Maronda Homes Inc. on pace to build 300 houses this year in Western Pa.

Maronda Homes Inc. is on pace to build 300 houses this year in Western Pennsylvania, about 50 more than in 2011, when the company was working to reorganize its finances under bankruptcy protection.

Cortlandt “Corky” Houchard, the builder's Pittsburgh division manager, gave that estimate Tuesday as he led an open house for real estate professionals and other visitors at a model of the Monroe, one of Maronda's new Presidential Series homes in Findlay.

Seven months after working out a new agreement with lenders and exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the region's third-largest homebuilder is marking its 40th anniversary, promoting seven designs that are bigger and pricer than other Maronda styles and adding more choices — on paint finishes, handrails and other amenities — for all its houses.

Twelve lenders agreed in mid-December to provide Maronda $128 million in new financing. Since then, “I actually think we've evolved as a stronger company, not only financially but in terms of what we are offering our customers,” Houchard said.

After the case was closed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Pittsburgh, “We began to say, what do customers want? What do we need to do to be better because we realize we may be at a disadvantage here?” he said.

The company made changes: A 10-year structural warranty was offered for the first time. One year had been the standard.

“We never were involved with Energy Star,” Houchard said, referring to the government-backed program that promotes energy efficient building products and appliances. “Now we're an Energy Star builder. And we've added options that people have asked for.”

An example is nickel-finish door handles, more contemporary than a shiny brass look, he said. Customers who choose Maronda to build their homes are urged to visit the “Maronda room” that opened this year at SP Floors on Route 19 in Peters, where they can pick out color combinations, cabinet styles and flooring and get estimates.

Ryan Homes builder NVR Inc. remains Western Pennsylvania's largest homebuilder, with 224 sales to date this year totaling $64.1 million, according to RealStats figures. Heartland Homes Inc. is second with 140 sales totaling $51.4 million, and Maronda's 126 sales generated almost $28.7 million.

Maronda filed for bankruptcy on April 18, 2011, after failing to reach revised financing terms with 14 banks despite paying down much of the $430 million in debt it carried at the start of the mortgage and credit crisis about four years ago. Huntington and Fifth Third banks opted out of Maronda's new financing deal.

Maronda's sales dropped sharply after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-April, President Ronald Wolf said at a court hearing in October.

Wolf has been president since 1993 of the company his father founded in 1972. William Wolf died in 2008, and a charitable trust holds the company's equity.

The company builds or is planning homes in 40 developments, mainly in Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties. Few customers have asked about the bankruptcy, Houchard said.

The seven new Presidential designs are “a notch above” other Maronda floor plans, running 2,800 to 3,500 square feet in size -- and up to 5,000 square feet with finished lower floors. Prices range from $260,000 to more than $500,000.

Typical Maronda homes are 1,800 to 3,000 square feet in size.

Social media has become a key promotion tool to reach potential homebuyers. The Monroe model built in the 66-lot Maronda Farms community in Findlay, where the open house was held, can be seen on YouTube in an animated tour with digital furniture added.

The 4,800-square-foot house has four bedrooms, a three-car garage and sunroom, and is priced at $449,900.

Next door, a Buchanan style house still under construction was the subject of Maronda's first online, animated house tour video.

On YouTube, “As of today, after three weeks, we've had 17,000 views,” said John W. Ceranic III, Maronda's national sales director, who developed the idea for the videos after meeting an animator in Orlando.

Maronda plans to show off 11 house styles on virtual animated tours. “It's cutting-edge in terms of marketing, and it's just getting traction,” Ceranic said.

Kim Leonard is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-5606 or kleonard@tribweb.com.