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J.D. Power and Associates to Release 2008 New-Home Builder Study Results on Wednesday, September 10

As the pace slows in the new-home market, homebuilders who are able to truly satisfy their customers possess a key competitive advantage in the eyes of consumers.

The 2008 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction with new-home builders. The study, now in its 12th year, is based on responses from buyers of newly built single-family homes who provided feedback after living in their homes from four to 18 months.

The 2008 New Home Design and Quality Studies, now in their second year, measure customers' experiences with design and aesthetic aspects of their new homes, the seven factors that drive satisfaction with new-home design as well as the occurrences and impact of construction problems experienced by new-home owners.

The results of all three studies include rankings of major homebuilders in the following 33 markets:

    -- Albuquerque, N.M.
    -- Atlanta, Ga.
    -- Austin, Texas
    -- Central Valley/Fresno, Calif*
    -- Charleston, S.C.
    -- Charlotte, N.C.
    -- Chicago, Ill.
    -- Columbus, Ohio
    -- Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
    -- Denver/Colorado Springs, Colo.
    -- Ft. Myers/Naples, Fla.
    -- Greensboro, N.C.*
    -- Greensville, S.C.*
    -- Houston, Texas
    -- Inland Empire, Calif.
    -- Jacksonville, Fla.
    -- Los Angeles/Ventura County, Calif.
    -- Las Vegas, Nev.
    -- Minneapolis, Minn.
    -- Northern New Jersey*
    -- Orange County, Calif.
    -- Orlando, Fla.
    -- Palm Beach, Fla.
    -- Philadelphia, Penn.
    -- Phoenix, Ariz.
    -- Raleigh/Durham, N.C.
    -- Sacramento, Calif.
    -- San Antonio, Texas
    -- San Diego, Calif.
    -- San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
    -- Tampa, Fla.
    -- Tucson, Ariz.
    -- Washington, D.C.

    *New markets added to the study in 2008

Homebuilder analysts will be available for interviews to discuss study findings and market performance after 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 10. To schedule an interview, please contact:

     John Tews
     J.D. Power and Associates
     Troy, Mich.
     (248) 312-4119
     john.tews@jdpa.com

     Syvetril Perryman
     J.D. Power and Associates
     Westlake Village, Calif.
     (805) 418-8103
     syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com

     Jeff Perlman
     Brandware Public Relations
     Los Angeles, Calif.
     (818) 317-3070
     jperlman@brandwaregroup.com

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered inWestlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

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SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates