J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Overall Customer Satisfaction With Home Builders and New-Home Quality Improve Significantly, Driven by Intensified Competition Among Home Builders

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- As home builders compete for a limited pool of buyers, customer satisfaction with new-home builders and new-home quality have improved notably from 2008, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 U.S. New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

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Overall customer satisfaction improves for a second consecutive year, averaging 811 on a 1,000-point scale in 2009, and up 32 points from 779 in 2008. Markets with the highest levels of overall satisfaction in 2009 include Orange/San Diego, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Inland Empire, Calif.; and Tampa, Fla.. In addition, overall satisfaction has increased in 22 of the 23 individual markets that were also surveyed in 2008.

New-home quality has also increased notably to an average of 825 index points in 2009 from 799 in 2008. The rate of customer-reported problems has decreased in 2009 to an average of 9.55 problems per home, from 11.51 problems per home in 2008. Problem rates have declined in each of the 23 markets that were also included in the study in 2008. Overall, the most commonly reported quality problems include issues with landscaping, heating and air conditioning problems and kitchen cabinet quality and finish.

"Fierce competition among home builders has led to a market where only the strongest companies have survived," said Paula Sonkin, vice president of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "This is great news for new-home buyers-particularly first-time buyers-since builders are offering unprecedented high levels of quality, value and service at relatively low prices."

The New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study, now in its 13th year, includes satisfaction rankings for builders in 24 markets. Nine factors drive overall customer satisfaction with home builders: workmanship/materials; builder's warranty/customer service staff; price/value; builder's sales staff; construction manager; home readiness; recreational facilities provided by the builder; builder's design center; and location.

The study finds that the importance of the workmanship and materials factor has increased notably from 2008. Meanwhile, the builder's sales staff, construction manager and home readiness factors have declined in importance.

"Compared with past years, fewer home buyers are spending large amounts of time working with construction managers or are concerned about home readiness, since many builders have large inventories of homes that are already complete at the point of purchase," said Sonkin. "For home owners, this can make for a smoother, turnkey ownership experience, with fewer unanticipated delays."

The proportion of homes delivered both completely finished and on time has increased notably to 76 percent in 2009 from 70 percent in 2008.

Overall Customer Satisfaction Rankings

Pulte brands (which include Del Webb, DiVosta Homes and Pulte Homes)(1) rank highest in customer satisfaction among new-home builders in 12 markets. Pulte Homes, Inc. is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Besides the Pulte brands, other builders with highest rankings in their respective markets include (in alphabetical order): Ashton Woods (which ties with Village Builders in the Houston market and is headquartered in Roswell, Ga.); Brookfield Homes (Fairfax, Va.); Centex Homes (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.); Darling Homes (Frisco, Texas); David Weekley Homes (which ties with Pulte Homes in the Austin market and is headquartered in Houston, Texas); K. Hovnanian (Red Bank, N.J.); Lennar (Miami, Fla.); M/I Homes (Columbus, Ohio); Pardee Homes (Los Angeles, Calif.); Shea Homes (Walnut, Calif.); Standard Pacific Homes (Irvine, Calif.); and Village Builders (which ties with Ashton Woods in the Houston market and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.)

For more information on New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study rankings by market, please click here.

2009 New-Home Quality Study Rankings

The New-Home Quality Study, now in its third year, measures the occurrence and impact of construction problems experienced by new-home owners in 24 markets. The study utilizes an index that takes into account the number of problems that occur, the severity of problems and size of the home, and covers 41 different problem categories for the following areas: bathroom; drywall; electrical/appliances; flooring/stairs; home exterior; interior paint; kitchen; windows/doors; and other significant problems.

Pulte brands rank highest in new-home quality in five markets. Other builders achieving highest rankings in new-home quality in their respective markets include (in alphabetical order): Ashton Woods; Brookfield Homes; Centex Homes; Classic Homes (headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo.); Holiday Builders (Melbourne, Fla.);
J. Patrick Homes (Houston, Texas); John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods (Smyrna, Ga.); KB Home (Los Angeles, Calif); Lennar; Lifestyle Communities (Columbus, Ohio); Pardee Homes; Ryland Homes (Calabasas, Calif.); Standard Pacific Homes; Taylor Morrison Homes (Scottsdale, Ariz.); Toll Brothers (Horsham, Pa.); and Winchester Homes (Bethesda, Md.).

For more information on New-Home Quality Study rankings by market, please click here.

"Green" Home Features

Approximately 31 percent of new-home owners perceive that their home is environmentally friendly, but a majority of these owners--65 percent--say that their home builder did not identify the home as "green."

"Builders that neglect to point out environmentally friendly home features to buyers are missing out on a very important opportunity," said Sonkin. "New-home buyers are increasingly seeking out green home features and the benefits they bring in terms of energy and cost savings."

The top three reasons home owners give for building or buying a green home are: saving on power and heating costs; reducing water usage; and reducing their impact on the environment.

The 2009 U.S. New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 26,231 buyers of newly built single-family homes who provided feedback after living in their homes an average of four to 18 months. The study was fielded between March and July 2009. For more comprehensive builder rankings for all 24 U.S. markets, visit www.jdpower.com/homes.

    Markets Included in New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study and New-
    Home Quality Study
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Austin, Texas
    Charleston, S.C.
    Charlotte, N.C.
    Chicago, Ill.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
    Denver, Colo.
    Houston, Texas
    Inland Empire, Calif.
    Jacksonville, Fla.
    Los Angeles/Ventura County/Bakersfield, Calif.
    Las Vegas, Nev.
    Northern New Jersey
    Orange County/San Diego, Calif.*
    Orlando, Fla.
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Phoenix, Ariz.
    Sacramento, Calif.
    San Antonio, Texas
    San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
    Tampa, Fla.
    Tucson, Ariz.
    Washington, D.C.
    *New markets added to the study in 2009.


    Top Three Builders in Overall Customer Satisfaction by Market
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Ashton Woods
    John Wieland Homes

    Austin, Texas
    Highest: David Weekley Homes (tie)
    Pulte Homes (tie)
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Charleston, S.C.
    Highest: Centex Homes
    Ryland Homes
    Beazer Homes

    Charlotte, N.C.
    Highest: Standard Pacific Homes
    M/I Homes
    Del Webb

    Chicago, Ill.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Lakewood Homes
    Town & Country

    Columbus, Ohio
    Highest: M/I Homes
    Dominion
    Lifestyle Communities

    Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
    Highest: Darling Homes
    Drees Custom Homes
    Ashton Woods

    Denver, Colo.
    Highest: Shea Homes
    Classic Homes
    Pulte Homes

    Houston, Texas
    Highest: Ashton Woods (tie)
    Village Builders (tie)
    Highland Homes

    Inland Empire, Calif.
    Highest: Del Webb
    Shea Homes
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Jacksonville, Fla.
    Highest: Lennar
    Pulte Homes
    KB Home

    Los Angeles/Ventura County/ Bakersfield, Calif.*
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    KB Home

    Las Vegas, Nev.
    Highest: Pardee Homes
    Meritage Homes
    Del Webb

    Northern New Jersey*
    Highest: K. Hovnanian

    Orange County/San Diego, Calif.
    Highest: Brookfield Homes
    Shea Homes
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Orlando, Fla.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    KB Home
    Ashton Woods

    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Ryan Homes
    K. Hovnanian

    Phoenix, Ariz.
    Highest: Shea Homes
    KB Home
    Ashton Woods

    Sacramento, Calif.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Del Webb
    Centex Homes

    San Antonio, Texas*
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    KB Home

    San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
    Highest: Shea Homes
    Pulte Homes
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Tampa, Fla.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Standard Pacific Homes
    DiVosta Homes

    Tucson, Ariz.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Lennar
    Richmond American

    Washington, D.C.
    Highest: Pulte Homes
    Van Metre Homes
    M/I Homes

    *No other builder in this market performs above the market average.


    Highest Ranked Builders in New-Home Quality by Market
    Atlanta, Ga.
    John Wieland Homes

    Austin, Texas
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Charleston, S.C.
    Centex Homes

    Charlotte, N.C.
    Ryland Homes

    Chicago, Ill.
    Del Webb

    Columbus, Ohio
    Lifestyle Communities

    Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
    Ashton Woods

    Denver, Colo.
    Classic Homes

    Houston, Texas
    J. Patrick Homes

    Inland Empire, Calif.
    Centex Homes

    Jacksonville, Fla.
    Ryland Homes

    Los Angeles/Ventura County/ Bakersfield, Calif.
    Pulte Homes

    Las Vegas, Nev.
    Pardee Homes

    Northern New Jersey
    Toll Brothers

    Orange County/San Diego, Calif.
    Brookfield Homes

    Orlando, Fla.
    Holiday Builders

    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Pulte Homes

    Phoenix, Ariz.
    KB Home

    Sacramento, Calif.
    Taylor Morrison Homes

    San Antonio, Texas
    Pulte Homes

    San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
    Standard Pacific Homes

    Tampa, Fla.
    Pulte Homes

    Tucson, Ariz.
    Lennar

    Washington, D.C.
    Winchester Homes

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on home building and home improvement; car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

    Media Relations Contacts:
    Jeff Perlman; Brandware Public Relations; Malibu, Calif.; (818) 317-3070;
    jperlman@brandwaregroup.com

    John Tews; J.D. Power and Associates; Troy, Mich.; (312) 248-4119;
    media.relations@jdpa.com

    Syvetril Perryman; J.D. Power and Associates; Westlake Village, Calif.;
    (805) 418-8103; media.relations@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

(1) Effective as of August 18, 2009, a merger of Pulte Homes, Inc. and Centex Corporation was approved by a majority of the shareholders of both companies. Because the fielding period for the 2009 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction and 2009 New-Home Quality Studies was completed prior to the date of the merger of both companies, Pulte Homes and Centex Homes are reported here as separate entities and brands.

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Paula Sonkin

https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=58145

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates