 In 1978, Ryland acquired Crest Communities, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, a company led by James Ryan's younger brother William Ryan, thereby entering the mortgage loan business.In 1986, the company acquired M.J. Brock and Sons of California for $85 million and became the first homebuilder to have operations on both the East Coast of the United States and the West Coast of the United States.In 1987, Jim Ryan retired from the company.