlook to the company, and the industry. “I bring the woman’s perspective to the business. I have my own opinions on what makes a good home. I’m often the minority (in meetings) so I need to be honest and take a risk” by expressing opinions and ideas that others may not otherwise have considered.

Designing and building homes takes long-term commitment and ability to discern trends of buyers and communities. It requires financial resources. “It’s a risky business,” she notes. “We hand-build homes but we’re never perfect, and there are long-term liability risks.”

Yet O’Connor remains enthusiastic. “People [in this industry] have a passion for this business. We keep trying to build a better project and meet future needs.”

She adds, “Home building slows down, but it never goes away. We have big ups and downs.”

For Warmington, that means that currently, “We’re trying to look at a new community that might open in two or three years, but cost-wise, we can’t always anticipate how we’ll be able to price them.”

O’Connor wants the company to “be unique, to stand out in the marketplace.” To that end, she works to anticipate trends, remain flexible and “question everything we’re doing – pricing, marketing programs, building schedules.”

Home builders have for the past several years been offering lots of options to buyers – from bonus rooms or choice materials to a variety of home styles within a single community. “Our family formations are changing,” observes O’Connor. “Today only 23 percent of our families are a mother, father and two children. Our buyers are often blended families with several children, multi-generational groups or two singles living together.”

To the buyer, it’s much more than an investment – “It’s an emotional decision and it’s about the memories and lifestyle” the home fosters. She takes seriously her responsibility to create housing that’s sound, fairly priced and appealing to many buyers, with features that enhance an owner’s experience.

Of the myriad responsibilities of her position with Warmington Homes, O’Connor says she most enjoys planning a new community. She wants the communities to “be unique, to stand out in the marketplace. Warmington Homes wants to offer something different, something better.”

One example of that is Bayport in Alameda, which launched a redevelopment of an area on the island. With a school in the center, park areas and a blend of four different product types – from single-family homes to townhomes – it’s an interesting and integrated community – “and it has been very successful,” she observes.

O’Connor’s division stretches from south of San Jose through the Bay Area and up to Sacramento. When the company begins to envision a new development, she says, “I go to the stores and restaurants in the area and I look at the markets within a town or community. You have to understand the community and how to fill those specific needs.”

As an example, Warmington includes design components and home types that reflect the community and its expanding population. In Alameda, that means incorporating Victorian architectural elements that reflect that heritage on the island, while a new project in Palo Alto includes Eichler-style features, a nod to a portion of that town’s architectural personality. “It’s a contemporary design, not typical for us, and corporate was questioning us a bit at first. But it’s unique and it’s right for the market.”

Focus groups are a primary way O’Connor and Warmington Homes gauges potential buyers’ wishes. “People sometimes think builders just take one plan and plunk it down in any area,” but she looks to consumers to “tell us their needs and wishes.”

Part of O’Connor’s drive for excellence includes green or ecologically responsible features. Vantage, the 76-townhome development now available in Palo Alto, includes solar panels for the entire project, which makes it the largest solar-powered residential development on the Peninsula. Other features include tankless water heaters for on-demand hot water, dual-flush toilets for significant water savings, and many ecologically sound products which were used in construction and finishing.

In addition to her responsibilities with Warmington Homes, O’Connor has taken her unique perceptions to her executive board position with the Home Builders Association of Northern California. She is currently vice chairman and will become the association’s first chairwoman next year.

She has the passion, the vision and the energy to help dispel the image of the home building industry as traditional. Expect to see her perspectives help define the group’s initiatives in areas such as affordable housing, sound ecological and sustainable practices and diversity.