HomeStyles Interactive Introduces the World's Largest Collection of Home Designs

Business Wire, April 14, 1999

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1999--

7500 Home Plans Includes a Home for Every Dream and Budget

HomeStyles(R) Interactive introduces 7500 Home Plans(TM), the largest collection of home plans ever published. The four-disk CD-ROM set features 7500 plans from America's top architects and designers, including renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern's design of LIFE(R) Magazine's first Dream House. 7500 Home Plans also offers users a mortgage calculator from Norwest Mortgage; a building cost calculator from R.S. Means; and a "virtual reality" tour of Sunset Magazine's Dream House and the Healthier Home.

The multimedia collection of home plans allows users to search for homes by budget and lifestyle needs, including square footage, exterior style, kitchen design, and desired number of bedrooms and baths. Enhanced selection criteria include special features such as a front porch and fireplace.

Users can browse selected plans by viewing front elevations and floor plans; zoom in on specific areas for a more detailed view; mark their favorite plans for easy retrieval; and print detailed plan summaries to review with their builder. Complete construction blueprints are available for all 7500 designs.

After selecting a design, users can check financials with help from R.S. Means and Norwest Mortgage. By simply entering your ZIP code and square footage into the Building Budget Calculator, users can estimate the cost to build in their area. The Mortgage Pre-Qualification Worksheet allows users to determine their mortgage budget (the downpayment and maximum loan amount) by entering their income sources and monthly financial obligations.

For more design ideas, users can review Robert A.M. Stern's design of the first Dream House from LIFE Magazine and take a "virtual reality" tour of the Sunset Magazine Dream House. To learn about common trouble spots and how to build their home to be more healthful, users can also tour Sunset Magazine's Healthier Home.

7500 Home Plans, listed at $19.99, is available at software stores nationwide. The product is distributed through GT Interactive Software Corp (NASDAQ: GTIS), a leading interactive entertainment and edutainment publisher headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.gtinteractive.com.

HomeStyles Interactive is the multimedia publishing arm of HomeStyles, the Home Plans People. HomeStyles represents designers and architects by marketing and publishing top-selling home designs in magazines, books, videos, CD-ROMs and on the World Wide Web. HomeStyles is the largest provider of home designs in North America. Founded in 1946, the company's headquarters are in St. Paul, Minn.