Lennar Homes Moves to Top of Residential Builders Survey

For the first time in five years, there is a new name--Lennar Homes--at the top of The Times’ survey of residential building in Southern California.

Lennar, whose 1998 results were omitted from the 28th annual survey, published April 11, dethroned Kaufman & Broad Home Corp., which had dominated the survey for much of the 1990s.

A national builder with Southland headquarters in Mission Viejo, Lennar reported 1998 sales volume of $635.5 million on sales of 2,011 homes, according to President Jon Jaffe.

The company, which bought a number of smaller home builders last year, moved up from No. 2 in the 1997 survey.

Kaufman & Broad, which reported revenue of $498 million on sales of 2,350 homes in 1998 and is ranked No. 2 behind Lennar, just completed its purchase of Lewis Homes, ranked No. 4 in this year’s survey.