Unger to Head Subsidiary of London Firm

Timothy L. Unger has been named president of John Laing Homes Inc., Laguna Hills-based American housing subsidiary of John Laing public limited company, London.

Laing’s entry into the U. S. housing market and its choice of a Southern California base came after an extensive study of 15 states in the Sun Belt, according to Martin Laing, who will assume chairmanship in June of the 137-year-old international development and construction concern.

Unger, 38, joins Laing after serving as president of Barratt Irvine, another American unit of a development firm based in the United Kingdom. Before joining Barratt Irvine, he served in executive positions with the Akins Co., San Diego and Broadmoor in Irvine and San Diego.

On Small Lots

“We’ve acquired land in five communities, three in the Inland Empire area and two in south Orange County,” Unger said. He expects the firm’s first models to open late this year at a single-family development in Colton, north of the San Bernardino Freeway. The houses will be on small lots and will be priced in the $60,000 to $85,000 range, Unger added.

He declined to give specifics about the firm’s Orange County projects other than to say that one would be in Laguna Niguel, with small-lot single-family homes in the $120,000 to $150,000 price range. North San Diego County is another area for possible development, and the firm will concentrate on relatively affordable housing, Unger added.

Four Divisional Groups

“We want as many projects as possible to meet the FHA/VA financing guidelines and we’re looking at housing bond programs in various communities,” he added.

Housing is one of four divisional groups of the Laing firm, which has annual sales of about $1 billion, according to Martin Laing, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. His uncle, Sir Maurice Laing, is life president of the 17,000-employee firm.

Unger has served as president of the Home Builders Council in San Diego, as a director of the Building Industry Assn. of San Diego and as a planning commissioner for the city of San Clemente. He and his family live in Laguna Niguel.