About Desert Homes Development

Dean and Karen Husted started their custom homebuilding company in 1991, incorporating the company as Desert Homes Development, Inc., in 1995. Dean functions as President and General Contractor; Karen is Secretary /Treasurer and manages the office. The company has a full-time Superintendent, Fred Wortley, and a part-time bookkeeper, Fran Hribar. Dean and Karen made a conscious decision to keep the company small. They wanted to have direct contact with all their clients and they have enjoyed the personal interaction with their customers as well as the projects themselves.

Dean grew up in Gillette, Wyoming, and taught high school there for 10 years before his part-time building business became his main occupation. In 1983, Dean decided to trade the cold winters for the hot summers and moved to Phoenix (a decision he has never regretted!). Karen, an Arizona native, gave up a career as a stockbroker to become Dean's business partner.

DHDI specializes in custom homebuilding and remodeling projects. Dean is a visionary and can assist customers with bringing an idea to a functional plan. Fred is the guy that assists the subs in bringing the plan to fruition. DHDI has worked with many subcontractors since the company's inception. Many are family-owned businesses and the principal is often on the jobsite. This consistency brings quality to every job and harmony among the various subs.

Dean meets with every prospective client personally. Detailed estimates are provided for each job.