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Hold your own when battling big builders.
WHEN THE NATION'S LARGEST BUILDERS BEGAN MOVING INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA 20 YEARS ago, home builder Antone Raymus of Raymus Development and Sales knew he best sharpen his pencil to stay alive in the face of the massive marketing onslaught the big builders unleashed. A builder of about 110 homes a year, Raymus successfully implemented a total quality approach to building that ensured every concern of the home buyer was addressed before and after closing. He increased the number of upgrades included in the basic price and the list of available options for each house. He improved his advertising, stepping up both the quality of each ad and the quantity. In short,...