In recognition of the best builders providing extraordinary customer experiences, Avid® Ratings is proud to announce the winners of the 12th annual Avid Awards. Homebuilders throughout North America are honored with the prestigious awards for scoring the highest with their customers on surveys of the home buying experience. Award recipients were chosen from a record number of 930 qualifying builders, making it the largest assessment of home buyer satisfaction in North America in 2015. All winners of the Avid Awards will be recognized on August 13th at the Avid Conference: Building Excellence and Innovation, in Madison, Wisconsin.

“We are thrilled to honor the winners of the 2015 Avid Awards, who have all set the bar for home quality and customer service across North America,” said Paul Cardis, chief executive officer of Avid Ratings. “These awards ensure future buyers that there is a builder in their region who will deliver an excellent new home and buying experience.”

Home building companies included in this year’s study represented 25 percent of the largest publicly traded NYSE/NASDAQ builders, 38 percent of North America’s largest private builders, and hundreds of small volume and custom builders from coast to coast. Homeowners who purchased new homes in 2014 were surveyed to determine the winners of the 2015 award. The top two winners were Richmond American Homes – Southern California, a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), which took home the Avid Cup Award; and Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE: MTH) – Tucson, Arizona division, which earned the U.S. Avid Diamond Award.

“We’re honored and grateful to be recognized by Avid,” said Leslie Muñoz, director of national sales operations at Richmond American Homes. “We put so much time and energy into creating a positive customer experience every step of the way. Being chosen for this award inspires us to keep pushing the envelope with our service for homebuyers across the country.”

“Winning the prestigious 2015 Avid Diamond Award is an amazing honor for our entire organization,” said Camille Nesbitt, director of national customer relations at Meritage Homes. “It is our goal to provide our homeowners with the best possible service from the moment they visit one of our communities to the care they receive long after they move into their homes. Because this award is based solely from our homeowner’s feedback, it is honest validation that along with building quality homes, we are building long lasting relationships with our customers. That makes the hard work of our team of dedicated employees and trade partners more meaningful.”

The Avid Awards are regarded as a trusted benchmark of customer service performance in the homebuilding industry. Avid Ratings has long been at the forefront of the industry in bringing transparency of builder performance to consumers by consumers since 1992. In order to determine the Avid Award winners, homebuilding companies are evaluated using Avid's award winning GoSurvey® program and database. Every home buyer survey in the database is analyzed to determine each builder's Avid Index Score, which is a combination of the total home buying experience, the willingness to refer, and the actual number of recommendations a buyer has made. Builders with the highest Avid Index Score in each category are presented with awards. Each award winning company must score at or above the top 25th percentile in each country to be recognized with an Avid Award. To provide even more transparency, many participating builders publish all of their completed (and unedited) surveys and star ratings online via Avid’s GoSocial® program and at www.homequality.com.

“Part of our brand promise is that we are a trustworthy company that consumers can rely upon,” Cardis said. “Integrity is of paramount importance to us, which is why home buyers and builders alike can be assured that the Avid Awards are based on surveys of 100 percent verified customers with over 50 to 70-percent response rates, and therefore have true meaning behind them.”

Avid Cup

Avid Ratings’ top honor, Avid Cup, recognizes the building company with the highest customer ratings throughout North America, across all surveys, from contract signing through one year of home ownership.

2015 Avid Cup:

  • Richmond American Homes – Southern California

Avid Diamond Award

The Avid Diamond Award is given to builders scoring the highest on its New Home Move–In Experience™ Survey (based on purchasing experience within the first 90 days in the home). One builder in the production category and one in the custom builder category were named as Diamond Award recipients.

Avid Diamond Award – U.S.:

  • Meritage Homes – Tucson Division - Arizona

Avid Diamond Award Custom/Small Volume Builders – U.S.:

  • Great Traditions Homes – Ohio

Avid Gold Award

Avid also distinguishes top building companies on a local level with the Avid Gold Awards. This honor is given out to leading builders within five distinct regions of the United States who received the highest on their New Home Move–In Experience™ Survey (based on purchasing experience within the first 90 days in the home) out of all qualifying builders in their area.

Avid Gold Award winners are as follows:

North Central Region

  • Veridian Homes – Wisconsin

Northeast Region

  • The Green Company – Massachusetts

South Central Region

  • Rausch Coleman - Little Rock Division – Arkansas

Southeast Region

  • Meritage Homes – Orlando Division – Florida

Western Region

  • Meritage Homes – Tucson Division – Arizona

Avid Benchmark Award

The Avid Benchmark Award is presented to the second– and third–place builders that rank among the top 25 percent nationwide (up to two per region) in the New Home Move–In Experience™ Survey (based on purchasing experience within the first 90 days in the home).

The winners of the Avid Benchmark Award in the United States are as follows:

North Central Region

  • Tim O’Brien Homes – Madison Division – Wisconsin
  • Olthof Homes – Indiana

Northeast Region

  • Keystone Custom Homes – South Division, Pennsylvania
  • Baker Residential – New York Metro Division, New York

South Central Region

  • Ideal Homes – Oklahoma
  • Meritage Homes – Austin Division, Texas

Southeast Region

  • Truland Homes – Alabama
  • Murphy Homes – Alabama

Western Region

  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix Division – Arizona
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire Division – California

Avid Service Awards

Recognizing top homebuilding employees in the United States with individual honors, the Avid Service Award is given to professionals active in (and for the categories of) Sales, Design, Construction and Customer Service.

The winners of the 2015 Avid Service Award include (listed by category and in alphabetical company order):

2015 Best U.S. Sales Counselors:

  • Holmes Homes: TJ Buckley
  • Ideal Homes – North: Robin Feuerborn
  • Mattamy Homes Minnesota: Melissa Pozzi
  • Meritage Homes – Active Adult: Frannie Metcalfe
  • Meritage Homes – Austin: Paul Smith
  • Meritage Homes – Denver: Tim Corsaro
  • Meritage Homes – N. California: Diana Coykendall
  • Meritage Homes – N. California: Haiyan Parks
  • Meritage Homes – N. California: Harvey Edwards
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Ali Paymayesh
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Jarrett Townsend
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Alba Mankowski
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: James Jones
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Brian Wendel
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Roberto Gonzalez
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Samantha Bishop
  • Meritage Homes – Tucson: Nicole Offerman
  • Olthof Homes: Chris Gruhlke
  • Olthof Homes: Jodi Gheaja
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Jodi Bettarel
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Kirsti Peffers
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Lu Dipalma–Mills
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Melonique Jones
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Frances Marks
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Mimi Wilson
  • Pardee Homes – San Diego: Paola Gandara
  • Pardee Homes – San Diego: Ricki Fein
  • Pardee Homes – San Diego: Steven Gibbs
  • Richmond American – Denver: Peggy Fenton
  • Richmond American – Maryland: Darlene Flaxman
  • Richmond American – Nevada: Joel Campbell
  • Richmond American – Nevada: Steven Corbett
  • Richmond American – Nevada: Teresa Tebbs
  • Richmond American – Northern CA: Diane Edwards
  • Richmond American – Phoenix: Beverly Napierkowski
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Cristina Adamovich
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Denise Miller
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Gino Tinucci
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Javier Palafox
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Kaylee Smith
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Lori Lynch
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Randall Anderson
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Christina Berndt
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Elizabeth Fusco Rios
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Hsiao–Lin Worden
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Wendy Davis
  • Richmond American – Virginia: Alphonso Arnold
  • Richmond American – Virginia: Christopher Roberts
  • Richmond American – Virginia: Jennifer Sloat
  • Richmond American – Washington: James Harple
  • Richmond American – Washington: Kenneth Miller
  • Richmond American – Washington: Ryan Olson
  • The Green Company: Marty Zurn
  • Van Metre Homes: Morgen Smith
  • Van Metre Homes: Tina Aquilino
  • Veridian Homes: Amy Kirner
  • Veridian Homes: Terri Jacobson

2015 Best U.S. Project Superintendents:

  • Ideal Homes – South: Scott Barbour
  • Mattamy Homes Minnesota: Jamie Anderson
  • Mattamy Homes Minnesota: Kevin Bromund
  • Meritage Homes – Active Adult: Prescott Norman
  • Meritage Homes – Austin: Anthony Munsch
  • Meritage Homes – Austin: Spencer Gordon
  • Meritage Homes – Austin: Dillon Wilhelm
  • Meritage Homes – Austin: Michael Humphries
  • Meritage Homes – Dallas/Fort Worth: Jeremy Johnson
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Dennis Blazejewski
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Brian Mitchell
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Kevin Hussey
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Daniel Matson
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Dwayne Isenberger
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Pavel Sauceda
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Jamie Royter
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Brian Trimble
  • Meritage Homes – Phoenix: Gary Mazaros
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Franz Walton
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Jared Hendricks
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Tim Dolan
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Corey Miller
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Mark Piercy
  • Meritage Homes – San Antonio: Jordan Pierce
  • Meritage Homes – Tucson: Jamie Normand
  • Mungo Homes – Coastal Division: Jamie Merritt
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Dennis Shavor
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: John Randall
  • Richmond American – Northern CA: Dave Dunlap
  • Richmond American – Northern CA: Joseph Rusch
  • Richmond American – Phoenix: Steven Baum
  • Richmond American – Southern CA: Drew Brodeur
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Ty Leinenbach
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Robert Palmour
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Michael Klinger
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Daryl Kupchanko
  • Richmond American – Washington: Michael Burke
  • Veridian Homes: Dave Evert
  • Veridian Homes: Rodney Stauffacher

2015 Best U.S. Design Counselors:

  • Meritage Homes – Active Adult: Alyssa Bergman
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Mickelle York
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Lisa Nussbaum
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Carol Buckley
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Diane Salas
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Ronald Cook
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Jan Haag
  • Tim O'Brien Homes – Madison: Marilyn Reardon

2015 Best U.S. Customer Service Associates:

  • Meritage Homes – Active Adult: Prescott Norman
  • Meritage Homes – Dallas/Fort Worth: Jeremy Johnson
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Brian Mitchell
  • Meritage Homes – Orlando: Dennis Blazejewski
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Corey Miller
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Franz Walton
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Mark Piercy
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Sean Smiggs
  • Meritage Homes – S. California: Tim Dolan
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Kim Eldred
  • Pardee Homes – Inland Empire: Sean King
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Bill Bruce
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Jeff Ehrensaft
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Kathleen Brant
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Rick McCollum
  • Pardee Homes – Las Vegas: Terry Mosinski
  • Richmond American – Northern CA: Jon Dahlin
  • Richmond American – Phoenix: John Beaty
  • Richmond American – Phoenix: Steven Baum
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Bayne Smith
  • Richmond American – Tucson: Ty Leinenbach

For more information about the Avid Awards, please visit www.avidratings.com.

About Avid Ratings

Founded in 1992, Avid Ratings is a full–service customer loyalty management firm, providing customer loyalty research, organizational consulting, employee training, and innovative marketing solutions that drive homebuilding success. Serving over 2,300 homebuilders throughout the United States and Canada, Avid maintains North America’s largest database of homebuyer satisfaction to benchmark its clients. To learn more about the industry leading Avid 3.0 suite of services (GoSurvey®, GoSocial®, and GoTour®), visit www.avidratings.com.