A panel of top homebuilding executives, consultants and past winners determined John Laing Homes to be one of the three winners after a comprehensive evaluation of entries from homebuilders across the United States. John Laing Homes was the largest builder selected among this year's winners in terms of unit volume. The annual award, now in its 13^th year, goes to three homebuilder that demonstrates excellence in the following areas - finance and operations, marketing, customer service, product and design, and community involvement.

"We've built this company on delivering the best new homebuying experience possible to our customers and providing a learning environment that promotes professional growth for our employees," said John Laing Homes CEO Larry Webb. "I'm continually amazed by the achievements of our people, and this award is a testament to their efforts every day."

The award highlights the most successful year in John Laing Homes' history. The company maintained its position as an industry leader in overall customer satisfaction, receiving top rankings in three independent, nationwide market research surveys, including J.D. Power & Associates. The company's focus on its customers and employees delivered substantial revenue growth. The company surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2004, and launched two new divisions in 2005.

In February, the company launched Laing Urban, the company's urban development division, further cementing its reputation as a leader in higher density urban development. Later in August, the company expanded geographically into the San Francisco Bay area.

 In the midst of its business success, the company never lost sight of the importance of community involvement and encourages its divisions to support local charities in the communities where they build homes. As a result, John Laing Homes' team members supported more than 100 individual charities and philanthropic organizations in 2005, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and contributing countless hours of volunteer time.

"Most builders excel in one discipline - be it customer service, great product design, construction know-how, or financial planning," said Boyce Thomson, editorial director of Builder magazine. "These companies do it all. That takes incredible energy and focus."

About America's Best Builder Award

            The America's Best Builder contest, first introduced in 1992, honors single-family home builders for excellence in five areas of their businesses: finance and operations; customer service and quality; community and industry service; design and construction; and marketing.

About John Laing Homes

            With a tradition of quality dating back more than 150 years, John Laing Homes is the second largest privately held homebuilder in the nation. John Laing Homes was named Professional Builder magazine's "2004 Builder of the Year" for excellence in innovative designs, marketing, and customer service, and "Builder of the Decade" in 2000 by independent research firm Eliant. The company finished 2004 with revenues of more than $1 billion on 2,045 residential closings. Based in Newport Beach, California, John Laing Homes concentrates its homebuilding efforts in California and Colorado. For more information, visit http://www.johnlainghomes.com/.