Dream Finders Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

First Quarter Homebuilding Revenues of $825 million

Net New Orders Up 19%, Net Income to DFH Up 11%

Return on Participating Equity of 34.9%

Dream Finders Homes, Inc. (the "Company", "Dream Finders Homes", "Dream Finders" or "DFH") (NYSE:DFH) announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Highlights (As Compared to First Quarter 2023, unless otherwise noted)

• Homebuilding revenues increased 8% to $825 million from $767 million

• Home closings increased 9% to 1,655 from 1,517

• Net new orders increased 19% to 1,724 from 1,448

• Average sales price of homes closed increased to $494,995 from $490,553

• Homebuilding gross margin increased 80 basis points to 17.8% from 17.0%

• Adjusted gross margin (non-GAAP) increased 200 basis points to 26.3% from 24.3%

• Pre-tax income increased 2% to $71 million from $69 million

• Net income attributable to DFH increased 11% to $54 million, or $0.55 per basic share, from $49 million, or $0.49 per basic share

• Active community count increased 5% to 232 from 220

• Backlog of 4,524 sold homes as of March 31, 2024, valued at $2.3 billion

• Net debt to net capitalization of 39.9% as of March 31, 2024, compared to 43.3% as of March 31, 2023

• Return on participating equity of 34.9% for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2024, compared to 46.0% for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2023

• Total liquidity, comprised of cash and cash equivalents, and availability under the revolving credit facility, of $500 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $828 million as of December 31, 2023. The Crescent Homes acquisition (discussed below) was funded by cash on hand and borrowings under the revolving credit facility.

Management Commentary

Patrick Zalupski, Dream Finders Homes Chairman and CEO, said, "Despite persistent uncertainty in the interest rate environment, DFH achieved another quarter of quality growth, with homebuilding revenues of $825 million, an 8% increase over the prior year quarter and another first quarter Company record. More notably, we delivered increases in net new orders of 19% and net income attributable to DFH of 11% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the year ago quarter.

"We are also very excited about closing the Crescent Homes acquisition during the quarter, our fifth acquisition in five years. We are confident this will provide significant growth opportunities in our Mid-Atlantic segment. We remain enthusiastic about our current and long-term prospects for DFH as we continue to pursue strategic opportunities in new and existing markets."

Acquisition of Crescent Homes

On February 1, 2024, the Company acquired the majority of the homebuilding assets of privately held homebuilder, Crescent Homes ("Crescent Homes" or "Crescent"). The acquisition allowed the Company to expand into the markets of Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. Crescent's operations are included within our Mid-Atlantic segment as of the acquisition date.

First Quarter 2024 Results

Homebuilding revenues in the first quarter of 2024 increased 8% to $825 million, compared to $767 million in the first quarter of 2023. Average sales price ("ASP") of homes closed for the first quarter of 2024 was $494,995, a slight increase compared to the prior year quarter ASP of $490,553. Home closings increased 9% to 1,655 compared to 1,517 in the first quarter of 2023. The increase in homebuilding revenues was primarily due to the Crescent acquisition and overall product mix during the first quarter of 2024 when compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Homebuilding gross margin percentage in the first quarter of 2024 increased 80 basis points ("bps") to 17.8% from 17.0% in the first quarter of 2023, primarily attributable to direct cost reductions and, to a lesser extent, cycle time improvements across our homebuilding operations. The increase in gross margin percentage was partially offset by higher land and financing costs. In addition, amortization of purchase accounting adjustments associated with home closings contributed from the Crescent Homes acquisition negatively impacted the first quarter of 2024 gross margin percentage by approximately 50 bps. Purchase accounting amortization is a temporary cost that will conclude in conjunction with closing the remaining homes in inventory acquired from Crescent.

Adjusted gross margin as a percentage of homebuilding revenues in the first quarter of 2024 was 26.3%, an increase of 200 bps compared to 24.3% in the first quarter of 2023. The increase in adjusted gross margin was primarily due to direct cost reductions, partially offset by higher land costs. Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Selling, general and administrative expense ("SG&A") in the first quarter of 2024 increased 35% to $82 million, compared to $61 million in the first quarter of 2023. SG&A as a percentage of homebuilding revenues in the first quarter of 2024 was 9.9%, an increase of 200 basis points compared to 7.9% in the first quarter of 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to higher compensation costs as we continue to expand our operations, as well as costs associated with forward mortgage commitment programs which allow our homebuyers to lock in their mortgage interest rates at the time of sale. Although the SG&A percentage of homebuilding revenues increased in the current quarter, this metric should normalize for the year as anticipated quarterly closing volumes materialize.

Net income attributable to DFH in the first quarter of 2024 increased 11% to $54 million, or $0.55 per basic share, from $49 million, or $0.49 per basic share in the first quarter of 2023. This improvement primarily resulted from a 14% reduction in income tax expense compared to the prior year quarter, mainly as a result of increased tax benefits from stock-based compensation.

Net new orders in the first quarter of 2024 were 1,724, an increase of 19% compared to 1,448 net new orders for the first quarter of 2023. The cancellation rate in the first quarter of 2024 was 21.0%, remaining consistent with the first quarter of 2023 cancellation rate of 20.9%. The Company had one built-for-rent contract of 229 units that was terminated during the first quarter of 2024 based on a strategic decision to convert the controlled lots into future retail sales. Excluding the impact of this unique event, net new orders were 1,953, an increase of 35% over the prior year quarter, and the total cancellation rate was 10.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Our total available liquidity as of March 31, 2024 was $500 million, including $239 million of unrestricted operating cash. In addition, net debt to net capitalization as of March 31, 2024 was 39.9%, a reduction of 340 bps from the end of the first quarter of 2023. The improvement in net debt to net capitalization was achieved despite the Crescent Homes acquisition in 2024, which was funded by cash on hand and borrowings under the revolving credit facility.

First Quarter 2024 Backlog

As of March 31, 2024, DFH had a backlog of 4,524 homes, valued at $2.3 billion, compared to the backlog of 3,978 homes, valued at $1.9 billion as of December 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2024, the ASP in backlog was $513,238 compared to $474,451 as of December 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 727 of the homes in backlog are expected to be delivered in 2025 and beyond.

The following table shows the backlog units and ASP as of March 31, 2024 by homebuilding segment:

Full Year 2024 Outlook

Dream Finders Homes maintains its guidance of approximately 8,250 home closings for the full year 2024, inclusive of the Crescent Homes acquisition.

About Dream Finders Homes, Inc.

Dream Finders Homes (NYSE:DFH) is a homebuilder based in Jacksonville, FL. Dream Finders Homes builds single-family homes throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, including Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, which comprises Northern Virginia and Maryland. Through its financial services joint ventures, DFH also provides mortgage financing and title services to homebuyers. Dream Finders Homes achieves its industry-leading growth and returns by maintaining an asset-light homebuilding model. For more information, please visit www.dreamfindershomes.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding future events, including projected 2024 home closings and market conditions, possible or assumed future results of operations, benefits of the Crescent Homes acquisition, and statements regarding the Company's strategies and expectations as they relate to market opportunities and growth. All forward-looking statements are based on Dream Finders Homes' beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Dream Finders Homes. These statements reflect Dream Finders Homes' current views with respect to future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions are discussed in Dream Finders Homes' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Dream Finders Homes undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement except as may be required by applicable law.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following table presents a reconciliation of adjusted gross margin to the GAAP financial measure of gross margin for each of the periods indicated (unaudited and in thousands, except percentages):

Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure used by management as a supplemental measure in evaluating operating performance. The Company defines adjusted gross margin as gross margin excluding the effects of capitalized interest, lot option fees, amortization included in homebuilding cost of sales (adjustments resulting from the application of purchase accounting in connection with acquisitions) and commission expense. Management believes this information is meaningful because it isolates the impact that these excluded items have on gross margin. The Company includes internal and external commission expense in homebuilding cost of sales, not selling, general and administrative expense, and therefore commission expense is taken into account in gross margin. As a result, in order to provide a meaningful comparison to the public company homebuilders that include commission expense below the gross margin line in selling, general and administrative expense, commission expense has been excluded from adjusted gross margin. However, because adjusted gross margin information excludes capitalized interest, lot option fees, purchase accounting amortization and commission expense, which have real economic effects and could impact our results of operations, the utility of adjusted gross margin information as a measure of operating performance may be limited. In addition, other companies may not calculate adjusted gross margin information in the same manner. Accordingly, adjusted gross margin information should be considered only as a supplement to gross margin information as a measure of performance.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240502413900/en/