In Des Moines, Iowa, Marty Walters' name is synonymous with quality homes. To learn how he managed to build such a strong reputation, Spec Build recently spoke with three of Marty 's family members who work alongside him: Kathy, Marty 's wife; his daughter, Heidi Rauch; and son-in-law, Brian Rauch.

SB: Kathy, could you describe Marty's background and how he got into building?

Kathy: Marty was a mechanical draftsman before going into the flatwork concrete business for seven years. In 1977, Marty and I built our own home in Missoula, Montana, and then we bought the land across the street and built a spec home...and we kept moving on down the street. In 1981, we moved to our hometown (Des Moines) and started building homes until we moved back to Missoula in 1991, where we built homes until our daughters finished high school and college and started families. In 2000, we moved back to Iowa and picked up where we had left off ten years earlier.

SB: One doesn't usually think of a construction company as being that mobile. Wasn't it hard to re-establish your business like that?

Kathy: Not at all. People remembered Marty's reputation. Even though we had been gone for five years, Marty's name was living on as a selling point - because he built such quality homes. And the real estate agents remembered Marty. So when we came back, it was like putting an old shoe on. Most of our subs came back to us. People who worked with us in the 80's are working with us today. That's been a real benefit. They know how Marty does business, so we have product continuity.

SB:: How many homes does Marty Walters Homes currently build?

1752-33A-01, the Lancaster with Craftsman details

Kathy: We try to build 25 a year, ranging from $200,000 - $480,000.

SB: What role do each of you play in the company?

Kathy: Marty is the general, the major decision-maker. I'm a licensed real estate agent and until Heidi came on board, I did the books, marketed the homes, helped clients make selections and customized the plans. Now that Heidi is involved, we divide these tasks up. She is working on her real estate license and our other daughter, Jamie is activating hers. Brian is our partner and works as a general, overseeing all the jobs with Marty.

SB: How has homebuilding changed during the years you've been involved?

Heidi: I think our customers do more homework today. And there are so many more products available to put in a home...so we have to do our homework and keep up with the trends.

Brian: And stay ahead of the competition. If we come up with an innovative idea, people are soon mimicking us.

SB: What are your competitive strengths?

Kathy: Our market has very large home building firms. We can't compete with their pricing, so we differentiate our product. We offer fine craftsmanship and detailed woodwork.

Heidi: Our customers are allowed to have greater flexibility, to have more say in the design of their homes. And Dad and Brian are on the job site everyday.

Brian: And I think the back end has contributed to our reputation. You never have a house that doesn't have a flaw in some shape or form...and when a customer calls, we're right there to fix it.

Kathy: In addition, we give our homes unique fronts, custom elevations. We use a lot of cultured stone.

Heidi: Yes, we do a lot of multi-colored homes to make them stand out more.

Brian: And we use a lot of shakes. The stone and the shakes distinguish our homes. We want people to drive by and say, "There's another Marty Walters home." Another way we stand out is by choosing plans with real curb appeal. That's one of the reasons we use a lot of Design Basics plans.

Kathy: Yes, the first time we built the Elgin (#8524-33A-01) as a spec, I was sold.

We all love it. It has an excellent use of space. It has a great entry with extras like the computer station upstairs. We moved the walls out on the master bedroom, making it 20 x 20 - it's great. It feels big enough to hold three beds. We also added space to the bathroom area. It's one of our best-selling homes.

Heidi: One of my favorite plans that we've built a lot is the Lancaster (#1752-33A-01).

With four bedrooms, it's great for a large or expanding family. It's big enough, but not oversized. And I like its open entryway with the stairs at the side.

Kathy: It's been a popular move-up home for our people. They're tickled to have so much unique space. With the laundry room off the kitchen and the open area to the great room, it's easy to maintain contact with children.

Brian: The Girard's (#2551-33A-01) curb appeal really caught my eye. I like the openness of the great room into the dining room, the den in the front of the home and the secluded, main floor master suite. We originally built it as a spec and then sold another custom.

Kathy: Of course, my favorite Design Basics plan is the Sinclair - since it's my own home. The large, open living space is really nice and the 2-sided fireplace provides a warm, cozy spot for guests to sit and visit while I'm preparing dinner. I also like having the master bedroom on its own side, away from the secondary bedrooms

SB: Does your company participate in parades?

Kathy: We don't do the large, Street of Dreams shows, but Heidi and I push Marty into the regular fall parade. He isn't comfortable being in the public eye - which is why we're doing this interview without him. He's much happier behind the scenes, building the kind of homes that make his name so respected.