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Marquis Homes is a development & construction firm that specializes in BFR homes and communities. We take pride in efficiently building high-quality homes tailored to renters’ preferences in family-friendly neighborhoods. Marquis is an affiliate of Lafayette Real Estate, a leading investment management firm in the SFR and BFR space.
In 2022, Lafayette launched Marquis Homes, a homebuilding company that oversees and internalizes to a larger extent the development and construction of our Built-for-Rent communities, giving us more control over the product we deliver to tenants.
Marquis aims to provide US households with better housing which often translates into a better life. We are on a mission to help fix the current shortage of homes in the US, by creating new supply, one home at a time.
Our dedicated team of land planners, contractors, designers, and homebuilders is focused on acquiring land, developing property, and building homes that are designed to accommodate the unique needs of today’s renter.
ENTITLEMENT AND LAND ACQUISITION
LAND DEVELOPMENT
LARGE-SCALE HOMEBUILDING
Mr. Adrien is the Founder and CEO of the general partners managing the Lafayette funds, and the Founder and President of Brandywine Homes USA. He oversees all investment decisions, property management, fundraising and investor relations.
Christopher Mataja is the Chief Operating Officer at Lafayette. He oversees the underwriting and acquisition of all real estate. Over the last 9 years, Mr. Mataja has contributed to establishing Lafayette’s reputation as one of the most reliable buyers and lenders in the single family home industry.
Mr. Crandall serves as Lafayette’s Chief Financial Officer, overseeing all the firm’s financial affairs, including financial reporting, FP&A, accounting, treasury, tax, and audit compliance.
Jason Besse, CFA, serves as Head of BFR for Lafayette and Marquis Homes bringing an impressive 20 years of experience to the table. He oversees our BFR activity, including sourcing, entitlement, development, and homebuilding.
Before joining Marquis Homes, Mr. Besse worked across multiple departments within public homebuilding, including land acquisition, land development, and operations, reaching the role of VP of Operations for Taylor Morrison. Most recently, Jason was with Century Communities as Division President, overseeing all aspects of the homebuilding operations across the West Florida region.
Mr. Besse holds an MBA and a B.A. in Finance from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Dave Truxton, MBA, serves as Head of Land Operations for Lafayette and Marquis Homes. He oversees our BFR land activity, including sourcing, entitlement, and development.
Prior to joining Marquis Homes, Mr. Truxton worked for some of the top national homebuilders and private developers throughout the state of Florida, acquiring over $1B of real estate over the last 20 years. Most recently, Dave was with Lennar Homes as Vice President of Land, overseeing all aspects of land acquisitions and dispositions across the West Florida region, and has a wealth of experience in land acquisition, capital financing, entitlements, development, and operations.
Mr. Truxton holds an executive MBA from the University of South Florida and a B.S. in Finance with an emphasis in Real Estate from Missouri State University.
Steve Kraguljac serves as the VP of Vertical Operations and brings a wealth of experience with a 30-year career journey. Steve oversees vendor relations with national manufacturers and purchasing and construction functions.
Mr. Kraguljac started his career as a custom home builder, later moving to national home builders such as Taylor Morrison homes, K. Hovnanian and Morrison Homes…
Mr. Kraguljac has been a VP of Purchasing, Regional Purchasing Manager, and Regional Production/Construction Manager.
Mr. Kraguljac is a licensed Florida Contractor and has received a B.S in Business Management from The Ohio State University.
Neven Simikic is responsible for overseeing the REO portfolio of Lafayette. He supervises the recovery and renovations of at-risk properties and ensures that maximum returns are recovered.
Prior to joining Lafayette, Mr. Simikic managed multifamily renovation projects in New York, and before that, he had more than eight years of experience as a portfolio manager for a commercial real estate development company in Belgrade, Serbia.
Mr. Simikic holds a B.A in Business Administration from Bocconi University (Italy).
Heather Wildasin is the Purchasing Coordinator for Marquis Homes.
Heather’s main responsibilities include coordinating bids from trades, creating and maintaining construction budgets, vendor onboarding, as well as creating and maintaining vendor relationships.
Mrs. Wildasin is also the liaison between our construction team, office staff, and accounting departments.
Brad Stanis is a seasoned professional in land acquisition, entitlement, and development with 20+ years of experience in residential communities. He held key positions with various national homebuilders, including a decade with Lennar homes. During his tenure at Lennar, Brad managed all aspects of land, from sourcing to entitlement, and successfully opened the company’s land operations in Jacksonville.
He played a pivotal role in acquiring and entitling land from northern Broward County to Indian River County, leading to the reopening of Lennar’s Palm Beach Division, which had been closed since the 2008 recession. Throughout his career, Brad has been responsible for the acquisition and development of over 30,000 homesites across Florida.
He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s Degree from Columbia University.
Jessica is a Senior Project Manager for Marquis Homes. In her role, Jessica monitors construction projects from planning to completion, including tasks such as troubleshooting, budgeting, and scheduling. In addition to overseeing quality standards,
Jessica ensures all safety measures are implemented and reinforced throughout construction sites. Jessica also collaborates with subcontractors to identify project needs and monitor ongoing performance.
Prior to joining Lafayette, Jessica held the role of Construction Manager for Toll Brothers, in which she oversaw the construction of new homes, as well as the home warranties for over 100 customers with closed homes.
Jessica holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Michigan State University.
Ms. Basile is a Senior Project Manager at Marquis Homes, bringing over 21 years of construction management experience to the team. In her role, Rene’ focuses on delivering projects on time and within budget while ensuring the highest standards of safety, supported by her OSHA certification.
Before joining Marquis Homes, Ms. Basile served as Project Manager for both Maronda Homes and Magnolia Homes in Florida, overseeing multifamily and custom home developments. She was promoted to Vice President at Magnolia Homes, where she managed company financials, accounts payable, permitting, and closing processes.
Rene’ also brings experience from her work at a private inspection firm, where she contributed to commercial projects and acted as an owner’s agent in water intrusion investigations. Prior to her career in construction, she was a business owner and proudly served as a U.S. Army Veteran, demonstrating her diverse background and commitment to excellence.
Are you passionate about creating beautiful homes? If so, we invite you to consider a career with Marquis Homes. As a leading homebuilder, we are always on the lookout for talented individuals who are dedicated to craftsmanship, innovation, and exceptional customer service.
