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Problem Solved Woman in a man's world Shelley Reynolds' success as a homebuilder proves a woman's place is constructing the home Christine Perez Staff Writer

FRISCO -- Shelley Reynolds had a thriving custom-homebuilding business in Memphis, Tenn., but when her husband's company transferred him to Dallas in 1999, she found it was tough to duplicate her success in Texas. One of only a handful of female builders, few prospective clients took her seriously at first, and homebuilder groups weren't eager to welcome newcomers into their clubs. Many assumed she was an interior designer.

Photos of the luxury homes she built in Tennessee weren't enough to convince developers to let her build in their projects. So Reynolds became her own best customer. Landowners at the upscale Starwood residential development, who were experiencing soft sales at the time, agreed to let her build her family's home in the development. But she had to commit to buying two lots, and she couldn't start work on the second until they saw what she did with the first.

Reynolds and her family lived in part of the 6,500-square-foot home while the rest was used to showcase her work. The plan worked. Reynolds has since built three homes in Starwood and has four others in various stages of development. In May, she will be the first female homebuilder to participate in the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas' Parade of Homes.

The daughter of a high school shop teacher in Michigan, Reynolds often helped her father with homebuilding projects. In the early 1990s, she was looking for a career where she could own her own business and spend more time with her three sons. The builder she and her husband hired to construct their home in Memphis recognized Reynolds' talent. He was looking to retire and offered to sell her his company.

Reynolds said she strives to make the building experience more enjoyable for homeowners. "Homeowners often tell horror stories, that their builder didn't listen or explain things well, but it doesn't have to be that way," she said. "Building a home can be a great, fun experience. I want my clients to be as involved -- or uninvolved -- as they want to be." Fewer than 3% of homebuilders are female, according to the National Association of Home Builders, but Reynolds said women are often better listeners and can offer a unique perspective.

"When I build a house, I build it like I would if I lived in it," she said. "As an example, in one home, we did a built-in armoire in a kitchen for a refrigerator and freezer and two appliance garages. The designer wanted to leave it six inches off the wall and I thought, `How would you ever get back in there to clean?' The designer said, `Who cares about that?' and I said, `The homeowners will.' That's the way I approach it."

Reynolds Signature Homes did more than $1 million in sales last year and this year will do "substantially more," she said. Her goal is to do six to 10 projects a year. Reynolds did a Park Cities remodel last year but now plans to focus on fast-growing Frisco. "I like to be close to the homes and pop in and check on things three or four times a day," she said. "It's hard to do that if you get too far away."

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