Ideal Homes Achieves 2010 Builder of the Year Recognition

Professional Builder magazine has named Ideal Homes the 2010 Builder of the Year. Gene and Vernon McKown and Todd Booze founded the company almost 20 years ago. According to Professional Builder, "These three men have built a quiet dynamo in Norman, Okla., serving the entry-level market and first move-ups with a smart blend of quality assurance, customer satisfaction and energy efficient housing." The cover of Professional Builder proclaims "Strength in Discipline," as it announces Oklahoma's own Ideal Homes as the 2010 Builder of the Year. The article speaks of a conservatively managed company, dedicated to improving the way they build homes and setting national standards for energy-efficient building. Ideal's customers reap the benefits of this approach. "A home is the largest single purchase most people ever make. We understand that buyers are looking for a reputable builder. Building a home for someone is serious business - and we take it seriously," says Vernon McKown, co-owner/president of sales. "We tried to build the kind of quality homes we wanted to live in. We asked our customers for their feedback, and they told us where we were doing well, and where we could improve. We listened to them, and our products got better," he said. "I guess it goes without saying that if it were not for our customers, we wouldn't have been in business for 20 years, and we certainly would not be Builder of the Year." "Professional Builder recognizes Ideal Homes for their ability to deal with the hard realities of a unique market; their ability to project, benchmark and execute the right decisions; their ability to create a business model that protects them from the worst the market has to offer; and their ability to lead the industry in an absolutely crucial area of energy efficiency," the article concludes. "We're proud to proclaim it the 2010 Professional Builder Builder of the Year." Read the article at: http://www.housingzone.com/probuilder/article/CA6705479.html About the Builder of the Year award: For more than 40 years, Professional Builder has selected a homebuilder who has shown the rest of the industry a better way. These are home building firms that exude excellence in all aspects of home building and are innovative in their design management, building practices, marketing, community relations, customer satisfaction, productivity and profitability. Energy Firsts: Ideal Homes has been recognized for numerous energy-efficient building "firsts," including:

• 2008 - First gold-level Green Certified Home in Oklahoma
• 2006 - First LEED Certified Home in the U.S.
• 2005 - First affordable Zero Energy Home in the U.S.
• 1998 - First line of affordable Energy Star Homes in the U.S.

About Ideal Homes: Founded 20 years ago, Ideal Homes has consistently set the standard for innovating homebuilding and has been nationally recognized for the quality of its products and processes. The company is locally owned and operated and is the winner of the premier America's Best Builder Award for 2007, from Builder Magazine, and the prestigious National Housing Quality 2006 Gold Award from the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. Ideal Homes is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association and the Norman Home Builders Association. The company builds in 17 communities throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, including: Deer Creek, Edmond, Moore, Mustang, Newcastle, Norman, Oklahoma City, Piedmont and Yukon. Its newest community is in Stillwater.

-###-