Pulte Homes' DiVosta Operations Rank Highest in Customer Satisfaction in Tampa for Second Year in a Row , According to J.D. Power and Associates; Pulte Receives More Awards Than Any Other Homebuilder for Sixth-Straight Year

Business Wire, Sept 14, 2005

TAMPA, Fla. -- The DiVosta operations of Pulte Homes, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) received for the second-straight year the highest ranking in customer satisfaction in the Tampa market (in a tie) by J.D. Power and Associates. The honor is based on results of the 2005 J.D. Power and Associates New Home-Builder Customer Satisfaction Study(SM), released today by the global marketing information firm that conducts independent and unbiased surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality and buyer behavior.

In addition to the highest ranking in Tampa, Pulte Homes received more awards than any other homebuilder for the sixth consecutive year in the annual J.D. Power and Associates study. In the 2005 study, Pulte ranked highest in 16 markets, No. 2 in eight markets and No. 3 in three markets. A total of 30 U.S. markets were included in this year's study.

"This is truly a testament to our staff and their commitment to our customers in the Tampa area," said Harmon Smith, president of Pulte Homes' DiVosta operations. "There is a lot of competition in this market, and to know we are delivering the best quality and service to homebuyers is extremely gratifying. I'm very proud of the fact that we have earned this top recognition two years in a row and thank our Tampa area team for their continued hard work."

Pulte Homes operations also ranked among the top three builders in 22 of the 27 markets in which they were surveyed.

In the 2005 study, through its Pulte Homes, Del Webb and DiVosta brands, Pulte Homes, Inc. ranked:

Highest in these 16 markets: Austin, Chicago (Del Webb), Dallas / Ft. Worth, Detroit, Ft. Myers / Naples, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas (Del Webb), Minneapolis / St. Paul, North Inland Empire, Orlando, Palm Beach (DiVosta), Philadelphia, Tampa Bay (DiVosta) (tie), Tucson, and Washington, D.C. (tie)

Second in these eight markets: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Chicago (Pulte Homes), Ft. Myers / Naples (DiVosta), Las Vegas (Pulte Homes), Phoenix, Sacramento (Pulte Homes), and San Francisco Bay Area.

Third in these three markets: North Inland Empire (Del Webb), Raleigh, and Sacramento (Del Webb).

"When Bill Pulte founded this company 55 years ago, one of his goals was to create 'customer delight' by exceeding the homebuyer's expectations," said Richard J. Dugas, Jr., president and CEO of Pulte Homes, Inc. "We continue to work diligently at delighting the customer, with the result that approximately 45 percent of our homes nationwide are sold to repeat and referral customers. This can only happen if our customers are expressing their satisfaction to friends and family, and colleagues at work. That's our goal and that's what sets Pulte Homes apart in the markets where we build and sell homes."

Pulte Homes maintains a comprehensive system for communicating with every customer to ensure their questions are answered and their needs are being met. A customer relations representative is assigned to work with the customer from the time they sign the sales contract, through construction to delivery, and to the point immediately preceding expiration of one-year warranties covering specific items.

For its 2005 Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study(SM), J.D. Power and Associates focused on individuals that purchased a new single family detached or attached home during 2004. The records were drawn from public records of a total of 193 counties. Qualifying builders in each market had to have a minimum of 150 home closings in the prior year and a minimum of 50 returned questionnaires. The four-page questionnaire was mailed to all buyers of qualifying builders from March through July 2005.

J.D. Power and Associates found that the primary factors in customer satisfaction are customer service, home readiness at the time of closing and relationship with the company's sales staff.

Pulte does not operate in two markets included in this year's survey, Portland, Ore., and Seattle, and the company did not meet the sample size requirement in the North Los Angeles / Ventura market.

Additional information is available at www.jdpower.com.

About Pulte Homes

Pulte Homes, Inc., (NYSE:PHM), based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is a FORTUNE 200 company with operations in 54 markets and 28 states. In 2004, the company closed 38,612 domestic home sales and generated total revenues of $11.7 billion. During its 55-year history, the company has constructed more than 408,000 homes. Under its Del Webb brand, Pulte is the nation's largest builder of active adult communities for people age 55 and better. Its DiVosta operation is nationally recognized for a proprietary building system that has delivered more than 25,000 "Built Solid" homes in Florida since 1960. Pulte Mortgage LLC is a nationwide lender and offers Pulte customers a wide variety of loan products and superior customer service.

Additional information is available at www.pulte.com