John and Sarah Lendvai, Founders of Ava Custom Homes

Native Houstonian John Lendvai, co-founder with his wife Sarah, of Ava Custom Homes believes in the power of connecting with people. John admits, “One of the things, I love most about real estate is the one-on-one relationship you can build with a home buyer. I think it’s so important to use your expertise to help guide someone through what can be an intimidating process. Our home is such a reflection of who we are, and inspiring an individual or family to personalize their home is extremely rewarding to us both.”

A graduate of Baylor College, John received his B.B.A. in entrepreneurship with an emphasis on real estate and an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas. Before establishing Ava, John led a successful career in management consulting. There he honed his skills communicating with people at all levels to ensure his teams were prepared to execute the task at hand with the least calculated risk, something today he brings into his work in the realm of custom building.

Sarah is an alumna of the University of Houston with a B.S. in psychology and international business, who shortly after graduation studied to attain her real estate license. One of seven children, she grew up McCook, Nebraska where holidays spent at a family member’s home built by the famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (The Harvey P. Sutton house) made a lasting impression on the aesthetically-minded child. Sarah also vividly recalls walking new houses with her dad all of which left her daydreaming of the finishes, materials, and color palettes she would go on to utilize in the houses she designs today.

In 2002 the duo founded the land development company, Beldevs and a decade later incorporated Ava Custom Homes, which focuses on constructing Houston homes inside the loop (and most recently–in the Memorial neighborhood) that appeal to discerning buyers searching for a quality-built home replete with custom finishes and unique, thoughtful details. Fast gaining a reputation for creating well-appointed houses that are anything but cookie-cutter, you’ll find such high-end amenities as custom iron stair railings, wide plank hardwood flooring, Thermador appliances, pristine smooth walls, shaker-style interior doors, marble flooring and countertops, designer lighting and beautiful millwork in every Ava home.  What you won’t necessarily notice at first glance are the vital structural elements that make their houses truly sound, including upgraded subfloors and zip system sheeting to tech shield roof decking, tankless water heaters, and energy-efficient HVAC systems.  

When this talented couple isn’t sourcing materials for their next project or working at a job site, they spend their downtime traveling through the U.S.A. and abroad, ticking the world’s most intriguing architectural wonders off their must-see list.