CURRENT ISSUE
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| Building with Confidence |
| Profile | |
| By Fernie Grace Tiflis | |
| Friday, 01 June 2007 | |
 Centex Homes – Bay Area Division says it delivers quality products that meet customer expectations. It pioneered energy-saving components as a standard feature of its Northern California developments. The division is always confident about its end-results, he adds. “We’re one of the first [companies] to offer an extended fit-and-finish warranty,” Tuttle says. “We offer it for two years, while [competitors] only offer it for one. We deliver well-built houses and we’re willing to stand behind [them].” Centex Homes received the highest numerical score in the San Francisco Bay Area two years in a row in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2005-2006 New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Studies. The study was based on 60,927 total responses measuring 16 builders in the San Francisco Bay Area and the opinions of consumers who purchased a new home in 2005. Nine other Centex Homes divisions have earned similar accolades. “Homebuyers deserve confidence in their builder to provide quality, on-time construction results from a myriad of people, processes and systems on and off the job site,” Division President Dave Ciabattari said in a statement. “Centex Homes nationally, as well as in our market, continues to be a standout among new homebuilders, pushing the benchmark for overall customer satisfaction. “We are fortunate to have a superior group of employees, suppliers and contractors in the Northern California area who are intent on delivering a quality home that exceeds our customers’ expectations for value, service and reliability from the first day forward.” Seeing Green The division is at the forefront of green building in the Bay Area, Tuttle says. It began about five years ago, offering green features as options for homebuyers. “We started to put together option programs [for features such as a] tankless water heater and photovoltaics, but it was only recently that we incorporated [the energy-saving program] as a standard feature,” Tuttle says. Centex Bay Area is currently constructing Avignon, the first Green Point Rated neighborhood in Alameda County. Tuttle notes some of Avignon’s standard green features include photovoltaic integrated roof tiles, tankless water heaters, energy efficient dual glazed windows, high-efficiency HVAC equipment and an innovative blown-in insulation product in the walls and ceilings. The division says its energy saving features may reduce utility bills substantially, and purchasing a home with standard photovoltaics may qualify homebuyers for a federal tax credit of up to $2,000. “By first constructing the most energy efficient homes and then adding state-of-the-art renewable resources, each home in Avignon will be constructed 35 percent more energy efficient than required by the strict California energy codes,” the division says. “The homes at Avignon meet the rigid energy-efficient guidelines of the ComfortWise program with mechanically designed heating and air conditioning systems, Andersen 400 Series HP low-e spectrally selective glass windows and tightly sealed air ducts. The homes are then independently inspected for quality and performance of [things such as insulation, sealing and ductwork].” Avignon is slated for completion by the first quarter of 2008. Solar Home Last year, the division partnered with Habitat for Humanity to construct a solar home for a family in the Modesto, Calif., area. The home featured recycled scrap drywall, concrete, lumber and cardboard, recycled content flooring, 20 percent flash in concrete, low volatile organic compounds in interior paints, a tankless water heater, vinyl frame low-e dual glazed windows, Energy Star appliances and recycled content insulation, as well as photovoltaic roof panels for energy generation. Dedication to Quality Tuttle, who has been with the company for six years, says he is proud of Centex Homes’ dedication to quality. “When you’re building quality homes and doing the right thing for your customers, people recognize that,” according to Tuttle. “We are dedicated to satisfying our customers and earning their recommendation.” The division plans to continue its successful history of building in the Bay Area. “The Bay Area has been wonderful for Centex Homes,” Tuttle stresses. “Over the past several years we feel that the Bay Area has really come to know what Centex Homes stands for quality homes in great locations with a dedication to customer satisfaction. “We want to continue to build on this solid foundation and continue our presence here in the years to come.” |
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