Builders, architects, developers and other real estate professionals put hammer, nail and muscle together in September for a day-long effort to build 36 homes for deserving families in southeast Tijuana as part of Project Mercy’s 2004 Baja Challenge. Pardee Homes, one of the participants, used the occasion to build a house in honor of John Sanders, a customer service representative who died earlier this year.

"This year marks Pardee’s 50th anniversary in San Diego and this event, like others we are undertaking, provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the surrounding communities while benefiting a local organization that provides a tremendous service to deserving families in Tijuana," says Beth Fisher, v.p. of community development for the firm.

Each of the teams in the program was responsible for paying for materials and building its own house. Each house, which cost $2,900 to build, was for a family chosen by Project Mercy, a nonprofit organization.

Pardee Homes, CB Richard Ellis, Voit Commercial Brokerage, Bilbro, Sunroad Enterprises, BYCOR, BRE Commercial and Burnham Real Estate were among the companies participating. Twenty-five of the workers were either employees, friends or family members from Pardee Homes. It was the company’s fourth year of participation.