18 FEBRUARY 2026 Growing up, most every kid looks forward to their first bike. But perhaps no one more than Austin King – whose dream, he said, was “always to ride a bike.” His father owned a bicycle shop so he was introduced to the magic of two wheels early on. As a youngster he got into cycling and never stopped pedaling. First through the streets of his neighborhood, as far as daylight would allow. As a teenager, King began testing his ability in amateur cycling races. After high school he went to Tucson and trained and competed until he eventually qualified for the U.S. National Cycling Team. After years of competing – and winning – in the U.S., his accomplishments took him to Europe. “I lived out of a suitcase but got to see the world. It was like having a window on life itself,” he remembered. His training regimen and the competitions took him throughout the continent. At 25 and after four years of professional competition, he decided to get off his bike and get a real estate license. “I just got tired of saying goodbye to my wife,” he said. The segue from cycling to custom homebuilding was house flipping. It was 2011 and the recession was still raging, so he and his partners bought distressed houses, renovated them and sold them. They worked on 10-12 at a time. He eventually left house flipping to others and started Rafterhouse in 2012, building spec homes in Arcadia. Four years later, he had his first build-to-suit project and Rafterhouse was on its way to becoming a respected luxury homebuilder. He admits that he worried if homebuilding would hold his attention. “I wondered if anything else would fulfill me as much as cycling,” he said. While still in Tucson, King met his wife, Suzanne, and he used his realtor’s commission to buy her a wedding ring. She grew up in Arcadia and they were certain that was where they wanted to raise their family. They have three children: Lilly (15), Oliver (13) and Hazel (11). “If you’re a controlling person, this business isn’t for you,” King said. “There’s so much to manage and work with, and that makes it a really interesting business. The industry is bizarre; there are so many chiefs in the teepee.” King says Rafterhouse was created to be more intentional in building homes and he is proud of all that they have achieved. “What we set out to do is create an original, something that has never been done before,” he said. With his business on track and the children a little older, King took his bike out of mothballs. One day led to two and now he rides every morning for two hours before taking the kids to school. His competitive spirit has lured him back into Pro 1 races, this time against guys 20 years younger. “No wins yet but I’m fearless and this may be the year that I beat the younger people I’m racing against,” he said. Asked what he’d like to do after he retires, and he doesn’t hesitate: “Someday I want to be the watering guy at Berridge Nursery.” Austin King What we set out to do is create an original; something never been done before. In-Home Piano lessons for all ages Jill Sheridan Leatherbury Email me for more information: SheridanLeatherbury@gmail.com Email me for more information: JILL PLAYS PIANO 2 Looking For A Few Good Fingers! • Arcadia • Biltmore • Paradise Valley • Scottsdale Area
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