Good Housekeeping Partners With K. Hovnanian Homes for Houses 'Built With The Seal'

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Good Housekeeping and K. Hovnanian Homes, the nation's seventh largest new home builder, have announced a partnership to promote Good Housekeeping Seal-backed products in K. Hovnanian's new home building operations. The first K. Hovnanian Homes community to participate in the Good Housekeeping Seal program will be Grand Peninsula in Grand Prairie, TX. Ground has been broken on the first model home in the community which will serve as a showcase for Good Housekeeping Seal building products. Additionally, this model home will incorporate other Good Housekeeping Seal furnishings, electronics, accessories and more, creating the first "House the Seal Built." Scheduled for completion in July 2006, this home will be showcased in a fall issue of the magazine. Other K. Hovnanian communities to participate in this new Seal program will be announced in the coming months.

Beginning with the Grand Peninsula Community, new home buyers will be made aware of the array of Good Housekeeping Seal products that K. Hovnanian Homes offers as standard options, as well as the choice to select upgrades from an approved list of suppliers who hold the Good Housekeeping Seal. Charter participating Good Housekeeping Seal holders include Acme Brick, Chamberlain Liftmaster, Clopay garage doors, Mannington flooring, Mohawk flooring, Shaw Carpets, and Whirlpool appliances.

"With the credibility of both the Hovnanian and Good Housekeeping brands, consumers will know that they will be moving into a home that is sound and reliable, both inside and out," says Bobby Ray, Group President, K. Hovnanian Homes.

Good Housekeeping Senior Vice President and Publisher Patricia Haegele said, "This partnership is a first-of-its-kind opportunity. Via the Good Housekeeping Seal, marketers will be able to differentiate their products in the new K. Hovnanian homes, and consumers will be more confident in the products they choose for their house, which is usually the biggest purchase we make in our lifetime. Every product that bears the Good Housekeeping Seal is backed by a two-year warranty for replacement or refund if found to be defective, making for a very compelling sales tool for both K. Hovnanian and the marketers who choose to earn the Seal."

K. Hovnanian Homes will utilize new selling materials created with Good Housekeeping that describe the Seal products used in the home. This literature will also underscore the fundamental value of the Good Housekeeping Seal: only products evaluated by the Good Housekeeping Institute qualify for the Good Housekeeping Seal, and all Seal-bearing products are backed by Good Housekeeping's two-year limited warranty for replacement or refund if defective. This warranty is in addition to and independent of guarantees and warrantees already offered by K. Hovnanian and individual manufacturers.

According to research conducted in March 2005 by Fairfield Research of Lincoln, NE, 94% of consumers have a positive awareness of the Good Housekeeping Seal. When choosing between two brands similar in price and features, 81% of consumers reported they would be more likely to buy the product with the Seal.

For more information on the program and regular updates on participating manufacturers and K. Hovnanian communities, visit http://www.goodhousekeepingseal.com/.

ABOUT GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Founded in 1885, Good Housekeeping reaches 25 million readers a month. The Good Housekeeping Institute is the consumer product evaluation laboratory of Good Housekeeping magazine. Founded in 1900 for the purpose of improving the lives of consumers and their families through education and product evaluation, the Good Housekeeping Institute continues in this key role today. Only products evaluated by the Good Housekeeping Institute can be accepted for advertising in the magazine, and thereby become eligible to display the famous Good Housekeeping Seal.

About Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. , founded in 1959 by Kevork S. Hovnanian, Chairman, is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Company is one of the nation's largest homebuilders with operations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The Company's homes are marketed and sold under the trade names K. Hovnanian Homes, Matzel & Mumford, Diamond Homes, Forecast Homes, Parkside Homes, Brighton Homes, Parkwood Builders, Windward Homes, Cambridge Homes, Town & Country Homes, Oster Homes and First Home Builders of Florida. As the developer of K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons communities, the Company is also one of the nation's largest builders of active adult homes.

Additional information on Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., including a summary investment profile and the Company's 2004 annual report, can be accessed through the "Investor Relations" section of the Hovnanian Enterprises' website at http://www.khov.com/. To be added to Hovnanian's investor e-mail or fax lists, please send an e-mail to IR@khov.com or sign up at http://www.khov.com/.

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