America's "Great Recession" has certainly had a dramatic effect on home builders.  Ryland Homes (NYSE: RYL) is not only a leading home builder, but a leading corporate citizen that these days finds itself within the definition small cap.

For example, consider the following awards:

Fortune Rankings:  #444 on the Fortune 500, America's Most Admired Companies (2005, 2006), Best Investments (2005, 2006), Fastest-Growing Companies (2005, 2006) and Most Profitable Companies (2005, 2006)

Forbes  Rankings: Platinum 400, America's Best Big Companies (2006), America's Best Managed Companies (2005), Best Mid-Cap Companies in America (2005) and a member of the Global 2000.

In 2006, Investor's Business Daily awarded Ryland CEO Chad Dreier a Top 5 CEOs of 2005.

The the first part of the last decade obviously represented some very good years for Ryland and other home builders.  It has been said that the smart money takes chances when no one else will.  Could Ryland be a chance worth taking?

Equity Research Is Available: Ryland Homes