MEDIA ALERT

INNOVATIVE “WOMAN-CENTRIC” HOMES HELP BUILDERS THRIVE
Research shows women make 91% of the decisions when it comes to new home purchases.

OMAHA, NE (October 10, 2007) - While the media is reporting challenges with the housing market and home builders who can no longer get rid of their inventory, some builders are not only surviving the crunch but thriving. What's their secret? Building homes that people actually want to live in - designed from a “woman-centric” perspective.

It is no secret that 91 percent of all new home purchases are either made by women or primarily influenced by them (Smith-Dahmer, 2006 IBS), and nearly 85 percent of ALL consumer purchases are either made by or primarily influenced by women (Business Week). The brainchild of Design Basics of Omaha, NE, the largest home plan design firm in America, Woman-Centric Matters(sm) is a unique, innovative licensing and educational platform that teaches home builders and businesses from other industries how to become remarkable by transforming their businesses to consider “her” perspective. Utilizing unique woman-centric floor plans, specialized customer service training, evocative signage, website design and other focused woman-centric techniques researched and developed by Design Basics, nearly 70 homebuilders in 27 states have become Woman-Centric Matters licensees since the program’s inception in 2006. And as their competitors are feeling the effects of the historic housing bust, Woman-Centric builders have success stories to report.

Denny Lenth, a homebuilder in Cedar Falls, Iowa, says, “Typically, at this time of year, with winter approaching, we see things slow down a bit. But, I am currently building several custom homes and a couple of specs.” Lenth continues, “Our market has been slow, so building a $600,000 spec home was a big risk. It was also our first woman-centric home. It sold the first day of the Parade of Homes at full asking price!”

Ted Schieler, General Manager of Schieler & Rassi Quality Builders in Peoria, Illinois, reports, “We became a Woman Centric Builder in the fall of 2006 and showcased 13 new Woman-Centric floor plans and our very first Woman-Centric Model Home in the 2007 Peoria, IL, Spring Home Show. We had 20,000 visitors to our model that 3-day weekend in February, and the response to the Woman-Centric concept has been overwhelming.” Schieler continues, “Prospective clients walk through our model and at every turn say ‘WOW, this is what I want!’” When asked about how his business has fared during the current housing challenges, Schieler responded, “The down market that the area has had in 2007 hasn’t affected us at all. In fact, we have had the best year ever, by far. We owe it all to the Woman-Centric concept; it really hits home what home buyers truly want in a home. This whole approach to marketing and selling new homes has given our business a tremendous edge and helped us capture more buyers in a down market.”

H&S Covenant Homes, a custom home builder based in Kansas City, proudly unveiled its first Woman-Centric concept home in Overland Park, Kansas, in September of 2007. The opening of the home occurred in conjunction with the Fall Parade of Homes sponsored by the Kansas City Home Builders Association. John Menghini, Jr., Vice President of Sales and Marketing at H&S Covenant Homes, says, “Over the past year, H&S Covenant Homes, like many builders around the country, has experienced a significant slow-down in the sale of our homes. Rather than hoping and waiting for a turnaround in the housing market, we decided to take a more proactive approach and seek out opportunities to differentiate ourselves from our competition. We concluded that even in a down market there was business to be had.”

Menghini continues, “Our partnership with Design Basics and our participation in the Woman-Centric initiative has not only produced new interest in our homes, but it has given us a renewed excitement about the home building business. We have wonderful new home plans which the market is responding to in an incredibly positive manner. In just three short weeks, we have secured two new custom build-jobs from just one new Woman-Centric home plan. We were pleasantly surprised by the traction generated by Woman-Centric, but it is without a doubt directly related to the thoughtful planning and sensitivity that goes into this innovative approach to building new homes.”

Design Basics’ Woman-Centric home plans and successful business strategy have even prompted new builders to enter the market, in spite of the economic conditions. Reflection Homes of Northeastern Ohio and Melder & Company of Western Pennsylvania have both entered the homebuilding market this past year specifically because they believe in the strength and viability of the Woman-Centric approach. Bunny Dennison, Vice President of Reflection Homes, says, “We definitely believe that our phone is ringing because we have embraced the Woman-Centric concept. It’s not just about the home design, it’s about the entire process. Everyone we are coming in contact with is delighted with the concept – our customers and suppliers, both male and female – they all love it. From our sign design, billboards, brochures, web-site, home plan designs, all the way to the way we treat each person --even the beautiful yellow mums planted at each one of our signs, people not only see the difference but feel it. It’s fresh, and it’s a new level of sensitive attention that home buyers have been seeking for so long.”

Woman-centric homes intuitively appeal to women, according to Linda Reimer, President of Design Basics. “Because of the livability of woman-centric homes, the homes are popular with men, too. From both an economic and a design standpoint, builders just can’t afford to continue offering the same old home designs. You have to look at a design through the lens of ‘how does the home live?’ because that’s the way women view a home,” said Reimer. These days especially both men and women are looking for real and lasting value in a home, a place they can truly call home, a place that fits their unique needs and lifestyle. That's what woman-centric homebuilders are offering, and that's why they're succeeding. “


Note to media professionals:
To easily obtain contact information for individual builders mentioned in this media alert, please contact M Arnold at Design Basics. 402-331-9223

About Design Basics:

Design Basics, the nation's largest home plan design service to the building industry, designs and markets plans for single-family homes through catalogs, newsstand magazines and home building industry publications. http://www.designbasics.com/

Divisions of Design Basics include:

Woman-Centric Matters: a unique licensing program and educational platform that teaches businesses how to become remarkable by transforming their attitudes and practices based on the woman’s perspective. http://www.womancentricmatters.com/

Quanta Basics: A proven leader in website design with a specialization in woman-centric and Boomer-centric websites, Quanta Basics services include complete website solutions, design, custom development, web site promotion, and internet marketing. http://www.quantabasics.com/

Her Home magazine: Published quarterly, Her Home magazine covers the trends and issues that are shaping the world of homebuilding and home improvement projects. Readers know that in every issue they will find insightful writing, beautiful photography, solid reporting and the magazine's knack for knowing what's around the corner. http://www.herhome.com/

Boomer-Centric Marketing: An extension of Woman-Centric Matters, Boomer Centric Marketing recognizes that although there are vast differences among these women, key similarities have guided the core principles of Design Basics, as we have created home plans, think tanks and marketing that works! http://www.boomercentric.com/