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 A new home builder targeted by an investigative news report about new home defects, is at the top of the consumer satisfaction list in more cities than any other builder in the nation. Pulte Homes ranked tops in customer satisfaction in three cities, Charlotte N.C (tied with Ryland Homes), Denver, CO and Las Vegas, NV. In Phoenix, AZ, Pulte"s recently acquired Del Webb division tied with Pacific Bay for first place and Del Webb tied for first place with Pacific Bay in San Diego, CA , according to Agoura Hills, CA-based J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information services. J.D. Powers" "2001 New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study"also placed Bloomfield Hills MI-based Pulte second in Houston, TX, Chicago, IL (tied with its Del Webb division) and San Diego, CA (tied with Lennar).
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Could you consider spending up to $30,000 on a laundry room? That"s pretty much what a lot of today"s affluent buyers are willing to shell out for a room devoted to the art of doing the laundry. If you stop to think about that, it"s rather astonishing, one expert suggests. Imagine telling your grandmother that all of your friends really rave about your $30,000 laundry room. And your grandmother replies: “You mean the place where you wash, dry and iron your clothes? That"s the room you think is so fabulous?" It"s officially known as “The Family Studio,” what the observers of such trends call “the newest status symbol” among homebuyers. Mara Villaneuva is a brand manager for Whirlpool, which unveiled the concept of the “family studio in January. She said the company"s surveys found that laundry was a priority for its customers and that some of those surveyed “had already built multifunction rooms they called "power laundry rooms" -- places in which they could combine their household chores with those of their families." 
If you’re wondering why Texas is doing so well in job growth during these hard times, look no further than some of the country’s leading money magazines. Fortune Magazine reports Texas has the most Fortune 500 companies located in its borders, meanwhile Forbes reports nine of the nation’s top job growth markets are in Texas. At the No. 1 spot is Odessa, Texas, a western Texas oil and manufacturing town. The strong economic picture in Odessa has kept home prices stronger than the national picture and the foreclosures nearly nonexistent according to Foreclosure.com. 
A growing number of people are getting into the swing by buying a home at one of the nation"s many new golf communities. The National Golf Foundation reports that since 1986, the number of golfers in the United States has jumped 34 percent. During that time, the number of residential golf communities has also been on the rise. In fact, the NGF says about 45 percent of golf course construction today is part of a residential community. Golf communities are alluring to golfers and non-golfers alike and appeal to a wide range of age groups. In addition to the golf course, many of the communities offer a host of other amenities, such as swimming pools, baseball and softball fields, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, and hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Some also feature a community recreation center, club house, restaurant, and reception areas.