July 25, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Journey Group.

Drive around the outstanding community of Dakota Dunes in southeast South Dakota, and odds are more than eight in 10 homes were built by the same best-in-class builder.

Now, that same level of quality and service – and more – is available in Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls-based Journey Group acquired Brown Wegher Residential in early 2021, bringing the leading commercial contractor into the residential arena for the first time in its long history.

“We saw an opportunity with the demand for residential building in the Sioux Falls area and also wanted to be able to serve our customers and the community further by providing another line of service,” said Randy Knecht, president and CEO of Journey Group.

“Together, with our vast construction experience and relationships, we are able to offer an even more exceptional homebuilding experience in both the Sioux City and Sioux Falls markets.”

Brown Wegher, which rebranded as 1J Homes earlier this year, is its own limited liability corporation that allows a separate identity while uniquely leveraging all the advantages of the relationship with Journey.

“We have a great name in Dakota Dunes, and we want that same name in Sioux Falls,” said Jeff Wagner, president of 1J Homes.

Wagner joined the team in May 2021 and is based in Sioux Falls. A veteran of the electrical and lighting industry, he’s excited to connect to the city’s booming housing market.

“Our work is probably 50-50 right now between the Sioux Falls area, where we’re just getting started, and the Sioux City-Dakota Dunes area, where we’re very well known and continue to work on a number of projects,” he said.

He estimates 1J Homes has 17 projects going in Sioux Falls, including a dozen twin homes in the newly developing Mystic Heights neighborhood in the northeast part of the city, plus lots available for building.

“Because we’re still becoming known in Sioux Falls, much of our work here is in spec homes, plus a few custom homes,” Wagner said. “We have several under construction in Harrisburg and featured one pre-sold home on the Spring Parade of Homes, which drew a great turnout. We had close to 2,000 people go through over two weekends.”

1J Homes is working across a range of budgets, from homes starting around $400,000 to more than $1 million.

To see homes for sale in Sioux Falls, click here.

Customer experience

Building  with 1J Homes brings key differences for buyers.

Think about how a commercial contractor runs a project – then apply that to a home, and you’ll get a sense for the 1J Homes customer experience.

“It’s how we run our projects,” Wagner explained. “We set schedules and stick to them, and we have a site manager or project manager on-site every day. That’s very rare for a residential builder. This is someone making sure material is there, watching for anything that doesn’t look right and addressing any issues right away.”

The scale of 1J Homes helps customers too, he added.

“When you’re doing so many projects, there’s manpower available and more favorable pricing,” Wagner said. “We’re always negotiating with our partners for our customers. Our overall process is a big differentiator. From that first meeting with our clients to the end, walking through the punch list and handing over the warranty book, it’s an in-depth process and a good one.”

1J Homes is a one-stop shop for buyers. You’ll sit down and meet with the sales and design team, going through questions about your needs and wants, and then progressing to meeting with the drafting team.

“We meet until it’s perfect,” Wagner said. “I’m passionate about what we do. When I hear the buyer say, ‘I love it,’ we’re good to go but not until then.”

And once work begins, unique software allows buyers to put an app on their phone and track progress in real time.

“You can see a daily log and photos, so if you’re out of state – and we’re working with multiple buyers who are – you can easily feel like you’re on-site,” Wagner said.

“Whether it’s their forever home or a place they’re going to be for a few years, we want to honor the process every time.”

Ready to begin building your new home? Click here to connect with 1J Homes to get started today. And watch for the latest 1J Home on the 2022 Fall Parade of Homes Sept. 10-11 and 17-18.