TRG Communities: Our Cornerstone Is Value
Q & A with Jeff Randolph, TRG Communities
Jeff Randolph started TRG Communities way back in 1997. Since that time, even as the business has grown significantly, his original vision has stayed intact:
“Our goal from day one was to establish a residential, mixed-use development company that created imaginative, dynamic spaces for families to live, work, and play. The reason we have been successful, I think, is that we have never wavered from that commitment.”
Indeed, TRG Communities has garnered numerous accolades and awards over the years, including being recognized by the National Association of Home and Professional Builder’s magazine, as well as being crowned “The Best” in American Living. Still based out of the perennially decorated city of Greenville in the Upstate of South Carolina, TRG Communities does work throughout the southeast—from Atlanta to Greensboro. Here’s what founder Jeff Randolph had to say recently about TRG Communities and the impact they continue to have in the region.
In addition to managing the selected homebuilders, they strategically set aside designated areas in each community for amenities, retail shops, and green space.
Q & A with Jeff Randolph
Q. So Jeff, if you had to boil it down to one thing, what is it that homeowners—and builders, for that matter—like best about TRG?
A. I suppose it would be that our communities elevate the value of each individual home. We are very intentional about each community—picking the right land, selecting the right builders, overseeing the architectural guidelines, and ensuring quality from pre-ground-breaking to the construction and sale of the final home in the community.
Q. So TRG is a very strategic company with a hands-on approach.
A. Oh yes, absolutely. We don’t leave anything to chance…at least we try not to (laughs). We carefully map out each community, in terms of the relationship of living space, green space, retail components, and potential amenity areas. We strive to achieve balance so that it will be a self-contained community that attracts a variety of buyers, from young families to older individuals and empty nesters.
Q. So I did some research and the word on the street, in the builder community, is that builders love to work on TRG projects. Why is that.
A: Well, I appreciate you saying that. That’s good to hear (laughs). I suppose it is because our homes tend to sell consistently, and often faster, than at other communities. They also sell at a higher price per-square-foot typically. We want to make sure that we are creating a community or a neighborhood that is going to be attractive today, and also maintain its appeal 10 years down the road. Our communities have staying power because they hold their value, even in an uncertain economy. They stand the test of time. Homeowners are drawn to that, as are builders.
Q: As everyone in real estate knows, the past year has been difficult, with interest rates ticking up to 7%, inventory in short supply, and home values coming back down to earth somewhat. How does TRG face a market like this?
A: We have the same approach in a down market as in a buyer’s market—we always seek to create value. We look for parcels of land that are desirable locations, that are only going to be more coveted as time goes on. On top of that, we design our communities to appeal to families by offering accessibility, plenty of outdoor space, gathering spaces, pools, clubhouses, retail shops…it just depends on the particular project. The goal is to build more than a neighborhood with a bunch of houses, but to create a holistic living experience that stands the test of time. Because the bottom line is, people make decisions about where they want to live based on long-term value…whether the market is favorable or not. Our emphasis on quality, value, and the overall living experience has helped us succeed over the past year, and during other challenging times.
Learn More About TRG Communities
The Randolph Group develops communities all over the Upstate of South Carolina, as well as other regions in South Carolina and in North Carolina. We specialize in creating imaginative places for people to live, work, and play, while enjoying an elevated lifestyle and sense of community.
Q. So tell us, what first attracted you to O’Neal Village?
A. (Guichard) Yes, that is true. It was a dream of ours to open a restaurant and it’s incredible how it all came together in the community in which we live. The restaurant is called House 509 Bistro & Wine Bar and it has been open since this past November.
A: (Guichard) Yes, the people are wonderful. And the fact that there was an actual thoughtful concept behind the community. It’s not just a bunch of cookie-cutter houses thrown together. There is distinctive architecture and a quite a variety of home options that all reflect quality. There are Charleston-designed houses like ours, as well as townhomes and single-family homes with multiple plan options. And then the commercial and social components mixed in. It’s all complementary—it fits together well in the overall concept.
A: (Guichard) Yes, the whole community plays a part and has bought into this concept. It’s great to see. Memorial Day, Labor Day, and holiday parties here are so much fun. It is a very easy community to meet people and make friends.
The vision and realization of such a development speak to the difficulty in developers trying to support affordable housing. In this case, one property was zoned commercial and the adjacent property zoned multi-family. According to zoning regulations, up to 130 apartments could have been constructed.
It’s good for the overall economy because when a person has a margin in their budget and housing in line with what it should be (35%) they can save and spend money to buy things, but when they are trapped in inadequate housing they can’t do anything. At TRG we believe we can play a role in that part of the housing sector. TRG desires to build quality housing in attractive neighborhoods regardless of price and location. All homeowners
Oglesby notes the progress of the organization, “Homes of Hope has completed 643 completed affordable housing units through rent and ownership. We’ve got 228 houses in the pipeline, so we will be at 871 units when we complete the 75 homes in the Charleston project. Affordable housing is a starting place for us and meets a real need for people, it’s the beginning of our story not the end of it. It starts the process for economic mobility and one day they won’t need subsidized housing and will be able to afford market prices through better jobs, education, and asset growth.”
As a further sign of community partnership, the St. Andrews Fire Department under the direction of Fire Marshal and Captain Kevin A. Berkel was invited by TRG to conduct several valuable training exercises in one of the existing structures before it was demolished as part of the project’s development which is expected to be completed in April of 2022. This development is an example of private-public sector cooperation by exhausting resources to provide housing and first responder training.
TRG Communities creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living spaces. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents. Our developments include O’Neal Village in Greer, SC, Foxbank Plantation in Charleston, Carilion in Travelers Rest, Verdmont, Redfearn, and Neely Farm in Simpsonville, SC and the latest development, Pinestone in Travelers Rest, SC.
Committed developers understand the importance of their role within local communities. They seek to add value through intentional design, land impact, and improvements, providing local jobs, stewarding the environment, community input, following state/local building codes for design and development while maintaining community standards. Simply put, developers should seek ways to invest in their community through charity, land improvement, and quality. These developers consider themselves part of the community so they really do have “skin in the game” beyond profit.
One of the ways developers support the community is through charitable contributions, volunteering in various community efforts, providing support to first responders, schools, and other worthy non-profit organizations.
Captain Berkel noted, “We are continuing our training scenarios of rescuing a firefighter down, as well as civilian victims. This week we rotated all our companies through this training using theatrical smoke. All our crews love the opportunity to train in this structure and we are all very thankful!”
Giving back to the community is really important in regard to corporate stewardship and partnership. Seeking creative opportunities and innovative ways to support the local community is just one way developers can invest and buy into their local community. First Responders are always looking for private and public sector partnerships. Sometimes it’s something as small as providing a training location that otherwise would’ve gone unnoticed and been demolished without a thought.
At TRG we are trying to find ways to support the communities in which we invest with creativity and innovation. We encourage other developers and community non-profit organizations to seek similar partnerships. Community development is a partnership and one that shouldn’t be taken for granted. TRG will continue to seek ways to support our communities and neighborhoods without seeking fanfare or the limelight because it’s just the right thing to do.
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TRG Communities creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living space. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents. Our developments include O’Neal Village in Greer, SC, Foxbank Plantation in Charleston, Verdmont and Carilion in Travelers Rest, and Neely Farm in Simpsonville, SC.
The Upstate and Greenville, South Carolina are among the top 10 fastest growing metro areas in the United States according to some new research by 
Residential building permits are up and so is the development from Atlanta to Charlotte. Many young professionals are fleeing the high-priced living of places like San Francisco, NY, Chicago, and Miami with the options for remote work and the ability to lower their housing/mortgage payment while still being able to save money on the cost of living in many of these areas and save.
The growing metros have spectacular downtown areas, easy access to shopping, high-quality medical care, strong public safety, schools with relatively lower travel time to the beach or mountains for getaway weekends. For many of these transfers and new in-flow residents, it’s not as important to live on the ocean or in the mountains as it is to be accessible for when they need “getaway time” for family.
Developments such as Pinestone in Travelers Rest, O’Neal Village in Greer, Pendleton West, Carilion and others offer the opportunity to get more value out of your dollar without sacrificing or giving up amenities previously enjoyed in other metro areas. Downtown Greenville offers a palette of choice for the arts, fine dining, with easy access to hiking trails, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, quaint and charming towns like Greer, Travelers Rest, and beyond offer an easy connection to local culture, art, food, and entertainment.
Those considering a spec home have the advantage of a quick move-in and occupancy of the home. However, there may still be some customization you can request for the building in regard to carpet, flooring, sod, fencing, etc. What are the neighborhood HOA restrictions or limitations?
Drive through the neighborhood at different hours to see if there are distractions you would rather avoid. Is the street well lit for security purposes? Are people mingling or out in the evening or mornings on weekends? Inspect the drainage system of the home and determine if you think it can handle run-off water from heavy storms, etc.
There are multiple considerations to make when building or purchasing a spec home. The final decision is up to the buyer which is why you need to do your homework and research.
O’Neal Village
The first thing to consider is the community developer. Before looking at builders, spec homes, or homes for sale consider who developed the neighborhood. Study their credentials. See what other neighborhoods they have developed in your area and region. Go on their website and see what they are all about. Check out the Google Reviews of the neighborhood you are considering. It all starts with the developer. Every developer has complaints, but if you see multiple negative reviews about their quality, layout, design, HOA, etc., you may want to broaden your search.
Check the crime rates and police response for the community you are considering. This can be done through a pretty generic search on Google. If you see a high crime or multiple police response pattern to the specific neighborhood you may want to consider another development. Only you can make that decision.
Finding the right neighborhood and vetting specific builders is the lion’s share of purchasing an existing or new home in a specific neighborhood. At the end of the day, the decision is yours to make, and being able to say you did your homework is important.
TRG Communities creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living space. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents.
