Steve Crawford has always had an instinct for what will sell. Twenty years ago, he had a knack for moving cars as one of Shelor Motors’ top salesmen. Then in 1988, he started JSK Construction home remodeling business, which grew and prospered. But in 1999, when Crawford arranged a complicated profit-sharing deal with local government to finance a high-end subdivision in Pulaski County, Va., where family incomes average about $35,000, some folks shook their heads.

As it turned out, the $250,000 to $500,000 homes above the meandering New River went like ice cones in a heat wave. Most of the 215 properties – townhomes and houses – in the original Herons Landing subdivision are sold. Last fall Crawford purchased 77 adjacent acres for River Ridge subdivision and plans to accommodate 192 town homes and 109 single-family homes with price tags ranging from $250,000 - $1 million.

"There were a few times I wasn’t sure it would work, but it has," Crawford says. "We’ve never completed a house that wasn’t sold already. I knew there was a demand for this sort of community with river views and a golf course, and I knew that I’d be pulling people from outside Pulaski County."

Young families, retirees, and Hokies looking for second homes near Lane Stadium have bought into the subdivisions running along Virginia Tech’s River Course golf course, newly renovated by renowned golf course architect Pete Dye.

Besides Crawford’s premium subdivision, he has developed the 32-home Peppers Ferry Meadow subdivision and is working on a 63-unit townhome project and a smaller patio home development, all in the Town of Pulaski. Crawford also owns Meadows Golf & Country Club near Christiansburg, which he plans to renovate in a few years.

In all his projects, Crawford uses Anderson & Associates as his engineering firm. "There are several reasons why I always use Tommy DiGiulian (A&A Senior Vice President) as my project manager," Crawford says. "A&A designs with costs in mind, and a developer needs that. Whenever I call, I get a real person who can answer my question, usually on the spot. That’s important when you have a huge investment and time is money. Also, when I walk into a government agency with A&A on the contract, I have immediate credibility. They respect the work A&A does."