Home-builder survey benefits consumers

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© St. Petersburg Times
published September 20, 2002

Purchased a new home recently in the Tampa Bay area? Thinking of buying one?

The survey folks known for ranking the satisfaction of customers who buy cars and long-distance phone services want to help. J.D. Power and Associates began surveying buyers of new houses in Southern California in 1997 and since then has pushed its home-builder surveys to 15 other metropolitan areas.

Now J.D. Power has reached the Tampa Bay housing market. After surveying individuals who purchased new homes from 17 of the largest builders in the area, the results are in: David Weekley Homes ranks highest in customer satisfaction, followed by Suarez Housing at No. 2, Pulte, Westfield and M/I Homes. (See the chart for winners -- and for those that ranked below average.)

Why care? Because the housing market is booming. Because interest rates are at lows not seen in decades. Because so many new homes look alike, and home shoppers need better information to help decide between House A and House B.

"The amount of attention home builders pay to overall customer satisfaction can be a main differentiator for consumers," says Paula Sonkin, senior director of J.D. Power's real estate practice.

The good news, Sonkin says, is Tampa Bay's home-builder market is better than most in the country. On average, Tampa Bay's overall customer satisfaction index of 103 for new-home buyers is higher than the national average of 101. And the Tampa Bay market ranks third (behind No. 1 Charlotte, N.C., and Phoenix) among the 16 metro markets surveyed in customer satisfaction. Las Vegas was fourth and Orlando ranked fifth. The Denver market ranked lowest among the 16 with a customer satisfaction index of 88.

In the bay area survey, those polled were buyers of new area houses who have been in their homes between four and 18 months. Nine satisfaction factors were considered, ranging from the builder's customer service (Did they fix problems quickly? Did they answer questions?) and the readiness of the homes to the quality of workmanship, the price/value, design and location.

Houston's David Weekley Homes builds homes (mostly priced between $160,000 and $340,000) in communities in Pinellas (Traditions, Northfield at Lansbrook), Hillsborough (Westchase, Waterchase and Meadow Woods) and Pasco (Wilderness Lake Preserve and Lakes at Sable Ridge) counties.

Sonkin promises J.D. Power is here to stay and will survey new-home owners in the Tampa Bay market every year. "Our goal as a company is to raise the bar," she says. Bravo.

Once again, the new annual ranking of Central Florida's fast-growing businesses (public and private) -- formally called Deloitte & Touche's Florida High Tech Corridor Technology Fast 50 -- is a lesson in staying power vs. fly-by-night. Of the 50, located from Florida's Gulf Coast to the Atlantic, 27 can be found in the greater Tampa Bay area (including Manatee and Sarasota), 14 are from the greater Orlando area, and nine are based near the east coast.

This year's No. 1 company is Orlando's Riptide Software (eligible companies must be in business at least five years with 1997 revenue of at least $50,000 and 2001 revenue of at least $1-million).

But what of the past winners? In 2001, the No. 1 company was Sarasota's PPi Technologies, a designer/maker of standup food packaging. This year it ranks 41st. In 2000 (when Tampa Bay had its own Fast 50 list), Sarasota's LexJet Corp. (printing technology) was ranked tops. It does not appear on this year's list.

In 1999, Tampa's Intermedia Communications, a telecommunications business born of the industry's deregulation effort, was No. 1. It was bought by (now infamous) MCI/WorldCom and effectively shut down. The 1998 Fast 50 winner was Oldsmar's Genesis Manufacturing, which declared bankruptcy and was acquired by a competitor. Manatee County's Hoveround, tops in 1997, no longer appears on the Fast 50. (Only those companies that submit their own name or are otherwise nominated are ranked.)

Still, some names endure. St. Petersburg's Jabil Circuit and Catalina Marketing, local heavyweights, rank 15th and 28th this year. Even Tampa's Sykes Enterprise and Reptron Electronics -- each fighting tough financial battles in their own markets -- ranked 40th and 46th.

Some of the more promising up-and-comers won't appear on next year's list. Tampa's Blue Ocean Software, for example, ranked No. 5 this year. But it was purchased one week ago by California's Intuit Inc. for $177-million in cash ($7-million more than originally disclosed).

Short takes

Just in time for the holidays: In the market for anything excessive? Tyco International -- known for ex-CEO Dennis Kozlowski's $15,000 umbrella stand, $6,000 shower curtain and $2,200 wastebasket -- is putting on the block the $16.8-million Fifth Avenue Manhattan apartment he lived in (with much of its contents included). Not to be outdone, Houston's bankrupt Enron will have the first of several auctions Wednesday and Thursday to sell off equipment and assets. Among the goodies: a 5-foot-tall stainless steel "E."

Is it 2002, or 1902?: At 71, Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson insists he won't be pressured to open the private golf club's membership to women. It must be that progressive social outlook that persuaded Bank of America last year to honor Hootie -- a director of the banking company from 1986 to 2001 -- by giving $1-million to the Hammond School, an upscale day school in Columbia, S.C., for a new auditorium to be named after (who else?) Hootie. No word if the girl students are banned from the golf team...

Home-builder turnover: J.D. Power's new survey found Orlando's American Heritage Homes did not rank among the top Tampa Bay builders in customer satisfaction. Maybe that will change. California's KB Home said this week it will buy American Heritage. KB Home first entered Florida last summer with the purchase of a Jacksonville builder. This year, KB launched a division in Tampa and plans to deliver its first homes this fall...

-- Robert Trigaux can be reached at trigaux@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8405.

Tops in satisfaction

Among 17 Tampa Bay area new-home builders, these seven ranked tops in customer satisfaction in a new J.D. Power and Associates survey.

Builder Satisfaction Index

David Weekley Homes 125

Suarez Housing 117

Pulte 116

Westfield 113

M/I Homes 112

Centex 104

Lennar 103

Tampa Bay market average 103

National average (16 markets) 101

Area builders with below-average customer satisfaction but not ranked: American Heritage, Inland, Kimball Hill, Maronda, Morrison, Rottlund, Ryland, US Home, WCI/Watermark and Windward.

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