Highest Satisfaction for Active Adult Communities Revealed

Westlake Village, Calif.: 15 September 2009 — Trilogy by Shea Homes ranks highest in customer satisfaction among the largest active adult community home builders for a third consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study^SM released today. 

The study includes satisfaction rankings of builders in 24 of the largest U.S. home-building markets and measures buyer satisfaction in active adult communities by examining the following nine key factors (listed in order of importance): workmanship/materials; price/value; builder’s sales staff; builder’s warranty/customer service; construction manager; home readiness; recreational facilities; location; and builder’s design center. 

Trilogy by Shea Homes receives a score of 900 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in seven of nine factors: workmanship/materials; builder’s warranty/customer service; price/value; home readiness; construction manager; builder’s design center; and location. Following Trilogy by Shea in the active adult brand rankings are Del Webb (851) and K. Hovnanian Four Seasons (840). 

Customer satisfaction with active adult community home builders has improved notably in 2009 to an average of 838, from 808 in 2008. In addition, overall customer satisfaction with active adult new-home builders in 2009 is 27 points higher than satisfaction among average new-home buyers (811). 

“Heightened competition among active adult 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 consumers who are interested in purchasing a home in an active adult community, since builders are offering unprecedented high levels of quality, value and service at relatively low prices.” 

In past years, active adult home buyers reported experiencing slightly greater numbers of problems with their new homes than non-active-adult new home buyers. However, in 2009, active adult home buyers report fewer problems per home (9.36, on average), compared with non-active-adult new-home buyers (9.61 problems per home). 

The proportion of active adult homes delivered both completely finished and on time has increased notably to 84 percent in 2009 from 77 percent in 2008. 

“Many active adult home builders have large inventories of homes that are already complete at the point of purchase, which has helped contribute to the improvement in customer satisfaction and lower problem rates in 2009,” said Sonkin. “For active adult home owners, this can make for a smoother, turnkey ownership experience, with fewer unanticipated delays.” 

The study also highlights select active adult communities that perform within the top 10 percent of qualifying communities in their respective markets. These Active Adult Communities of Distinction are:

• Glenbrooke, Sacramento, Calif. (Del Webb)
• Vistancia, Phoenix, Ariz. (Trilogy by Shea Homes)

The 2009 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 includes responses from 2,893 active adult home buyers. For more comprehensive builder rankings for all 24 U.S. markets, visit www.jdpower.com
For more information, read an article, watch a video or view new-home builder customer satisfaction ratings on JDPower.com. 

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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 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

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