Exhibit 99.1
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Contacts:
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Investor Relations:
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Corporate Communications:
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Brent Anderson
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Jane Hays
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Vice
President-Investor Relations
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Vice
President-Corporate Communications
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(972) 543-8207
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(972) 543-8123
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MERITAGE
HOMES ANNOUNCES PUBLIC OFFERING OF COMMON STOCK
Scottsdale, Ariz. (April 16, 2008) – Meritage
Homes Corporation (NYSE: MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder, announced today that
it will file a preliminary prospectus supplement for a proposed public offering
of up to 4,000,000 shares of common stock. All shares are being offered by
Meritage Homes. The Company will grant the underwriters an option to purchase
up to an additional 600,000 shares to cover over-allotments, if any. The
offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to
whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or
terms of the offering. Meritage plans to use the proceeds received from this
offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
The offering will be made through an underwriting
syndicate led by Citi Markets & Banking as sole book-running manager
and representative of the underwriters.
The common stock will be offered only pursuant to a
prospectus supplement to an effective registration statement (including a
prospectus) filed May 14, 2002. A preliminary prospectus supplement
related to the offering will be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and is available on the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. A printed copy of
the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained
by contacting Citi Markets & Banking, 140 58th Street, 8th Floor,
Brooklyn, New York 11220, (telephone number: 718-765-6732).
This release shall not constitute an offer to sell or
the solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, nor shall there be
any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such state.
MTH SECONDARY
OFFERING/ 2
About Meritage Homes
Corporation
Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) builds
primarily single-family homes across the southern and western United States
under the Meritage, Monterey and Legacy brands. Meritage has active communities
in Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Tucson,
Las Vegas, the California East Bay/Central Valley and Inland Empire, Denver and
Orlando. The Company was ranked by
Builder magazine in 2007 as the 12th largest homebuilder in the U.S. and ranked
#580 on the 2007 Fortune 1000 list. For more information about the Company,
visit www.meritagehomes.com.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such statements include those
regarding the Company’s proposed secondary offering of common stock, subject to current market conditions, which
are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The Company makes no
commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking
statements to reflect future events or changes in these expectations.
Meritage’s business is subject to a number of
risks and uncertainties, including: the ability to successfully complete the
proposed offering, fluctuations in demand, competition, sales orders,
cancellation rates and home prices in our markets; potential write-downs or
write-offs of assets or deposits; interest rates and changes in the
availability and pricing of residential mortgages; housing affordability; success in locating and negotiating potential
acquisitions; successful integration of acquired operations with existing
operations; investments in land and development joint ventures; dependence on
key personnel and the availability of satisfactory subcontractors; materials
and labor costs; the ability to take certain actions because of restrictions
contained in the indentures for the Company’s senior and senior subordinated
notes and the agreement for the unsecured credit facility; the Company’s lack
of geographic diversification; the cost and availability of insurance,
including the unavailability of insurance for the presence of mold; potential
exposure to natural disasters; the impact of construction defect and home
warranty claims; demand for and acceptance of the Company’s homes; changes in
the availability and pricing of real estate in the markets in which the Company
operates; the ability to acquire additional land or options to acquire
additional land on acceptable terms; the exposure to obligations under
performance and surety bonds, performance guarantees and letters of credit;
general economic slow downs; consumer confidence, which can be impacted by
economic and other factors such as terrorism, war, or threats thereof and
changes in energy prices or stock markets; inflation in the cost of materials
used to construct homes; the Company’s level of indebtedness and the ability to
raise additional capital when and if needed; legislative or other initiatives
that seek to restrain growth or new housing construction or similar measures
and other factors identified in documents filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in our Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2007, under the caption “Risk Factors.” As
a result of these and other factors, the Company’s stock and note prices may
fluctuate dramatically.
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