Since 2009, Simplicity by Hayden Homes has been building award-winning homes throughout the Northwest from its headquarters in Redmond, Oregon. Dedicated to providing an unparalleled customer experience, Simplicity strives to build value driven, high quality homes.
Simplicity is an on-your-land homebuilder, meaning we build on land the customer already owns. Offering a broad range of residential housing options from custom homes to tiny homes on a customer’s existing land, Simplicity also constructs farmworker housing units and provides investor building solutions that range from ADUs and cottage communities to single-family subdivisions and multi-family projects.
Want to learn more about Simplicity for a publication or blog article? Call our marketing department via the info below.
Press Contact
Katy Wooderson
Vice President of Marketing
kwooderson@hayden-homes.com
541-639-6848
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SIMPLICITY BY HAYDEN HOMES ANNOUNCES RYAN JENNINGS AS NEW PRESIDENT
July 14, 2022 – (REDMOND, Ore.) — Simplicity by Hayden Homes is pleased to announce that Ryan Jennings has been promoted and named President. “Ryan’s tenure and breadth, and depth of experience will prove valuable as Simplicity by Hayden Homes continues our growth trajectory,” said Dennis Murphy, CEO of Simplicity by Hayden Homes. “I have the utmost confidence in Ryan’s abilities and know he will continue to fulfill our mission and deliver an unparalleled customer experience to our home buyers. We look forward to his many contributions in the years ahead.”
Jennings has more than 17 years of management experience within both Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes, including Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, Regional Director, Operations Director, and most recently, Purchasing Director.
“I am honored to work with a talented and passionate team as we build on the remarkable success that has been delivered over the past several years,” said Ryan Jennings. “I look forward to helping Simplicity by Hayden Homes continue to grow, innovate and provide value-driven, high-quality homes to our customers.”
Dennis Murphy will remain CEO of both Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes.
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About Simplicity by Hayden Homes
Simplicity by Hayden Homes is an on-your-land homebuilder, offering a broad range of residential housing options. Simplicity also constructs farmworker housing units and provides investor building solutions that range from ADUs and cottage communities to single-family subdivisions and multi-family projects. For more information, visit http://www.simplicity-homes.com.
About Hayden Homes
Established in Redmond, Oregon in 1989, Hayden Homes has provided over 20,000 new homes to price conscious, value-driven homebuyers in underserved, secondary markets throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Hayden Homes continues to be the largest privately-owned new home builder in the Pacific Northwest.
Hayden Homes exists to Give As You Go™, so together we build a strong community, and lead fulfilled lives. Hayden Homes has contributed 4.9 billion dollars to local economies and has created more than 85,000 jobs since the company’s inception. Hayden Homes supports philanthropic efforts in the communities in which they build and have contributed more than 44 million dollars in charitable donations with the flagship of their giving through the 501(c)(3) Non-Profit, First Story. To date, First Story has provided over 100 deserving and capable families throughout the Pacific Northwest with a safe, healthy affordable home and a first step toward financial freedom. The Hayden Homes brand family of companies includes Simplicity by Hayden Homes, Wise Size Homes and Hayden Homes, all providing an unparalleled selection of opportunities for those looking to purchase a new home.
HAYDEN HOMES AND SIMPLICITY BY HAYDEN HOMES TOP TEN BEST PLACES TO WORK IN IDAHO
April 15, 2021 – (REDMOND, Ore.) — Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes received the honor of being named in the Top Ten Best Places to Work in Idaho. This is the third time the companies have received this prestigious award. This list is generated by Populus, an Idaho based independent research company, which specializes in evaluating employee engagement through surveys. For 2020, 14,000 surveys were completed by employees of 94 Idaho companies. The Best Places to Work list is divided into five categories by the number of Idaho employees including: Micro, Small, Medium, Large and Macro. Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes ranked #4 against 25 other companies in the medium category. Click here for a full list of the winners.
FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, HAYDEN HOMES AND SIMPLICITY BY HAYDEN HOMES #1 BEST PLACE TO WORK IN OREGON
January 5, 2021 – (REDMOND, Ore.) — Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes are being recognized as the #1 Best Place to Work in Oregon for the third year in a row. Oregon Business compiles the list which showcases companies that are at the top of their game in creating company cultures with the most satisfied employees. During this unprecedented year, it was even more important to maintain a collaborative and supportive environment due to the pandemic and work from home regulations. Our focus is on building quality homes and a strong community by bringing our Give As You Go™ philosophy to life.
With 151 employees, Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes earned the top spot in the large company category. In the surveys, employees cited the sense of community and mission as reasons that morale remains high, despite an uncertain year. “If all companies were like this, our world would be a better place.”
Click here for a full list of the winners.
HAYDEN HOMES AND SIMPLICITY BY HAYDEN HOMES NAMED THE #1 BEST PLACE TO WORK IN WASHINGTON STATE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Hayden and Simplicity Homes repeats top honor in Seattle Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
July 23, 2019 – (REDMOND, Ore.) — Hayden Homes was once again honored with first place in the Headquartered Outside Washington category for Seattle Business Magazine’s“100 Best Companies to Work For”. This is the second year in a row the Company has been recognized with first place. Companies made the list based on the scores of confidential surveys that asked employees to report on 10 categories: corporate culture, executive leadership, responsibility and decision-making, benefits, workplace environment, communication, training and education, hiring and retention, performance standards and rewards and recognition. The highest scores earned by companies across all 10 categories determined who made the list.
“We are so incredibly fortunate to have a team of talented people that are passionate about what they do and the homeowners we serve,” said Steve Klingman, President of Hayden Homes. “It’s our team members that allow us to continue to receive such honors. We are committed to creating a workplace that is driven by our purpose – where our team members are supported and go home fulfilled by the work we do.”
Seattle Business Magazine sent anonymous workplace surveys to employees throughout Washington state as part of the selection process. Based on thousands of confidential surveys completed by employees, the honorees encompass companies across the state of Washington in four categories – small firms, midsize firms, large firms and firms headquartered outside Washington State.
“A common theme across all these successful companies is transparent, communicative leadership and responsiveness to employee concerns,” said Seattle Business magazine Editor in Chief Rob Smith. “A positive company culture drives innovation and profit, boosts productivity, reduces turnover and creates employee enthusiasm.”
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BUILDER ANNOUNCES 2019 HEARTHSTONE BUILDER HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Hayden Homes Selected to Receive Honor
May 7, 2019 – (WASHINGTON, DC) — Hanley Wood, the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries, has announced that Hayden Watson, chairman of Hayden Homes, is the recipient of the 2019 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, presented annually by BUILDER magazine and Hearthstone, a leader in financing single family development.
“Individuals who go beyond operational achievement, and give 
extraordinary time, energy, resources, and committed leadership to helping others in need—this is what our Hearthstone BUILDER Award honorees do, and why they strike a very special chord in our business community,” said John McManus, Editorial Director and Vice President of the Residential Group at Hanley Wood. “Hayden’s generosity has impacted hundreds of people in the local community and is a shining example for the entire housing industry.”
Hearthstone and BUILDER, together with founding sponsor Kohler Company, joined forces to recognize builders who go the extra mile to help others. Now in its 20th year, the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award has given more than $6 million to charity, making it the largest philanthropic award in the homebuilding industry. The award is given to builders who have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to making their communities a better place to live and work.
“Year after year, we receive dozens of entries that showcase the good deeds that home builders perform for their community,” said Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone. “It’s so encouraging to witness the leadership and self-sacrifice of those in our industry. Every year gives us the unique opportunity to honor someone new that has an entirely different and meaningful impact. In today’s housing environment, it’s so important to highlight and recognize the accomplishments of leaders like Hayden Watson who provide the model for constructing affordable housing for families across the country.”
Watson has led Hayden Homes for close to three decades, starting as CEO in 1999, and becoming Chairman in 2016. Under his leadership, the company ranks as one of the top 35 private home builders in the country, with an economic impact of more than $3 billion since inception. Hayden Homes has provided more than 16,000 new homes to price conscious, value-driven home buyers in underserved markets throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Hayden has built a strong foundation of giving and generosity, throughout the company’s entire suite of brands including Simplicity Homes, WiseSize and Hayden Homes. Hayden Homes commits ten percent of profits including one eighth of one percent of every home sale to charitable causes.
The trio of home building companies led by Watson have donated more than $18.5 million to a variety of causes including the non-profit, First Story. Watson founded First Story to provide hardworking, deserving and capable families with an affordable home and a major step toward financial freedom. Additionally, more than 80 percent of his staff contributes to this organization through a regular payroll deduction called “Give As You Go,” matched 100% by Hayden Homes.
First Story was launched ten years ago and since has served nearly 80 families and has been able to donate more than $1.3 million to support other non-profits with the vision to give every child the opportunity to grow up and thrive in a decent home, every parent the dignity of providing their kids with a safe place to grow, and every family the chance to build wealth. First Story puts a lower income family in the position to purchase a new home with no down payment and an interest-free loan.
In recent years, First Story has grown from a small organization operated out of Hayden Homes, to a public, non-profit that, currently has more than $11 million in assets. More information about the organization is available to new home buyers on Hayden Homes web site at https://www.hayden-homes.com/community-giving/.
“I feel fortunate that I was able to nominate Hayden and I know he feels incredibly honored to be receiving this recognition,” says Claire Duncan, Executive Director at First Story. “Hayden is changing lives; he’s not waiting for the government to solve the affordable housing crisis; he’s inspiring his employees and his peers to come together to give an opportunity for homeownership to families in need. Hayden is making a real difference for real people and my hope is that his generosity and vision can motivate others to do the same.”
Hayden Watson was selected by a panel of top industry leaders with experience in humanitarian outreach:
- John McManus, Vice President and Editorial Director, Residential Group, Hanley Wood
- Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone
- Bert Selva, CEO of Shea Homes
- Larry Webb, CEO of The New Home
- Dan Ryan, CEO of Dan Ryan Homes
- Chris Gaffney, Group President, Toll Brothers
- Lori Sanson, Executive Vice President, DeNova Homes
- Pat Hamill, CEO, Oakwood Homes
Watson will be honored at the 2019 Housing Leadership Summit, taking place May 13-15 at the Ritz- Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, Cal.
“I’m extremely humbled as well as honored to receive this award and recognition,” said Watson. “I am proud to be part of a family that makes serving the community a priority, it’s probably the most important part of my job. I also am proud that we are directing efforts and resources to one of the country’s most profound issues – housing affordability and homelessness.”
About Hearthstone
Hearthstone was the first, and today is the largest institutional investor solely focused on for-sale residential development in the country, with over $15 billion committed to the homebuilding industry since 1992. This commitment represents the construction financing of over 120,000 homes in 20 states.
About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics and editorially driven Construction Industry Database – powered by Metrostudy – the company provides business intelligence and data-driven services. The company produces award-winning media, high-profile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, visit hanleywood.com.
HAYDEN HOMES AND SIMPLICITY BY HAYDEN HOMES NAMED THE #1 BEST PLACE TO WORK IN OREGON
Hayden Homes earns top honor in Oregon Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
April 4, 2019 – (REDMOND, Ore.) — Hayden Homes was honored with first place in the large companies category for Oregon Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The 100 Best list recognizes companies for excellence in benefits and compensation, work environment, decision-making and trust, performance management, and career development and learning.
“It is humbling and inspiring to be recognized as the Best Company to Work For by our employees and Oregon Business,” said Steve Klingman, President of Hayden Homes. “We earned the number one spot on this list because of our team members who bring the Hayden Homes’ culture to life and are dedicated to making our world a better place to live.”
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August 23, 2018
Renovated House a Gift to Fern Ridge Foster Mom
By Maggie Vanoni, The Register Guard
Over the course of three decades, about 180 teenage foster boys have come and gone through Cheryl Hogue’s home west of Eugene.
It all started with a 12-year-old boy, Jamin, who was later adopted by Cheryl and her late husband, Jerry.
Today, Jamin Hogue is a project manager with Simplicity, a division of home builder Hayden Homes. On Wednesday, several people gathered with Hogue and his mother to celebrate the completed renovation of her home south of Fern Ridge Lake.
“It just makes me want to cry,” Cheryl Hogue said. “It’s been a real uplift for me because this is my own home.”
Hogue, 64, has been a foster parent to boys ages 13 to 18 for more than 30 years.
Hogue’s husband died unexpectedly in 2006. She said she did her best to keep the house up. However, with as many as eight boys staying in the house at a time, the one-story, five bedroom home was in dire need of upgrades.
“I always believed in being a good steward of what you have,” she said. “So I’ve tried to take care of (the house) to the best of my ability, but you could just feel things going under.”
Jamin Hogue, 46, led the renovation, which involved donated time and materials from other contractors and building supply companies. Some of the present and past foster boys helped with the work.
The home now has a new kitchen, a new durable pool deck and laminated flooring throughout.
The work took about two months to complete.
“This means the world to me,” said Jamin Hogue, the only foster child the Hogues adopted. “I’ve been involved in just about every project on this property … but this one definitely takes the cake.”
Jerry and Cheryl Hogue moved into the house in 1984, five years after it was built. There, they raised two biological children, Erica Sampson and Matthew Hogue.
Cheryl Hogue said her late husband, who also was a foster child, was the main reason they become foster parents. He wanted to provide a home for boys who needed them.
Boys generally live in their home for two to five years.
With a pool, a hot tub, a barn and a basketball court on five acres, the couple’s home has been a sanctuary for boys.
“Jerry was very good at it because he knew the heartbeat of what it feels like,” she said. “Really, I feel like (the kids) gave me a lot of life when it was a really hard time in my life. They were there for me and I could see little bits and pieces of him in them.”
Jamin and Cheryl Hogue hope the improved home will continue to provide comfort, safety and enjoyment for boys.
“I just hope (the house is) meaningful to them and has value to them, and the others that will come,” Jamin Hogue said.
July 9, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HAYDEN AND SIMPLICITY HOMES NAMED #1 BEST PLACE TO WORK IN STATE OF WASHINGTON
Hayden Homes earns top honor in Seattle Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
July 9, 2018 – (REDMOND, Ore.)—Hayden Homes was honored with first place in the Headquartered Outside Washington category for Seattle Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The award salutes Washington companies that set the standard for executive leadership, benefits, rewards/recognition, corporate culture, training, work environment and more. The Best Companies to Work For are determined by anonymous responses to direct employee surveys.
“It is humbling and inspiring to be recognized as the Best Company to Work For by our employees and Seattle Business Magazine,” said Steve Klingman, President of Hayden Homes. “Rooted in a culture of generosity and abundance, this spirit determines everything from our team member experience, to the quality of our work, to the way we act as a company. We earned the #1 spot on this list because of our team members who bring the Hayden Homes’ culture to life and are dedicated to making our world a better place to live.”
Seattle Business Magazine sent anonymous workplace surveys to employees throughout Washington state as part of the selection process. Based on thousands of confidential surveys completed by employees, the honorees encompass companies across the state of Washington in four categories – small firms, midsize firms, large firms and firms headquartered outside Washington State.
Michael Romoser, associate publisher of Seattle Business magazine, said, “This is the 29th year of producing our state’s 100 Best Companies to Work For program. The vast number of companies that participate in the in-depth, direct-to-employee survey process never make the list. For the ones that do, it is a remarkable achievement and testament to their fostering inclusive, engaged work environments.”
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April 7, 2017
Smaller Homes, Bigger Market
As dream homes evolve beyond big houses on big lots, local developers work to cater to the needs of modern homebuyers
Living closer to amenities, enjoying less upkeep, taking pride in a smaller carbon footprint and lower 
energy bills, or just enjoying more family camaraderie. Whatever buyers of smaller homes have in mind, developers and realtors in the Inland Northwest are ready to make those dreams a reality.
Prominent local developer Greenstone, responsible for Kendall Yards, is already catering to those downsizing into new homes, but realtor Randy Wells notes that local demand — fueled in part by younger families — for more adequately-sized residences that are also near amenities like shops and parks, is continuing to outpace supply.
On a regional level, some developers have created unique brands that directly address the myriad ways that individuals, couples and families might downsize into new or custom builds. WiseSize, for example, is part of the Simplicity division of Hayden Homes. It specializes in kit homes that come in various sizes — 400, 680, 880 and 1,064 square feet — and can be placed on existing parcels of land. Depending on location, the house prices start at just $47,990 — less than the average down payment on a conventional home.
“We build traditionally constructed structures, but we make them small, compact and efficient,” says Amanda Lenke, marketing manager for Simplicity. She points to their single-level starter model as an example of how radically they can shrink the footprint while retaining archetypal house features: “It looks just like a little cottage house with Craftsman trim on the outside, traditional roof, stem wall construction, the whole nine yards. You get a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bath with utility hookups. We make it feel as spacious as possible with tall ceilings, and by offering room for a king-sized bed and two nightstands, which you’re never going to get with a tiny ‘tiny’ house.”
WiseSize’s scaled-down houses have piqued the interest not only of downsizers, but also of buyers looking for investment opportunities such as vacation rentals. In 2016 the company sold a modest 70 homes, yet that number represents year-on-year growth that Lenke anticipates will continue as the niche market expands.
“Our motto is ‘Live big in a tiny house.’ Basically, by downsizing, you can live better and in more quality ways. A lot of people’s self-worth is wrapped up in how many things they have. What I see our customer appreciating is that once you get rid of the stuff and you switch your paradigm to the quality of the life you’re living, it just makes for a happier person. You’re saving tons of money on utilities, which means you probably have to work less, which means you can enjoy life more. You can spend your time, money and energy doing other things,” she says.
Andrew Morrison echoes those sentiments. A leading proponent of the ‘tiny house’ movement, he’s representative of what is perhaps the terminus of downsizing: compact 200- and 300-square-foot homes capable of being towed and outfitted for off-grid living. Not quite RVs, not quite miniature cabins, his high-quality hOMe models are sold as plans that buyers can then customize according to their needs and tastes.
At the workshops he hosts to provide information on building, financing and siting homes, Morrison says that he’s seeing a “very diverse group” and attendance that is “growing exponentially.”
“We have students who are just coming out of college, or in some cases are still in college but don’t want to pay for housing … all the way through to families and retirees. It really covers the gamut,” he says, while admitting that he would prefer to see a broader spectrum in terms of ethnic diversity, because the major factors behind downsizing are so universal.
“Everyone’s challenged by housing. The cost of housing in the U.S. is out of control, and the size of housing is out of control. In the last, say, 40 years, housing has gone from fairly reasonably-sized houses to the point where we have the highest square-footage houses in the world on average: 2,600 square feet,” says Morrison.
“The cost is off the hook in most places. The average down payment for a house is $50,000, and then you get to pay for it for 30 years. The average American spends 27 percent of their income on just the cost of paying for their mortgage or their rent. And then you get into at-risk populations where you’re looking at lower-income families, and they spend up to 50 percent of their income [on housing]. Which leaves nothing for food and clothes and education and anything else you might need.”
As housing costs become a “catalyst” for downsizing, according to Morrison, the tiny home movement is seeing an explosion of choice and creativity, best showcased in enthusiast publications like Tiny House magazine. Even in a 250-square-foot home, it seems, there’s ample room for imagination.
“What they provide is a fierce simplicity. It meets all of our needs, in a very small space at a very low cost and hardly any upkeep. Tiny houses on wheels have the same benefits, but they also provide flexibility of movement,” Morrison says, which satisfies the needs of the emerging gig economy, changing costs of living and basic wanderlust.
While quick to highlight the benefits, both Morrison and Lenke aren’t afraid to note that there are caveats to 
downsizing. Some of these — like where to store the Christmas decorations or camping gear — are obvious from the outset, whereas others, like a new addition to the family or a change in health status, might only become apparent over time.
However, for those who accept that even large houses come with their share of compromises, embracing downsizing could lead to a healthy shift in priorities that allows for more free time, more disposable income and less stress.
“I’ve never had anyone come back and say, ‘Oh, gosh, this was way too early for us to do this.’ I don’t remember anyone expressing regret,” Spokane Realtor Randy Wells says. “Everyone has been happy. It’s just what you become used to. If they have the mindset of simplifying, they just go, well, that’s part of downsizing.”
December 12, 2016
Simplicity and Hayden Homes Donate Wheelchairs to 50 Veterans
In what was part team-building exercise and part philanthropy project, team members of Central Oregon based Simplicity and Hayden Homes worked together on Veterans Day to build 50 wheelchairs for Northwest veterans facing mobility challenges.
Approximately 270 Simplicity and Hayden Homes employees from across the Northwest gathered on November 11, 
2016 to participate in the Build-a-Wheelchair® event, a team-building social responsibility program born out of a desire to help American veterans with mobility challenges. Small groups of team members worked together to assemble, test and decorate the new wheelchairs before engaging in an obstacle course maneuverability challenge.
“It’s not by chance that our team members are a generous group of individuals,” said Steve Klingman, president of Hayden Homes. “We’re committed to hiring people who believe that a fulfilling life starts with the spirit of generosity. When we unveiled the wheelchair-building challenge, our team members enthusiastically rolled up their sleeves to help make life a little easier for deserving veterans who may be struggling back home.”
After completion, the 50 wheelchairs were distributed to five Northwest regions in which Simplicity and Hayden Homes do business, including the Willamette Valley, Central Oregon, the Tri-Cities/Walla Walla area in Washington, the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas in Washington and North Idaho, and the Treasure Valley in Southern Idaho.
Simplicity and Hayden Homes then partnered with local veterans outreach and advocacy groups in each region to identify 10 veterans in need. According to Disabled American Veterans, the number of veterans with service-related injuries and illnesses has skyrocketed to more than 3.6 million men and women today, up from 2 million just 12 years ago. By the year 2020, the number is expected to grow to 4 million.
About Simplicity by Hayden Homes
Simplicity by Hayden Homes is an on-your-land homebuilder, offering a broad range of residential housing options from custom homes to tiny homes on a customer’s existing land. Simplicity also constructs farmworker housing units and provides investor building solutions that range from ADUs and cottage communities to single-family subdivisions and multi-family projects. For more information, visit http://www.simplicity-homes.com/.
About Hayden Homes
Hayden Homes, the largest privately held homebuilder in the Northwest, has been building high quality value-driven homes throughout the Northwest for nearly 30 years. The organization supports local communities by employing local contractors and vendors and contributing annually to philanthropic efforts in the communities in which they build. In 2015, Hayden Homes contributed more than $2 million to charitable donations with the flagship of their giving through the 501C3 Non-Profit, First Story (www.firststory.com). The Hayden Homes brand family of companies – Simplicity by Hayden Homes (www.simplicity-homes.com), Wise Size Homes (www.wisesizehomes.com) and Hayden Homes (www.hayden-homes.com) – have built in over 300 communities and in 65 cities and towns throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
