What brand of shingles does/did Ryland Homes use?

Probably GAF, or whatever is cheapest. And you can bet they use the standard 3-tab, and never the new "dimensional singles", because the latter costs significantly more. I would never buy the standard ones, because they don't last as long, and they appear dirty over time.

These commercial homebuilders are constantly cutting corners, using the cheapest materials possible, and doing everything to bare minimum codes, just to get everything to pass inspections and get their money. They could care less about the quality of the house -- just smack it up and get the money. And you wonder why houses 10 years old are falling apart and showing their age, while houses built in the 1960's are in great shape.

I would never buy a house that was built after 1972. It's all about quantity nowadays, when it was about quality back then.