How Urban Development Group / Jeff L Livingston & Co is breaking new ground in luxury homes
Having cut his teeth as a general contractor for over 20 years, gaining a reputation for detailed and high-quality finishes, Jeff Livingston and his partner Jeremy Walker have become a leading player in luxury new builds. His business, Jeff L Livingston & Co – Urban Development Group and its divisions, undertake operations in some of the most dynamic and exciting real estate markets in the country including in Nashville, Tennessee, a city with 1200 people moving in every day. This growth is generating huge demand for housing and coupled with being one of the largest IT cities the US, there is also substantial demand for bespoke luxury homes.
Realizing the potential of the luxury niche, the company sought to capitalize on the opportunities presented by building exquisite homes of the highest quality. With over 11 projects on the books that are over $5.5 million or above, and some that exceed $7m, this strategy is catapulting the company to ever greater heights.
While luxury is what the company has become known for, the business works on projects of all types, including infill developments, multifamily properties, and community builds. This range of developments illustrates the breadth of expertise within the organization, and it is this in-house knowledge that enabled Jeff L Livingston & Co, through its development division, Urban Development Group (UDG) to commence one of the largest projects it’s ever undertaken – 135 units comprised of condominiums, retail, and townhouses. Completing such a significant development to the high standards that have become associated with the Urban Development Group’s name will be a testament to what the organization can achieve.
The decades of experience in home-building accrued by Jeff and his team have also endowed the business with a deep understanding of how to navigate the challenges that can emerge in projects of any scale. With reliable and trustworthy project management, the whole process, as well as the product, becomes a luxury experience for clients, void of the stresses that can inevitably come with substantial builds.
Total collaboration
Describing what sets Urban Development Group builds apart, Founder and President Jeff Livingston along with co-founder and Vice President Jeremy Walker elaborate: “Our homes are contemporary, modern designs that exhibit superb attention to detail and finishes of the finest quality. One of my favorite projects that exemplifies our capabilities is a seven-and-a-half-million-dollar, 10,000 square foot property sitting in five acres and boasting a putting green, detached 1300 square foot guest house, and zero edge swimming pool. It epitomizes the current phase of the business,” he says.
For Jeff, successes like this arise from a deep passion. “My partner Jeremy and I heavily strive for the finest finishes possible; it’s a labor of love.” Elaborating on this
partnership and how it contributes to the operational success of the business, Jeff points to the “total collaboration, which is hard to find, but makes us an outstanding team,” that enable the team to efficiently stay abreast of the complexities of the business.
In fact, efficiency has also been a key way the company has continued to grow while overcoming the challenges induced by the pandemic. The pandemic, as well other geopolitical factors such as the war in Ukraine, have heavily affected supply chains in many industries. Construction has not escaped these influences and so, material prices skyrocketed – for example, lumbar board costs rose from $500 a board foot to almost $2000. To avoid passing these costs on to the end user, the business had to find ways to streamline some aspects of the operation, without comprising the quality of the end product.
Nevertheless, the pandemic also presented some opportunities, as it saw the start of a property boom in Nashville when people flocked to the city in ever greater numbers. Sarasota, Florida, where the business is also active, is another market experiencing significant growth, placing in the top ten housing markets in the US along with Nashville which as Jeff points out “is constantly competing for top five.”
Consumer markets are increasingly demanding their products and services be sustainable and headed towards carbon neutrality. For Jeff building this into the business was second nature. “If you’re a builder that cares then you’re already sustainable,” he states. “You’re using sustainable products. You’re using up-to-date HVAC systems within house filtration, and your cabinetry is debunked of formaldehyde and mold products.”
Built on passion
It is this approach which has led to the kind of industry recognition the business has experienced in recent years. Having won several Developer of the Year awards and nominations for yet more, Jeff Livingston & Co/Urban Development Group is consolidating a hard-earned reputation for excellence in a highly competitive luxury sector.
By the end of 2024 the company will have added additional multi-million-dollar homes to its portfolio, further capitalizing on the growth experienced in the luxury sector. Looking further forward Jeff/Jeremy hint to “stay tuned, for some very large projects that will be announced.”
Achieving such a level of success and managing to thrive in challenging circumstances is a testament to the passion behind the company. Staying ahead of dynamic market trends to identify and pursue opportunities requires relentless improvement and evolution. It is the marriage of passion and experience that make Jeff L. Livingston & Co/Urban Development Group easy to place trust in. Building a home is a highly emotive process that is compounded with scale, and so trust becomes a key factor in successful customer relations.
It is an exciting period with a bright future ahead for Jeff L. Livingston & Co – Urban Development Group as the decades of experience and time invested are coming to fruition. The business is looking to expand further into luxury sectors that have already helped shore up its reputation as first-rate home builders capable of constructing dream homes with cutting edge modern design.