The Best of Both Worlds
Personal attention meets proven resources and design.
AR Homes / The Ernst Group
Building a truly custom home requires more than a great floor plan. It takes experienced people who listen to a buyer’s ideas, understand how they want to live and, leveraging the necessary resources, translate that vision into a home uniquely theirs.
That combination of experience and personalization is at the heart of The Ernst Group, LLC, an independently owned and operated AR Homes® franchise serving the Knoxville area.
Owner Steve Ernst began his homebuilding career in 1994, but his interest started earlier. “While I was in college, I talked with a friend of mine who was a second-generation homebuilder about the pros and cons of being a homebuilder,” Ernst says. “I decided after talking with him that homebuilding was something I wanted to pursue.”
His education quickly became hands-on. “I started as a laborer, cleaning jobsites and assisting trades,” he says. “This helped me learn the homebuilding process from the field.” After earning his contractor’s license, Ernst started a homebuilding company with his father and brother.
Today, The Ernst Group combines that experience with the resources of AR Homes. “We have been building custom homes in the greater Nashville area for three decades,” Ernst says. “In 2013 our company was selected to be the exclusive AR Homes Builder in Middle Tennessee. With that, we expanded our operations to Knoxville in 2023 and are very excited about the opportunities we’ve had to grow our business in the Knoxville market.”
Hundreds of Plans. One Unique Vision.
One of the biggest advantages of building with The Ernst Group is access to AR Homes’ extensive portfolio of award-winning designs. But those plans are simply starting points.
We have access to incredibly talented Architectural Designers that create and customize our plans. — Steve Ernst, Owner
Through the Personalized Floor Plan by AR Homes® process, buyers can adapt an existing design around their lifestyle and priorities—enlarging a kitchen, adding a room or rethinking an elevation, for example—or create something entirely new. As Ernst explains, “We have access to incredibly talented Architectural Designers that create and customize our plans for our clients to suit their lifestyle.”
The relationship also gives The Ernst Group sophisticated operational resources while allowing it to retain the personal attention of a local builder. “The back-office systems of AR Homes give us the capabilities of a larger builder while remaining a small local builder,” Ernst explains. That includes an integrated platform encompassing sales, purchasing, scheduling and accounting, along with preferred pricing through AR Homes’ corporate purchasing program.
Innovation Backed by Experience
That combination of personalized design and proven resources will be on display at this year’s Parade of Homes. “Our entry into The Parade of Homes is a 5,100 square foot two-story custom-designed residence featuring five bedrooms, 5½ baths, a prep kitchen, large office and exercise area.
Ultimately, this premier builder offers buyers the best of both worlds. AR Homes brings the designs and personalization tools. The Ernst Group brings decades of experience and local knowledge. Together, they create a home as individual as the people who will live there.
Contact
AR Homes / The Ernst Group
11020 Kingston Pike, Suite 250
Knoxville, TN 37934
