Frank Ballif began building homes in Central Virginia in 1999, while earning his civil engineering degree at the University of Virginia. He has been a successful residential builder ever since. Today Southern Development is the largest local homebuilder in the area, thanks to integrity that translates into superior construction quality and customer service.

These days, when Frank is not on one of his construction sites, he is with his family on their grass-fed beef farm in Albemarle County. Raising cattle in the Blue Ridge foothills has become a weekend passion for Frank. Today, many of Southern Development’s satisfied customers can be found enjoying their new decks by grilling Rocky Hill Farm burgers!

More Than Just a Great Builder

Beginning with a vision and beautiful homesites, Southern Development designs and master plans many of the neighborhoods where they build homes. This all-encompassing strategy ensures communities of enduring appeal.

We Use Energy Savings and Sustainable Features in Every Home

Our homes have Energy Star appliances, WaterSense faucet fixtures, Tyvek® Weatherization Systems, High Efficiency (92%) and Dual-Zoned HVAC, low VOC paints, and engineered floor systems made from sustainable timber sources. Without any additional cost to you, you’ll benefit from this efficiency for years to come.

We Have an Experienced Team.

Our project managers have been in the business an average of 28 years. Every one of them builds homes with unparalleled experience and expertise, and they understand the importance of quality construction and timely delivery.Our Homes Endure.Each of our neighborhoods looks as welcoming and vibrant today as it did the day we completed our last home there.

We Provide Exceptional Customer Service

99% of our customers say they would purchase again or refer a friend. In a small town where word gets around, we are proud of this record and reputation.

We Invest in Our Community.

This is not just our business; we live here. From our land donation to expand Forest Hills Park to helping develop Central Virginia’s only construction waste recycling facility, this is our community and we give back to it every day.

TESTIMONIALS

"I would highly recommend the ownership of a Southern Development Home, not just because of its superb construction, but for the people that stand behind the construction."
- Thomas, Burnet Commons

"you went above and beyond to make sure that my son's first home purchase was a dream come true.  While he was out of the country and unable to see the homes completion in person, you made sure he had photos and was continually updated via email every step of the way.  Only a company truly dedicated to providing the best in customer service satisfaction would go to such lengths."
- Patsy, Laurel Park

"From my 鰀rst meeting with Southern Development, I felt comfortable and trusted the organization with my buying decision. Judi was detail-oriented, prepared and personable from the beginning, which helped me not only know that i wanted to become a homeowner, but also that i wanted to buy from this builder. “~ Tim Eldridge

Glen Allen General construction

“Southern development is an excellent builder – not only in terms of quality, but also responsiveness. other builders i have dealt with have had the former, but lacked the latter. any concerns i ever had (all minor) were quickly addressed to my complete satisfaction. that is what truly sets them apart. i have never hesitated to recommend them to friends who are looking to building a home.~ Jason wu Trujillo