Southern Stability

The 2005 version of Florida made homebuilders big and rich. It made Southern Crafted Homes pause as management wrestled with a difficult choice.

Jim Deitch, the company's chief operating officer, recalls the staff meeting where management reviewed the long list of places where money could be saved. Different cabinets, cheaper floors, less durable countertops could be installed and the houses would still sell. That would drive greater profits to the bottom line.

But the company chose not to cut corners and avoided the overbuilding frenzy, sticking with what had made it successful since entering the market in 1990.