Ryland Group (FRA:RYG) Quality Rank

Ryland Group Inc is a Maryland corporation, which was founded in 1967. It is a homebuilder and a mortgage-finance company. The Company consists of six operating business segments namely four geographically determined homebuilding regions; financial services; and corporate. The Company's homebuilding operations consist of four regional reporting segments namely North, Southeast, Texas and West. The homebuilding segments specialize in the sale and construction of single-family attached and detached housing. Its operations in each of its homebuilding markets might differ due to a number of market-specific factors. These factors include regional economic conditions and job growth; land availability and local land development; consumer preferences; competition from other homebuilders; and home resale activity. The Company's financial services segment includes RMC, RH Insurance Company, Inc. or RHIC, LPS Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries and Columbia National Risk Retention Group, Inc. or CNRRG. Corporate is a non-operating business segment whose purpose is to support operations. Corporate is responsible for establishing operational policies and internal control standards; implementing strategic initiatives; and monitoring compliance with policies and controls throughout the Company's operations. Corporate acts as an internal source of capital and provides financial, human resource, information technology, insurance, legal, marketing, national purchasing and tax compliance services. In addition, it performs administrative functions associated with a publicly traded entity. Ryland Insurance Services or RIS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RMC, provides insurance services to the Company's homebuyers. As single-family on-site homebuilders in the United States, it operates in 17 states. The Company's homebuilding segments are subject to a number of local, state and federal laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, building design, construction, stormwater permitting and discharge and similar matters, as well as open space, wetlands and environmentally protected areas.