Wieland Homes CEO to camp out in unsold homes

Home builder John Wieland admitted he’s not much of a camper.

“My idea of camping has stars associated with it — four stars,” said Wieland, who is probably Atlanta’s best-known builder.

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John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods

Builder John Wieland will travel the region in his “Wiebago” trying to sell his houses.

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Nonetheless, Wieland is embarking today on a camping trip that could last several weeks.

He’s going to travel around the Southeast in his customized motor home — his “Wiebago” — until 101 homes go under contract, and sleep in unfurnished, unsold homes in Wieland neighborhoods.

The homes will have carpeting, running water, heat and little else. Wieland will bring his own mattress for the floor.

In an effort to ignite sales, the builder will talk to potential buyers at Wieland communities in Georgia and three other states about low interest rates and price cuts. “It’s time to get back to fundamentals,” he said, thus the 101 sales target.

Wieland said he hopes his road trip will last “under 40 days.” To accomplish that, an average of more than two sales contracts a day will have to be signed.

“I think I’ll see the beginning of April still sleeping on the floor. But not much of April,” he said.

Economist Donald Ratajczak said “as long as people think waiting is beneficial it’s going to be hard to get housing sales going. I don’t think the CEO of one home-building company can make it happen.”

But the camping trip is “inventive and imaginative and I give him credit for trying,” said Ratajczak, former head of Georgia State University’s economic forecasting center. “You can do it once.”

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods builds in four states and has 380 unsold homes in various stages of construction.

Wieland’s Atlanta homes sales fell 36 percent in fiscal 2008, and its total business was off 60 percent compared to the company’s best years.

Wieland’s tour begins at noon at the company headquarters in Smyrna. The CEO will spend Friday night at the Reunion Country Club in Hall County. The motor home will be parked at the community center and Wieland will ride a scooter to an unsold home, where he will bunk down. On the floor.