MDC HOLDINGS INC
POS AM, 1998-01-28
OPERATIVE BUILDERS
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As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28, 1998
                                              Registration No. 333-36631
    

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
   
                        POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
     
                                   FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                              M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
                 Co-Registrants are listed after the cover page.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)


           Delaware                                    84-0622967
(State or other jurisdiction              (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 of Incorporation or organization)

                             3600 S. Yosemite Street
                                    Suite 900
                              Denver, Colorado 80237
                                  (303) 773-1100
             (Address,  including zip code, and telephone  number,
              including  area code,  of  registrant's  principal
                               executive offices)

Daniel S. Japha, Esq.                            Copy to:
Secretary and General Counsel - Corporate        Nick Nimmo, Esq.
M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.                            Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
3600 S. Yosemite Street, Suite 900               1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4100
Denver, Colorado 80237                           Denver, Colorado 80203
(303) 773-1100                                   (303) 861-7000
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
                     area code, of agent for service)

APPROXIMATE  DATE OF COMMENCEMENT  OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:  From time to
time after the effective  date of this  Registration  Statement as determined by
market conditions.

         If the only securities  being registered on this Form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest  reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. / /

         If any of the  securities  being  registered  on  this  Form  are to be
offered  on a  delayed  or  continuous  basis  pursuant  to Rule 415  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933,  other  than  securities  offered  in  connection  with
dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. /x /


<PAGE>

         If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier 
effective registration statement from the same offering. / / ..............

         If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule
462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities
Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration 
statement for the same offering. / / ..............

         If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule
434, please check the following box. / /
   
    

<PAGE>

         The  following  subsidiaries  of  Registrant  may  guarantee  the  Debt
Securities and are Co-Registrants under this Registration Statement.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                  Jurisdiction of
         Name of                                   Incorporation        I.R. S. Employer
         Co-Registrant                            or Organization       Identification No.
         -------------                            ---------------       ------------------
<S>                                               <C>                   <C>   
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA, INC.         COLORADO               77-0084376
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND, INC.           MARYLAND               52-0814857
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.             COLORADO               88-0227698
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.           VIRGINIA               54-0570445
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.            DELAWARE               86-0277026
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO, INC.           DELAWARE               84-1256155

</TABLE>
   
    
                                   PART II

              INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 16. Exhibits.

Exhibit Number                                 Description of Documents
- - --------------                                 ------------------------
   
         1.1                            Underwriting Agreement
    
         4.1                            Form of  Certificate  for  shares of the
                                        Company's  common  stock   (incorporated
                                        herein by  reference  to Exhibit  4.1 of
                                        the Company's  Registration Statement on
                                        Form S-3, Registration No. 33-426). *
   
         4.2(a)                         Senior Indenture dated January 28, 1998,
                                        by and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. 
                                        and U.S. Bank National Association, as 
                                        trustee.
    
         4.2(b)                         Form of Senior Subordinated Indenture by
                                        and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and
                                                       , as trustee. **
                                        ---------------

         4.2(c)                         Form of Junior Subordinated Indenture by
                                        and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and
                                                           , as trustee. **
                                        -------------------

         5.1                            Opinion of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP. **

         12.1                           Statement re computation of earnings to
                                        fixed charges. **

         23.1                           Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP. **

         23.2                           Consent of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
                                        (included in Exhibit 5.1).

         24                             Power of attorney (included on the 
                                        signature pages of the original filing 
                                        of Form S-3).
   
         25.1                           Statement of Eligibility of Trustee; 
                                        Form T-1.
    
- - -------------------

*  Incorporated herein by reference.
** Previously filed.



                                    SIGNATURES
   
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant, M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and the Co-Registrants named below certify
that  they  have  reasonable  grounds  to  believe  that  they  meet  all of the
requirements  for  filing on Form S-3 and have  duly  caused  this  Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on their  behalf by the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the  City of  Denver,  State  of  Colorado,  on the  28th day of
January, 1998.
    

                                       M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ---------------------------
                                       Paris G. Reece III
                                       Senior Vice President

                                       CO-REGISTRANTS:

                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA,
                                         INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND,
                                         INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ----------------------------
                                          Paris G. Reece III
                                          Executive Vice President

                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO,
                                         INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ----------------------------
                                          Paris G. Reece III
                                          Vice President


                                     II-2
<PAGE>
   
    

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
registration  statement  or amendment  thereto has been signed by the  following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

                      REGISTRANT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
   
                                    Principal Executive Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    Larry A. Mizel,
                                    Chairman of the Board of Directors,
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer

                                    Chief Operating Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    David D. Mandarich,
                                    Director, Executive Vice President -
                                    Real Estate and Chief Operating Officer

                                    Principal Financial and Accounting Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    Paris G. Reece III,
                                    Senior Vice President,
                                    Chief Financial Officer and 
                                      Principal Accounting Officer



                                      II-3

<PAGE>

                                    Other Directors:

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Steven J. Borick

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Gilbert Goldstein

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    William B. Kemper

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Herbert T. Buchwald

                     CO-REGISTRANT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA,
                                      INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND,
                                      INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.

                                    Principal Executive, Financial and 
                                      Accounting Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Executive Vice President, Director

                                     RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.

                                     Principal Executive, Financial and 
                                       Accounting Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Vice President, Treasurer, Director

                                     II-4
<PAGE>

                                     RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO,
                                       INC.

                                     Principal Executive Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     David D. Mandarich,
                                     Chairman of the Board of Directors,
                                       President

                                     Principal Financial and Accounting
                                       Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Vice President

                                     Other Directors:

                                     *
                                     -----------------------------
                                     Steven J. Borick

                                     *
                                     -----------------------------
                                     Larry A. Mizel




- - --------------------------------------
* By Daniel S. Japha, Attorney-in-Fact




M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.

$175,000,000

8-3/8% Senior Notes due 2008

Underwriting Agreement

                                                              New York, New York
                                                                January 23, 1998

Salomon Smith Barney
Salomon Brothers Inc
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
SBC Warburg Dillon Read Inc.
c/o Salomon Brothers Inc
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York  10013

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  M.D.C. Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes  to sell to the  several  underwriters  named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters"),   for  whom  you  (the   "Representatives")   are   acting   as
representatives,  $175,000,000  principal  amount of its 8-3/8% Senior Notes due
2008 (the "Securities"), to be issued under an indenture (the "Indenture") to be
dated as of January  28,  1998,  between  the  Company  and U.S.  Bank  National
Association,  as trustee (the "Trustee").  To the extent there are no additional
Underwriters  listed on Schedule I other than you, the term  Representatives  as
used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters,  and the terms  Representatives and
Underwriters  shall mean either the singular or plural as the context  requires.
Any reference herein to the "Registration Statement," a "Preliminary Prospectus"
or the  "Prospectus"  shall be  deemed  to refer to and  include  the  documents
incorporated  by  reference  therein  pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were
filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration
Statement or the issue date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as
the case may be; and any reference  herein to the terms "amend,"  "amendment" or
"supplement"  with  respect  to  the  Registration  Statement,  any  Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus  shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing
of any  document  under  the  Exchange  Act  after  the  Effective  Date  of the
Registration  Statement,  or the issue date of any Preliminary Prospectus or the
Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 17 hereof.


<PAGE>



     1. Representations and Warranties.  The Company represents and warrants to,
and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.

                  (a) The  Company  meets the  requirements  for use of Form S-3
         under  the Act  and has  prepared  and  filed  with  the  Commission  a
         registration statement (file number 333-36631) on Form S-3, including a
         related preliminary  prospectus,  for the registration under the Act of
         the offering and sale of the Securities. The Company may have filed one
         or more amendments thereto, including a related preliminary prospectus,
         each of which has  previously  been  furnished to you. The Company will
         next file with the Commission  one of the  following:  (1) prior to the
         Effective Date of such registration  statement,  a further amendment to
         such  registration  statement,  including the form of final prospectus,
         (2) after the Effective Date of such  registration  statement,  a final
         prospectus  in  accordance  with Rules 430A and 424(b),  or (3) a final
         prospectus  in  accordance  with Rules 415 and  424(b).  In the case of
         clause (2), the Company has included in such registration statement, as
         amended at the Effective  Date, all  information  (other than Rule 430A
         Information)  required  by the  Act  and  the  rules  thereunder  to be
         included in such registration  statement and the Prospectus.  As filed,
         such amendment and form of final prospectus,  or such final prospectus,
         shall contain all Rule 430A  Information,  together with all other such
         required  information,  and,  except to the extent the  Representatives
         shall agree in writing to a  modification,  shall be in all substantive
         respects in the form  furnished to you prior to the Execution  Time or,
         to the extent not completed at the Execution  Time,  shall contain only
         such specific  additional  information  and other changes  (beyond that
         contained  in the latest  Preliminary  Prospectus)  as the  Company has
         advised  you,  prior to the  Execution  Time,  will be included or made
         therein.  If  the  Registration   Statement  contains  the  undertaking
         specified by Regulation S-K Item 512(a), the Registration Statement, at
         the  Execution  Time,   meets  the   requirements  set  forth  in  Rule
         415(a)(1)(x).

                  (b) On the Effective Date, the  Registration  Statement did or
         will,  and  when  the  Prospectus  is  first  filed  (if  required)  in
         accordance  with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing  Date,  the  Prospectus
         (and any  supplements  thereto) will,  comply in all material  respects
         with the applicable  requirements  of the Act, the Exchange Act and the
         Trust  Indenture  Act  and  the  respective  rules  thereunder;  on the
         Effective Date and at the Execution  Time, the  Registration  Statement
         did not or will not contain any untrue  statement of a material fact or
         omit to state  any  material  fact  required  to be stated  therein  or
         necessary in order to make the statements  therein not  misleading;  on
         the  Effective  Date and on the Closing Date the  Indenture did or will
         comply in all  material  respects  with the  requirements  of the Trust
         Indenture Act and the rules thereunder; and, on the Effective Date, the
         Prospectus,  if not filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), will not, and on the
         date of any filing  pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and
         any  settlement  date,  the  Prospectus  (together  with any supplement
         thereto) will not,  include any untrue  statement of a material fact or
         omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
         therein,  in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
         not  misleading;   provided,   however,   that  the  Company  makes  no
         representations or warranties as to (i) that part of the


<PAGE>



         Registration   Statement  which  shall   constitute  the  Statement  of
         Eligibility and Qualification  (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act
         of the Trustee or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the
         Registration  Statement,  or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto)
         in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished herein or
         in writing to the  Company by or on behalf of any  Underwriter  through
         the  Representatives  specifically  for  inclusion in the  Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto).

                  (c) Each of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  has been duly
         incorporated  and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
         under  the  laws  of the  jurisdiction  in  which  it is  chartered  or
         organized with full corporate  power and authority to own or lease,  as
         the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business
         as described in the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as
         a foreign  corporation  and is in good standing  under the laws of each
         jurisdiction which requires such qualification,  except in each case as
         would not, singly or in the aggregate,  have a material  adverse effect
         on  the  condition  (financial  or  otherwise),   prospects,  earnings,
         business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries,  taken as a
         whole,  whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course
         of business (a "Material  Adverse  Effect"),  except as set forth in or
         contemplated  in the Prospectus  (exclusive of any  supplement  thereto
         subsequent to the Execution Time).

                  (d) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the
         Company's  significant   subsidiaries  (as  defined  by  Rule  1-02  of
         Regulation  S-X under  the  Exchange  Act)  have been duly and  validly
         authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except
         as otherwise set forth in the  Prospectus,  all  outstanding  shares of
         capital  stock of such  subsidiaries  are owned by the  Company  either
         directly or through  wholly  owned  subsidiaries  free and clear of any
         perfected  security interest or any other security  interests,  claims,
         liens or encumbrances.

                  (e) The Company's  authorized equity  capitalization is as set
         forth  in the  Prospectus;  the  Securities  conform  in  all  material
         respects to the description  thereof  contained in the Prospectus.  The
         Securities  being sold  hereunder by the Company are duly  listed,  and
         admitted  and  authorized  for trading,  subject to official  notice of
         issuance  and  evidence of  satisfactory  distribution  on the New York
         Stock Exchange (the "NYSE").

                  (f) There is no  franchise,  contract  or other  document of a
         character  required to be  described in the  Registration  Statement or
         Prospectus,  or to be  filed  as  an  exhibit  thereto,  which  is  not
         described or filed as required.  The statements in the Prospectus under
         the headings  "Description of Notes,"  "Description of Debt Securities"
         and  "Plan  of  Distribution"  fairly  summarize  the  matters  therein
         described.

                  (g) This  Agreement  has been duly  authorized,  executed  and
         delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding obligation
         of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.


<PAGE>



                  (h)  The  Company  is not  and,  after  giving  effect  to the
         offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds
         thereof as  described  in the  Prospectus,  will not be an  "investment
         company" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

                  (i) No consent, approval, authorization,  filing with or order
         of any court or  governmental  agency or body is required in connection
         with the  transactions  contemplated  herein,  except such as have been
         obtained  under the Act and such as may be required  under the blue sky
         laws  of  any   jurisdiction   in  connection  with  the  purchase  and
         distribution  of the  Securities  by  the  Underwriters  in the  manner
         contemplated herein and in the Prospectus.

                  (j)  Neither  the  issue  and sale of the  Securities  nor the
         consummation of any other of the transactions  herein  contemplated nor
         the  fulfillment  of the terms hereof will conflict  with,  result in a
         breach or violation or  imposition of any lien,  charge or  encumbrance
         upon any  property or assets of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries
         pursuant  to, (i) the  charter or by-laws of the  Company or any of its
         subsidiaries,  (ii)  the  terms  of  any  indenture,  contract,  lease,
         mortgage,  deed of  trust,  note  agreement,  loan  agreement  or other
         agreement,  obligation,  condition, covenant or instrument to which the
         Company or any of its  subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its
         or  their  property  is  subject,  or (iii)  any  statute,  law,  rule,
         regulation,  judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any
         of its  subsidiaries  of any  court,  regulatory  body,  administrative
         agency,   governmental  body,  arbitrator  or  other  authority  having
         jurisdiction  over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its
         or their  properties,  except,  in the case of clause (ii) or (iii), as
         would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  No holders of  securities  of the  Company  have rights to the
         registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.

                  (l) The consolidated  historical  financial  statements of the
         Company and its  consolidated  subsidiaries  included in the Prospectus
         and the Registration  Statement present fairly in all material respects
         the financial  condition,  results of operations  and cash flows of the
         Company  as of the dates and for the  periods  indicated,  comply as to
         form with the applicable  accounting  requirements  of the Act and have
         been  prepared  in  conformity  with  generally   accepted   accounting
         principles  applied  on  a  consistent  basis  throughout  the  periods
         involved  (except as otherwise noted therein).  The selected  financial
         data set forth under the caption  "Summary  -- Selected  Financial  and
         Other Data" in the Prospectus  fairly  present,  on the basis stated in
         the Prospectus, the information included therein.

                  (m) No action,  suit or  proceeding  by or before any court or
         governmental agency,  authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
         Company or any of its  subsidiaries or its or their property is pending
         or, to the best  knowledge  of the Company,  threatened  that (i) could
         reasonably be expected to have a material adverse


<PAGE>



         effect on the performance of this Agreement or the  consummation of any
         of the  transactions  contemplated  hereby or (ii) could  reasonably be
         expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (n) Each of the Company and each of its  subsidiaries  owns or
         leases  all such  properties  as are  necessary  to the  conduct of its
         operations as presently conducted,  except as would not have a Material
         Adverse Effect.

                  (o) Neither the Company nor any  subsidiary is in violation or
         default of (i) any  provision of its charter or bylaws,  (ii) the terms
         of any  indenture,  contract,  lease,  mortgage,  deed of  trust,  note
         agreement,  loan agreement or other agreement,  obligation,  condition,
         covenant or  instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its
         property is  subject,  or (iii) any  statute,  law,  rule,  regulation,
         judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative
         agency,   governmental  body,  arbitrator  or  other  authority  having
         jurisdiction  over  the  Company  or  such  subsidiary  or  any  of its
         properties, as applicable, except, in the case of clause (ii) or (iii),
         as would  not,  singly or in the  aggregate,  have a  Material  Adverse
         Effect.

                  (p) Price Waterhouse LLP, who have certified certain financial
         statements  of  the  Company  and  its  consolidated  subsidiaries  and
         delivered  their  report  with  respect  to  the  audited  consolidated
         financial statements included in the Prospectus, are independent public
         accountants  with respect to the Company  within the meaning of the Act
         and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.

                  There are no material  transfer taxes or other similar fees or
         charges  under  Federal law or the laws of any state,  or any political
         subdivision  thereof,  required  to be  paid  in  connection  with  the
         execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company
         or sale by the Company of the Securities.

                  (r) The  Company  has filed all  foreign,  federal,  state and
         local  tax  returns  that are  required  to be  filed or has  requested
         extensions  thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file
         would  not have a  Material  Adverse  Effect)  and has  paid all  taxes
         required  to be paid by it and any other  assessment,  fine or  penalty
         levied  against it, to the extent that any of the  foregoing is due and
         payable,  except  for any  such  assessment,  fine or  penalty  that is
         currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material
         Adverse Effect.

                  (s) No labor  problem or  dispute  with the  employees  of the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or is threatened or imminent,
         and  the  Company  is not  aware  of any  existing  or  imminent  labor
         disturbance  by the  employees  of  any  of  its  or its  subsidiaries'
         principal  suppliers,  contractors or customers,  that, in either case,
         could have a Material Adverse Effect.

     (t) The  Company  and each of its  subsidiaries  are insured by insurers of
recognized  financial  responsibility  against such losses and risks and in such
amounts


<PAGE>



         as are  prudent  and  customary  in the  businesses  in which  they are
         engaged;  all  policies  of  insurance  and  fidelity  or surety  bonds
         insuring  the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or their  respective
         businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force
         and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the
         terms of such policies and  instruments in all material  respects;  and
         neither the Company nor any such  subsidiary  has any reason to believe
         that it will not be able to renew its  existing  insurance  coverage as
         and when such  coverage  expires  or to obtain  similar  coverage  from
         similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost
         that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (u) Except as described in or  contemplated by the Prospectus,
         no  subsidiary  of the  Company  is  currently  materially  restricted,
         directly or indirectly,  from paying any dividends to the Company, from
         making any other distribution on such subsidiary's  capital stock, from
         repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such  subsidiary  from
         the Company or from transferring any of such  subsidiary's  property or
         assets to the Company or any other  subsidiary  of the Company,  in any
         case, to any extent that the Company deems necessary.

                  (v) The Company  and its  subsidiaries  possess all  licenses,
         certificates,   permits   and  other   authorizations   issued  by  the
         appropriate federal,  state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary
         to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any
         such subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings  relating to the
         revocation or modification of any such  certificate,  authorization  or
         permit  which,  singly  or in  the  aggregate,  if  the  subject  of an
         unfavorable decision,  ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse
         Effect.

                  (w) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system
         of  internal  accounting  controls  sufficient  to  provide  reasonable
         assurance that, in all material respects, (i) transactions are executed
         in accordance  with  management's  general or specific  authorizations;
         (ii)  transactions  are recorded as necessary to permit  preparation of
         financial  statements in conformity with generally accepted  accounting
         principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets
         is permitted only in accordance with  management's  general or specific
         authorization;  and (iv) the  recorded  accountability  for  assets  is
         compared  with  the  existing   assets  at  reasonable   intervals  and
         appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

                  (x) The Company has not taken,  directly  or  indirectly,  any
         action designed to or which has  constituted or which might  reasonably
         be expected to cause or result, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, in
         stabilization  or  manipulation  of the  price of any  security  of the
         Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

                  (y) Except as would not,  singly or in the  aggregate,  have a
         Material  Adverse Effect,  the Company and its  subsidiaries are (i) in
         compliance  with any and all  applicable  foreign,  federal,  state and
         local laws and  regulations  relating to the protection of human health
         and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic


<PAGE>



         substances  or  wastes,  pollutants  or  contaminants   ("Environmental
         Laws"),  (ii) have  received  and are in  compliance  with all permits,
         licenses  or  other  approvals   required  of  them  under   applicable
         Environmental  Laws to conduct their  respective  businesses  and (iii)
         have not received  notice of any actual or potential  liability for the
         investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or
         toxic substances or wastes,  pollutants or contaminants.  Except as set
         forth  in  the   Prospectus,   neither  the  Company  nor  any  of  the
         subsidiaries has been named as a "potentially  responsible party" under
         the Comprehensive Environmental Response,  Compensation,  and Liability
         Act of 1980, as amended.

                  (z) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has fulfilled its
         obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302
         of the United States  Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act of 1974
         ("ERISA") and the regulations and published interpretations  thereunder
         with  respect to each "plan" (as  defined in Section  3(3) of ERISA and
         such regulations and published  interpretations)  in which employees of
         the Company and its  subsidiaries  are eligible to participate and each
         such plan is in compliance in all material  respects with the presently
         applicable  provisions  of ERISA  and such  regulations  and  published
         interpretations. The Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any
         unpaid  liability to the Pension Benefit  Guaranty  Corporation  (other
         than for the payment of premiums in the ordinary course) or to any such
         plan under Title IV of ERISA.

                  (aa) The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, license or
         have other rights to use, on reasonable  terms,  all material  patents,
         patent  applications,  trade and service marks,  trade and service mark
         registrations,  trade names, copyrights,  licenses,  inventions,  trade
         secrets,   technology,   know-how  and  other   intellectual   property
         (collectively,  the "Intellectual  Property") necessary for the conduct
         of the  Company's  business  as now  conducted  or as  proposed  in the
         Prospectus to be conducted.

                  (bb) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other
         relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of Salomon Smith Barney
         Holdings  Inc. and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from
         the sale of the Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed
         to any affiliate of Salomon Smith Barney Holding Inc.

     (cc) The  Company  is in  compliance  with  the  Commission's  staff  legal
bulletin No. 5 dated October 8, 1997 related to Year 2000 compliance.

                  Any  certificate  signed by any  officer  of the  Company  and
delivered to the  Representatives  or counsel for the Underwriters in connection
with the  offering  of the  Securities  shall be  deemed  a  representation  and
warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

     2. Purchase and Sale; Underwriting Compensation. The Company agrees to sell
to each  Underwriter,  and each  Underwriter  agrees,  subject  to the terms and
conditions


<PAGE>



and in  reliance  upon the  representations  and  warranties  herein  set forth,
severally  and not jointly,  to purchase from the Company,  at a purchase  price
(the "Purchase Price") of 99.598% of the principal amount thereof, the principal
amount of the Securities set forth opposite such  Underwriter's name in Schedule
I hereto. The Company agrees to pay to each Underwriter  underwriting  discounts
and  commissions  equal to 1.375% of the principal  amount of the Securities set
forth opposite such  Underwriter's  name in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriting
Compensation").

                  3.  Delivery  and  Payment.  Delivery  of and  payment for the
Securities and payment of the Underwriting  Compensation  shall be made at 10:00
AM, New York City time,  on January 28, 1998, or at such time on such later date
not  more  than  three   Business   Days  after  the   foregoing   date  as  the
Representatives  shall  designate,  which  date  and time  may be  postponed  by
agreement between the  Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section
9 hereof  (such date and time of delivery and payment for the  Securities  being
herein called the "Closing  Date").  Delivery of the Securities,  and payment of
the  Underwriting  Compensation,  shall be made to the  Representatives  for the
respective accounts of the several  Underwriters  against payment by the several
Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof. Delivery
of the Securities  shall be made through the facilities of The Depository  Trust
Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.  The Purchase Price
shall be paid by the several  Underwriters by wire transfer  payable in same-day
funds to an account specified by the Representatives.  The  Representatives,  or
such other person as is  designated  by the Company,  shall  purchase  from such
funds U.S.  Governmental  Obligations  (as defined in the Indenture  dated as of
December 15, 1993 among the Company,  the U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as
trustee (the "Old Trustee"),  and the Guarantors and Pledgors named therein (the
"Old  Indenture"))  with the type of  security,  maturity  date,  rate and price
stated in the certificate required by Section 6(j) hereof and shall deliver such
U.S.  Governmental  Obligations on the Closing Date no later than 2:00 p.m. (New
York City time) by wire  transfer  to the Old  Trustee to be held in  accordance
with the terms of the  Irrevocable  Trust  Agreement  described  in Section 6(k)
hereof.  The balance of the purchase price shall be (x) delivered to or upon the
order of the Company by wire  transfer  payable in same-day  funds to an account
specified by the Company or (y) at the direction of the Company,  applied toward
the Underwriting Compensation.  The Underwriting Compensation, to the extent not
deducted from the Purchase Price in accordance  with clause (y) of the preceding
sentence,  shall be paid by the  Company by wire  transfer  payable in  same-day
funds to an  account  specified  by the  Representatives.  The  Company  and the
Representatives  shall  finalize  all payment  arrangements  on the Business Day
preceding the Closing Date.

     4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters
propose  to offer  the  Securities  for sale to the  public  as set forth in the
Prospectus.

     5. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

     (a) The  Company  will  use its best  efforts  to  cause  the  Registration
Statement, if not effective at the Execution Time, and any amendment thereof, to


<PAGE>



         become  effective.  Prior to the  termination  of the  offering  of the
         Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration
         Statement  or  supplement   to  the   Prospectus  or  any  Rule  462(b)
         Registration  Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for
         your  review  prior to  filing  and  will  not  file any such  proposed
         amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object.  Subject to the
         foregoing sentence, if the Registration Statement has become or becomes
         effective  pursuant  to Rule  430A,  or  filing  of the  Prospectus  is
         otherwise  required  under  Rule  424(b),  the  Company  will cause the
         Prospectus,  properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed
         with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b)
         within  the  time  period   prescribed   and  will   provide   evidence
         satisfactory to the  Representatives of such timely filing. The Company
         will  promptly  advise the  Representatives  (1) when the  Registration
         Statement,  if not effective at the Execution  Time,  shall have become
         effective,  (2) when the Prospectus,  and any supplement thereto, shall
         have been filed (if  required)  with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule
         424(b) or when any Rule 462(b)  Registration  Statement shall have been
         filed  with the  Commission,  (3)  when,  prior to  termination  of the
         offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement
         shall have been filed or become  effective,  (4) of any  request by the
         Commission  or  its  staff  for  any  amendment  of  the   Registration
         Statement,  or any  Rule  462(b)  Registration  Statement,  or for  any
         supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information,  (5) of
         the  issuance  by the  Commission  of any  stop  order  suspending  the
         effectiveness  of the  Registration  Statement  or the  institution  or
         threatening  of any  proceeding for that purpose and (6) of the receipt
         by the Company of any  notification  with respect to the  suspension of
         the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the
         institution or  threatening  of any  proceeding  for such purpose.  The
         Company  will use its best  efforts to prevent the issuance of any such
         stop order or the suspension of any such  qualification and, if issued,
         to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

                  (b)  If,  at  any  time  when  a  prospectus  relating  to the
         Securities is required to be delivered  under the Act, any event occurs
         as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented  would include
         any untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to state any material
         fact  necessary  to make the  statements  therein  in the  light of the
         circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall
         be necessary to amend the  Registration  Statement  or  supplement  the
         Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective
         rules   thereunder,   the   Company   promptly   will  (1)  notify  the
         Representatives   of  such  event;   (2)  prepare  and  file  with  the
         Commission,  subject to the second  sentence of  paragraph  (a) of this
         Section 5, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement
         or omission or effect such compliance;  and (3) supply any supplemented
         Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

                  (c) As soon as  practicable,  the Company will make  generally
         available  to  its  security  holders  and to  the  Representatives  an
         earnings  statement or statements  of the Company and its  subsidiaries
         which will satisfy the  provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule
         158 under the Act.


<PAGE>



                  The Company  will furnish to the  Representatives  and counsel
         for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration
         Statement  (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a
         copy of the Registration  Statement  (without exhibits thereto) and, so
         long as delivery of a  prospectus  by an  Underwriter  or dealer may be
         required by the Act, as many copies of each Preliminary  Prospectus and
         the Prospectus and any supplement  thereto as the  Representatives  may
         reasonably  request.  The Company  will pay the expenses of printing or
         other production of all documents relating to the offering.

                  (e)  The  Company  will  arrange,   if   necessary,   for  the
         qualification  of the  Securities  for  sale  under  the  laws  of such
         jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate,  will maintain such
         qualifications  in effect so long as required for the  distribution  of
         the  Securities  and will pay any fee of the  National  Association  of
         Securities  Dealers,  Inc.,  in  connection  with  its  review  of  the
         offering;  provided  that in no event shall the Company be obligated to
         do business in any jurisdiction  where it is not now so qualified or to
         take any action  that would  subject it to service of process in suits,
         other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the  Securities
         in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

                  (f) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of
         Salomon Smith Barney,  for a period of 90 days  following the Execution
         Time,  offer,  sell or contract to sell,  or  otherwise  dispose of (or
         enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be
         expected to, result in the disposition  (whether by actual  disposition
         or effective economic  disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise)
         by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity
         with  the  Company  or any  affiliate  of  the  Company),  directly  or
         indirectly,  or announce the offering of any debt securities  issued or
         guaranteed by the Company (other than the Securities).

                  (g) The Company  will not take,  directly or  indirectly,  any
         action designed to or which has  constituted or which might  reasonably
         be expected to cause or result, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, in
         stabilization  or  manipulation  of the  price of any  security  of the
         Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

                  6.  Conditions to the  Obligations  of the  Underwriters.  The
obligations of the  Underwriters to purchase the Securities  shall be subject to
the accuracy of the  representations  and  warranties on the part of the Company
contained  herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy
of the  statements  of the  Company  made in any  certificates  pursuant  to the
provisions  hereof,  to the  performance  by  the  Company  of  its  obligations
hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

                  6. If the  Registration  Statement  has not  become  effective
         prior  to the  Execution  Time,  unless  the  Representatives  agree in
         writing  to a  later  time,  the  Registration  Statement  will  become
         effective not later than (i) 6:00 PM New York City time, on the date of
         determination of the public offering price, if such


<PAGE>


         determination  occurred  at or prior to 3:00 PM New York  City  time on
         such  date or (ii) 9:30 AM on the  Business  Day  following  the day on
         which the public offering price was determined,  if such  determination
         occurred  after 3:00 PM New York City time on such  date;  if filing of
         the  Prospectus,  or any supplement  thereto,  is required pursu ant to
         Rule 424(b), the Prospectus, and any such supplement,  will be filed in
         the manner and within the time period  required by Rule 424(b);  and no
         stop order sus pending the effectiveness of the Registration  Statement
         shall have been issued and no  proceedings  for that purpose shall have
         been instituted or threatened.

                  (b) The Company  shall have  furnished to the  Representatives
         the opinion of Daniel S. Japha, Secretary and General Counsel-Corporate
         of  the  Company,   dated  the  Closing  Date  and   addressed  to  the
         Representatives, to the effect that:

                   (i) Each of the  Company and its  subsidiaries  has been duly
                  incor porated and is validly existing as a corporation in good
                  standing  under  the laws of the  jurisdiction  in which it is
                  chartered  or  organized   with  full  corpo  rate  power  and
                  authority to own or lease,  as the case may be, and to operate
                  its  properties  and conduct its  business as described in the
                  Prospectus,  and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign
                  corporation  and is in good  standing  under  the laws of each
                  jurisdiction which requires such qualification, except in each
                  case as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material
                  Ad verse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the
                  Prospectus  (exclusive of any supplement thereto subsequent to
                  the Execution Time).

                   (ii) all the  outstanding  shares  of  capital  stock of each
                  significant subsidiary of the Company (as defined by Rule 1-02
                  of  Regulation   S-X)   (individually   a   "Subsidiary"   and
                  collectively  the  "Subsidiaries")  have been duly and validly
                  authorized  and issued  and are fully paid and  nonassessable,
                  and,  except as  otherwise  set forth in the  Prospectus,  all
                  outstanding  shares of capital stock of the  Subsidiaries  are
                  owned by the Company  either  directly or through wholly owned
                  subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest
                  and, to the knowledge of such counsel,  after due inquiry, any
                  other security interest, claim, lien or encumbrance;

                   (iii) the Company's  authorized  equity  capitalization is as
                  set  forth  in  the  Prospectus;  the  Securities  being  sold
                  hereunder  by the Company are duly  listed,  and  admitted and
                  authorized for trading, subject to official notice of issuance
                  and evidence of satisfactory distribution on the NYSE;

                   (iv) to the knowledge of such counsel, there is no pending or
                  threatened  action,  suit or proceeding by or before any court
                  or  governmental  agency,  authority or body or any arbitrator
                  involving  the  Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or its or
                  their property of a character  required to be disclosed in the
                  Registration  Statement  which is not adequately  disclosed in
                  the Pro spectus, and there is no franchise,  contract or other
                  document  of a  character  required  to be  described  in  the
                  Registration  Statement  or  Prospectus,  or to be filed as an
                  exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required;

                   (v) the  Company  is not  and,  after  giving  effect  to the
                  offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the
                  proceeds  thereof as described in the Prospectus,  will not be
                  an "investment  company" as defined in the In vestment Company
                  Act of 1940, as amended;

                   (vi) neither the execution and delivery of the Indenture, the
                  issue and sale of the Securities,  nor the consummation of any
                  other  of  the  transac  tions  herein  contemplated  nor  the
                  fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with,  result in
                  a breach or violation of or imposition of any lien,  charge or
                  encumbrance  upon any property or assets of the Company or its
                  subsidiaries  pursuant  to, (x) the  charter or by-laws of the
                  Company or its  subsidiaries,  (y) the terms of any indenture,
                  contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan
                  agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, cove nant
                  or  instrument to which the Company or its  subsidiaries  is a
                  party or bound or to which its or their  property  is subject,
                  or (z) any statute, law, rule, regulation,  judgment, order or
                  decree  applicable to the Company or its  subsidiaries  of any
                  court,  regulatory body,  administrative agency, govern mental
                  body,  arbitrator or other authority having  jurisdiction over
                  the  Com  pany  or its  subsidiaries  or  any of its or  their
                  properties, except, in the case of clause (y) or (z), as would
                  not,  singly  or in the  aggregate,  have a  Material  Adverse
                  Effect; and

     (vii)  no  holders  of  securities  of  the  Company  have  rights  to  the
registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.

         In  rendering  such  opinion,  such  counsel  may  rely  as to  matters
         involving the appli cation of laws of any  jurisdiction  other than the
         States of New York or Colorado, the Delaware General Corporation Law or
         the Federal  laws of the United  States,  to the extent he deems proper
         and  specified in such  opinion,  upon the opinion of other  counsel of
         good standing whom he believes to be reliable and who are  satisfactory
         to counsel for the  Underwriters.  References to the Prospectus in this
         paragraph (b) in clude any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

                  (c) Holme Roberts & Owen LLP,  counsel for the Company,  dated
         the Closing Date and  addressed to the  Representatives,  to the effect
         that:

     (i) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and deliv ered by the
Company;

                   (ii) the  Indenture  has been duly  authorized,  executed and
                  deliv ered, has been duly qualified  under the Trust Indenture
                  Act, and  constitutes  a legal,  valid and binding  instrument
                  enforceable  against the Company in ac cordance with its terms
                  (subject,   as  to  enforcement  of  remedies,  to  applicable
                  bankruptcy,  reorganization,  insolvency,  moratorium or other
                  laws affecting  creditors'  rights generally from time to time
                  in effect); and the Securities
                  have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated
                  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Indenture  and
                  delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this
                  Agreement,   will   constitute   legal,   valid  and   binding
                  obligations  of the Company  entitled  to the  benefits of the
                  Indenture;

                   (iii) the  statements  in the  Prospectus  under the headings
                  "Description of Notes",  "Description of Debt  Securities" and
                  "Plan of Dis tribution" fairly summarize the matters described
                  therein;

                   (iv) no  consent,  approval,  authorization,  filing  with or
                  order of any court or governmental  agency or body is required
                  in  connection  with  the  transactions  contemplated  herein,
                  except  such as have been  obtained  under the Act and such as
                  may be required  under the blue sky laws of any jurisdic  tion
                  in  connection  with  the  purchase  and  distribution  of the
                  Securities by the  Underwriters in the manner  contemplated in
                  this Agreement and in the Pro spectus; and

                   (v) the Registration Statement has become effective under the
                  Act;  any  required   filing  of  the   Prospectus,   and  any
                  supplements thereto,  pursuant to Rule 424(b) has been made in
                  the  manner  and  within  the time  period  re  quired by Rule
                  424(b);  to the knowledge of such  counsel,  no stop order sus
                  pending the  effectiveness of the  Registration  Statement has
                  been  issued,  no  proceedings  for  that  purpose  have  been
                  instituted or threatened  and the Reg istration  Statement and
                  the Prospectus (other than the financial  statements and other
                  financial  information  contained  therein,  as to which  such
                  counsel  need  express  no  opinion)  comply as to form in all
                  material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act,
                  the  Exchange  Act  and  the  Trust   Indenture  Act  and  the
                  respective rules thereunder; and such counsel has no reason to
                  believe that on the Effective  Date or at the  Execution  Time
                  the  Registration  Statement  contains or contained any untrue
                  statement of a material  fact or omitted or omits to state any
                  material  fact  required to be stated  therein or necessary to
                  make the statements therein not misleading or that the Prospec
                  tus as of its date or on the Closing Date  includes any untrue
                  statement  of a  material  fact or omitted or omits to state a
                  material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the
                  light of the  circumstances  under  which they were made,  not
                  misleading (in each case, other than the financial  statements
                  and other financial information contained therein, as to which
                  such counsel need express no opinion).

         In  rendering  such  opinion,  such  counsel may rely (A) as to matters
         involving the ap plication of laws of any  jurisdiction  other than the
         States of New York or Colorado, the Delaware General Corporation Law or
         the Federal laws of the United  States,  to the extent they deem proper
         and  specified in such  opinion,  upon the opinion of other  counsel of
         good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory
         to counsel for the  Underwriters  and (B) as to matters of fact, to the
         extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the
         Company and public  officials.  References  to the  Prospectus  in this
         paragraph (c) include any supplements  thereto at the Closing Date. The
         opinion  or  opinions  of  such  counsel   shall  be  rendered  to  the
         Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

                  (d) The Representatives shall have received from Cahill Gordon
         & Rein del,  counsel for the  Underwriters,  such  opinion or opinions,
         dated the  Closing  Date and  addressed  to the  Representatives,  with
         respect to the issuance and sale of the Se curities, the Indenture, the
         Registration  Statement,  the Prospectus  (together with any supplement
         thereto)  and  other  related  matters  as  the   Representatives   may
         reasonably  require,  and the  Company  shall  have  furnished  to such
         counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them
         to pass  upon  such  matters.  The  opin ion of such  counsel  shall be
         rendered to the  Underwriters  at the request of the Com pany and shall
         so state therein.

                  (e) The Company shall have furnished to the  Representatives a
         certificate of the Company,  signed by Paris G. Reece III,  Senior Vice
         President  and  Chief Fi  nancial  Officer,  and  Michael  Touff,  Vice
         President  and General  Counsel,  dated the Closing Date, to the effect
         that the  signers  of such  certificate  have  carefully  exam ined the
         Registration  Statement,   the  Prospectus,   any  supplements  to  the
         Prospectus and this Agreement and that:

                           the  representations and warranties of the Company in
                  this  Agreement are true and correct in all material  respects
                  on and as of the Closing  Date with the same effect as if made
                  on the Closing Date and the Company has complied  with all the
                  agreements and satisfied all the condi tions on its part to be
                  performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;

                   (ii) to the Company's knowledge, no stop order suspending the
                  ef fectiveness of the  Registration  Statement has been issued
                  and no  proceedings  for that purpose have been  instituted or
                  threatened; and

                   (iii) since the date of the most recent financial  statements
                  included  in  the  Prospectus  (exclusive  of  any  supplement
                  thereto  subsequent to the Execution Time),  there has been no
                  material  adverse  change  in  the  condition   (financial  or
                  otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the
                  Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not
                  arising from  transactions in the ordinary course of business,
                  except  as set  forth in or con  templated  in the  Prospectus
                  (exclusive  of  any  supplement   thereto  subsequent  to  the
                  Execution Time).

                  (f) At the  Execution  Time  and at the  Closing  Date,  Price
         Waterhouse  LLP shall have  furnished to the  Representatives  letters,
         dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date,
         in form and substance  satisfactory to the Representatives,  confirming
         that they are  independent  accountants  within the mean ing of the Act
         and the Exchange Act and the respective  applicable published rules and
         regulations  thereunder  and that they have  performed  a review of the
         unaudited  interim  financial   information  of  the  Company  for  the
         nine-month  periods  ended  September  30,  1996  and  1997  and  as at
         September 30, 1997, in accordance with Statement on Auditing  Standards
         No. 71, stating in effect that:

                   (i)  in  their  opinion  the  audited  financial   statements
                  included or in  corporated in the  Registration  Statement and
                  the  Prospectus  and  reported on by them comply as to form in
                  all  material   respects  with  the   applicable  ac  counting
                  requirements  of the Act and the  Exchange Act and the related
                  pub lished rules and regulations;

                   (ii)  on the  basis  of a  reading  of the  latest  unaudited
                  financial  statements  made  available  by the Company and its
                  subsidiaries;   their  limited  review,   in  accordance  with
                  standards  established  under Statement on Audit ing Standards
                  No. 71, of the unaudited interim financial information for the
                  nine-month periods ended September 30, 1996 and 1997 and as at
                  September 30, 1997,  as indicated in their report  included in
                  the  Registration  Statement and the Prospectus;  carrying out
                  certain  specified  procedures  (but  not an ex  amination  in
                  accordance with generally  accepted auditing  standards) which
                  would not  necessarily  reveal  matters of  significance  with
                  respect to the com ments set forth in such  letter;  a reading
                  of the minutes of the meetings of the  stockholders  and board
                  of directors (and  committees  thereof) of the Company and its
                  subsidiaries;  and  inquiries  of  certain  officials  of  the
                  Company who have  responsibility  for financial and accounting
                  matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions
                  and events  subsequent  to December 31, 1996,  nothing came to
                  their attention which caused them to believe that:

                                    any unaudited financial  statements included
                           or incorporated in the Registration Statement and the
                           Prospectus  do not comply as to form in all  material
                           respects with applicable  accounting  requirements of
                           the Act and with the published  rules and regulations
                           of  the  Com  mission   with   respect  to  financial
                           statements  included  or  incorporated  in  quarterly
                           reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; and said
                           unaudited financial  statements are not in conformity
                           with generally accepted accounting principles applied
                           on a basis substantially con sistent with that of the
                           audited  financial   statements   included  or  incor
                           porated  in  the   Registration   Statement  and  the
                           Prospectus;

                                    with  respect  to the period  subsequent  to
                           September  30,  1997,  there were any  changes,  at a
                           specified  date not more than five days  prior to the
                           date  of the  letter,  in the  long-term  debt of the
                           Company and its  subsidiaries or capital stock of the
                           Company or decreases in the  stockholders'  equity or
                           working  capital of the Company as com pared with the
                           amounts shown on the September 30, 1997 consoli dated
                           balance  sheet  included  or   incorporated   in  the
                           Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or for the
                           period from September 30, 1997 to such specified date
                           there  were  any  decreases,  as  compared  with  the
                           comparable  period  in  the  preceding  year  in  net
                           revenues or income before income taxes or in total or
                           per share  amounts of net in come of the  Company and
                           its subsidiaries, except in all instances for changes
                           or decreases set forth in such letter,  in which case
                           the letter shall be  accompanied by an explanation by
                           the  Company as to the  significance  thereof  unless
                           said  explanation  is  not  deemed  necessary  by the
                           Representatives;

                                    the information included in the Registration
                           Statement  and  Prospectus  in response to Regulation
                           S-K,  Item 301 (Selected  Finan cial Data),  Item 302
                           (Supplementary   Financial  Information),   Item  402
                           (Executive  Compensation)  and Item 503(d)  (Ratio of
                           Earnings to Fixed Charges) is not in conformity  with
                           the applicable disclosure re quirements of Regulation
                           S-K; and

                   (iii) they have performed certain other specified  procedures
                  as a result of which they determined that certain  information
                  of an accounting,  fi nancial or statistical  nature (which is
                  limited to accounting,  financial or sta tistical  information
                  derived  from the general  accounting  records of the Com pany
                  and its subsidiaries) set forth in the Registration  Statement
                  and the Pro  spectus  and in  Exhibit  12 to the  Registration
                  Statement,  including  the infor  mation  set forth  under the
                  captions  "Summary  --  Selected  Financial  and  Other  Data"
                  "Capitalization" and "Business" in the Prospectus, the informa
                  tion  included or  incorporated  in Items 1, 2, 6, 7 and 11 of
                  the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K,  incorporated in the
                  Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and the information
                  included  in the  "Management's  Discus  sion and  Analysis of
                  Financial  Condition  and Results of  Operations"  included or
                  incorporated in the Company's  Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,
                  incorpo   rated  in  the   Registration   Statement   and  the
                  Prospectus, agrees with the ac counting records of the Company
                  and its  subsidiaries,  excluding  any  ques  tions  of  legal
                  interpretation.

                  References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any
         supplement thereto at the date of the letter.

                  (g) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates
         as  of  which  information  is  given  in  the  Registration  Statement
         (exclusive of any amendment  thereof) and the Prospectus  (exclusive of
         any supplement  thereto  subsequent to the Execution Time), there shall
         not have been (i) any  change or  decrease  specified  in the letter or
         letters  referred  to in  paragraph  (e) of this  Section 6 or (ii) any
         change,  or any  development  involving  a  prospective  change,  in or
         affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or
         properties  of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries,  taken  as a whole,
         whether or not  arising  from  transactions  in the ordi nary course of
         business,  except as set  forth in or  contemplated  in the  Prospectus
         (exclusive of any supplement  thereto subsequent to the Execution Time)
         the  effect of which,  in any case  referred  to in clause  (i) or (ii)
         above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and
         adverse as to make it  impractical  or  inadvisable to proceed with the
         offering  or  delivery  of  the  Securities  as   contemplated  by  the
         Registration  Statement  (exclusive of any  amendment  thereof) and the
         Prospectus  (exclusive  of any  supplement  thereto  subsequent  to the
         Execution Time).

                  Subsequent  to the  Execution  Time and  prior to the  Closing
         Date,  there  shall not have been any  decrease in the rating of any of
         the Company's debt securities by any "nationally recognized statistical
         rating  organization" (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the
         Act) or any notice given of any  intended or potential  decrease in any
         such  rating or of a possible  change in any such  rating that does not
         indicate the direction of the possible change.

                  (i) The  Securities  shall have been listed and  admitted  and
         authorized for trading on the NYSE, and  satisfactory  evidence of such
         actions shall have been pro vided to the Representatives.

                  (j) At least one full  Business  Day prior to the Closing Date
         (or   such   shorter   period   as  shall   be   satisfactory   to  the
         Representatives),  Price  Waterhouse  LLP shall have  delivered  to the
         Company  and  the   Representatives   a   certificate   verifying   the
         mathematical  accuracy of computations relating to the adequacy of cash
         plus U.S. Governmental  Obligations to be held in trust to pay the debt
         service  require ments on all of the Company's 11 1/8% Senior Notes due
         2003 outstanding on the Closing Date.

                  (k) The Company shall have furnished to the  Representatives a
         copy of an Irrevocable Trust Agreement  executed by the Company and the
         Old Trustee, sub stantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

                  (l)  Prior  to  the  Closing  Date,  the  Company  shall  have
         furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates
         and documents as the Repre sentatives may reasonably request.

                  If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not
have been ful  filled in all  material  respects  when and as  provided  in this
Agreement,  or if  any of the  opinions  and  certificates  mentioned  above  or
elsewhere in this  Agreement  shall not be in all material  respects  reasonably
satisfactory  in form and substance to the  Representatives  and counsel for the
Underwriters,  this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters here under
may  be  canceled  at,  or at  any  time  prior  to,  the  Closing  Date  by the
Representatives.  Notice of such  cancellation  shall be given to the Company in
writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

                  The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall
be  delivered  at the  office  of  Cahill  Gordon  &  Reindel,  counsel  for the
Underwriters, at 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005, on the Closing Date.

                  Reimbursement  of Underwriters'  Expenses.  If the sale of the
Securi ties provided for herein is not consummated  because any condition to the
obligations of the  Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied,
because  of any  termination  pur suant to  Section  10 hereof or because of any
refusal,  inability  or  failure  on the  part of the  Company  to  perform  any
agreement  herein or comply with any provision  hereof other than by reason of a
default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Under writers
severally through Salomon Smith Barney on demand for all out-of-pocket  expenses
(including  reasonable fees and  disbursements  of counsel) that shall have been
incurred  by them in  connection  with  the  proposed  purchase  and sale of the
Securities.

     8.  Indemnification and Contribution.  (a) The Company agrees to in demnify
and hold harmless each  Underwriter  (including  SBC Warburg Dillon Read Inc. in
its capacity as "qualified  independent  underwriter"  within the meaning of the
Conduct Rules of the National  Association  of Securities  Dealers,  Inc.),  the
directors,  officers,  employees and agents of each  Underwriter and each person
who  controls  any  Underwriter  within  the  meaning  of either  the Act or the
Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims,  damages or liabilities,  joint
or several,  to which they or any of them may become  subject under the Act, the
Exchange Act or other Federal or state  statutory law or  regulation,  at common
law or otherwise,  insofar as such losses,  claims,  damages or liabilities  (or
actions in respect  thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement
or alleged  untrue  statement of a material fact  contained in the  registration
statement for the  registration of the Securities as originally  filed or in any
amendment thereof,  or in any Preliminary  Prospectus or the Pro spectus,  or in
any amendment thereof or supplement  thereto,  or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements  therein not misleading,  and
agrees to reimburse each such indemnified  party, as incurred,  for any legal or
other expenses  reasonably in curred by them in connection with investigating or
defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action.

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  the Company will not be liable
in any  such  case  (I) to the  extent  that any such  loss,  claim,  damage  or
liability  arises out of or is based upon any such untrue  statement  or alleged
untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission made therein in reliance upon
and in  conformity  with written  information  furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion
therein or (II) to any Underwriter with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus to
the extent that any such loss,  claim,  damage or liability of such  Underwriter
results from the fact that such  Underwriter  sold  Securities to a person as to
whom it shall be established in the related  proceedings that there was not sent
or given,  at or prior to the written  confir mation of such sale, a copy of the
Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as then amended or sup plemented if the Company
shall have furnished such Underwriter with such amendment or supplement  thereto
prior to the written  confirmation of such sale), if such delivery was re quired
by the Act, and such loss,  claim,  damage or  liability  results from an untrue
state  ment or  omission  of a  material  fact  contained  in  such  Preliminary
Prospectus  that  was  com  pletely  corrected  in  the  Prospectus  (or  of the
Prospectus as then amended or  supplemented  if the Company shall have furnished
such Underwriter with such amendment or supplement  thereto prior to the written
confirmation  of such sale) (it being  understood  that no Under writer shall be
required  to send  or give  any  amendment  or  supplement  to any  document  in
corporated by reference in any  Preliminary  Prospectus or the Prospectus to any
person  in order  to  benefit  from the  indemnification  provisions  herein  or
otherwise).

                  This indemnity  agreement will be in addition to any liability
which the Com pany may otherwise have.

                  (b) Each  Underwriter  severally  and not  jointly  agrees  to
indemnify  and hold  harmless the Company,  each of its  directors,  each of its
officers who signs the Registration Statement,  and each person who controls the
Company  within the meaning of either the Act or the  Exchange  Act, to the same
extent as the foregoing  indemnity to each Underwriter,  but only with reference
to written information relating to such Underwriter  furnished to the Company by
or on behalf of such Underwriter  through the  Representatives  specifically for
inclusion  in  the  documents  referred  to in  the  foregoing  indemnity.  This
indemnity  agree ment will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter
may otherwise have. The Company  acknowledges  that (i) the statements set forth
in the last  paragraph of the cover page regarding  delivery of the  Securities,
(ii) the legend in block capital  letters on page S-2 related to  stabilization,
syndicate  covering  transactions  and penalty  bids and (iii) under the heading
"Underwriting," the sentences related to concessions and reallowances,  the para
graph related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids
and the para graph  relating to the  qualified  independent  underwriter  in any
Preliminary  Prospectus  and the  Prospectus  constitute  the  only  information
furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several  Underwriters  for inclusion
in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.

                  (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified  party under this
Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action,  such  indemnified  party
will,  if a claim in re spect  thereof is to be made  against  the  indemnifying
party  under this  Section 8,  notify the  indemnifying  party in writing of the
commencement  thereof;  but the failure so to notify the indemnifying  party (i)
will not relieve it from liability  under paragraph (a) or (b) above un less and
to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results
in the forfeiture by the indemnifying  party of substantial  rights and defenses
and (ii) will  not,  in any  event,  relieve  the  indemnifying  party  from any
obligations to any indemnified party

other than the  indemnification  obligation  provided  in  paragraph  (a) or (b)
above.  The in  demnifying  party shall be  entitled  to appoint  counsel of the
indemnifying party's choice at the indemnifying party's expense to represent the
indemnified  party in any action for which  indemnification  is sought (in which
case the  indemnifying  party shall not  thereafter be re sponsible for the fees
and  expenses  of any  separate  counsel  retained by the  indemnified  party or
parties except as set forth below);  provided,  however, that such counsel shall
be satisfactory  to the  indemnified  party.  Notwithstanding  the  indemnifying
party's  election to appoint  counsel to represent the  indemnified  party in an
action,  the indemnified  party shall have the right to employ separate  counsel
(including local counsel),  and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable
fees,  costs and  expenses  of such  separate  counsel if (i) the use of counsel
chosen by the  indemnifying  party to  represent  the  indemnified  party  would
present such  counsel with a conflict of interest,  (ii) the actual or potential
defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party
and the  indemnifying  party and the  indemnified  party  shall have  reasonably
concluded  that  there  may be  legal  defenses  available  to it  and/or  other
indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to
the indemnifying  party,  (iii) the indemnifying  party shall not have em ployed
counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party
within a reasonable  time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv)
the indemnify ing party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate
counsel at the expense of the  indemnifying  party. An  indemnifying  party will
not,  without the prior written  consent of the indemnified  parties,  settle or
compromise  or consent to the entry of any judgment  with respect to any pending
or  threatened   claim,   action,   suit  or  proceeding  in  respect  of  which
indemnification  or  contribution  may be sought  hereunder  (whether or not the
indem nified  parties are actual or  potential  parties to such claim or action)
unless such settlement,  compromise or consent includes an unconditional release
of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim,  action,
suit or proceeding.

                  (d) In the event that the indemnity  provided in paragraph (a)
or (b) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or  insufficient  to hold harmless an
indemnified party for any rea
son,  the Company and the  Underwriters  severally  agree to  contribute  to the
aggregate  losses,  claims,  damages and liabilities  (including  legal or other
expenses  reasonably in curred in  connection  with  investigating  or defending
same)  (collectively  "Losses")  to  which  the  Company  and one or more of the
Underwriters  may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative  benefits  received  by  the  Company  on  the  one  hand  and  by  the
Underwriters  on the  other  from  the  offering  of the  Securities;  provided,
however, that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any
agreement  among un derwriters  relating to the offering of the  Securities)  be
responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting  discount or commission
applicable to the Securities  purchased by such  Underwriter  hereunder.  If the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any
reason,  the Company and the  Underwriters  severally  shall  contribute in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also
the rela tive fault of the Company and of the  Underwriters  in connection  with
the  statements or omissions  which resulted in such Losses as well as any other
relevant  equitable  considera tions.  Benefits received by the Company shall be
deemed  to be  equal to the  total  net pro  ceeds  from  the  offering  (before
deducting  expenses)  received by it, and benefits  received by the Underwriters
shall  be  deemed  to be  equal  to the  total  underwriting  discounts  and com
missions,  in each  case  as set  forth  on the  cover  page of the  Prospectus.
Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things,  whether
any untrue or any alleged un true  statement of a material  fact or the omission
or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information  provided by
the Company on the one hand or the  Underwriters on the other, the intent of the
parties and their relative knowledge,  access to information and op portunity to
correct or prevent  such  untrue  statement  or  omission.  The  Company and the
Underwriters  agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were
determined by pro rata  allocation or any other method of allocation  which does
not  take   account  of  the   equitable   considerations   referred  to  above.
Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of this para  graph (d),  no person  guilty of
fraudulent  misrepresentation  (within the meaning of Section  11(f) of the Act)
shall be  entitled  to  contribution  from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent  misrepresentation.  For  purposes of this Section 8, each person who
con  trols  (within  the  meaning  of  either  the Act or the  Exchange  Act) an
Underwriter  and each  director,  officer,  employee and agent of an Underwriter
shall have the same rights to con tribution as such Underwriter, and each person
who  controls  the Company  within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange
Act,  each  officer  of the  Company  who shall  have  signed  the  Registration
Statement  and each  director  of the  Company  shall  have the same  rights  to
contribution  as the Company,  subject in each case to the applicable  terms and
con ditions of this paragraph (d).

                  9. Default by an Underwriter.  If any one or more Underwriters
shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities  agreed to be purchased
by such Under  writer or  Underwriters  hereunder  and such  failure to purchase
shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their  obligations under
this Agreement, the remaining Underwrit ers shall be obligated severally to take
up and pay for (in the  respective  proportions  which the  principal  amount of
Securities  set forth  opposite  their names in  Schedule I hereto  bears to the
aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the
re maining  Underwriters)  the Securities  which the  defaulting  Underwriter or
Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event
that the  aggregate  prin  cipal  amount  of  Securities  which  the  defaulting
Underwriter  or  Underwriters  agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of
the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the
remaining  Underwriters  shall have the right to purchase  all, but shall not be
under any  obligation  to  purchase  any, of the  Securities,  and if such nonde
faulting  Underwriters do not purchase all the  Securities,  this Agreement will
terminate without liability to any nondefaulting  Underwriter or the Company. In
the event of a de fault by any  Underwriter  as set forth in this Section 9, the
Closing Date shall be postponed  for such period,  not  exceeding  five Business
Days, as the Representatives  shall determine in order that the required changes
in the  Registration  Statement and the Prospectus or in any other  documents or
arrangements may be effected.  Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve
any  defaulting  Underwriter  of its  liability,  if any, to the Company and any
nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

                  10.   Termination.   This   Agreement   shall  be  subject  to
termination in the absolute discretion of the  Representatives,  by notice given
to the Company  prior to delivery of and payment for the  Securities,  if at any
time prior to such time (i)  trading in the Com pany's  Common  Stock shall have
been  suspended by the  Commission,  the NYSE or the Pa cific Stock  Exchange or
trading in securities  generally on the NYSE or the Pacific Stock Exchange shall
have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been estab lished on
either of such Exchanges,  (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared ei
ther by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred
any out break or escalation of hostilities,  declaration by the United States of
a national  emergency or war or other  calamity or crisis the effect of which on
financial  markets  is  such  as to  make  it,  in  the  sole  judgment  of  the
Representatives,  impractical  or  inadvisable  to proceed  with the offering or
delivery of the Securities as contemplated  by the Prospectus  (exclusive of any
supplement thereto subsequent to the Execution Time).

                  11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective
agree ments,  representations,  warranties,  indemnities and other statements of
the  Company  or its  officers  and of the  Underwriters  set  forth  in or made
pursuant to this Agreement will re main in full force and effect,  regardless of
any investigation  made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any
of the  officers,  directors  or  controlling  persons re ferred to in Section 8
hereof,  and will  survive  delivery  of and  payment  for the  Securities.  The
provisions  of  Sections  7  and 8  hereof  shall  survive  the  termination  or
cancellation of this Agreement.

     12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective
only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives,  will be mailed, delivered
or tele faxed to the  Salomon  Smith  Barney  General  Counsel  (fax no.:  (212)
816-7912) and con firmed to the General  Counsel,  Salomon Smith Barney,  at 388
Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention:  General Counsel; or, if
sent to the Company,  will be mailed,  delivered or telefaxed to (303)  804-7980
and  confirmed  to it at 3600 South Yosem ite Street,  Denver,  Colorado  80237,
Attention: General Counsel.

     13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be bind ing
upon the parties  hereto and their  respective  successors  and the officers and
directors and controlling  persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other
person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

     13.  Applicable  Law. This  Agreement  will be governed by and construed in
accordance  with the laws of the State of New York  applicable to contracts made
and to be performed within the State of New York.

     15.  Counterparts.  This  Agreement  may be  signed  in one  or  more  coun
terparts,  each of which shall  constitute an original and all of which together
shall constitute one and the same agreement.

     16. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and
shall not affect the construction hereof.

     17. Definitions. The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall
have the meanings indicated.

                  "Act" shall mean the Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,  and
         the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

                  "Business  Day" shall mean any day other  than a  Saturday,  a
         Sunday or a le gal holiday or a day on which  banking  institutions  or
         trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York
         City.

     "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                  "Effective  Date"  shall  mean  each  date and  time  that the
         Registration  State ment,  any  post-effective  amendment or amendments
         thereto and any Rule 462(b)  Registration  Statement  became or becomes
         effective.

                  "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
         as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated
         thereunder.

                  "Execution  Time"  shall  mean the date  and  time  that  this
         Agreement is exe cuted and delivered by the parties hereto.

                  "Preliminary Prospectus" shall mean any preliminary prospectus
         referred  to in  paragraph  1(a) above and any  preliminary  prospectus
         included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date that omits
         Rule 430A Information.

                  "Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus  (including any related
         prospectus  supplement)  relating to the Securities that is first filed
         pursuant  to Rule  424(b)  after  the  Execution  Time or, if no filing
         pursuant  to Rule  424(b)  is  required,  shall  mean the form of final
         prospectus  relating to the  Securities  included  in the  Registration
         Statement at the Effective Date.

                  "Registration Statement" shall mean the registration statement
         referred to in paragraph 1(a) above,  including  exhibits and financial
         statements,  as amended at the Execution  Time (or, if not effective at
         the  Execution  Time,  in the form in which it shall become  effective)
         and,  in the event any  post-effective  amendment  thereto  or any Rule
         462(b)  Registration  Statement  becomes effective prior to the Closing
         Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such
         Rule  462(b) Reg  istration  Statement,  as the case may be.  Such term
         shall include any Rule 430A In formation  deemed to be included therein
         at the Effective Date as provided by Rule 430A.

     "Rule 424", "Rule 430A" and "Rule 462" refer to such rules under the Act.

                  "Rule 430A Information" shall mean information with respect to
         the Securi ties and the offering  thereof  permitted to be omitted from
         the Registration  Statement when it becomes effective  pursuant to Rule
         430A.

                  "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement" shall mean a registration
         statement  and any  amendments  thereto  filed  pursuant to Rule 462(b)
         relating  to  the  offering  cov  ered  by  the  initial   registration
         statement.

                  "Trust  Indenture  Act" shall mean the Trust  Indenture Act of
         1939,  as  amended,  and the rules and  regulations  of the  Commission
         promulgated thereunder.

     "Salomon Smith Barney" shall mean Smith Barney Inc. or Salomon Brothers Inc
to the extent that any such party is a signatory to this Agreement.


<PAGE>



                  If the foregoing is in accordance with your  understanding  of
our  agreement,  please  sign and return to us the  enclosed  duplicate  hereof,
whereupon this letter and your acceptance  shall  represent a binding  agreement
among the Company and the several Un derwriters.

                                                           Very truly yours,

                                                           M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.

                                                           By:    /s/
                                                                  Name:
                                                                  Title:


<PAGE>



The  foregoing  Agreement is hereby  confirmed and accepted as of the date first
above written.

Salomon Brothers Inc
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
SBC Warburg Dillon Read Inc.

By:    Salomon Brothers Inc

By:    /s/
       Name:
       Title:




<PAGE>





                                                  SCHEDULE I



                                                                Principal Amount
                                                                 of Securities
Underwriters                                                     to be Purchased
Salomon Brothers Inc  ...........................................   $ 96,250,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated................................   $ 39,375,000
SBC Warburg Dillon Read Inc.  ...................................   $ 39,375,000
         Total...................................................   $175,000,000
                                                                     ===========







<PAGE>





 


                              M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.
                                     Issuer



                                       AND

                         U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
                                     Trustee




                                  SENIOR NOTES


                                    INDENTURE











                          DATED AS OF January 28, 1998





#365296v4

<PAGE>



                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                                                                            <C>

                                                                                                               Page

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE.............................................................................................v

ARTICLE ONE - Definitions and Incorporation by Reference..........................................................1
         Section 1.01.     Definitions............................................................................1
         Section 1.02.     Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.....................................16
         Section 1.03.     Rules of Construction.................................................................17

ARTICLE TWO - The Notes..........................................................................................17
         Section 2.01.     Form and Dating.......................................................................17
         Section 2.02.     Execution and Authentication..........................................................17
         Section 2.03.     Registrar and Paying Agent............................................................18
         Section 2.04.     Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust...................................................18
         Section 2.05.     Holder Lists..........................................................................18
         Section 2.06.     Transfer and Exchange.................................................................19
         Section 2.07.     Replacement Notes.....................................................................19
         Section 2.08.     Outstanding Notes.....................................................................19
         Section 2.09.     Temporary Notes.......................................................................20
         Section 2.10.     Cancellation..........................................................................20
         Section 2.11.     Defaulted Interest....................................................................20
         Section 2.12.     Treasury Notes........................................................................20
         Section 2.13.     CUSIP Numbers.........................................................................21
         Section 2.14.     Deposit of Moneys.....................................................................21
         Section 2.15.     Book-Entry Provisions for Global Note.................................................21

ARTICLE THREE - Redemption.......................................................................................22
         Section 3.01.     Right of Redemption...................................................................22
         Section 3.02.     Notices to Trustee....................................................................22
         Section 3.03.     Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.....................................................23
         Section 3.04.     Notice of Redemption..................................................................23
         Section 3.05.     Effect of Notice of Redemption........................................................24
         Section 3.06.     Deposit of Redemption Price...........................................................24
         Section 3.07.     Notes Redeemed in Part................................................................25

ARTICLE FOUR - Covenants.........................................................................................25
         Section 4.01.     Payment of Notes......................................................................25
         Section 4.02.     Maintenance of Office or Agency.......................................................25
         Section 4.03.     Limitation on Restricted Payments.....................................................26
         Section 4.04.     Compliance Certificate. ..............................................................27
         Section 4.05.     SEC Reports...........................................................................27
         Section 4.06.     Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates...........................................28
         Section 4.07      Limitations on Additional Indebtedness................................................29
         Section 4.08.     Limitations on Restricting Restricted Subsidiary Distributions........................30
         Section 4.09.     Limitations on Liens..................................................................31
         Section 4.10.     Use of Proceeds.......................................................................31

                                       ii

<PAGE>



         Section 4.11.     Repurchase of Notes Upon Change of Control Triggering Event...........................31
         Section 4.12.     Limitations on Asset Sales............................................................32


ARTICLE FIVE - Successor Corporation.............................................................................34
         Section 5.01.     When Company May Merge, etc...........................................................34

ARTICLE SIX - Defaults and Remedies..............................................................................35
         Section 6.01.     Events of Default.....................................................................35
         Section 6.02.     Acceleration of Maturity Date; Rescission and Annulment...............................36
         Section 6.03.     Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.......................37
         Section 6.04.     Trustee May File Proofs of Claim......................................................38
         Section 6.05.     Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Notes................................38
         Section 6.06.     Priorities............................................................................39
         Section 6.07.     Limitation on Suits...................................................................39
         Section 6.08.     Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and
                           Interest..............................................................................40
         Section 6.09.     Rights and Remedies Cumulative........................................................40
         Section 6.10.     Delay or Omission Not Waiver..........................................................40
         Section 6.11.     Control by Holders....................................................................40
         Section 6.12.     Waiver of Past Default................................................................41
         Section 6.13.     Undertaking for Costs.................................................................41
         Section 6.14.     Restoration of Rights and Remedies....................................................41

ARTICLE SEVEN - Trustee..........................................................................................42
         Section 7.01.     Duties of Trustee.....................................................................42
         Section 7.02.     Rights of Trustee.....................................................................43
         Section 7.03.     Individual Rights of Trustee..........................................................44
         Section 7.04.     Trustee's Disclaimer..................................................................44
         Section 7.05.     Notice of Defaults....................................................................44
         Section 7.06.     Reports by Trustee to Holders.........................................................44
         Section 7.07.     Compensation and Indemnity............................................................45
         Section 7.08.     Replacement of Trustee................................................................45
         Section 7.09.     Successor Trustee by Merger, etc......................................................46
         Section 7.10.     Eligibility; Disqualification.........................................................46
         Section 7.11.     Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.....................................46

ARTICLE EIGHT - Discharge of Indenture...........................................................................46
         Section 8.01.     Defeasance upon Deposit of Moneys or  U.S. Government Obligations.....................46
         Section 8.02.     Survival of the Company's Obligations.................................................49
         Section 8.03.     Application of Trust Money............................................................49
         Section 8.04.     Repayment to the Company..............................................................50
         Section 8.05.     Reinstatement.........................................................................50

ARTICLE NINE - Amendments, Supplements and Waivers...............................................................50
         Section 9.01.     Without Consent of Holders............................................................50
         Section 9.02.     With Consent of Holders...............................................................51
         Section 9.03.     Compliance with Trust Indenture Act...................................................52

                                       iii

<PAGE>



         Section 9.04.     Revocation and Effect of Consents.....................................................52
         Section 9.05.     Notation on or Exchange of Notes......................................................52
         Section 9.06.     Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.......................................................52

ARTICLE TEN - Miscellaneous......................................................................................53
         Section 10.01.             Trust Indenture Act Controls.................................................53
         Section 10.02.             Notices......................................................................53
         Section 10.03.             Communications by Holders with Other Holders.................................54
         Section 10.04.             Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent...........................54
         Section 10.05.             Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion................................54
         Section 10.06.             Rules by Trustee and Agents..................................................55
         Section 10.07.             Legal Holidays...............................................................55
         Section 10.08.             Governing Law................................................................55
         Section 10.09.             No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements................................55
         Section 10.10.             No Recourse Against Others...................................................55
         Section 10.11.             Successors and Assigns.......................................................55
         Section 10.12.             Duplicate Originals..........................................................56
         Section 10.13.             Severability.................................................................57

</TABLE>

                                       iv

<PAGE>



                              CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
This Cross-Reference Table is not a part of the Indenture.


TIA                                                     Indenture
Section                                                   Section
- -------                                                 ---------
310(a)(1).............................................  7.10
(a)(2)................................................  7.10
(a)(3)................................................  N.A.
(a)(4)................................................  N.A.
(b)...................................................  7.08; 7.10; 10.02
311(a)................................................  7.11
(b)...................................................  7.11
(c)...................................................  N.A.
312(a)................................................  2.05
(b)...................................................  10.03
(c)...................................................  10.03
313(a)................................................  7.06
(b)(1)................................................  N.A.
(b)(2)................................................  7.06
(c)...................................................  10.02
(d)...................................................  7.06
314(a)................................................  4.04; 4.05; 10.02
(b)...................................................  N.A.
(c)(1)................................................  10.04
(c)(2)................................................  10.04
(c)(3)................................................  N.A.
(d)...................................................  N.A.
(e)...................................................  10.05
(f)...................................................  N.A.
315(a)................................................  7.01(b)
(b)...................................................  7.05; 10.02
(c)...................................................  7.01(a)
(d)...................................................  7.01(c)
(e)...................................................  6.13
316(a)(last sentence).................................  2.12
(a)(1)(A).............................................  6.11
(a)(1)(B).............................................  6.12
(a)(2)................................................  N.A.
(b)...................................................  6.08
(c)...................................................  9.04
317(a)(1).............................................  6.03
(a)(2)................................................  6.04
(b)...................................................  2.04
318(a)................................................  10.01
- -----------------------------
N.A. means Not Applicable.

                                        v

<PAGE>



         INDENTURE  dated as of January 28, 1998, by and among M.D.C.  HOLDINGS,
INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(the "Trustee").

         Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for
the equal and ratable  benefit of the Holders of the Company's  debt  securities
issued under this Indenture (the "Notes"):


                                   ARTICLE ONE

                   Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

Section 1.01.     Definitions.

         "Acquired  Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of any Person that is not a
Restricted Subsidiary, which Indebtedness is outstanding at the time such Person
becomes a Restricted  Subsidiary,  or is merged into or  consolidated  with, the
Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary;  provided,  however, that such Indebtedness
was not  Incurred  in  connection  with,  or in  contemplation  of,  such Person
becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or such merger or consolidation.

         "Affiliate"  means,  with respect to any  specified  Person,  any other
Person  directly or indirectly  controlling or controlled by, or under direct or
indirect  common  control  with,  such  specified  Person.  For purposes of this
definition,  the term "control" means (a) the power to direct the management and
policies of a Person,  either  directly  or through one or more  intermediaries,
whether through the ownership of voting securities,  by contract,  or otherwise,
or (b) without  limiting the  foregoing,  ownership of 10% or more of the voting
power of the voting  common  equity of such Person (on a fully  diluted  basis).
Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  the term  "Affiliate"  will not include,  with
respect to the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary,  any Restricted Subsidiary
or, with respect to any Restricted Subsidiary, the Company.

         "Agent" means any Registrar,  Paying Agent or co-Registrar or agent for
service of notices and demands.

         "Agent Member" shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

         "Asset  Sale"  means,  with  respect to any  Person,  the sale,  lease,
conveyance or other disposition  (including,  without  limitation,  by merger or
consolidation,  and whether by  operation  of law or  otherwise)  of any of that
Person's assets (including, without limitation, the sale or other disposition of
Capital  Stock of any  Subsidiary  of such Person,  whether by such Person or by
such  Subsidiary,  not including the capital  contribution to a joint venture in
consideration of the Company's or its Restricted  Subsidiaries' interest in such
joint venture), whether owned on the Issue Date or subsequently acquired, in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, in which such Person and/or its
Subsidiaries  receive  cash  and/or  other  consideration  (including,   without
limitation,  the unconditional  assumption of Indebtedness of such Person and/or
its  Subsidiaries)  having an aggregate fair market value of $10,000,000 or more
as to such transaction or series of related  transactions (each such transaction
being  referred  to  herein as a  "disposition");  provided,  however,  that the
following  transactions shall not constitute an Asset Sale: (i) a transaction or
series of related

                                                         1

<PAGE>



transactions  that  results  in a  Change  of  Control  Triggering  Event;  (ii)
dispositions of land,  homes,  infrastructure,  other  buildings,  improvements,
appurtenances and entitlements and dispositions of mortgage loans, mortgage loan
servicing and  mortgage-backed  securities  in the ordinary  course of business;
(iii) exchanges or swaps of real estate by the Company in the ordinary course of
business for real estate of  substantially  equivalent value (or for real estate
and cash or Cash  Equivalents  which,  in the  aggregate,  have a  substantially
equivalent value); (iv) dispositions between or among the Company and any one or
more Restricted Subsidiaries or between or among Restricted Subsidiaries;  (v) a
disposition  that is a  Permitted  Investment  (to  the  extent  such  Permitted
Investment  may be deemed to constitute  an Asset Sale) or a Restricted  Payment
permitted  hereunder;  and (vi) dispositions of securities of the Company or any
Restricted  Subsidiary  held  exclusively  by  the  Company  or  any  Restricted
Subsidiary and such  disposition  is made to the issuer of such  securities or a
Restricted Subsidiary of such issuer which issuer is the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary (regardless of whether such disposition is a direct disposition or an
indirect  disposition  through  the  sale  of  all  of the  Capital  Stock  of a
Restricted  Subsidiary  whose  principal  asset is the securities  which are the
subject of the disposition).

         "Attributable  Debt"  means,  with  respect  to any  Capitalized  Lease
Obligations, the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

         "Bank Credit  Facility" means the Credit  Agreement,  dated as of April
10,  1996,  among  the  Company,   as  guarantor,   certain  of  its  Restricted
Subsidiaries, as borrowers, and the lenders named therein and Bank One, Arizona,
NA, as Agent (together with the documents  related thereto  (including,  without
limitation,  any  guaranty  agreements)),  as such  facility  has been or may be
amended,  restated,  supplemented  or otherwise  modified from time to time, and
includes any facility extending the maturity of, increasing the total commitment
of, or restructuring (including, without limitation, the inclusion of additional
borrowers  thereunder that are Subsidiaries of the Company and whose obligations
thereunder   are  guaranteed  by  the  Company)  all  or  any  portion  of,  the
Indebtedness under such facility or any successor or replacement  facilities and
includes  any  facility  with  one or more  agents  or  lenders  refinancing  or
replacing  all or any  portion of the  Indebtedness  under such  facility or any
successor facilities.

         "Bankruptcy  Law" means Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended,
or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

     "Board of  Directors"  means the board of  directors  of the Company or any
authorized committee thereof.

         "Business Day" means a day that is not a Legal Holiday.

         "Capital Stock" means any and all shares, interests,  participations or
other  equivalents  (however  designated)  of or in a Person's  capital stock or
other equity interests, and options, rights or warrants to purchase such capital
stock or other equity  interests,  whether now  outstanding  or issued after the
Issue Date, including, without limitation, all Preferred Stock of such Person if
such Person is a corporation or membership interests if such Person is a limited
liability  company and each  general and  limited  partnership  interest of such
Person if such Person is a partnership.

                                                         2

<PAGE>



         "Capitalized  Lease Obligations" of any Person means the obligations of
such  Person to pay rent or other  amounts  under a lease that is required to be
capitalized  for financial  reporting  purposes in accordance with GAAP, and the
amount of such obligations will be the capitalized  amount thereof determined in
accordance with GAAP.

         "cash" means U.S. Legal Tender.

         "Cash  Equivalents"  means (a) U.S.  Government  Obligations;  (b) GNMA
securities;  (c) debt insured by other agencies guaranteed by the full faith and
credit of the United States of America;  (d) commercial  paper rated either "A1"
or  comparable  by S&P or "P1" or  comparable  by  Moody's;  (e)  Dutch  auction
preferred  stocks rated either "AA" or  comparable by S&P or "Aa2" or comparable
by Moody's;  (f)  certificates of deposit issued by commercial  banks or savings
and loan  associations  whose short-term debt is rated either "A1" or comparable
by S&P or  "P1" or  comparable  by  Moody's,  or if  such  an  institution  is a
subsidiary,  then its parent  corporation  may have such a rating;  (g)  bankers
acceptances  issued by financial  institutions  that meet the  requirements  for
certificates  of  deposit;   (h)  deposits  in  institutions   having  the  same
qualifications   required  for  investments  in  certificates  of  deposit;  (i)
repurchase  agreements  collateralized by any otherwise acceptable collateral as
defined  above;  and (j) money  market  accounts a majority of whose  assets are
composed  of items  described  by any of the  foregoing  clauses (a) through (i)
through brokerage firms deemed acceptable by the Company's management.

         "Change of Control"  means (i) any sale,  transfer or other  conveyance
(other  than to the Company or a wholly  owned  Subsidiary),  whether  direct or
indirect,  of  all or  substantially  all of the  assets  of the  Company,  on a
consolidated basis, to any "person" or "group" in one transaction or a series of
related  transactions,  provided  that a  transaction  where the  holders of all
classes of voting  stock of the Company  immediately  prior to such  transaction
own,  directly or indirectly,  50% or more of the aggregate  voting power of all
classes  of voting  stock of such  "person"  or "group"  immediately  after such
transaction  will not be a Change of Control,  or (ii) any  "person" or "group,"
other  than  the  Management  Group  (as  defined  below),  is  or  becomes  the
"beneficial owner," directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total voting
power of the voting stock then outstanding.  For the purpose of this definition,
(i) the terms  "person" and "group" shall have the meanings used for purposes of
Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act,  whether or not  applicable  and (ii)
the term "beneficial owner" shall have the meaning used in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5
under the Exchange Act, whether or not applicable; except that a Person shall be
deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of all shares that any such Person had the
right to acquire,  whether such right is  exercisable  immediately or only after
the passage of time or upon the occurrence of certain events.

         "Change of Control  Triggering  Event"  mean the  occurrence  of both a
Change of Control and a Rating Decline.

         "Company"  means the  Person  named as such in this  Indenture  until a
successor  replaces it  pursuant  to this  Indenture  and  thereafter  means the
successor.

         "Consolidated  EBITDA"  of any  Person  for any  period  means  (a) the
Consolidated  Net  Income  of such  Person  for such  period,  plus (b) the sum,
without duplication (and only to the extent

                                                         3

<PAGE>



such amounts are deducted in determining such  Consolidated Net Income),  of (i)
the  provision  for  income  taxes  for  such  period  for such  Person  and its
Subsidiaries  (or,  with  respect  to the  Company,  for  the  Company  and  its
Restricted Subsidiaries) except to the extent of tax benefits associated with an
extraordinary loss for such period,  (ii) depreciation and amortization  expense
of such Person and its  Subsidiaries  (or, with respect to the Company,  for the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries), (iii) Consolidated Interest Expense of
such  Person  for such  period,  and (iv) all  other  noncash,  nonextraordinary
charges  reducing  Consolidated Net Income for such period  determined,  in each
case, on a  consolidated  basis for such Person and its  Subsidiaries  (or, with
respect to the  Company,  for the Company and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries)  in
accordance with GAAP.

         "Consolidated   Fixed   Charge   Coverage   Ratio"  on  any  date  (the
"Transaction  Date")  means,  with  respect to any Person,  the ratio of (a) the
aggregate  amount  of  Consolidated   EBITDA  of  such  Person  attributable  to
continuing  operations and businesses for the Reference Period to (b) the sum of
(i) the aggregate  Consolidated  Interest  Incurred of such Person (exclusive of
amounts attributable to discontinued operations and businesses, but in each case
only to the  extent  that  the  obligations  giving  rise  to such  Consolidated
Interest  Incurred would no longer be obligations  contributing to such Person's
Consolidated  Interest  Incurred  subsequent  to the  Transaction  Date) for the
Reference  Period,  plus (ii)  dividends  paid or  accrued  (unless  paid to, or
accrued in favor of, the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries) on Disqualified
Capital Stock of the Company and Restricted  Subsidiaries  of the Company during
the  Reference  Period;  provided  that for  purposes  of such  computation,  in
calculating  Consolidated  EBITDA and Consolidated  Interest  Incurred,  (w) the
transaction  giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated  Fixed Charge
Coverage  Ratio will be assumed to have  occurred  (on a pro forma basis) on the
first  day of the  Reference  Period;  (x)  the  Incurrence  of any  Refinancing
Indebtedness  during the Reference Period or subsequent  thereto and on or prior
to the  Transaction  Date (and the  proceeds  of which  were  used to  refinance
Indebtedness  other than Indebtedness under revolving credit facilities) will be
assumed  to have  occurred  (on a pro  forma  basis)  on the  first  day of such
Reference  Period;  (y)  Consolidated  Interest  Incurred  attributable  to  any
Indebtedness  being Incurred bearing a floating  interest rate shall be computed
as if the rate in effect on the  Transaction  Date had been the applicable  rate
for the entire period, unless the Company or any of its Restricted  Subsidiaries
is a party to an Interest Swap Obligation  (which shall remain in effect for the
12-month  period after the  Transaction  Date) that has the effect of fixing the
interest  rate on the date of  computation,  in which  case such  rate  (whether
higher or lower) shall be used; and (z) all members of the consolidated group of
the Company on the  Transaction  Date that were  acquired  during the  Reference
Period or on or prior to the  Transaction  Date shall be deemed to be members of
the consolidated group of the Company,  along with any Indebtedness  incurred in
connection with the acquisition thereof, for the entire Reference Period.

         "Consolidated  Interest Expense" of any Person for any period means the
Interest  Expense of such Person and its  Subsidiaries  or, with  respect to the
Company,  of the  Company  and  its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  (other  than  the
Company's  financial services segment Restricted  Subsidiaries) for such period,
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

         "Consolidated Interest Incurred" of any Person for any period means the
Interest  Incurred of such Person and its  Subsidiaries  or, with respect to the
Company, of the Company and its Restricted

                                                         4

<PAGE>



Subsidiaries  (other than the Company's  financial  services segment  Restricted
Subsidiaries) for such period,  determined on a consolidated basis in accordance
with GAAP.

         "Consolidated Net Assets" of the Company as of any date means the total
amount of assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (less applicable
reserves) on a consolidated  basis at the end of the fiscal quarter  immediately
preceding such date for which financial information is available,  as determined
in accordance with GAAP, as reflected on the  consolidated  balance sheet of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of such fiscal quarter.

         "Consolidated  Net  Income"  of any  Person  for any  period  means the
aggregate  net income (or loss) of such Person and its  Subsidiaries  (or,  with
respect  to the  Company,  of  the  Company  and  its  Restricted  Subsidiaries)
(collectively  for the purposes of this  definition of  Consolidated  Net Income
only, the "Relevant Person") for such period, determined on a consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP, excluding without  duplication:  (a) the net income (or
loss) of any  other  Person  in  which  the  Relevant  Person  has an  ownership
interest,  other than the  lesser of (i) cash  dividends  or cash  distributions
during such period that have been received by the Relevant Person;  and (ii) the
Relevant  Person's pro rata share of such other  Person's  aggregate net income;
(b) extraordinary  gains and losses, net of the tax effects thereof;  (c) except
to the extent  includable in  Consolidated  Net Income pursuant to the foregoing
clause  (a),  the net income (or loss) of any Person that  accrued  prior to the
date that such Person was acquired by the  Relevant  Person or is merged into or
consolidated with the Relevant Person or any of its Subsidiaries (or in the case
of the Company,  any Person is an  Unrestricted  Subsidiary or prior to the date
that such Person is acquired by the Company as a Restricted Subsidiary becomes a
Restricted  Subsidiary);  and (d) the net  income of any  Restricted  Subsidiary
(other than any  Mortgage  Subsidiary)  to the extent that (and only so long as)
the  declaration  or  payment of  dividends  or  similar  distributions  by such
Restricted  Subsidiary  of that income is prohibited by the terms of its charter
or  any  agreement,  instrument,  judgment,  decree,  order,  statute,  rule  or
governmental  regulation  applicable to that Restricted  Subsidiary  during such
period.

         "Consolidated  Net  Worth"  of any  Person  as of any  date  means  the
stockholders' equity (including any preferred stock that is classified as equity
under GAAP,  but excluding  Disqualified  Capital  Stock) of such Person and its
Subsidiaries (or, with respect to the Company, of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries)  on a  consolidated  basis  at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  quarter
immediately preceding such date for which financial information is available, as
determined in accordance with GAAP.

         "Currency Agreement" of any Person means any foreign exchange contract,
currency swap agreement or other similar  agreement or  arrangement  designed to
protect  such  Person  or  any  of  its   Subsidiaries  or  Affiliates   against
fluctuations in currency values.

         "Custodian"  means  any  receiver,   trustee,   assignee,   liquidator,
sequestrator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

         "Default" means any event, act or condition that is, or after notice or
the passage of time or both would be, unless otherwise timely cured, an Event of
Default.

                                                         5

<PAGE>




     "Designation  Amount"  has the  meaning  set  forth  in the  definition  of
"Unrestricted Subsidiary."

         "Disinterested  Director"  means a member of the Board of  Directors of
the Company who does not have any material direct or indirect financial interest
in or with respect to the transaction being considered.

         "Disqualified  Capital Stock" means (a) with respect to any Person, any
Capital  Stock of such Person or its  Subsidiaries  that, by its terms or by the
terms of any security into which it is convertible or exchangeable,  is, or upon
the  happening  of an event or the  passage  of time  would be,  required  to be
redeemed or  repurchased  by such Person or its  Subsidiaries,  including at the
option of the Holder,  in whole or in part,  or has, or upon the happening of an
event or passage of time would have, a redemption  or similar  payment due on or
prior to the Stated Maturity and (b) with respect to any Restricted  Subsidiary,
any  Capital  Stock  (other  than (i)  Capital  Stock  owned by the Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary  and (ii) common stock with no  preferences or privileges
and with no redemption or repayment provisions).

         "Equity  Investor," with respect to any Person,  means any other Person
that  has  made  an  investment  in  the  capital  stock,   shares,   interests,
participation or other ownership  interests of such other Person  (including any
option,  warrant or right to acquire any such  interest) or has made any capital
contribution to such other Person and owns a minority interest in such Person.

         "Event of Default" has the meaning set forth in Section 6.01.

         "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

         "Existing  Indebtedness"  means all of the  Indebtedness of the Company
and its Subsidiaries that is outstanding on the Issue Date.

     "Final  Change of Control  Put Date" has the meaning  specified  in Section
4.11.

         "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting  principles set forth in the
opinions and  pronouncements of the Accounting  Principles Board of the American
Institute of Certified Public  Accountants and statements and  pronouncements of
the Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board or in such other  statements by such
other  entity as may be  approved  by a  significant  segment of the  accounting
profession of the United States, as in effect on the date of this Indenture.

     "Holder"  means  the  person  in  whose  name a Note is  registered  on the
register for the Notes.

         "Incur" means,  with respect to any Indebtedness or other obligation of
any Person,  to create,  issue,  incur  (including  by  conversion,  exchange or
otherwise),  assume,  guarantee  or otherwise  become  liable in respect of such
Indebtedness or other obligation or the recording,  as required pursuant to GAAP
or otherwise,  of any such Indebtedness or other obligation on the balance sheet
of such Person (and "Incurrence," "Incurred" and "Incurring" shall have meanings
correlative to the

                                                         6

<PAGE>



foregoing).  Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a
Restricted  Subsidiary or is merged or consolidated  with or into the Company or
any Restricted  Subsidiary shall be deemed to be Incurred at such time.  Neither
the accrual of interest, nor the accretion of original issue discount,  shall be
deemed to be an Incurrence of Indebtedness.  In addition,  the mere extension of
the term of lender  commitments  to extend credit or funds to the Company or any
of  its  Subsidiaries  pursuant  to a  revolving  credit  agreement  or  similar
arrangement shall not be deemed to be an Incurrence of Indebtedness.

         "Indebtedness"  of any  Person  means,  without  duplication,  (a)  any
liability of such Person (other than  accounts  payable,  other trade  payables,
general  contingency  and tax  reserves,  liabilities  for deposits and deferred
income which in  accordance  with GAAP are recorded as  liabilities  and accrued
expenses  (including  without  limitation,  obligations for insurance  premiums)
Incurred in the ordinary course of business) (i) for borrowed money or under any
reimbursement  obligation  relating  to a letter  of  credit  or  other  similar
instruments  (other than  standby  letters of credit,  performance,  completion,
surety or similar bonds or instruments  issued for the benefit of such Person or
surety, performance, completion or payment bonds, earnest money notes or similar
purpose  undertakings or indemnifications  issued by such Person in the ordinary
course of  business,  (ii)  evidenced  by a bond,  note,  debenture  or  similar
instrument  (including a purchase money obligation) given in connection with the
acquisition of any businesses, properties or assets of any kind or with services
(other than any obligation to pay a contingent  purchase price which,  as of the
date of  Incurrence  thereof is not  required to be  recorded as a liability  in
accordance with GAAP), or (iii) in respect of Capitalized  Lease Obligations (to
the extent of the Attributable Debt in respect thereof), (b) any Indebtedness of
others that such Person has guaranteed to the extent of the guaranty, (c) to the
extent not otherwise  included,  Interest Swap Obligations or the obligations of
such Person under Currency Agreements,  in either case to the extent recorded as
liabilities  not  constituting  Interest  Incurred,  net of amounts  recorded as
assets  in  respect  of  such  agreements,  in  accordance  with  GAAP,  (d) all
Indebtedness  of others  secured by a Lien (other than a Permitted  Lien) on any
asset of such  Person,  whether  or not such  Indebtedness  is  assumed  by such
Person,  and (e) all  Disqualified  Stock  issued by such  Person (the amount of
indebtedness represented by any Disqualified Stock will equal the greater of the
voluntary  or  involuntary   liquidation  preference  plus  accrued  and  unpaid
dividends).  The amount of  Indebtedness  of any Person at any date shall be (A)
the  outstanding  balance  at such  date  of all  unconditional  obligations  as
described above, net of any unamortized discount to be accounted for as Interest
Expense,  in accordance with GAAP, (B) the maximum  liability of such Person for
any  contingent  obligations  under  clause (b) above at such date,  net of, any
unamortized  discount to be accounted for as Interest Expense in accordance with
GAAP and (C) in the case of clause (d) above,  the lesser of (1) the fair market
value of any asset subject to a Lien securing the  Indebtedness of others on the
date that the Lien attaches and (2) the amount of the Indebtedness secured.

     "Indenture"  means this Indenture as amended or  supplemented  from time to
time.

         "Interest  Expense"  of  any  Person  for  any  period  means,  without
duplication,  the aggregate  amount of interest  which, in conformity with GAAP,
should be set opposite the caption "interest  expense" or any like caption on an
income  statement  for  such  Person  (including,  without  limitation,  imputed
interest included on Capitalized Lease Obligations,  the interest portion of any
deferred

                                                         7

<PAGE>



payment  obligation,  amortization of discount or premium, if any, and all other
noncash  interest  expense) plus, with respect to the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries,  without  duplication  (including  duplication  of  the  foregoing
items), amortization of issue costs on Indebtedness,  all interest included as a
component of cost of sales for such period,  and all commissions,  discounts and
other fees and charges owed with respect to bankers' acceptance  financing,  and
amortization  and  expensing  of  other  financing  fees and  expenses,  and all
interest  actually  paid by the  Company or a  Restricted  Subsidiary  under any
guaranty  of  Indebtedness   (including,   without  limitation,  a  guaranty  of
principal,  interest or any combination thereof) of any other Person during such
period.

         "Interest  Incurred"  of any  Person  for  any  period  means,  without
duplication,  the aggregate  amount of interest  which, in conformity with GAAP,
should be set opposite the caption "interest  expense" or any like caption on an
income  statement  for  such  Person  (including,  without  limitation,  imputed
interest included on Capitalized Lease Obligations,  the interest portion of any
deferred payment  obligation,  amortization of discount or premium,  if any, and
all other noncash  interest  expense) plus,  with respect to the Company and its
Restricted  Subsidiaries,  without  duplication  (including  duplication  of the
foregoing  items),  all interest  capitalized  for such period,  amortization of
issue  costs on  Indebtedness,  all  commissions,  discounts  and other fees and
charges owed with respect to bankers'  acceptance  financing,  amortization  and
expensing of other financing fees and expenses,  and all interest  actually paid
by the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary  under any  guaranty of  Indebtedness
(including,  without  limitation,  a  guaranty  of  principal,  interest  or any
combination thereof) of any other Person during such period.

     "Interest  Payment  Date"  means the stated due date of an  installment  of
interest on the Notes.

         "Interest Swap Obligation"  means any obligation of any Person pursuant
to any arrangement  whereby such Person is entitled to receive from time to time
periodic  payments  calculated  by applying  either a fixed or floating  rate of
interest on a stated notional  amount in exchange for periodic  payments made by
such Person  calculated  by applying a fixed or floating rate of interest on the
same notional amount;  provided,  that the term "Interest Swap Obligation" shall
also include interest rate exchange,  collar, swap option,  futures contracts or
other similar agreements providing interest rate protection.

         "Investment"   by  any  Person  in  any  other  Person  means  (without
duplication)  (a) the  acquisition by such Person  (whether for cash,  property,
services,  securities or otherwise) of Capital Stock, bonds, notes,  debentures,
partnership,  or other ownership  interests,  or other  securities of such other
Person,  (b) the making by such Person of any deposit with, or advance,  loan or
other  extension  of credit to, such other  Person  (including  the  purchase of
property  from such other  Person  subject  to an  understanding  or  agreement,
contingent or otherwise,  to resell such property to such other Person),  except
in the ordinary course of the business,  (c) the entering into by such Person of
any guaranty of, or other contingent obligation with respect to, Indebtedness or
other  liability  of  such  other  Person,  or (d)  the  making  of any  capital
contribution by such Person to such other Person.  Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence,  the assets of the Company's insurance  operations shall not be deemed
to be Investments.


                                                         8

<PAGE>



         "Investment  Grade"  mean  BBB- or  higher  by S&P or Baa3 or higher by
Moody's or the equivalent of such ratings by S&P or Moody's.

     "Issue Date" means January 28, 1998,  the date of original  issuance of the
Notes.

         "Legal Holiday" shall have the meaning provided in Section 10.07.

         "Lien" means any mortgage,  lien, pledge, charge,  security interest or
encumbrance of any kind with respect to any Property.

         "Management  Group" means the  executive  officers of the Company as of
the Issue Date,  members of their immediate  families,  certain trusts for their
benefit,  and legal  representatives  of, or heirs,  beneficiaries  or  legatees
receiving  Common Stock (or securities  convertible or  exchangeable  for Common
Stock) under any such person's estate.

         "Maturity  Date," when used with respect to any Note, means the date on
which the  principal  of such Note  becomes due and payable as therein or herein
provided,  whether at the Stated Maturity, Change of Control Payment Date, Asset
Sale Offer Date,  or by  declaration  of  acceleration,  call for  redemption or
otherwise.

     "Moody's"  means Moody's  Investors  Service,  Inc. or any successor to its
debt rating business.

         "Mortgage Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company substantially
all of whose operations consists of the mortgage lending business.

         "Net  Cash  Proceeds"  means  (i)  cash  (in  U.S.  dollars  or  freely
convertible  into  U.S.  dollars)  received  by the  Company  or any  Restricted
Subsidiary  from an Asset  Sale net of all (a)  brokerage  commissions,  and all
other fees and expenses  (including,  without  limitation,  fees and expenses of
counsel and investment  bankers)  related to such Asset Sale, (b) provisions for
all income and other taxes  measured by or resulting  from such Asset Sale,  (c)
payments  made to retire  Indebtedness  where  payment of such  Indebtedness  is
required by instruments  governing such  indebtedness  and secured by the assets
sold pursuant to and in connection with such Asset Sale, (d) amounts required to
be paid to any Person (other than the Company or  Subsidiary)  owning a legal or
beneficial  interest in the assets  subject to the Asset Sale,  (e)  appropriate
amounts to be provided by the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary  thereof, as
the case may be, as a reserve,  in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities
associated  with such Asset Sale and  retained by the Company or any  Restricted
Subsidiary  thereof,  as the case may be,  after  such  Asset  Sale,  including,
without  limitation,  pension and other  post-employment  liabilities  under any
indemnification obligations associated with such Asset Sale, all as reflected in
an  Officers'  Certificate  delivered  to the  Trustee,  and  (ii)  all  noncash
consideration received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from
such Asset Sale promptly  thereupon  liquidated or converted into cash,  without
duplication, net of all items enumerated in subclauses (a) through (e) of clause
(i) hereof.


                                                         9

<PAGE>



         "Non-Recourse   Indebtedness"   means,  with  respect  to  any  Person,
Indebtedness  (or any  portion  thereof) of such Person for which the sole legal
recourse for collection of principal, premium, and interest on such Indebtedness
is against the specific  property  identified in the  instruments  evidencing or
securing  such  Indebtedness,  which  property was acquired with the proceeds of
such  Indebtedness or such  Indebtedness  was Incurred within 180 days after the
acquisition  of such  property,  without any  liability  on the part of any such
Person for any deficiency with respect to principal, premium or interest.

         "Notes"  means the 8-3/8%  Senior Notes due 2008 issued  hereunder,  as
supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.

         "Officer"  means the  Chairman of the Board,  the  President,  any Vice
President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company.

         "Officers'  Certificate"  means a certificate signed by two Officers or
by an Officer  and an  Assistant  Treasurer  or an  Assistant  Secretary  of the
Company and complying with the provisions of Section 10.05.

         "Opinion of Counsel" means a written  opinion from legal counsel who is
reasonably  acceptable  to the  Trustee.  The  counsel  may be an employee of or
counsel to the Company or the  Trustee  and  complying  with the  provisions  of
Section 10.05.

         "Paying Agent" shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.03.

         "Permitted  Investment" means (a) Investments in Cash Equivalents,  (b)
Investments  in the  Company  or in its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  (c) loans or
advances  made in the  ordinary  course of business to  officers,  directors  or
employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries,  (d) Investments
in any receivables or loans taken by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company,
(e) Investments in joint ventures in a Related Business with unaffiliated  third
parties  in an  aggregate  amount at any time  outstanding  not to exceed 10% of
Consolidated  Net Assets at such time, (f) Investments in interests in issuances
of collateralized  mortgage obligations,  mortgages,  mortgage loan servicing or
other mortgage  related  assets,  (g) Investments in contract rights granted by,
entitlements  granted by, interests in securities  issued by, or tangible assets
of, political subdivisions or enterprises thereof related to the homebuilding or
real  estate  operations  of the  Company or its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  (h)
Investments  made  prior  to the  Issue  Date,  (i)  Investments  in the form of
guaranties to the extent such  guaranties are permitted to be Incurred  pursuant
to the  provisions  of Section 4.07 hereof and (j) any other  Investments  which
would not otherwise be permitted by the foregoing in an aggregate  amount at any
time outstanding not to exceed $25,000,000.

         "Permitted   Liens"   means  (a)  Liens  for  taxes,   assessments   or
governmental charges or claims that either (i) are not yet delinquent,  (ii) are
being  contested  in good  faith  by  appropriate  proceedings  and as to  which
appropriate reserves have been established or other provisions have been made in
accordance  with GAAP,  or (iii) solely  encumber  property  abandoned or in the
process of being  abandoned,  (b) statutory  Liens of landlords  and  carriers',
warehousemen's,  mechanics',  suppliers',  materialmen's,  repairmen's  or other
Liens imposed by law and arising in the ordinary course of

                                                        10

<PAGE>



business and with respect to amounts that, to the extent applicable,  either (i)
are not yet delinquent or (ii) are being  contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and as to which appropriate  reserves have been established or other
provisions  have been made in  accordance  with  GAAP,  (c)  Liens  Incurred  or
deposits  made in the ordinary  course of business in  connection  with workers'
compensation,  unemployment  insurance and other types of social  security,  (d)
Liens  Incurred or deposits  made to secure the  performance  of tenders,  bids,
leases,  statutory  obligations,  surety and appeal  bonds,  progress  payments,
government  contracts,  utility services and other obligations of like nature in
each case  Incurred  in the  ordinary  course of  business,  (e)  attachment  or
judgment Liens with respect to judgments or proceedings  which, with the passage
of time,  would not constitute an Event of Default and which are being contested
in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (f) easements, dedications, assessment
district or similar  Liens in  connection  with  municipal  or special  district
financing,  rights-of-way,  zoning restrictions,  reservations and other similar
charges,  encumbrances or burdens not materially  interfering  with the ordinary
course of  business,  (g) leases or subleases  granted to others not  materially
interfering  with the ordinary course of business,  (h) purchase money mortgages
(including, without limitation, Capitalized Lease Obligations and purchase money
security interests), (i) Liens on assets securing Refinancing Indebtedness which
refinanced  Indebtedness that was previously  secured by such assets,  (j) Liens
securing Real Property  Indebtedness Incurred in compliance with this Indenture,
(k) any interest in or title of a lessor to property  subject to any Capitalized
Lease Obligations Incurred in compliance with this Indenture, (l) Liens existing
on the date  hereof,  including  without  limitation,  Liens  securing  Existing
Indebtedness,  (m) any right of first  refusal,  right of first  offer,  option,
contract or other  agreement  to sell or purchase an asset,  pay lot premiums or
participate  in the  income or revenue  derived  therefrom,  (n) Liens  securing
Non-Recourse  Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary,  (o) Liens
on property or assets of any Subsidiary securing Indebtedness of such Subsidiary
owing to the Company or one or more of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  (p) Liens
with  respect  to any  asset,  which  Lien  existed  at the time such  asset was
acquired by the  Company or any of its  Subsidiaries,  provided  that such Liens
only extend to assets that were  subject to such Liens prior to the  acquisition
of such asset by such Person,  (q) any legal right of, or right  granted in good
faith to a lender or lenders to which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may
be indebted to offset against,  or appropriate and apply to the payment of, such
Indebtedness any and all balances,  credits, deposits, accounts or monies of the
Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary with or held by such lender or lenders,  (r)
any pledge or  deposit  of cash or  property  by the  Company or any  Restricted
Subsidiary in conjunction with obtaining surety and performance  bonds,  letters
of credit and similar instruments required to engage in constructing on-site and
off-site  improvements  or as otherwise  required by political  subdivisions  or
other  governmental  authorities  in the ordinary  course of business or secured
Indebtedness  permitted to be Incurred in  compliance  with  Section  4.07(a)(x)
hereof,  (s) Liens in favor of the Trustee  arising  pursuant to this Indenture,
(t) Liens  Incurred in the  ordinary  course of  business  as  security  for the
Company's  or  its  Restricted   Subsidiaries'   obligations   with  respect  to
indemnification  in favor of title insurance  providers,  (u) letters of credit,
bonds or other assets  pledged to secure  insurance  in the  ordinary  course of
business,  (v)  Liens on assets  securing  warehouse  lines of credit  and other
credit facilities to finance the operations of the Company's  financial services
segment  Restricted  Subsidiaries  and Liens  related to  issuances  of CMOs and
mortgage-related  securities,  and (w) any other Liens which would not otherwise
be permitted by the foregoing; provided that the aggregate amount of obligations
secured by such other Liens  outstanding  at any one time does not exceed 10% of
the sum of (i) the Company's

                                                        11

<PAGE>



Consolidated  Net  Worth  at such  time  plus  (ii)  the  consolidated  minority
interests of the Company (determined in accordance with GAAP) at such time.

         "Person"  means  any  individual,  corporation,   partnership,  limited
liability company,  joint venture,  incorporated or unincorporated  association,
joint stock company,  trust,  unincorporated  organization  or government or any
agency or political subdivision thereof.

         "Preferred  Stock" of any Person means all Capital Stock of such Person
which  has a  preference  in  liquidation  or with  respect  to the  payment  of
dividends.

         "principal"  of a debt  security  means the  principal  of the security
plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the security.

         "Property" of any Person means all types of real,  personal,  tangible,
intangible or mixed  property  owned by such Person,  whether or not included in
the most recent  consolidated  balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries
under GAAP.

         "Public Equity  Offering" means an underwritten  public offering by the
Company of its Qualified  Capital  Stock  pursuant to a  registration  statement
effective under the Securities Act (other than a registration  statement on Form
S-8 or similar form).

     "Qualified  Capital  Stock"  means  Capital  Stock other than  Disqualified
Capital Stock.

         "Rating Agencies" mean (i) S&P and (ii) Moody's.

         "Rating  Category"  mean (i) with respect to S&P, any of the  following
categories:  BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D (or equivalent successor  categories);  and
(ii) with respect to Moody's, any of the following categories; Ba, B, Caa, Ca, C
and D (or equivalent successor categories). In determining whether the rating of
the Notes has  decreased by one or more  gradations,  gradations  within  Rating
Categories shall be taken into account (e.g.,  with respect to S&P, a decline in
a rating from BB to BB-, as well as from BB- to B+, will  constitute  a decrease
of one gradation).

         "Rating Date" mean that date which is 90 days prior to public notice by
the  Company  of the  occurrence  of a  Change  of  Control  or of the  specific
intention by the Company or any member of the  Management  Group to enter into a
transaction to effect a Change of Control; provided that if the Company publicly
announces  termination of its or any member of the Management  Group's intention
to  effect  such  transactions,  such  prior  notice  shall not be  utilized  in
determining an applicable Rating Date.

         "Rating Decline" mean, at any time during the period (i) from and after
the date of public notice of either (x) the occurrence of a Change of Control or
(y) the specific  intention by the Company or any member of the Management Group
to effect a Change of Control and (ii) until the date which is 90 days after the
date of the  occurrence  of a Change of Control,  the  occurrence  of (a) in the
event  the  Notes  are  rated  by both  Moody's  and S&P on the  Rating  Date as
Investment  Grade,  the rating of the Notes by either  Rating Agency being below
Investment Grade; (b) in the event the

                                                        12

<PAGE>



Notes are rated by either,  but not both,  of the Rating  Agencies on the Rating
Date as Investment  Grade, the rating of the Notes by both Rating Agencies being
below Investment Grade; or (c) in the event the Notes are rated below Investment
Grade by both  Rating  Agencies on the Rating  Date,  the rating of the Notes by
either Rating Agency decreasing by one or more gradations  (including gradations
within Rating Categories as well as between Rating Categories).

         "Real Property  Indebtedness"  means Indebtedness of the Company or any
Restricted  Subsidiary  Incurred  to finance  the  acquisition,  holding  and/or
development of real property and related  appurtenances  and the construction of
improvements, including homes, thereon in the ordinary course of business.

         "Record Date" means a Record Date specified in the Notes whether or not
such Record Date is a Business Day.

         "Redemption  Date," when used with  respect to any Note to be redeemed,
means  the date  fixed  for  such  redemption  pursuant  to this  Indenture  and
Paragraph 5 of the Notes.

         "Redemption  Price," when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed,
means the price for such redemption  pursuant to Paragraph 5 of the Notes, which
shall include, without duplication, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to
the Redemption Date.

         "Reference  Period,"  with  regard to any  Person,  means the four full
fiscal  quarters of such Person ended on or immediately  preceding any date upon
which any determination is to be made pursuant to the terms of the Notes or this
Indenture for which financial information is available.

         "Refinancing  Indebtedness"  means  Indebtedness  that is an extension,
renewal,  replacement or refunding  permitted to be Incurred by this  Indenture,
provided,  however,  that  (a)  the  maximum  principal  amount  of  Refinancing
Indebtedness  (or,  if such  Refinancing  Indebtedness  does  not  require  cash
payments  prior to maturity or is otherwise  issued at a discount,  the original
issue  price of such  Refinancing  Indebtedness)  permitted  may not  exceed the
lesser of (i) the principal amount of the Indebtedness being extended,  renewed,
replaced  or  refunded  plus  reasonable  financing  fees and  other  associated
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (collectively, "Refinancing Fees"), or (ii) if
such Indebtedness being extended,  renewed,  replaced, or refunded was issued at
an original issue discount,  the original issue price,  plus amortization of the
original  issue  discount  at the  time  of the  Incurrence  of the  Refinancing
Indebtedness  plus  Refinancing  Fees,  (b) except with respect to  Indebtedness
Incurred to finance the acquisition, holding or development of real property and
related  appurtenances and the construction of improvements thereon and Incurred
in the  ordinary  course of business  and in  compliance  with the terms of this
Indenture,  the Refinancing Indebtedness has a Weighted Average Life and a final
maturity  that is equal to or  greater  than the  Indebtedness  being  extended,
renewed,  replaced  or  refunded  at  the  time  of  such  extension,   renewal,
replacement  or  refunding,  (c) the  Refinancing  Indebtedness  shall rank with
respect to the Notes to an extent no less  favorable  in respect  thereof to the
Holders than the Indebtedness  being  refinanced,  and (d) the Company may Incur
Refinancing  Indebtedness  only to  refinance  Indebtedness  of the Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary,  and  a  Restricted  Subsidiary  may  Incur  Refinancing
Indebtedness only to refinance Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary.

                                                        13

<PAGE>



         "Registrar" shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.03.

         "Related  Business"  means any line or lines of  business  or  business
activity reasonably related to (x) the real estate business or (y) a business or
business activity of the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries conducted on
the Issue Date.

         "Restricted  Investment"  means any direct or indirect  Investment with
respect to any Person by the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary  other than a
Permitted Investment.

         "Restricted  Payment"  means,  with  respect  to any  Person,  (a)  any
dividend or other  distribution on shares of Capital Stock of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, (b) any payment on account of the purchase, redemption or
other acquisition or retirement for value, in whole or in part, of any shares of
Capital Stock of the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary,  (c) any defeasance,
redemption,  repurchase,  or other  acquisition or retirement for value,  or any
payment in respect of any amendment (in  anticipation  of or in connection  with
any such retirement,  acquisition,  or defeasance),  in whole or in part, of any
Indebtedness  of the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary  that is subordinate in
right  of  payment  to the  Notes,  but  only  if such  defeasance,  redemption,
repurchase  or other  acquisition  or  retirement is made prior to the scheduled
payment on such  Indebtedness  and (d) any  Investment  (other  than a Permitted
Investment);  provided,  however,  that the term  "Restricted  Payment" does not
include (i) any  dividend,  distribution,  or other payment on shares of Capital
Stock of the Company or a  Restricted  Subsidiary  solely in shares of Qualified
Capital Stock of the Company, (ii) any dividend,  distribution, or other payment
to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by any of its Subsidiaries,
(iii) the purchase,  redemption or other  acquisition or retirement for value of
any shares of  Capital  Stock of a  Subsidiary  owned by the  Company,  (iv) any
defeasance, redemption, repurchase or other acquisition or retirement for value,
in whole or in part, of (A) Indebtedness of the Company payable solely in shares
of Capital Stock or Subordinated  Indebtedness of the Company,  (B) Indebtedness
or  Disqualified  Capital  Stock of a Restricted  Subsidiary  payable  solely in
shares  of  Capital  Stock  of the  Company  or such  Restricted  Subsidiary  or
Subordinated  Indebtedness  of the Company,  or (C)  Indebtedness of the Company
subordinated  to  the  Notes  owed  to  its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  (v)  any
defeasance,  redemption,  repurchase,  or other  acquisition  or retirement  for
value,  in whole or in part, of  Subordinated  Indebtedness  of the Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary  existing  on the  Issue  Date or (vi) any  proportionate
payment in respect of  minority  interests  in  Restricted  Subsidiaries  to the
extent that the payment constitutes a return of capital that was not included in
the Company's  shareholders'  equity or a dividend or similar  distribution  not
included in determining the Company's Consolidated Net Income.

     "Restricted Subsidiary" means each of the Subsidiaries of the Company which
is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

         "SEC" means the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  or any successor
agency performing the duties now assigned to it under the TIA.

         "S&P" means  Standard and Poor's  Ratings Group or any successor to its
debt rating business.

                                                        14

<PAGE>




         "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

         "Significant  Subsidiary"  means any  Subsidiary  of the Company  which
would  constitute  a  "significant  subsidiary"  as  defined  in  Rule  1.02  of
Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

         "Stated  Maturity," when used with respect to any Note,  means February
1, 2008.

         "Subordinated  Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of the Company which is
subordinated  in right of payment to the prior  payment in full,  including  all
payment of  principal,  premium  and all  accrued  interest  (and  post-petition
interest) on, and all other amounts owing in connection with the Notes.

         "Subsidiary" of any Person means any corporation or other entity (other
than political  subdivisions or enterprises thereof or governmental agencies) of
which at least 50% of the Capital  Stock having  ordinary  voting power to elect
the Board of Directors or other persons  performing  similar functions is at the
time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person.

         "TIA" means the Trust  Indenture Act of 1939, as in effect from time to
time.

         "Trustee"  means  the  party  named as such in this  Indenture  until a
successor  replaces it  pursuant  to this  Indenture  and  thereafter  means the
successor serving hereunder.

         "Trust  Officer" means the Chairman of the Board,  the  President,  any
Vice  President or any other  officer of the Trustee  assigned by the Trustee to
administer its corporate trust matters.

         "United States" means the United States of America.

         "U.S.  Government  Obligations"  means  securities which are (a) direct
obligations  of the United  States  for the  payment of which its full faith and
credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and
acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the payment of which
is  unconditionally  guaranteed  as a full  faith and credit  obligation  by the
United  States,  which,  in either case are not  callable or  redeemable  at the
option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued
by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government
Obligations  or a specific  payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S.
government  obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a
depositary receipt; provided, that (except as required by law) such custodian is
not  authorized to make any deduction  from the amount  payable to the holder of
such depositary  receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of
the U.S.  government  obligation  or the  specific  payment  of  interest  on or
principal  of the  U.S.  government  obligation  evidenced  by  such  depositary
receipt.

     "U.S.  Legal  Tender"  means such coin or currency of the United  States of
America  as at the time of  payment  shall be legal  tender  for the  payment of
public and private debts.


                                                        15

<PAGE>



         "Unrestricted Subsidiary" means each of the Subsidiaries of the Company
so designated  by a resolution  adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company
as  provided  below and whose  creditors  have no  direct or  indirect  recourse
(including,  without  limitation,  no  recourse  with  respect to the payment of
principal or interest on  Indebtedness  of such  Subsidiary) to the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary.  The Board of Directors of the Company may redesignate an
Unrestricted  Subsidiary  to be a Restricted  Subsidiary;  provided that (i) any
such  redesignation  will be deemed to be an  Incurrence  by the Company and its
Restricted  Subsidiaries  of the  Indebtedness  (if  any) of  such  redesignated
Subsidiary for purposes  hereof as of the date of such  redesignation,  and (ii)
immediately after giving effect to such  redesignation and the incurrence of any
such additional Indebtedness,  the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries could
incur  $1.00 of  additional  Indebtedness  pursuant to Section  4.07(b)  hereof.
Subject  to the  foregoing,  the  Board of  Directors  of the  Company  also may
designate any Restricted Subsidiary to be an Unrestricted  Subsidiary;  provided
that (i) a  Restricted  Payment  will be  deemed  to be made at the time of such
designation  and such  designation  will  reduce the Basket to the extent of the
book  value  (in  accordance  with  GAAP)  of  the  Company's  or  a  Restricted
Subsidiary's  investment in the  Subsidiary  being  designated  an  Unrestricted
Subsidiary (the "Designation  Amount"), and (ii) immediately after giving effect
to such designation and reduction of the Basket,  the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries  could Incur $1.00 of additional  Indebtedness  pursuant to Section
4.07(b) hereof.  Any such designation or redesignation by the Board of Directors
of the Company will be evidenced to the Trustee by the filing with the Trustee a
certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company giving
effect  to  such  designation  or  redesignation  and an  Officers'  Certificate
certifying that such  designation or  redesignation  complied with the foregoing
conditions  and setting  forth the  underlying  calculations  of such  Officers'
Certificate.

         "Voting Stock" means Capital Stock of the Company having  generally the
right to vote in the election of the directors of the Company.

         "Weighted  Average Life" means, as of the date of  determination,  with
respect to any debt instrument, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of
the products of the number of years from the date of  determination to the dates
of  each  successive   scheduled  principal  payment  of  such  debt  instrument
multiplied by the amount of such  principal  payment by (ii) the sum of all such
principal payments.

Section 1.02.     Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

         Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision
is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following
TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

         "Commission" means the SEC.

         "indenture securities" means the Notes.

         "indenture security holder" means a Holder.


                                                        16

<PAGE>



         "indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture.

         "indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the Trustee.

         "obligor" on the indenture securities means the Company.

         All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA,
defined  by TIA  reference  to  another  statute or defined by SEC rule have the
meanings so assigned to them.

Section 1.03.     Rules of Construction.

         Unless the context otherwise requires:

         (1)      a term has the meaning assigned to it;

     (2) an accounting term, not otherwise defined,  has the meaning assigned to
it in accordance with GAAP;

         (3)      "or" is not exclusive;

     (4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the
singular; and

         (5)      provisions apply to successive events and transactions.


                                   ARTICLE TWO

                                    The Notes

Section 2.01.     Form and Dating.

         The aggregate  principal  amount of Notes that may be issued under this
Indenture  is  $250,000,000.   The  Notes  and  the  Trustee's   certificate  of
authentication with respect thereto shall be in substantially the form set forth
in Exhibit A hereto, with such appropriate insertions, omissions,  substitutions
and other  variations  as are required or permitted by this  Indenture,  and may
have such letters,  numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or
endorsements  placed  thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any
securities  exchange or system on which the Notes may be listed or eligible  for
trading  or as  may,  consistently  herewith,  be  determined  by  the  officers
executing such Notes, as evidenced by their execution of the Notes.

Section 2.02.     Execution and Authentication.

         Two  Officers  shall sign,  or one  Officer  shall sign and one Officer
shall attest to, the Notes for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.


                                                        17

<PAGE>



         If an Officer whose  signature is on a Note no longer holds that office
at the time the Trustee  authenticates the Note, the Note shall  nevertheless be
valid.

         A Note  shall  not be  valid  until  the  Trustee  manually  signs  the
certificate of  authentication  on the Note.  The signature  shall be conclusive
evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

         The Trustee shall authenticate Notes for original issue upon receipt of
an Officers'  Certificate  of the Company.  Each Note shall be dated the date of
its authentication.

Section 2.03.     Registrar and Paying Agent.

         The  Company  shall  maintain  an office or agency  where  Notes may be
presented for registration of transfer or for exchange ("Registrar"),  an office
or agency  where  Notes may be  presented  for payment  ("Paying  Agent") and an
office or agency where  notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of
the Notes and this Indenture may be served.  The Registrar shall keep a register
of the Notes and of their  transfer  and  exchange.  The Company may have one or
more  co-Registrars and one or more additional  paying agents.  The term "Paying
Agent" includes any additional paying agent.

         The Company shall enter into an appropriate  agency  agreement with any
Agent  not a  party  to  this  Indenture.  The  agreement  shall  implement  the
provisions  of this  Indenture  that  relate to such Agent.  The  Company  shall
promptly notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any such Agent
and the  Trustee  shall  have the right to  inspect  the Notes  register  at all
reasonable times to obtain copies thereof,  and the Trustee shall have the right
to rely upon such  register as to the names and addresses of the Holders and the
principal  amounts and  certificate  numbers  thereof.  If the Company  fails to
maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent or fails to give the foregoing notice,  the
Trustee shall act as such. The Company or a Subsidiary of the Company may act as
Paying Agent.

     The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent.

Section 2.04.     Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

         Each  Paying  Agent  shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders and
the Trustee all money held by the Paying  Agent for the payment of  principal of
or  interest  on the Notes,  and shall  notify the Trustee of any default by the
Company in making any such  payment.  If the  Company  or a  Subsidiary  acts as
Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money and hold it as a separate trust fund.
The Company at any time may  require a Paying  Agent to pay all money held by it
to the Trustee.  Upon doing so the Paying Agent shall have no further  liability
for the money.

Section 2.05.     Holder Lists.

         The  Trustee  shall  preserve  in as  current  a form as is  reasonably
practicable  the most recent list  available to it of the names and addresses of
Holders.  If the Trustee is not the Registrar,  the Company shall furnish to the
Trustee at least 5 Business Days before each semi-annual interest

                                                        18

<PAGE>



payment  date and at such other  times as the  Trustee  may request in writing a
list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may  reasonably  require of
the names and addresses of Holders.

Section 2.06.     Transfer and Exchange.

         If a Note  is  presented  to the  Registrar  or a  co-Registrar  with a
request to register a transfer,  the  Registrar  shall  register the transfer as
requested  if the  requirements  of  Section  8-401(1)  of the New York  Uniform
Commercial  Code are met.  Where  Notes  are  presented  to the  Registrar  or a
co-Registrar  with a request to exchange them for an equal  principal  amount of
Notes of other denominations, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested
if the same requirements are met. To permit transfers and exchanges, the Trustee
shall  authenticate  Notes at the  Registrar's  request.  The Registrar need not
transfer or exchange any Note  selected for  redemption,  except the  unredeemed
part thereof if the Note is redeemed in part,  or transfer or exchange any Notes
for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed. Any exchange
or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company may require payment
of a sum  sufficient to cover any tax or other  governmental  charge that may be
imposed in relation  thereto  except in the case of exchanges  pursuant to 2.09,
3.07, or 9.05 not involving any transfer.

         Any Holder of a global Note shall,  by  acceptance of such global Note,
agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such global Note may be effected
only  through a book entry system  maintained  by the Holder of such global Note
(or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Note shall be
required to be reflected in a book entry.

Section 2.07.     Replacement Notes.

         If the Holder of a Note claims that the Note has been lost,  destroyed,
mutilated or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and, upon written request
of any Officer of the Company,  the Trustee  shall  authenticate  a  replacement
Note;  provided,  however, in the case of a lost,  destroyed or wrongfully taken
Note, that the requirements of Section 8-405 of the New York Uniform  Commercial
Code are met. If any such lost,  destroyed,  mutilated or wrongfully  taken Note
shall have  matured or shall be about to mature,  the  Company  may,  instead of
issuing a substitute Note therefor,  pay such Note without  requiring (except in
the case of a mutilated Note) the surrender  thereof.  An indemnity bond must be
sufficient  in the  judgment  of the  Company  and the  Trustee to  protect  the
Company,  the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if
a Note is  replaced,  including  the  acquisition  of such  Note by a bona  fide
purchaser.  The  Company or the  Trustee  may charge the Holder for  expenses in
replacing a Note.

Section 2.08.     Outstanding Notes.

         Notes  outstanding  at any  time  are all  Notes  authenticated  by the
Trustee except for those canceled by it and those  described in this Section.  A
Note  does  not  cease  to be  outstanding  because  the  Company  or one of its
Affiliates holds the Note.

         If a Note is  replaced  pursuant  to  Section  2.07,  it  ceases  to be
outstanding  unless  the  Trustee  receives  proof  satisfactory  to it that the
replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.

                                                        19

<PAGE>



         If, on a redemption date or maturity date, the Paying Agent holds money
sufficient to pay Notes  payable on that date,  then on and after that date such
Notes cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

         Subject  to  the  foregoing  provisions  of  this  Section,  each  Note
delivered  under this Indenture upon  registration of transfer of or in exchange
for or in lieu of any other Note shall carry the rights to interest  accrued and
unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Note.

Section 2.09.     Temporary Notes.

         Until definitive Notes are ready for delivery,  the Company may prepare
and the Trustee shall  authenticate  temporary  Notes.  Temporary Notes shall be
substantially  in the form of definitive  Notes but may have variations that the
Company considers  appropriate for temporary Notes.  Without unreasonable delay,
the Company shall prepare and, upon surrender for  cancellation of the temporary
Note,  the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall  authenticate  definitive
Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.  Until so exchanged,  the temporary Notes
shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits  under this  Indenture as
definitive Notes authenticated and delivered hereunder.

Section 2.10.     Cancellation.

         The  Company  at  any  time  may  deliver  Notes  to  the  Trustee  for
cancellation.  The  Registrar  and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any
Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange,  redemption or
payment.  The Trustee  and no one else shall  cancel and  destroy,  or retain in
accordance  with its  standard  retention  policy,  all  Notes  surrendered  for
registration or transfer,  exchange,  redemption,  paying or  cancellation.  The
Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has previously  paid or
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.11.     Defaulted Interest.

         If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it shall
pay the defaulted  interest plus any interest payable on the defaulted  interest
to the persons who are Holders on a subsequent  special record date. The Company
shall fix such special  record date and a payment date which shall be reasonably
satisfactory  to the Trustee.  At least 15 days before such special record date,
the Company shall mail to each Holder a notice that states the record date,  the
payment date and the amount of defaulted  interest to be paid.  On or before the
date such notice is mailed,  the Company  shall  deposit  with the Paying  Agent
money  sufficient  to pay the amount of  defaulted  interest to be so paid.  The
Company may pay  defaulted  interest in any other lawful manner if, after notice
given by the  Company to the  Trustee of the  proposed  payment,  such manner of
payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Section 2.12.     Treasury Notes.

         In determining  whether the Holders of the required principal amount of
Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver, consent or notice, Notes owned by
the Company or any of its  Subsidiaries  shall be  considered as though they are
not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining

                                                        20

<PAGE>



whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction,  waiver
or consent, only Notes which the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so
considered.

Section 2.13.     CUSIP Numbers.

         The Company in issuing the Notes may use a "CUSIP"  number,  and if so,
the Trustee shall use the CUSIP number in notices of redemption or exchange as a
convenience to Holders of such Notes;  provided that no representation is hereby
deemed to be made by the Trustee as to the  correctness  or accuracy of any such
CUSIP number  printed in the notice or on such Notes,  and that  reliance may be
placed  only on the other  identification  numbers  printed on such  Notes.  The
Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in any CUSIP number.

Section 2.14.     Deposit of Moneys.

         Prior to 11:00 a.m.  New York City time on each  interest  payment date
and Maturity  Date,  the Company shall have  deposited  with the Paying Agent in
immediately  available funds money  sufficient to make cash payments due on such
interest  payment date or Maturity  Date, as the case may be, in a timely manner
which  permits the Paying Agent to remit payment to the Holders on such interest
payment date or Maturity Date, as the case may be.

Section 2.15.     Book-Entry Provisions for Global Note.

         (a) The Notes will be issued in the form of a fully  registered  global
Note.  The global Note will be deposited  with, or on behalf of, The  Depository
Trust Company (the  "Depository")  and  registered in the name of Cede & Co., as
nominee of the Depositary.

                  Members  of,  or  participants  in,  the  Depository   ("Agent
Members")  shall have no rights under this  Indenture with respect to any global
Note held on their behalf by the Depository, or the Trustee as its custodian, or
under the global Note, and the Depository, or its nominee, may be treated by the
Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute
owner  of the  global  Note for all  purposes  whatsoever.  Notwithstanding  the
foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of
the Company or the  Trustee  from  giving  effect to any written  certification,
proxy or other  authorization  furnished by the Depository or impair, as between
the  Depository  and its Agent  Members,  the  operation of customary  practices
governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Note.

         (b)  Transfers  of any global  Note shall be  limited to  transfers  in
whole,  but not in part, to the Depository,  its successors or their  respective
nominees.  Interests of beneficial  owners in the global Note may be transferred
or exchanged for definitive Notes in accordance with the rules and procedures of
the  Depository.  In  addition,  definitive  Notes shall be  transferred  to all
beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial interests in a global Note if
(i) the  Depository  notifies  the  Company  that it is  unwilling  or unable to
continue as  Depository  for the global Note and a successor  depository  is not
appointed  by the  Company  within  90 days of such  notice  or (ii) an Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing  and the Registrar has received a request
from the Depository to issue definitive Notes.

                                                        21

<PAGE>



         (c) In  connection  with any  transfer  or exchange of a portion of the
beneficial  interest  in any  global  Note  to  beneficial  owners  pursuant  to
paragraph (b), the Registrar  shall (if one or more  definitive  Notes are to be
issued)  reflect  on its  books  and  records  the  date and a  decrease  in the
principal  amount of the global Note in an amount equal to the principal  amount
of the beneficial interest in the global Note to be transferred, and the Company
shall  execute,  and the Trustee  shall  authenticate  and deliver,  one or more
definitive Notes of like tenor and amount.

         (d) In  connection  with  the  transfer  of an  entire  global  Note to
beneficial  owners pursuant to paragraph (b), the global Note shall be deemed to
be surrendered to the Trustee for  cancellation,  and the Company shall execute,
and the  Trustee  shall  authenticate  and  deliver,  to each  beneficial  owner
identified  by the  Depository  in exchange for its  beneficial  interest in the
global  Note,  an  equal  aggregate  principal  amount  of  definitive  Notes of
authorized denominations.

         (e) The  Holder of any  global  Note may grant  proxies  and  otherwise
authorize  any  person,  including  Agent  Members  and  persons  that  may hold
interests  through Agent Members,  to take any action which a Holder is entitled
to take under this Indenture or the Notes.


                                  ARTICLE THREE

                                   Redemption

Section 3.01.     Right of Redemption.

         Redemption of Notes,  as permitted or required by any provision of this
Indenture,  shall be made in  accordance  with such  provision  and this Article
Three.  The Notes may be redeemed in cash at the election of the  Company,  as a
whole or from time to time in part, at any time on or after February 1, 2003, at
the Redemption  Prices specified in the form of Note attached as Exhibit A under
the caption  "Redemption," in each case,  including accrued and unpaid interest,
if any, to the Redemption Date.

Section 3.02.     Notices to Trustee.

         If the Company  elects to redeem  Notes  pursuant to Paragraph 5 of the
Notes,  it shall  notify the Trustee in writing of the  Redemption  Date and the
principal  amount of Notes to be  redeemed  and  whether it wants the Trustee to
give notice of redemption to the Holders.

         If the  Company  elects to credit the  principal  amount of Notes to be
redeemed  pursuant  to  Paragraph 5 of the Notes by  crediting  against any such
redemption   Notes  it  has  not   previously   delivered  to  the  Trustee  for
cancellation,  it shall so notify the Trustee  and deliver  such Notes with such
notice.

         The Company shall give each notice to the Trustee  provided for in this
Section  3.02 at least 45 days  before  the  Redemption  Date  (unless a shorter
notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee).


                                                        22

<PAGE>



Section 3.03.     Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.

         If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed  pursuant to Paragraph
5 thereof,  the Trustee shall select the Notes to be redeemed pro rata or by lot
or by  such  other  method  as  the  Trustee  shall  determine  to be  fair  and
appropriate  and in such manner as complies with any applicable  legal and stock
exchange requirements.

         The Trustee shall make the selection from the Notes outstanding and not
previously  called for  redemption  and shall  promptly  notify  the  Company in
writing  of the  Notes  selected  for  redemption  and,  in the case of any Note
selected for partial  redemption,  the principal  amount thereof to be redeemed.
Notes in  denominations of $1,000 may be redeemed only in whole. The Trustee may
select  for  redemption  portions  (equal  to $1,000  or any  integral  multiple
thereof) of the principal of Notes that have  denominations  larger than $1,000.
Provisions  of this  Indenture  that apply to Notes called for  redemption  also
apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.

Section 3.04.     Notice of Redemption.

         At least 15 days and not more than 60 days  before a  Redemption  Date,
the Company  shall mail a notice of  redemption  by first  class  mail,  postage
prepaid,  to the Trustee and each Holder,  at such Holder's last address as then
shown upon the books of the  registrar,  whose Notes are to be redeemed.  At the
Company's  request,  the  Trustee  shall  give the notice of  redemption  in the
Company's name and at the Company's  expense.  Each notice for redemption  shall
identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall state:

         (1)      the Redemption Date;

     (2) the  Redemption  Price,  including  the  amount of  accrued  and unpaid
interest to be paid upon such redemption;

         (3)      the name, address and telephone number of the Paying Agent;

     (4) that Notes  called for  redemption  must be  surrendered  to the Paying
Agent at the address specified in such notice to collect the Redemption Price;

         (5) that, unless the Company defaults in its obligation to deposit U.S.
Legal  Tender with the Paying  Agent in  accordance  with  Section  3.06 hereof,
interest  on Notes  called  for  redemption  ceases  to  accrue on and after the
Redemption  Date and the only remaining right of the Holders of such Notes is to
receive payment of the Redemption  Price,  including accrued and unpaid interest
to the Redemption  Date,  upon surrender to the Paying Agent of the Notes called
for redemption and to be redeemed;

         (6) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal
amount,  equal to $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof, of such Note equal to
the unredeemed  portion thereof and that, on and after the Redemption  Date, and
upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in aggregate  principal  amount
equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued;

                                                        23

<PAGE>



         (7) if less than all the Notes are to be redeemed,  the  identification
of the  particular  Notes (or portion  thereof) to be  redeemed,  as well as the
aggregate  principal  amount  of such  Notes to be  redeemed  and the  aggregate
principal amount of Notes to be outstanding after such partial redemption;

         (8)      the CUSIP number of the Notes to be redeemed; and

         (9) that the notice is being sent  pursuant  to this  Section  3.04 and
pursuant to the redemption provisions of Paragraph 5 of the Notes.

Section 3.05.     Effect of Notice of Redemption.

         Once notice of redemption  is mailed in  accordance  with Section 3.04,
Notes called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at
the Redemption  Price,  including  accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption
Date.  Upon  surrender  to the Trustee or Paying  Agent,  such Notes  called for
redemption shall be paid at the Redemption Price,  including  interest,  if any,
accrued and unpaid on the Redemption Date;  provided that if the Redemption Date
is after a regular Record Date and on or prior to the Interest Payment Date, the
accrued interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Notes registered
on the relevant Record Date; and provided, further, that if a Redemption Date is
a Legal Holiday,  payment shall be made on the next succeeding  Business Day and
no  interest  shall  accrue for the  period  from such  Redemption  Date to such
succeeding Business Day.

Section 3.06.     Deposit of Redemption Price.

         On or prior to the Redemption  Date, the Company shall deposit with the
Paying  Agent  (other  than the  Company or a  Subsidiary  or  Affiliate  of the
Company) U.S. Legal Tender  sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, including
accrued and unpaid  interest to the Redemption Date on, all Notes to be redeemed
on such  Redemption  Date  (other  than  Notes or  portions  thereof  called for
redemption  on that date that have been  delivered by the Company to the Trustee
for  cancellation).  The Paying Agent shall  promptly  return to the Company any
U.S.  Legal Tender so deposited  which is not required for that purpose upon the
written request of the Company.

         If the Company  complies  with the  preceding  paragraph  and the other
provisions  of this  Article  Three,  interest on the Notes to be redeemed  will
cease to accrue on the applicable Redemption Date, whether or not such Notes are
presented for payment.  Notwithstanding  anything herein to the contrary, if any
Note surrendered for redemption in the manner provided in the Notes shall not be
so paid upon surrender for  redemption  because of the failure of the Company to
comply with the preceding  paragraph,  interest  shall continue to accrue and be
paid  from  the  Redemption  Date  until  such  payment  is made  on the  unpaid
principal,  and, to the extent  lawful,  on any interest not paid on such unpaid
principal,  in each case at the rate and in the manner  provided in Section 4.01
hereof and the Notes.


                                                        24

<PAGE>



Section 3.07.     Notes Redeemed in Part.

         Upon  surrender  of a Note that is to be redeemed in part,  the Company
shall  execute and the  Trustee  shall  authenticate  and deliver to the Holder,
without  service  charge,  a new Note or Notes equal in principal  amount to the
unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.


                                  ARTICLE FOUR

                                    Covenants

Section 4.01.     Payment of Notes.

         The Company shall pay the principal of and interest on the Notes on the
dates and in the manner provided in the Notes. An installment of principal of or
interest  on the  Notes  shall be  considered  paid on the date it is due if the
Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company,  a Subsidiary of the Company or
an Affiliate of the Company)  holds for the benefit of the Holders on that date,
U.S.  Legal  Tender  deposited  and  designated  for and  sufficient  to pay the
installment.

         The  Company  shall pay  interest on overdue  principal  and on overdue
installments  of  interest  at  the  rate  specified  in  the  Notes  compounded
semi-annually, to the extent lawful.

Section 4.02.     Maintenance of Office or Agency.

         The Company shall  maintain in New York,  New York, an office or agency
where Notes may be presented  or  surrendered  for  payment,  where Notes may be
surrendered  for  registration  of transfer or  exchange  and where  notices and
demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be
served.  The  Company  shall give  prompt  written  notice to the Trustee of the
location,  and any change in the location,  of such office or agency.  If at any
time the Company  shall fail to maintain any such  required  office or agency or
shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof,  such presentations,
surrenders,  notices  and  demands  may be made or served at the  address of the
Trustee set forth in Section 10.02.

         The  Company  may also from time to time  designate  one or more  other
offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or  surrendered  for any or
all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided,
however,  that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the
Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in New York, New York,
for such  purposes.  The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee
of any such  designation  or rescission and of any change in the location of any
such other office or agency. The Company hereby initially  designates the office
of the agent of the  Trustee at the  address  set forth in  Article  Ten as such
office of the Company.


                                                        25

<PAGE>



Section 4.03.     Limitation on Restricted Payments.

         Until the Notes are rated  Investment  Grade by both  Rating  Agencies,
after  which  time the  following  covenant  no longer  will be  binding  on the
Company:

         (a) neither the Company nor any of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  will,
directly or  indirectly,  make any Restricted  Payment,  if, after giving effect
thereto  on a pro  forma  basis,  (i) the  Company  could  not  Incur  $1.00  of
additional  Indebtedness  pursuant to  provisions  described in Section  4.07(b)
hereof;  (ii) a Default or an Event of Default would occur or be continuing;  or
(iii) the aggregate amount of all Restricted  Payments,  including such proposed
Restricted Payment,  made by the Company and its Restricted  Subsidiaries,  from
and after the Issue Date and on or prior to the date of such Restricted Payment,
shall exceed the sum (the  "Basket") of: (A) 50% of  Consolidated  Net Income of
the Company for the period (taken as one accounting period), commencing with the
first full fiscal quarter which commenced after the Issue Date, to and including
the fiscal quarter ended  immediately prior to the date of each calculation (or,
if Consolidated Net Income for such period is negative,  then minus 100% of such
deficit);  plus (B) 100% of the amount of any  Indebtedness  of the Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary that is converted into or exchanged for Qualified Capital
Stock of the  Company  after  the  Issue  Date;  plus (C) 100% of the  aggregate
amounts  received by the Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  upon the return
(including by way of dividend and any release of any guaranty) of any Investment
but only to the  extent  (1) not  included  in  Consolidated  Net  Income of the
Company  and (2) that the making of such  Investment  constituted  a  Restricted
Investment  made  pursuant  to this  Indenture;  plus (D) unless  accounted  for
pursuant to clause (B) above,  100% of the aggregate net proceeds (after payment
of reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses,  commissions  and discounts  incurred in
connection  therewith)  received by the Company from the sale or issuance (other
than to a Subsidiary  of the Company) of its  Qualified  Capital Stock after the
Issue Date and on or prior to the date of such Restricted Payment; plus (E) with
respect to any  Unrestricted  Subsidiary  that is  redesignated  as a Restricted
Subsidiary   after  the  Issue  Date  in  accordance   with  the  definition  of
Unrestricted  Subsidiary (so long as the  designation  of such  Subsidiary as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary was treated as a Restricted Payment made after the Issue
Date and only to the extent not included in the calculation of Consolidated  Net
Income),  an amount equal to the lesser of (x) the book value in accordance with
GAAP  of  the  Company's  or  a  Restricted  Subsidiaries'  investment  in  such
Subsidiary,  and (y) the  Designation  Amount  at the time of such  Subsidiary's
designation as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

         (b) The foregoing clause (a) does not prohibit:  (i) the payment of any
dividend within 60 days after the date of its declaration if such dividend could
have been made on the date of its  declaration in compliance  with the foregoing
provisions;  (ii) the payment of cash  dividends or other  distributions  to any
Equity  Investor or joint venture  participant of a Restricted  Subsidiary  with
respect to a class of Capital Stock of such Restricted  Subsidiary owned by such
Equity  Investor  or joint  venture  participant  so long as the  Company or its
Restricted  Subsidiaries  simultaneously receive a dividend or distribution with
respect to their Investment in such Restricted  Subsidiary  either in U.S. Legal
Tender or the same form as the dividend or distribution  received by such Equity
Investor or joint venture  participant and in proportion to their  proportionate
interest in the same class of Capital Stock of such  Restricted  Subsidiary,  as
the case may be;  (iii)  repurchases  or  redemptions  of  Capital  Stock of the
Company from any former directors, officers and employees of the Company

                                                        26

<PAGE>



in the aggregate up to $1,000,000  during any calendar year (provided,  however,
that any amounts  not used in any  calendar  year may be used in any  subsequent
year);  (iv) the retirement of Capital Stock of the Company or the retirement of
Indebtedness  of the  Company,  in  exchange  for or  out of the  proceeds  of a
substantially concurrent sale (other than a sale to a Subsidiary of the Company)
of, other shares of its Qualified  Capital  Stock and the  retirement of Capital
Stock or Indebtedness  of a Restricted  Subsidiary in exchange for or out of the
proceeds of a substantially  concurrent sale of its Qualified Capital Stock; (v)
the payment of cash dividends on, and acquisitions or other retirement for value
of, shares of Capital Stock of  Restricted  Subsidiaries  required to be held by
employees   thereof  in  accordance   with  the  laws  governing  the  Company's
consolidated  real estate business in the ordinary  course of business;  or (vi)
Restricted  Payments not  otherwise  permitted  above up to  $75,000,000  in the
aggregate  after the Issue Date. Any Restricted  Payment made in accordance with
this  paragraph  (other than  pursuant  to clause (ii) or (v)) shall  reduce the
Basket. In calculating the Basket,  any Restricted  Payment not made in cash and
any non-cash  amounts received for purposes of clause (C) or (D) shall be valued
in accordance with GAAP.

Section 4.04.     Compliance Certificate.

         The Company shall deliver to the Trustee  within 120 days after the end
of its fiscal year an Officers'  Certificate complying with Section 314(a)(4) of
the TIA and stating that a review of its  activities  and the  activities of its
Subsidiaries   during  the  preceding  fiscal  year  has  been  made  under  the
supervision  of the  signing  persons  with a view to  determining  whether  the
Company has kept,  observed,  performed and fulfilled its obligations under this
Indenture and further stating,  as to each such person signing such certificate,
whether or not the signer knows of any failure by the Company or any  Subsidiary
of the Company to comply with any conditions or covenants in this Indenture and,
if such  signor  does know of such a failure to comply,  the  certificate  shall
describe such failure with particularity.  The Officers'  Certificate shall also
notify the Trustee  should the  relevant  fiscal year end on any date other than
the current fiscal year end date.

Section 4.05.     SEC Reports.

         The Company  shall  deliver to the Trustee and each  Holder,  within 15
days after it files the same with the SEC, copies of all reports and information
(or copies of such  portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and
regulations  prescribe),  if any,  exclusive of  exhibits,  which the Company is
required to file with the SEC  pursuant  to Section 13 or 15(d) of the  Exchange
Act or  pursuant to the  immediately  following  sentence.  So long as any Notes
remain  outstanding,  the Company shall file with the Commission such reports as
may be  required  pursuant  to  Section 13 of the  Exchange  Act in respect of a
security  registered  pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. If the Company
is not subject to the  requirements  of Section 13 or 15(d) of the  Exchange Act
(or otherwise  required to file reports  pursuant to the  immediately  preceding
sentence),  the Company shall deliver to the Trustee and to each Holder,  within
15 days after it would have been required to file such  information with the SEC
were it required to do so,  financial  statements,  including  any notes thereto
(and,  in the case of a fiscal year end, an auditors'  report by an  independent
certified  public  accounting firm of established  national  reputation),  and a
"Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis of Financial  Condition  and Results of
Operations,"  substantially equivalent to that which it would have been required
to include in such quarterly or annual reports, information, documents

                                                        27

<PAGE>



or other  reports if it had been  subject to the  requirements  of Section 13 or
15(d) of the  Exchange  Act.  The  Company  shall  also  comply  with the  other
provisions of TIA Section 314(a).

         The  Trustee  has no duty to review  the  financial  reports  and other
information for the purpose of determining compliance with any provision of this
Indenture.

Section 4.06.     Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates.

         Until the Notes are rated  Investment  Grade by both  Rating  Agencies,
after  which  time the  following  covenant  no longer  will be  binding  on the
Company:

         (a) neither the Company  nor any of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  may,
directly or indirectly, make any loan, advance, guaranty or capital contribution
to or for the benefit of, or sell,  lease,  transfer or otherwise dispose of any
of its  properties or assets to, or for the benefit of, or purchase or lease any
property  or assets  from,  or enter into or amend any  contract,  agreement  or
understanding  with,  or for the  benefit  of any  Affiliate  which  transaction
involves or has a value in excess of $250,000 (each an "Affiliate Transaction"),
except for (i)  Restricted  Payments  otherwise  permitted  hereunder,  and (ii)
transactions,  the terms of which are at least as  favorable  as the terms which
could be obtained by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary,  as the case may
be, in a comparable  transaction made on an arm's-length  basis with Persons who
are not Affiliates.

         (b) In  addition,  (i) with  respect to any  Affiliate  Transaction  or
series of related  Affiliate  Transactions  with an aggregate value in excess of
$5,000,000,  such  transaction  must first be  approved,  by a  majority  of the
Disinterested  Directors and (ii) with respect to any Affiliate  Transaction  or
related series of Affiliate  Transactions  with an aggregate  value in excess of
$25,000,000,  the Company must first deliver to the Trustee a favorable  written
opinion from an independent  financial advisor of national  reputation as to the
fairness from a financial  point of view of such  transaction  to the Company or
such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

         (c)  Notwithstanding  the foregoing,  Affiliate  Transactions shall not
include  (i)  transactions  exclusively  between or among the Company and one or
more  Restricted  Subsidiaries  or  between  or  among  one or  more  Restricted
Subsidiaries,  (ii) any contract,  agreement or  understanding  with, or for the
benefit  of, or planned  for the  benefit  of,  employees  of the Company or any
Restricted  Subsidiaries  (in their  capacity as such) that has been approved by
the Board of  Directors,  (iii)  issuances  of  Qualified  Capital  Stock of the
Company to members of the Board of  Directors,  officers  and  employees  of the
Company or its  Subsidiaries  pursuant to plans approved by the  stockholders or
the Board of Directors of the Company or the  respective  Subsidiary,  (iv) home
sales and readily marketable mortgage loans to employees, officers and directors
of the Company and Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business,  (v) payment
of regular  fees and  reimbursement  of expenses to directors of the Company who
are not  employees of the Company and  reimbursement  of expenses and payment of
wages and other  compensation to officers and employees of the Company or any of
its  Subsidiaries or (vi)  contractual  arrangements in effect on the Issue Date
and renewals and extensions thereof not involving  modifications  adverse to the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.


                                                        28

<PAGE>



Section 4.07 Limitations on Additional Indebtedness.

         (a) Neither the Company  nor any of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  may,
directly  or  indirectly,   Incur  any  Indebtedness   except  (i)  Non-Recourse
Indebtedness  Incurred in the  ordinary  course of business;  (ii)  Indebtedness
evidenced by Notes issued on the Issue Date;  (iii)  Indebtedness of the Company
solely  to  any  Restricted  Subsidiary,   or  Indebtedness  of  any  Restricted
Subsidiary solely to the Company or to any Restricted Subsidiary,  provided that
(x) neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall become liable to any
Person with respect to such Indebtedness  other than the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary  and (y) any such  Indebtedness  of the  Company  (other  than to the
Company's financial services segment  Subsidiaries) is subordinate and junior in
right  of  payment  to  the  Notes;  (iv)  Refinancing  Indebtedness  (x) of any
Indebtedness  permitted  to be  Incurred  pursuant  to this  clause  (iv) or the
immediate  following  paragraph  (b) or (y) of any  Indebtedness  to the  extent
outstanding on the Issue Date (other than under the Bank Credit  Facility);  (v)
Indebtedness Incurred solely in respect of performance, completion, guaranty and
similar  bonds and  similar  purpose  undertakings  and  Indebtedness  under any
earnest money notes, tenders, bids, leases,  statutory  obligations,  surety and
appeal bonds,  progress  statements,  government  contracts,  letters of credit,
escrow  agreements  and other  obligations  of like nature and deposits  made to
secure performance of any of the foregoing,  in each case in the ordinary course
of business;  (vi)  Indebtedness  under the Bank Credit Facility in an aggregate
principal amount not to exceed $175,000,000 at any time, and guaranties thereof;
(vii) (A)  Indebtedness  which  represents  the  assumption  by the Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary  of  Indebtedness  of a  Restricted  Subsidiary,  and (B)
Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary  represented by guaranties in respect of
Indebtedness of another Restricted  Subsidiary permitted to be Incurred pursuant
to this Indenture and  Indebtedness of the Company  represented by guaranties in
respect of  Indebtedness  of a  Restricted  Subsidiary  permitted to be Incurred
pursuant  to  this  Indenture;   (viii)  Capitalized  Lease  Obligations;   (ix)
Indebtedness  under  warehouse  lines  of  credit,   repurchase  agreements  and
Indebtedness secured by mortgage loan servicing of mortgage lending Subsidiaries
in the ordinary course of a mortgage  lending  business;  (x)  obligations  for,
pledge of assets in respect of, and guaranties of, bond  financings of political
subdivisions  or enterprises  thereof in the ordinary  course of business;  (xi)
Indebtedness secured by mortgages and  mortgage-related  assets and Indebtedness
representing  all  mortgage-related  liabilities  in the ordinary  course of the
mortgage lending and asset management  business;  and (xii) Disqualified Capital
Stock of  Restricted  Subsidiaries  outstanding  on the Issue Date and which may
from  time to time be  issued  as  required  by  laws  governing  the  Company's
consolidated real estate business.

         (b)   Notwithstanding   the  foregoing,   (I)  the  Company  may  Incur
Indebtedness,  and (II) a  Restricted  Subsidiary  may Incur  (x) Real  Property
Indebtedness  or (y) Acquired  Indebtedness,  in each case, if, at the time such
Indebtedness is Incurred: (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred
and be continuing or would occur after giving  effect to such  transaction,  and
(ii)  immediately  after giving effect thereto  (without  duplication)  on a pro
forma basis,  either (A) the  Consolidated  Fixed Charge  Coverage  Ratio of the
Company on the date of such  Incurrence is at least equal to 2.0 to 1 or (B) the
ratio of  Indebtedness  of the  Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  on a
consolidated  basis on the date of such  Incurrence  (excluding  for purposes of
such  calculation  other  Indebtedness  specifically  permitted  to be  Incurred
pursuant to the preceding  paragraph),  to Consolidated Net Worth of the Company
is less than 3.25 to 1.

                                                        29

<PAGE>




     Section   4.08.    Limitations   on   Restricting   Restricted   Subsidiary
Distributions.

         Neither the Company nor any of its Restricted  Subsidiaries may create,
assume or  suffer to exist any  consensual  encumbrance  or  restriction  on the
ability  of  any   Restricted   Subsidiary   to  pay  dividends  or  make  other
distributions  on the  Capital  Stock of any  Restricted  Subsidiary  or pay any
obligation  to the Company or any of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  or otherwise
transfer  assets or make or pay loans or  advances  to the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries,  except encumbrances and restrictions existing under or
contained  in (a)  this  Indenture  and the  Notes or  Refinancing  Indebtedness
Incurred  to  refinance  the  Notes;  provided  that in the case the  Notes  are
refinanced in part, such  encumbrances  and restrictions are no more restrictive
than those contained  herein as in effect on the Issue Date, (b) applicable law,
(c) any agreement  relating to the financing of the acquisition,  development or
construction of real or tangible  personal  property after the Issue Date, which
encumbrance  or  restriction  relates  only to the  transfer of the  property so
acquired,  (d) any agreement of a Person acquired by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary, which restrictions existed at the time of acquisition,  were not put
in place in  anticipation  of such  acquisition  and are not  applicable  to any
Person or  property  other  than the  Person or any  property  of the  Person so
acquired,  (e) reasonable and customary covenants set forth in credit agreements
evidencing Real Property Indebtedness or Indebtedness permitted by clauses (vi),
(ix)  and  (xi) of  Section  4.07(a)  hereof  (including,  but not  limited  to,
covenants  limiting (A)  dividends to a certain  percentage of the net income of
such Restricted Subsidiary,  (B) distributions after the occurrence of a default
under  such  Indebtedness  and  (C)  transfers  of  assets  by  such  Restricted
Subsidiary),  (f) covenants or restrictions  contained in instruments evidencing
or securing Existing Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary as
in  effect  on the  Issue  Date or any  Refinancing  Indebtedness  with  respect
thereto,  provided that any  restrictions  or  encumbrances  relating to or that
arise under  Refinancing  Indebtedness are not more restrictive than those under
the  agreement  creating  or  evidencing  the  Indebtedness  being  refunded  or
refinanced thereby, (g) any agreement  restricting the sale or other disposition
of properties securing Indebtedness  permitted hereby if such agreement does not
expressly  restrict the ability of a Restricted  Subsidiary  to pay dividends or
make  loans  or  advances  to the  Company,  (h)  restrictions  or  encumbrances
contained in any security  agreements  permitted  hereby  securing  Indebtedness
permitted hereby to the extent that such  restrictions or encumbrances  restrict
the transfer of assets subject to such security agreement,  (i) any restrictions
or encumbrances with respect to a Restricted  Subsidiary  imposed pursuant to an
agreement which has been entered into for the sale or disposition of the Capital
Stock or assets of such  Restricted  Subsidiary  or such an agreement  which has
been  entered into for the sale or  disposition  of assets of the Company to the
extent otherwise  permitted hereby, as applicable only to such assets or Capital
Stock to be sold,  and (j)  customary  agreements  entered  into in the ordinary
course  of  business  restricting  the  ability  of  a  joint  venture  to  make
distributions  or payments of cash or  property  to  participants  in such joint
venture.   Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,   customary  provisions  restricting
subletting or  assignment  of any lease  entered into in the ordinary  course of
business  shall not be considered a restriction on the ability of the applicable
Restricted Subsidiary to transfer such agreement or assets, as the case may be.


                                                        30

<PAGE>



Section 4.09.     Limitations on Liens.

         The Company may not and may not permit any  Restricted  Subsidiary  to,
directly or indirectly, Incur, or suffer to exist any Lien (other than Permitted
Liens)  upon any of its  property  or  assets,  whether  now owned or  hereafter
acquired.

Section 4.10.      Use of Proceeds.

         The Company covenants that it shall use the proceeds of the sale of the
Notes to defease or to make open market or  negotiated  purchases  of all of the
Company's  outstanding  11 1/8%  Senior  Notes  due 2003 and the  remainder  for
general corporate purposes.


Section 4.11.     Repurchase of Notes upon Change of Control Triggering Event.

         (a)  In the  event  that a  Change  of  Control  Triggering  Event  has
occurred,  each Holder will have the right, at such Holder's option,  subject to
the terms and conditions of this Indenture, to require the Company to repurchase
all or any part of such Holder's Notes  (provided  that the principal  amount of
such Notes must be $1,000 or an integral  multiple  thereof) on the date that is
no later than 90 Business  Days  (unless a later date is required by  applicable
law)  after the  occurrence  of such  Change of  Control  Triggering  Event (the
"Change  of  Control  Payment  Date"),  at a cash  price  equal  to  101% of the
principal amount thereof,  plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any (the "Change
of Control Purchase Price"), to the Change of Control Payment Date.

         (b) The Company shall notify the Trustee  within 10 Business Days after
the Company  knows or  reasonably  should know of the  occurrence of a Change of
Control  Triggering  Event.  Within 20 Business  Days after the Company knows or
reasonably  should  know of the  occurrence  of a Change of  Control  Triggering
Event,  the  Company  will make an  unconditional  offer (a  "Change  of Control
Offer") to all  Holders of Notes to  purchase  all of the Notes at the Change of
Control  Purchase Price by sending  written notice of a Change of Control Offer,
by first class mail, to each Holder at its  registered  address,  with a copy to
the Trustee.  The notice to Holders,  which shall govern the terms of the Change
of Control Offer, shall state:

         (i) that the Change of Control  Offer is being  made  pursuant  to this
Section 4.11 and that all Notes, or portions thereof,  tendered will be accepted
for payment;

         (ii) the  Change of Control  Purchase  Price  (including  the amount of
accrued and unpaid  interest),  the Change of Control Payment Date and the Final
Change of Control Put Date (as defined below);

     (iii) that any Note,  or portion  thereof,  not  tendered or  accepted  for
payment will continue to accrue interest;

     (iv) that, unless the Company defaults in depositing U.S. Legal Tender with
the Paying Agent in  accordance  with Section  4.11(c),  or payment is otherwise
prevented, any Note, or portion

                                                        31

<PAGE>



thereof,  accepted  for payment  pursuant  to the Change of Control  Offer shall
cease to accrue interest on and after the Change of Control Payment Date;

         (v) that Holders electing to have a Note, or portion thereof, purchased
pursuant to a Change of Control  Offer will be required to  surrender  the Note,
with the form  entitled  "Option of Holder to Elect  Purchase" on the reverse of
the Note  completed,  to the Paying  Agent  (which may not for  purposes of this
Section 4.11, notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, be the
Company or any Affiliate of the Company) at the address  specified in the notice
prior to the close of business on the third  Business Day prior to the Change of
Control Payment Date (the "Final Change of Control Put Date");

         (vi) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election, in whole
or in part, if the Paying Agent receives,  prior to the close of business on the
Final Change of Control Put Date, a telegram,  telex,  facsimile transmission or
letter setting forth the name of the Holder,  the principal  amount of the Notes
the Holder is withdrawing  and a statement  that such Holder is withdrawing  his
election to have such principal amount of Notes purchased; and

         (vii) a brief  description  of the events  resulting  in such Change of
Control Triggering Event.

         (c) On or before the Change of Control  Payment Date,  the Company will
(i) accept for payment Notes or portions thereof properly  tendered  pursuant to
the Change of Control  Offer,  (ii)  deposit  with the Paying  Agent U.S.  Legal
Tender  sufficient to pay the Change of Control  Purchase  Price  (together with
accrued and unpaid  interest) of all Notes so tendered and (iii)  deliver to the
Trustee  Notes so accepted  together with an Officers'  Certificate  listing the
Notes or portions thereof being purchased by the Company.  The Paying Agent will
promptly mail to the Holders of Notes so accepted  payment in an amount equal to
the  Change  of  Control  Purchase  Price  (together  with  accrued  and  unpaid
interest),  and the Trustee will  promptly  authenticate  and mail or deliver to
such Holders a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased  portion of
the Note  surrendered.  Any Note not so  accepted  will be  promptly  mailed  or
delivered  by the  Company to the Holder  thereof.  The  Company  will  publicly
announce the results of the Change of Control Offer on or as soon as practicable
after the Change of Control Payment Date.

Section 4.12.     Limitations on Asset Sales.

         (a) Subject to the provisions of Article V hereof,  neither the Company
nor any Restricted  Subsidiary may, directly or indirectly,  consummate an Asset
Sale,  unless the Company (or such  Restricted  Subsidiary,  as the case may be)
receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair
market value  (reasonably  evidenced by a good faith  resolution of the Board of
Directors)  of the assets  sold or  otherwise  disposed  of,  provided  that the
aggregate  fair market value of the  consideration  received from any Asset Sale
that is not in the form of cash or Cash  Equivalents  will not, when  aggregated
with the fair market value of all other  noncash  consideration  received by the
Company and its Restricted  Subsidiaries from all previous Asset Sales since the
Issue Date that has not been converted into cash or Cash Equivalents, exceed 10%
of the  Consolidated  Net  Assets of the  Company  at the time of the Asset Sale
under consideration; and, provided, further, however, that the amount of (x) any
liabilities of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than

                                                        32

<PAGE>



liabilities  that are Incurred in connection  with or in  contemplation  of such
Asset  Sale) that are assumed by the  transferee  of any such assets and (y) any
notes  or other  obligations  received  by the  Company  or any such  Restricted
Subsidiary from such  transferee  that are promptly  converted by the Company or
such Restricted  Subsidiary into cash, shall be deemed to be cash (to the extent
of the cash received) for purposes of this provision.

         (b)  Within  one year  after  any  Asset  Sale,  the  Company  (or such
Restricted  Subsidiary,  as the case may be)  shall  apply  100% of the Net Cash
Proceeds  from  such  Asset  Sale  as  follows:  (A) to  repay  any  outstanding
Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary or any unsubordinated  Indebtedness of
the Company,  provided that the Company may repay unsecured Indebtedness that is
pari passu in right of payment with the Notes only if the Company  shall,  prior
to or  simultaneously  therewith,  make an irrevocable,  unconditional  offer to
Holders to purchase Notes on a pro rata basis in an amount equal to the Net Cash
Proceeds from such Asset Sale  multiplied by a fraction,  the numerator of which
is the principal  amount of the Notes then  outstanding  and the  denominator of
which is the principal  amount of the Notes then  outstanding plus the aggregate
amount of outstanding  unsecured  Indebtedness other than the Notes ranking pari
passu in right of payment with the Notes that is to be repaid with such Net Cash
Proceeds and, provided, further, that the Company shall not be required to offer
to repurchase  the Notes unless the amount  available for such  repurchase is at
least  $20,000,000  or (B) to replace  the  properties  and assets that were the
subject of the Asset Sale, or to acquire or improve  properties  and assets that
will be used by the  Company and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  in the  ordinary
course of business.

         (c)  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  to the extent the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary receives securities or other noncash property or assets as
proceeds  of any  Asset  Sale,  the  Company  will not be  required  to make any
application of such noncash  proceeds as described in the immediately  preceding
paragraph  until  it  receives  cash or cash  equivalent  proceeds  from a sale,
repayment,  exchange, redemption or retirement of or extraordinary cash dividend
or return of capital on such noncash property.

         (d) To the extent the  Company is required to make an offer to purchase
the Notes  pursuant to this  Section 4.12 (an "Asset Sale  Offer"),  the Company
will so notify the Trustee in writing by delivery  of an  Officers'  Certificate
and will offer to purchase  from all  Holders,  and will  purchase  from Holders
accepting  such Asset Sale Offer on the date fixed for the closing of such Asset
Sale  Offer  (the  "Asset  Sale  Offer  Date"),  the  maximum  principal  amount
(expressed  as a multiple of $1,000) of Notes that may be  purchased  out of the
Net Cash  Proceeds,  at an offer price (the "Asset Sale Offer Price") in cash in
an amount equal to 100% of the principal  amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid
interest,  if any,  to the  Asset  Sale  Offer  Date,  in  accordance  with  the
procedures as described  below. To the extent that the aggregate amount of Notes
tendered  pursuant  to an Asset  Sale  Offer is less than the Net Cash  Proceeds
relating  thereto,  then the Company may use such Excess Proceeds,  or a portion
thereof, for general corporate purposes. Upon completion of an Asset Sale Offer,
the amount of Net Cash Proceeds will be reset to zero.

         (e) In the event the aggregate principal amount of Notes surrendered by
the Holders  exceeds the amount of Net Cash Proceeds  available to such Holders,
the Company  will select the Notes to be  purchased on a pro rata basis from all
Notes so surrendered, with such adjustments as may be

                                                        33

<PAGE>



deemed appropriate by the Company so that only Notes in denominations of $1,000,
or  integral  multiples  thereof,  will be  purchased.  Holders  whose Notes are
purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the
unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered.

         (f) Not later than one  Business Day prior to the Asset Sale Offer Date
in  connection  with which the Asset Sale Offer is being made,  the Company will
(i) accept for payment Notes or portions thereof tendered  pursuant to the Asset
Sale Offer (on a pro rata basis if required  pursuant to this  Indenture),  (ii)
deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient,  in immediately available funds,
to pay the  purchase  price of all Notes or portions  thereof so  accepted,  and
(iii) deliver to the Paying Agent an Officers' Certificate identifying the Notes
or portions thereof  accepted for payment by the Company.  The Paying Agent will
promptly  mail or deliver to Holders of Notes so  accepted  payment in an amount
equal to the  Asset  Sale  Offer  Price of the  Notes  purchased  from each such
Holder.  Any Notes not so accepted  will be promptly  mailed or delivered by the
Paying Agent at the Company's expense to the Holder thereof.

         (g) Any Asset Sale Offer will be conducted by the Company in compliance
with  applicable  law,  including,  without  limitation,  Section  14(e)  of the
Exchange Act and Rule 14e-1 thereunder, if applicable.


                                  ARTICLE FIVE

                              Successor Corporation

Section 5.01.     When Company May Merge, etc.

         (a) The Company shall not  consolidate  with or merge with or into, any
other  corporation,  or transfer all or substantially  all of its assets to, any
entity  unless  permitted  by law and unless  (i) the  resulting,  surviving  or
transferee entity, which shall be a corporation,  partnership, limited liability
company or other  entity  organized  and  existing  under the laws of the United
States  or a  State  thereof,  assumes  by  supplemental  indenture,  in a  form
reasonably  satisfactory  to the Trustee,  all of the obligations of the Company
under the Notes and this Indenture, (ii) immediately after giving effect to, and
as a result of,  such  transaction,  no  Default or Event of Default  shall have
occurred  and be  continuing,  (iii)  immediately  after  giving  effect to such
transaction  on a pro forma basis,  the net worth of the surviving or transferee
entity on a stand-alone basis is at least equal to the Consolidated Net Worth of
the Company  immediately prior to such transaction;  and (iv) the Company or the
surviving or transferee entity thereof would immediately thereafter be permitted
to Incur at least $1.00 of additional  Indebtedness  pursuant to the  provisions
described  in Section  4.07(b).  The  provisions  of clause (iv) above shall not
apply to a  transaction  or series  of  related  transactions  in which the sole
participants  are  Restricted  Subsidiaries  of the Company or to a  transaction
between the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

         (b)  For  purposes  of  clause  (a),  the  sale,   lease,   conveyance,
assignment,  transfer,  or other  disposition of all or substantially all of the
properties  and  assets  of one or  more  Subsidiaries  of  the  Company,  which
properties  and  assets,  if held by the Company  instead of such  Subsidiaries,
would

                                                        34

<PAGE>



constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company,
on a  consolidated  basis,  shall  be  deemed  to be  the  transfer  of  all  or
substantially  all of the properties and assets of the Company.  Thereafter such
successor  corporation or  corporations  shall succeed to and be substituted for
the Company with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the "Company"
and all such obligations of the predecessor corporation shall terminate.

         The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the  consummation  of
the proposed transaction an Officers' Certificate to the foregoing effect and an
Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed  transaction and such  supplemental
indenture comply with this Indenture.


                                   ARTICLE SIX

                              Defaults and Remedies

Section 6.01.     Events of Default.

     "Event of Default,"  wherever  used herein,  means any one of the following
events:

     (a)  default in the  payment of  interest on the Notes as and when the same
becomes due and payable and the continuance of any such failure for 30 days;

         (b)  default  in the  payment  of all or any part of the  principal  or
premium,  if any,  on the Notes when and as the same  become due and  payable at
maturity,  at an Asset Sale Offer Date or Change of  Control  Payment  Date,  at
redemption, by declaration of acceleration or otherwise;

         (c)  default in the  observance  or  performance  of, or breach of, any
covenant,  agreement  or warranty of the Company  contained in the Notes or this
Indenture (unless  specifically  dealt with elsewhere),  and continuance of such
default  or  breach  for a period of 60 days  after  there  has been  given,  by
registered or certified  mail, to the Company by the Trustee,  or to the Company
and the Trustee by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate  principal amount of the
outstanding Notes, a written notice specifying such default or breach, requiring
it to be  remedied  and  stating  that  such  notice is a  "Notice  of  Default"
hereunder;

         (d) a decree,  judgment, or order by a court of competent  jurisdiction
shall  have  been  entered  adjudging  the  Company  or any  of its  Significant
Subsidiaries as bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition
in an involuntary case or proceeding  seeking  reorganization  of the Company or
any of its  Significant  Subsidiaries  under any bankruptcy or similar law, or a
decree,  judgment or order of a court of competent  jurisdiction  directing  the
appointment  of a receiver,  liquidator,  trustee,  or assignee in bankruptcy or
insolvency  of  the  Company,  any of its  Significant  Subsidiaries,  or of the
property of any such Person,  or the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of
any such  Person,  shall  have been  entered,  and the  continuance  of any such
decree,  judgment or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive
days;


                                                        35

<PAGE>



         (e) the Company or any of its Significant  Subsidiaries shall institute
proceedings to be adjudicated a voluntary bankrupt  (including  conversion of an
involuntary  proceeding  into a voluntary  proceeding),  or shall consent to the
filing of a bankruptcy proceeding against it, or shall file a petition or answer
or  consent  to the  filing  of any  such  petition,  or  shall  consent  to the
appointment  of a  Custodian,  receiver,  liquidator,  trustee,  or  assignee in
bankruptcy or insolvency of it or any of its assets or property, or shall make a
general  assignment for the benefit of creditors,  or shall admit in writing its
inability to pay its debts  generally  as they become due, or shall,  within the
meaning of any Bankruptcy  Law, become  insolvent,  or fail generally to pay its
debts as they become due;

         (f) (i) the acceleration of any Indebtedness  (other than  Non-Recourse
Indebtedness)  of  the  Company  or  any  of  its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  (in
accordance  with the terms of such  Indebtedness  and after giving effect to any
applicable grace period set forth in the documents  governing such Indebtedness)
that has an outstanding  principal amount of $20,000,000 or more individually or
in the aggregate to be immediately due and payable;  provided that, in the event
any  such   acceleration   is  withdrawn  or  otherwise   rescinded   (including
satisfaction  of such  Indebtedness)  within a period of ten business days after
such  acceleration  by the  holders of such  Indebtedness,  any Event of Default
under this clause (f) will be deemed to be cured and any acceleration  hereunder
will be deemed  withdrawn or  rescinded;  and (ii) the failure by the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to make any principal,  premium,  interest or
other  required  payment in respect of  Indebtedness  (other  than  Non-Recourse
Indebtedness)  of the  Company  or any of its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  with an
outstanding aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 or more individually or in
the aggregate  (after giving effect to any applicable  grace period set forth in
the documents governing such Indebtedness); and

         (g) one or more  final  nonappealable  judgments  (in  the  amount  not
covered by  insurance  or not  reserved  for) or the  issuance of any warrant of
attachment against any portion of the property or assets (except with respect to
Non-Recourse  Indebtedness) of the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary,  which
are  $20,000,000  or more  individually  or in the  aggregate,  at any one  time
rendered against the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by a court of
competent  jurisdiction  and not bonded,  satisfied or  discharged  for a period
(during which  execution  shall not be effectively  stayed) of (i) 60 days after
the judgment (which,  if there is more than one judgment,  causes such judgments
to exceed  $20,000,000 in the aggregate)  becomes final and such court shall not
have  ordered or  approved,  and the  parties  shall not have agreed  upon,  the
payment of such  judgment  at a later date or dates or (ii) 60 days after all or
any part of such  judgment is payable  pursuant to any court order or  agreement
between the parties.

Section 6.02.     Acceleration of Maturity Date; Rescission and Annulment.

         If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of
Default specified in Section 6.01(d) or (e) of this Article Six, relating to the
Company,  then in each such case, unless the principal of all of the Notes shall
have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of 25% in
aggregate  principal amount of the Notes then outstanding,  by notice in writing
to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by the  Holders)  (an  "Acceleration
Notice"), may declare all principal, determined as set forth below, including in
each case accrued interest thereon, or, as

                                                        36

<PAGE>



appropriate,  the Change of Control  Purchase  Price  (solely  with respect to a
Default relating to the payment of the Change of Control Purchase Price),  to be
due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(d)
or (e) occurs  relating to the  Company,  all  principal  and accrued and unpaid
interest  thereon will be immediately due and payable on all  outstanding  Notes
without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the Holders.

         At any time after such a declaration of acceleration is made and before
a judgment  or decree  for  payment  of the money due has been  obtained  by the
Trustee as  hereinafter  provided in this Article Six, the Holders of a majority
in aggregate  principal amount of then  outstanding  Notes, by written notice to
the Company  and the  Trustee,  may waive,  on behalf of all  Holders,  any such
declaration of acceleration if:

     (a) the Company has paid or deposited  with the Trustee a sum sufficient to
pay

                  (i)      all overdue interest on all Notes,

                  (ii) the principal of (and premium, if any, applicable to) any
         Notes which would  become due  otherwise  than by such  declaration  of
         acceleration, and interest thereon at the rate borne by the Notes,

                  (iii) to the extent that  payment of such  interest is lawful,
         interest upon overdue interest at the rate borne by the Notes,

     (iv)  all  sums  paid  or  advanced  by  the  Trustee   hereunder  and  the
compensation,  expenses,  disbursements and advances of the Trustee,  its agents
and counsel, and

         (b) all Events of Default,  other than the non-payment of the principal
of, premium,  if any, and interest on Notes which have become due solely by such
declaration  of  acceleration,  have been cured or waived as provided in Section
6.12.

     Section  6.03.  Collection of  Indebtedness  and Suits for  Enforcement  by
Trustee.

         The  Company  covenants  that if an  Event of  Default  in  payment  of
principal,  premium,  or interest specified in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01
occurs and is continuing,  the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to
it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Notes,  the whole amount then due and
payable on such Notes for principal,  premium (if any) and interest, and, to the
extent that payment of such interest shall be legally  enforceable,  interest on
any overdue principal (and premium, if any) and on any overdue interest,  at the
rate borne by the Notes, and, in addition thereto,  such further amount as shall
be  sufficient  to  cover  the  costs  and  expenses  of  collection,  including
compensation to, and expenses,  disbursements  and advances of the Trustee,  its
agents and counsel.

         If the Company  fails to pay such amounts  forthwith  upon such demand,
the Trustee,  in its own name and as trustee of an express trust in favor of the
Holders,  may institute a judicial  proceeding for the collection of the sums so
due and unpaid,  may prosecute  such  proceeding to judgment or final decree and
may enforce the same against the Company and collect the moneys

                                                        37

<PAGE>



     adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner  provided by law out of the
property of the Company wherever situated.

         If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its
discretion  proceed  to  protect  and  enforce  its rights and the rights of the
Holders by such appropriate  judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most
effective  to protect  and  enforce any such  rights,  whether for the  specific
enforcement  of any  covenant or  agreement  in this  Indenture or in aid of the
exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 6.04.     Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

         In case of the pendency of any receivership,  insolvency,  liquidation,
bankruptcy,  reorganization,   arrangement,  adjustment,  composition  or  other
judicial proceeding relative to the Company or the property of the Company,  the
Trustee  (irrespective  of whether the  principal of the Notes shall then be due
and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective
of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment
of  overdue  principal  or  interest)  shall  be  entitled  and  empowered,   by
intervention  in such  proceeding or otherwise to take any and all actions under
the TIA, including

         (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole  amount of  principal  (and
premium,  if any) and  interest  owing and unpaid in respect of the Notes and to
file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to
have  the  claims  of the  Trustee  (including  any  claim  for  the  reasonable
compensation,  expenses,  disbursements and advances of the Trustee,  its agents
and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

     (b) to  collect  and  receive  any  moneys  or other  property  payable  or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian,  receiver,  assignee,  trustee,  liquidator,  sequestrator or
other similar official in any such judicial  proceeding is hereby  authorized by
each  Holder to make such  payments  to the  Trustee  and, in the event that the
Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to
pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation,  expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other
amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.

         Nothing  herein  contained  shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize  or  consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of
reorganization,  arrangement,  adjustment, or composition affecting the Notes or
the rights of any Holder  thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect
of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.05.     Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Notes.

         All rights of action and claims  under this  Indenture or the Notes may
be prosecuted  and enforced by the Trustee  without the possession of any of the
Notes or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such
proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in

                                                        38

<PAGE>



its own name as  trustee of an express  trust in favor of the  Holders,  and any
recovery of judgment shall,  after provision for the payment of compensation to,
and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel,
be for the ratable  benefit of the Holders of the Notes in respect of which such
judgment has been recovered.

Section 6.06.     Priorities.

         Any money  collected by the Trustee  pursuant to this Article Six shall
be applied in the  following  order,  at the date or dates  fixed by the Trustee
and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal,  premium
(if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Notes and the notation thereon of
the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

     FIRST:  To the Trustee in payment of all  amounts  due  pursuant to Section
7.07;

         SECOND:  To the Holders in payment of the  amounts  then due and unpaid
for  principal  of,  premium (if any) and  interest  on, the Notes in respect of
which or for the  benefit  of which  such  money  has been  collected,  ratably,
without  preference  or priority of any kind,  according  to the amounts due and
payable  on  such  Notes  for   principal,   premium  (if  any)  and   interest,
respectively; and

         THIRD:  To the Company, the remainder, if any.

Section 6.07.     Limitation on Suits.

         No Holder  of any Note  shall  have any  right to order or  direct  the
Trustee to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this
Indenture,  or for the  appointment  of a receiver or trustee,  or for any other
remedy hereunder, unless

     (a) such Holder has  previously  given  written  notice to the Trustee of a
continuing Event of Default;

         (b) the  Holders  of not less  than  25% in  principal  amount  of then
outstanding  Notes shall have made  written  request to the Trustee to institute
proceedings  in  respect  of such  Event of  Default  in its own name as Trustee
hereunder;

         (c) such  Holder or  Holders  have  offered to the  Trustee  reasonable
security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred
or reasonably probable to be incurred in compliance with such request;

     (d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such  notice,  request and
offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

         (e) no direction  inconsistent with such written request has been given
to the  Trustee  during  such  60-day  period by the  Holders of a  majority  in
principal amount of the outstanding Notes;


                                                        39

<PAGE>



it being  understood  and intended  that no one or more  Holders  shall have any
right in any manner  whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any  provision of
this Indenture to affect,  disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holders,
or to obtain or to seek to obtain  priority or preference over any other Holders
or to enforce  any right  under  this  Indenture,  except in the  manner  herein
provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.

     Section 6.08. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal,  Premium
and Interest.

         Notwithstanding  any other provision of this  Indenture,  the Holder of
any Note shall have the right, which is absolute and  unconditional,  to receive
payment of the  principal of such Note on the Maturity Date and interest on such
Note on the Interest Payment Dates, and to institute suit for the enforcement of
any such  payment  after such  respective  dates,  and such rights  shall not be
impaired without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.09.     Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

         Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment
of  mutilated,  destroyed,  lost or stolen  Notes in Section  2.07,  no right or
remedy  herein  conferred  upon or  reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is
intended  to be  exclusive  of any other  right or remedy,  and every  right and
remedy shall,  to the extent  permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to
every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law
or in equity or  otherwise.  The  assertion or employment of any right or remedy
hereunder,  or  otherwise,   shall  not  prevent  the  concurrent  assertion  or
employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 6.10.     Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

         No delay or  omission  by the  Trustee  or by any Holder of any Note to
exercise any right or remedy  arising upon any Event of Default shall impair the
exercise of any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of
Default.  Every  right and  remedy  given by this  Article  Six or by law to the
Trustee or to the Holders may be  exercised  from time to time,  and as often as
may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

Section 6.11.     Control by Holders.

         The Holder or Holders of a majority in  aggregate  principal  amount of
then outstanding Notes shall have the right to direct the time, method and place
of  conducting  any  proceeding  for any  remedy  available  to the  Trustee  or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, provided that:

     (a) such  direction  shall not be in conflict  with any rule of law or with
this Indenture,

     (b) the Trustee  shall not determine  that the action so directed  would be
unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not taking part in such direction,


                                                        40

<PAGE>



     (c) the  Trustee  may take any other  action  deemed  proper by the Trustee
which is not inconsistent with such direction, and

         (d) the  Trustee  need not take any action  hereunder  that the Trustee
determines  would create  personal  liability for the Trustee unless the Holders
have offered to the Trustee security and indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee.

Section 6.12.     Waiver of Past Default.

         Subject  to  Section  6.08,  the  Holder or  Holders of not less than a
majority in aggregate  principal amount of the outstanding  Notes may, on behalf
of all Holders, waive any past Default hereunder and its consequences,  except a
Default

     (a) in the payment of the  principal of,  premium,  if any, or interest on,
any Note not yet cured, or

         (b) in respect of a covenant or provision  hereof which,  under Article
Nine,  cannot be modified  or amended  without the consent of the Holder of each
outstanding Note affected.

         Upon any such waiver,  such default shall cease to exist, and any Event
of  Default  arising  therefrom  shall be deemed to have been  cured,  for every
purpose of this Indenture;  but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other Default or impair the exercise of any right arising therefrom.

Section 6.13.     Undertaking for Costs.

         All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Note by his
acceptance  thereof  shall be deemed to have  agreed,  that any court may in its
discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under
this  Indenture,  or in any suit  against  the  Trustee  for any  action  taken,
suffered  or  omitted  to be taken by it as  Trustee,  the  filing  by any party
litigant in such suit of an  undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that
such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs,  including  reasonable
attorneys' fees,  against any party litigant in such suit,  having due regard to
the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant;
but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the
Company,  to any suit  instituted by the Trustee,  to any suit instituted by any
Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in aggregate
principal  amount of the  outstanding  Notes,  or to any suit  instituted by any
Holder for  enforcement  of the payment of principal of any Note on or after the
Maturity Date and interest on such Note on the Interest Payment Dates.

Section 6.14.     Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

         If the Trustee or any Holder has  instituted  any proceeding to enforce
any  right  or  remedy  under  this  Indenture  and  such  proceeding  has  been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason,  or has been  determined  adversely to
the  Trustee  or to  such  Holder,  then  and  in  every  case,  subject  to any
determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall
be restored

                                                        41

<PAGE>



severally and  respectively to their former  positions  hereunder and thereafter
all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall  continue as though
no such proceeding had been instituted.


                                  ARTICLE SEVEN

                                     Trustee

Section 7.01.     Duties of Trustee.

         (a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,  the Trustee
shall,  prior to the  receipt of  directions  from the  Holders of a majority in
principal  amount of the Notes,  exercise its rights and powers and use the same
degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or
use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

         (b)      Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

                  (i) The  Trustee  need  perform  only  those  duties  that are
         specifically  set forth in this  Indenture and no others and no implied
         covenants or obligations  shall be read into this Indenture against the
         Trustee.

                  (ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part,  the Trustee may
         conclusively   rely,  as  to  the  truth  of  the  statements  and  the
         correctness of the opinions  expressed  therein,  upon  certificates or
         opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
         this Indenture.  The Trustee,  however,  shall examine the certificates
         and  opinions  to  determine   whether  or  not  they  conform  to  the
         requirements  of this Indenture but need not confirm or investigate the
         accuracy of mathematical  calculations or other facts or matters stated
         herein.

         (c)  The  Trustee  may  not be  relieved  from  liability  for  its own
negligent  action,  its  own  negligent  failure  to  act  or  its  own  willful
misconduct, except that:

     (i) This  paragraph  does not limit the  effect  of  paragraph  (b) of this
Section.

                  (ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
         made in good  faith by a Trust  Officer,  unless it is proved  that the
         Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

                  (iii) The  Trustee  shall not be liable  with  respect  to any
         action  it takes or omits to take in good  faith in  accordance  with a
         direction  received  by it  pursuant  to  Section  6.11  or  any  other
         direction of the Holders permitted hereunder.

     (d)  Every  provision  of this  Indenture  that in any way  relates  to the
Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.


                                                        42

<PAGE>



         (e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or
power unless it receives  indemnity  reasonably  satisfactory  to it against any
loss, liability or expense.

         (f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money  received
by it except as the Trustee may agree with the  Company.  Money held in trust by
the  Trustee  need not be  segregated  from  other  funds  except to the  extent
required by law.

         (g) None of the provisions  contained in this  Indenture  shall require
the  Trustee  to  expend  or risk its own  funds or  otherwise  incur  financial
liability in the  performance  of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of
its rights or powers,  if there shall be reasonable  grounds for believing  that
the repayment of such funds or adequate  indemnity against such liability is not
reasonably assured to it.

Section 7.02.     Rights of Trustee.

         Subject to Section 7.01:

         (a) The Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining
from acting on any document,  resolution,  certificate,  instrument,  report, or
direction  believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or  presented by
the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in
the document, resolution, certificate, instrument, report, or direction.

         (b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting,  it may require an
Officers'  Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both,  which shall conform to
Sections  10.04 and 10.05 hereof and  containing  such other  statements  as the
Trustee reasonably deems necessary to perform its duties hereunder.  The Trustee
shall not be liable  for any  action it takes or omits to take in good  faith in
reliance on the Officers' Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or any other direction
of the Company permitted hereunder.

     (c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the
misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

         (d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action  taken,  suffered or
omitted by it in good faith and  believed by it to be  authorized  or within the
discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

         (e) The Trustee may consult  with  counsel,  and the written  advice of
such  counsel  or any  Opinion of Counsel as to matters of law shall be full and
complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, omitted or
suffered  by it  hereunder  in good faith and in  accordance  with the advice or
opinion of such counsel.

         (f) Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any demand, request,
direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer
of the Company.


                                                        43

<PAGE>



         (g) For all purposes  under this  Indenture,  the Trustee  shall not be
deemed to have  notice or  knowledge  of any Event of Default  (other than under
Section  6.01(a) or 6.01(b))  unless a Trust Officer  assigned to and working in
the  Trustee's  corporate  trust office has actual  knowledge  thereof or unless
written notice of any Event of Default is received by the Trustee at its address
specified  in  Section  10.02  hereof  and  such  notice  references  the  Notes
generally, the Company or this Indenture.

Section 7.03.     Individual Rights of Trustee.

         The  Trustee in its  individual  or any other  capacity  may become the
owner or  pledgee  of Notes  and may  otherwise  deal  with the  Company  or its
Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.  Any Agent
may do the same with  like  rights.  The  Trustee,  however,  must  comply  with
Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

Section 7.04.     Trustee's Disclaimer.

         The Trustee makes no  representation  as to the validity or adequacy of
this Indenture,  the Notes or of any prospectus used to sell the Notes; it shall
not be  accountable  for the Company's  use of the proceeds  from the Notes;  it
shall  not be  accountable  for any  money  paid  to the  Company,  or upon  the
Company's direction,  if made under and in accordance with any provision of this
Indenture;  it shall not be responsible  for the use or application of any money
received  by any  Paying  Agent  other  than the  Trustee;  and it shall  not be
responsible  for any statement of the Company in this  Indenture or in the Notes
other than its certificate of authentication.

Section 7.05.     Notice of Defaults.

         If a Default on the Notes occurs and is  continuing  and if it is known
to the  Trustee,  the Trustee  shall mail to each  Holder  notice of the Default
(which shall  specify any uncured  Default  known to it) within 90 days after it
occurs.  Except in the case of a default  in payment  of  principal,  premium or
interest on the Notes, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the
board of directors of the Trustee,  the executive or any trust committee of such
directors and/or responsible  officers of the Trustee in good faith determine(s)
that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders.

Section 7.06.     Reports by Trustee to Holders.

         Within 60 days after each May 15  beginning  with the May 15  following
the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder a brief report
dated as of such May 15 that complies  with TIA section  313(a) (but if no event
described in TIA section 313(2) has occurred within the twelve months  preceding
the reporting date no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also shall comply
with TIA section 313(b).

         A copy of each  report at the time of its  mailing to Holders  shall be
delivered to the Company and filed by the Trustee with the SEC and each national
securities exchange on which the Notes are

                                                        44

<PAGE>



     listed.  The  Company  agrees  to  notify  the  Trustee  of  each  national
securities exchange on which the Notes are listed.

Section 7.07.     Compensation and Indemnity.

         The Company shall pay to the Trustee or  predecessor  trustee from time
to time reasonable  compensation  for their  respective  services subject to any
agreement  between the Trustee and the Company.  The Company shall reimburse the
Trustee upon request for all reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses incurred by it.
Such expenses  shall  include the  reasonable  compensation  and expenses of the
Trustee's  agents and counsel.  The Company shall indemnify the Trustee and each
predecessor trustee, its officers,  directors,  employees and agents and hold it
harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred or made by or on behalf
of it in  connection  with the  administration  of this  Indenture  or the trust
hereunder and its duties hereunder including the costs and expenses of defending
itself  against or  investigating  any claim in the premises.  The Trustee shall
notify the Company  promptly of any claim for which it may seek  indemnity.  The
Company  need  not  reimburse  any  expense  or  indemnify  against  any loss or
liability  incurred by the  Trustee  through the  Trustee's,  or its  officers',
directors', employees' or agents' negligence or bad faith.

         To ensure  the  Company's  payment  obligations  in this  Section,  the
Trustee  shall have a claim prior to the Notes on all money or property  held or
collected  by the  Trustee,  except  that held in trust to pay  principal  of or
interest  on  particular  Notes.  When the  Trustee  incurs  expenses or renders
services in connection with an Event of Default  specified in Section 6.01 or in
connection  with Article 6 hereof,  the expenses  (including the reasonable fees
and  expenses of its counsel) and the  compensation  for services in  connection
therewith are to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy law.

Section 7.08.     Replacement of Trustee.

         The Trustee may resign by so notifying  the  Company.  The Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding  Notes may remove the Trustee by
so notifying the removed Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor  trustee
with the Company's  consent.  Such  resignation or removal shall not take effect
until the appointment by the Holders or the Company as hereinafter provided of a
successor  trustee and the  acceptance  of such  appointment  by such  successor
trustee.  The Company may remove the  Trustee  and any Holder may  petition  any
court  of  competent  jurisdiction  for  the  removal  of the  Trustee  and  the
appointment of a successor trustee if:

         (a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 after written request
by the  Company  or any bona fide  Holder who has been a Holder for at least six
months;

         (b)      the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent;

     (c) a receiver or other public  officer  takes charge of the Trustee or its
property; or

         (d)      the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.


                                                        45

<PAGE>



         If the  Trustee  resigns or is  removed  or if a vacancy  exists in the
office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor
trustee.  If a successor  trustee does not take office  within 45 days after the
retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or any
Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a
successor trustee.

         A  successor  trustee  shall  deliver  a  written   acceptance  of  its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company.  Immediately after that,
the retiring  Trustee  shall  transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the
successor  trustee,  the  resignation  or removal of the retiring  Trustee shall
become effective,  and the successor  trustee shall have all the rights,  powers
and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture.  A successor  trustee shall mail
notice of its succession to each Holder.

Section 7.09.     Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

         If the Trustee consolidates with, merges with or into or converts into,
or  transfers  all or  substantially  all of its  corporate  trust  business to,
another corporation,  the successor corporation without any further act shall be
the successor trustee.

Section 7.10.     Eligibility; Disqualification.

         This   Indenture   shall  always  have  a  Trustee  who  satisfies  the
requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1) and (2). The Trustee shall have a combined
capital  and  surplus of at least  $10,000,000  as set forth in its most  recent
published annual report of condition.  The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section
310(b).

Section 7.11.     Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

         The  Trustee  shall  comply  with TIA  section  311(a),  excluding  any
creditor  relationship  listed in TIA section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned
or been removed shall be subject to TIA section  311(a) to the extent  indicated
therein.


                                  ARTICLE EIGHT

                             Discharge of Indenture

     Section  8.01.  Defeasance  upon  Deposit  of  Moneys  or  U.S.  Government
Obligations.

         (a) The  Company  may,  at its  option  and at any time,  elect to have
either paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) below be applied to the outstanding  Notes
upon compliance with the applicable conditions set forth in paragraph (d).

         (b) Upon the  Company's  exercise  under  paragraph  (a) of the  option
applicable  to this  paragraph  (b),  the  Company  shall be deemed to have been
released and  discharged  from its  respective  obligations  with respect to the
outstanding Notes on the date the applicable conditions set

                                                        46

<PAGE>



forth below are satisfied (hereinafter,  "Legal Defeasance").  For this purpose,
such Legal  Defeasance  means that the Company  shall be deemed to have paid and
discharged the entire  Indebtedness  represented by the outstanding Notes, which
shall  thereafter  be deemed to be  "outstanding"  only for the  purposes of the
Sections and matters under this Indenture referred to in (i) and (ii) below, and
to have satisfied all its other  obligations  under the Notes and this Indenture
insofar as the Notes are concerned, except for the following which shall survive
until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (i) the rights of Holders of
outstanding  Notes to receive  solely from the trust fund described in paragraph
(d) below and as more fully set forth in such paragraph,  payments in respect of
the  principal of and interest on the Notes when such  payments are due and (ii)
obligations  listed in Section  8.02,  subject to  compliance  with this Section
8.01.   The  Company  may  exercise  its  option   under  this   paragraph   (b)
notwithstanding  the prior exercise of its option under paragraph (c) below with
respect to the Notes.

         (c) Upon the  Company's  exercise  under  paragraph  (a) of the  option
applicable to this  paragraph  (c), the Company shall be released and discharged
from the  obligations  under any covenant  contained in Article Four (other than
Section 4.01 and 4.02), on and after the date the conditions set forth below are
satisfied (hereinafter,  "Covenant Defeasance"),  and the Notes shall thereafter
be deemed to be not  "outstanding"  for the  purpose of any  direction,  waiver,
consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the  consequences  of any thereof)
in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed "outstanding"
for all other purposes  hereunder and the Company shall remain obligated for the
principal and interest on the Notes. For this purpose,  such Covenant Defeasance
means  that,  with  respect to the  outstanding  Notes,  the Company may omit to
comply with and shall have no  liability  in respect of any term,  condition  or
limitation set forth in any such covenant,  whether  directly or indirectly,  by
reason of any  reference  elsewhere  herein to any such covenant or by reason of
any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other
document and such omission to comply shall not  constitute a Default or an Event
of Default under Section 6.01(c),  but, except as specified above, the remainder
of this Indenture and the Notes shall be unaffected thereby.

     (d)  The  following  shall  be the  conditions  to  application  of  either
paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) above to the outstanding Notes:

                  (i) The Company shall have irrevocably deposited in trust with
         the Trustee, pursuant to an irrevocable trust and security agreement in
         form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory  to the Trustee,  money in
         U.S. dollars or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof in
         such amounts and at such times as are  sufficient,  in the opinion of a
         nationally  recognized firm of independent public  accountants,  to pay
         the principal of and interest on the  outstanding  Notes to maturity or
         redemption;  provided,  however,  that the Trustee (or other qualifying
         trustee)  shall have  received an  irrevocable  written  order from the
         Company  instructing the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to apply
         such money or the proceeds of such U.S. Government  Obligations to said
         payments with respect to the Notes to maturity or redemption;  provided
         that to the  extent or until  such time that the  Trustee  is unable to
         acquire U.S.  Government  Obligations that match the Maturity Date, the
         Trustee may invest  amounts  deposited  hereunder in common  investment
         funds that invest in U.S.
         government securities.

                                                        47

<PAGE>



     (ii) No Default or Event of Default  shall have  occurred and be continuing
on the date of such deposit;

                  (iii) Such  deposit  will not  result in a Default  under this
         Indenture or a breach or violation of, or  constitute a default  under,
         any other material  instrument or agreement to which the Company or any
         of its  Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of their property
         is bound;

                  (iv) (A) In the event the Company elects paragraph (b) hereof,
         the Company  shall  deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the
         United States,  in form and substance  reasonably  satisfactory  to the
         Trustee, to the effect that (1) the Company has received from, or there
         has been  published  by, the Internal  Revenue  Service a ruling or (2)
         since the Issue Date, there has been a change in the applicable federal
         income tax law, in either case to the effect  that,  and based  thereon
         such Opinion of Counsel shall state that, Holders of the Notes will not
         recognize  income,  gain or loss for United States  federal  income tax
         purposes as a result of such  deposit and the  defeasance  contemplated
         hereby and will be subject  to federal  income tax in the same  amounts
         and in the same  manner  and at the same  times as would  have been the
         case if such deposit and  defeasance  had not  occurred;  or (B) in the
         event the  Company  elects  paragraph  (c) hereof,  the  Company  shall
         deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United  States,  in
         form and  substance  reasonably  satisfactory  to the  Trustee,  to the
         effect that  Holders of the Notes will not  recognize  income,  gain or
         loss for United States  federal income tax purposes as a result of such
         deposit and the defeasance  contemplated  hereby and will be subject to
         federal  income tax in the same  amounts  and in the same manner and at
         the same  times  as  would  have  been  the  case if such  deposit  and
         defeasance had not occurred;

                  (v)  The  Company  shall  have  delivered  to the  Trustee  an
         Officers'  Certificate,  stating that the deposit  under clause (i) was
         not made by the Company  with the intent of  preferring  the Holders of
         the Notes over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of
         defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the
         Company or others;

                  (vi) The  Company  shall  have  delivered  to the  Trustee  an
         Opinion of Counsel,  reasonably  satisfactory  to the  Trustee,  to the
         effect  that,  (A) the trust funds will not be subject to the rights of
         holders of  Indebtedness  of the  Company  other than the Notes and (B)
         assuming no intervening  bankruptcy of the Company  between the date of
         deposit  and the 91st day  following  the deposit and that no Holder of
         Notes is an insider of the Company,  after the 91st day  following  the
         deposit,  the  trust  funds  will  not be  subject  to  any  applicable
         bankruptcy,   insolvency,   reorganization  or  similar  law  affecting
         creditors' rights generally; and

                  (vii) The Company has  delivered  to the Trustee an  Officers'
         Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions
         precedent  specified herein relating to the defeasance  contemplated by
         this Section 8.01 have been complied with.


                                                        48

<PAGE>



         In the event all or any portion of the Notes are to be redeemed through
such irrevocable  trust, the Company must make arrangements  satisfactory to the
Trustee,  at the time of such  deposit,  for the  giving  of the  notice of such
redemption or  redemptions  by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the
Company.

         (e) In addition to the Company's  rights above under this Section 8.01,
the Company may  terminate  all of its  obligations  under this  Indenture  with
respect to the Notes when:

                  (i) All Notes  theretofore  authenticated and delivered (other
         than  Notes  which have been  destroyed,  lost or stolen and which have
         been  replaced or paid as provided in Section  2.07 and Notes for whose
         payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and
         held in trust by the  Company and  thereafter  repaid to the Company or
         discharged  from such  trust)  have been  delivered  to the Trustee for
         cancellation or all such Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee
         for  cancellation  have  become due and  payable or will become due and
         payable  within  one year,  either  by the terms of such  Notes or upon
         redemption  (and if upon  redemption the Company has deposited with the
         Trustee irrevocable  instructions to redeem such Notes) and the Company
         has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as
         trust  funds in  trust  solely  for that  purpose  an  amount  of money
         sufficient to pay and discharge  the entire  Indebtedness  on the Notes
         not  theretofore  delivered  to  the  Trustee  for  cancellation,   for
         principal of and interest to maturity or redemption;

     (ii) The  Company  has paid or  caused to be paid all  other  sums  payable
hereunder by the Company;

                  (iii) The Company has delivered  irrevocable  instructions  to
         the  Trustee to apply the  deposited  money  toward the  payment of the
         Notes at maturity or redemption, as the case may be; and

                  (iv) The Company  has  delivered  to the Trustee an  Officers'
         Certificate  and an Opinion of  Counsel,  stating  that all  conditions
         precedent  specified  herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge
         of this Indenture have been complied with.

Section 8.02.     Survival of the Company's Obligations.

         Notwithstanding  the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture under
Section 8.01, the Company's obligations in paragraph 9 of the Notes and Sections
2.03 through 2.07, 4.01,  4.02, 4.11, 4.12, 7.07, 7.08, 8.04 and 8.05,  however,
shall  survive  until  the  Notes are no  longer  outstanding.  Thereafter,  the
Company's  obligations in paragraph 9 of the Notes and Sections  7.07,  8.04 and
8.05 shall survive.

Section 8.03.     Application of Trust Money.

     The  Trustee  shall  hold in  trust  money or U.S.  Government  Obligations
deposited  with it pursuant to Section 8.01. It shall apply the deposited  money
and the money from U.S. Government

                                                        49

<PAGE>



Obligations in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and
interest on the defeased Notes.

Section 8.04.     Repayment to the Company.

         The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the Company upon
request any excess money or securities held by them at any time. The Trustee and
the Paying  Agent shall pay to the Company  upon  request any money held by them
for the payment of principal or interest  that remains  unclaimed for two years;
provided,  however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required
to make  any such  repayment,  may at the  expense  of the  Company  cause to be
published once in a newspaper of general  circulation in the City of New York or
mail to each such Holder  notice  that such money  remains  unclaimed  and that,
after a date  specified  therein,  which shall not be less than 30 days from the
date of such  publication or mailing,  any unclaimed  balance of such money then
remaining will be repaid to the Company.  After payment to the Company,  Holders
entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general  creditors
unless  applicable  abandoned  property law  designates  another  person and all
liability  of the Trustee or such Paying  Agent with respect to such money shall
cease.

Section 8.05.     Reinstatement.

         If the  Trustee  is  unable  to  apply  any  money  or U.S.  Government
Obligations in accordance with Section 8.01 by reason of any legal proceeding or
by reason  of any  order or  judgment  of any  court or  governmental  authority
enjoining,  restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company's
obligations  under this  Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated
as though no deposit had  occurred  pursuant to Section  8.01 until such time as
the Trustee is permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government  Obligations
in accordance with Section 8.01; provided,  however, that (a) if the Company has
made any  payment  of  interest  on or  principal  of any Notes  because  of the
reinstatement  of their  obligations,  the Company  shall be  subrogated  to the
rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive  such  payment  from the money or
U.S.  Government  Obligations  held  by the  Trustee  and (b)  unless  otherwise
required  by any  legal  proceeding  or any  order or  judgment  of any court or
governmental  authority,  the  Trustee  shall  return  all  such  money  or U.S.
Government Obligations to the Company promptly after receiving a written request
therefor at any time, if such  reinstatement  of the Company's  obligations  has
occurred and continues to be in effect.


                                  ARTICLE NINE

                       Amendments, Supplements and Waivers

Section 9.01.     Without Consent of Holders.

         The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement  this  Indenture or
the Notes without notice to or consent of any Holder:

         (a)      to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

                                                        50

<PAGE>



         (b)      to comply with Article Five;

     (c) to  provide  for  uncertificated  Notes in  addition  to or in place of
certificated Notes; and

     (d) to make any other change that does not  adversely  affect the rights of
Holders.

         After an  amendment  under this Section  9.01  becomes  effective,  the
Company shall mail notice of such amendment to the Holders.

Section 9.02.     With Consent of Holders.

         The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement  this  Indenture or
the Notes  without  notice to any  Holder  but with the  written  consent of the
Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. The
Holders of a majority in  principal  amount of the  outstanding  Notes may waive
compliance by the Company with any  provision of the Notes or of this  Indenture
without  notice to any Holder.  Without  the  consent of each  Holder  affected,
however,  an  amendment,  supplement or waiver,  including a waiver  pursuant to
Section 6.04, may not:

     (a) reduce the amount of Notes whose  Holders must consent to an amendment,
supplement or waiver;

     (b)  reduce  the  rate of or  change  the  time for  payment  of  interest,
including defaulted interest, on any Note;

         (c) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note or
alter the provisions  (including related definitions) with respect to redemption
of Notes  pursuant  to  Article  Three  hereof or with  respect  to  repurchases
required under Sections 4.11 or 4.12 hereof;

         (d)      modify the ranking or priority of the Notes;

         (e)      make any change in Sections 6.08, 6.12 or this Section 9.02;

     (f) waive a  continuing  Default or Event of Default in the  payment of the
principal of or interest on any Note; or

         (g) make any Note payable at a place or in money other than that stated
in the Note,  or impair the right of any Holder to bring  suit as  permitted  by
Section 6.07.

         It shall not be  necessary  for the consent of the  Holders  under this
Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplement,  but it shall
be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.


                                                        51

<PAGE>



Section 9.03.     Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

         Every  amendment to or supplement of this  Indenture or the Notes shall
comply with the TIA as then in effect.

Section 9.04.     Revocation and Effect of Consents.

         A consent to an amendment,  supplement or waiver by a Holder shall bind
the  Holder  and every  subsequent  Holder of a Note or  portion  of a Note that
evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder's Note, even if notation of the
consent is not made on any Note.  Subject to the following  paragraph,  any such
Holder or subsequent Holder,  however,  may revoke the consent as to his Note or
portion  of a Note.  Such  revocation  shall be  effective  only if the  Trustee
receives the notice of revocation  before the date the amendment,  supplement or
waiver becomes effective.

         The Company may,  but shall not be obligated  to, fix a record date for
the  purpose of  determining  the  Holders of Notes  entitled  to consent to any
amendment,  supplement  or waiver,  which  record date shall be at least 10 days
prior to the first solicitation of such consent. If a record date is fixed, then
notwithstanding the last sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph,  those
Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies),
and only those  Persons,  shall be  entitled  to revoke any  consent  previously
given,  whether or not such  Persons  continue  to be Holders  after such record
date.  No such consent  shall be valid or effective  for more than 90 days after
such record date.

         After an amendment,  supplement or waiver becomes  effective,  it shall
bind every  Holder,  unless it makes a change  described  in any of clauses  (a)
through (g) of Section 9.02, in which case, the amendment,  supplement or waiver
shall  bind  only  each  Holder  of a Note  who has  consented  to it and  every
subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as
the consenting Holder's Note; provided, that any such waiver shall not impair or
affect the right of any Holder to receive  payment of  principal of and interest
on a Note, on or after the  respective  due dates  expressed in such Note, or to
bring suit for the  enforcement of any such payment on or after such  respective
dates without the consent of such Holder.

Section 9.05.     Notation on or Exchange of Notes.

         If an amendment,  supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Note, the
Company  may  require  the Holder of the Note to deliver it to the  Trustee,  at
which time the Trustee shall place an appropriate notation on the Note about the
changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively,  if the Company or the
Trustee so determines,  the Company in exchange for the Note shall issue and the
Trustee shall authenticate a new Note that reflects the changed terms.

Section 9.06.     Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

         Subject to  Section  7.02(b),  the  Trustee  shall sign any  amendment,
supplement  or waiver  authorized  pursuant  to this  Article if the  amendment,
supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights,  duties,  liabilities
or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may but need not

                                                        52

<PAGE>



sign  it.  In  signing  or  refusing  to sign  such  amendment  or  supplemental
indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and shall be fully protected
in  relying  upon,  an  Officers'  Certificate  and an  Opinion  of  Counsel  as
conclusive evidence that such amendment or supplemental  indenture is authorized
or permitted by this Indenture,  that it is not inconsistent  herewith, and that
it will be valid and binding upon the Company in accordance with its terms.


                                   ARTICLE TEN

                                  Miscellaneous

Section 10.01.             Trust Indenture Act Controls.

         If any provision of this Indenture limits,  qualifies or conflicts with
another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA,
the required provision shall control.

Section 10.02.             Notices.

         Any order, consent, notice or communication shall be sufficiently given
if in writing and  delivered  in person or mailed by first  class mail,  postage
prepaid, addressed as follows:

         if to the Company:

                  M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
                  3600 South Yosemite
                  Suite 900
                  Denver, CO 80237
                  Telecopy No.: (303) 793-2760
                  Attention:  Chief Financial Officer

         if to the Trustee:

                  U.S. Bank National Association
                  First Trust Center
                  180 East 5th Street
                  St. Paul, MN  55101
                  Telecopy No.: (612) 244-0711
                  Attention:  Kathe Barrett, Corporate Finance Department

and

                  First Trust National Association/New York
                  100 Wall Street, Suite 2000
                  New York, New York  1005


                                                        53

<PAGE>



         The  Company  or the  Trustee  by notice  to the  other  may  designate
additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

         Any notice or  communication  mailed to a Holder shall be mailed to him
by first  class mail at his address as it appears on the  registration  books of
the  Registrar  and shall be  sufficiently  given to him if so mailed within the
time prescribed.

         Failure to mail a notice or  communication to a Holder or any defect in
it shall not affect its sufficiency  with respect to other Holders.  If a notice
or  communication  is mailed in the manner  provided  above,  it is duly  given,
whether or not the addressee receives it except that notice to the Trustee shall
only be effective upon receipt thereof by the Trustee.

         If the Company mails notice or communications to the Holders,  it shall
mail a copy to the Trustee at the same time.

Section 10.03.             Communications by Holders with Other Holders.

         Holders  may  communicate  pursuant  to TIA  Section  312(b) with other
Holders  with respect to their  rights  under this  Indenture or the Notes.  The
Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of
TIA Section 312(c).

Section 10.04.             Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

         Upon any request or  application  by the Company to the Trustee to take
any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

         (a) an Officers'  Certificate  (which shall include the  statements set
forth in  Section  10.05)  stating  that,  in the  opinion of the  signers,  all
conditions  precedent,  if any,  provided for in this Indenture  relating to the
proposed action have been complied with; and

         (b) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth
in  Section  10.05)  stating  that,  in the  opinion of such  counsel,  all such
conditions  precedent  and  covenants,   compliance  with  which  constitutes  a
condition  precedent,  if any,  provided for in this  Indenture  relating to the
proposed  action or inaction,  have been  complied with and that any such action
does not conflict with the terms hereof.

Section 10.05.             Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

         Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition
or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

     (a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read
such covenant or condition;


                                                        54

<PAGE>



     (b) a brief  statement  as to the  nature and scope of the  examination  or
investigation   upon  which  the  statements  or  opinions   contained  in  such
certificate or opinion are based;

         (c) a statement  that, in the opinion of such person,  he has made such
examination  or  investigation  as is  necessary  to enable  him to  express  an
informed  opinion as to  whether  or not such  covenant  or  condition  has been
complied with; and

     (d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such  person,  such
condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 10.06.             Rules by Trustee and Agents.

         The  Trustee  may make  reasonable  rules for action by or a meeting of
Holders.  The  Registrar  or  Paying  Agent  may make  reasonable  rules for its
functions.

Section 10.07.             Legal Holidays.

         A "Legal Holiday" is a Saturday,  a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day on
which banking  institutions  in Denver,  Colorado or New York,  New York are not
required to be open. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment,
payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal
Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
A "Business Day" is any day other than a Legal Holiday.

Section 10.08.             Governing Law.

         The laws of the State of New York shall govern this  Indenture  and the
Notes.

Section 10.09.             No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

         This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture,  loan or
debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary.  Any such indenture, loan or debt
agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 10.10.             No Recourse Against Others.

         All  liability  described in paragraph 12 of the Notes of any director,
officer,  employee  or  stockholder,  as such,  of the  Company  is  waived  and
released.

Section 10.11.             Successors and Assigns.

         All covenants and  agreements of the Company in this  Indenture and the
Notes shall bind its  successors  and assigns.  All agreements of the Trustee in
this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns.


                                                        55

<PAGE>



Section 10.12.             Duplicate Originals.

         The  parties  may sign any  number of copies  of this  Indenture.  Each
signed copy shall be an original,  but all of them  together  represent the same
agreement.


                                                        56

<PAGE>



Section 10.13.             Severability.

         In case any one or more of the  provisions  contained in this Indenture
or in the  Notes  shall  for  any  reason  be  held to be  invalid,  illegal  or
unenforceable in any respect,  such invalidity,  illegality or  unenforceability
shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of the Notes.

                  SIGNATURES

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly
executed, all as of the date first above written.

Dated:  January 28, 1998              M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.


                                      By: /s/
                                      Name:
                                      Title:


Dated:  January 28, 1998              U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee
                                      By: /s/
                                      Name:
                                      Title:



                                                        57

<PAGE>



                                    Exhibit A

                  THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL  SECURITY  WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE
INDENTURE  HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITORY
OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITORY  OR A SUCCESSOR  DEPOSITORY.  THIS  SECURITY IS NOT
EXCHANGEABLE  FOR  SECURITIES  REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE
DEPOSITORY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED  CIRCUMSTANCES  DESCRIBED IN THE
INDENTURE,  AND NO  TRANSFER  OF THIS  SECURITY  (OTHER  THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS
SECURITY AS A WHOLE BY THE  DEPOSITORY  TO A NOMINEE OF THE  DEPOSITORY  OR BY A
NOMINEE  OF  THE  DEPOSITORY  TO  THE  DEPOSITORY  OR  ANOTHER  NOMINEE  OF  THE
DEPOSITORY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED  CIRCUMSTANCES  DESCRIBED IN
THE INDENTURE.

                  UNLESS  THIS   CERTIFICATE   IS  PRESENTED  BY  AN  AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION  ("DTC"),
TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,  EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT,
AND ANY  CERTIFICATE  ISSUED IS  REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH
OTHER  NAME AS IS  REQUESTED  BY AN  AUTHORIZED  REPRESENTATIVE  OF DTC (AND ANY
PAYMENT  IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH  OTHER  ENTITY AS IS  REQUESTED  BY AN
AUTHORIZED  REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR
VALUE OR  OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL  INASMUCH AS THE  REGISTERED
OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.


                             CUSIP No.: 552676 AL 2


                          8 3/8% Senior Notes due 2008


                              M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.
                             a Delaware corporation


#369490
                                       A-1

<PAGE>





                              M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.
                             a Delaware corporation

                               promises to pay to

                                   Cede & Co.

                              or registered assigns
                      the principal sum of $175,000,000 on
                                February 1, 2008.


                          8 3/8% Senior Notes due 2008

                      Interest Payment Dates: February 1, and August 1
                      Record Dates:           January 15 and July 15




Dated:  January 28, 1998

                                                           M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.



                                                           By___________________
                                                           Title:



                                                           By___________________
                                                           Title:


#369490
                                       A-2

<PAGE>




U.S. Bank National Association,
as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the
Notes referred to in the within mentioned
Indenture.

By: ____________________________

- --------------------------------


Authorized Signatory


#369490
                                       A-3

<PAGE>




                              M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.
                               8 3/8% Senior Notes

1.       Interest.

         M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC. (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation, promises
to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at the rate per annum shown
above. The Company will pay interest  semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of
each year until the principal is paid or made available for payment. Interest on
the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which  interest has been paid
or duly  provided for or, if no interest  has been paid,  from January 28, 1998;
provided that, if there is no existing  default in the payment of interest,  and
if this Note is  authenticated  between a record  date  referred  to on the face
hereof and the next succeeding interest payment date, interest shall accrue from
such interest payment date.  Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day
year of twelve 30-day months.

2.       Method of Payment.

         The Company will pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted  interest,
if any, which will be paid on such special  payment date to Holders of record on
such  special  record  date as may be fixed  by the  Company)  on each  Interest
Payment Date to the persons who are registered  Holders of Notes at the close of
business on the January 15 and July 15 preceding  such  Interest  Payment  Date.
Holders must surrender  Notes to a Paying Agent to collect  principal  payments.
The Company will pay  principal  and interest in money of the United States that
at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

3.       Paying Agent and Registrar.

         Initially,  U.S. Bank National  Association (the "Trustee") will act as
Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Company may change or appoint any Paying Agent,
Registrar or co-Registrar without notice. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries
may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar.

4.       Indenture.

         The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of January 28,
1998 ("Indenture")  between the Company and the Trustee.  The terms of the Notes
include  those stated in the  Indenture  and those made part of the Indenture by
reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 ("TIA") as in effect on the date of
the Indenture. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred
to the Indenture and the Act for a statement of them.

     The Company  will  furnish to any Holder upon  written  request and without
charge a copy of the Indenture.  Requests may be made to: M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.,
3600 S. Yosemite, Suite 900, Denver, Colorado 80237, Attention: Secretary.


#369490
                                       A-4

<PAGE>



5.       Optional Redemption.

         The Notes will be redeemable at the option of the Company,  in whole or
in part,  at any time on or after  February 1, 2003,  at the  redemption  prices
(expressed  as a percentage of principal  amount) set forth below,  plus accrued
and unpaid interest thereon,  if any, to the redemption date, if redeemed during
the 12-month period beginning on February 1 of the years indicated below:

                                                                      REDEMPTION
YEAR                                                                       PRICE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2003................................................................... 104.188%
2004................................................................... 102.792%
2005................................................................... 101.396%
2006 and thereafter............................................ 100.000%

         In  addition,  prior to February 1, 2001,  the Company may redeem up to
33% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes issued under the Indenture at
a  redemption  price equal to 108.375% of the  principal  amount of the Notes so
redeemed,  plus accrued and unpaid interest  thereon,  if any, to the redemption
date  with  the net  cash  proceeds  of one or  more  Public  Equity  Offerings;
provided,  however, that (x) at least $125,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
the Notes would remain  outstanding  immediately after giving effect to any such
redemption  (excluding any Notes held by the Company) and (y) notice of any such
redemption is given within 60 days of the applicable Public Equity Offering.

         Notice of redemption  will be mailed at least 15 days but not more than
60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at his
registered address. Notes in denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in
part. On and after the redemption  date,  interest  ceases to accrue on Notes or
portions  of them called for  redemption;  provided,  that if the Company  shall
default  in the  payment  of such Note at the  redemption  price  together  with
accrued  interest,  interest  shall  continue to accrue at the rate borne by the
Notes.

6.       Denominations, Transfer, Exchange.

         The Notes are in registered  form without coupons in  denominations  of
$1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000. A Holder may transfer or exchange Notes
by presentation of such Notes to the Registrar or a co-Registrar  with a request
to register the transfer or to exchange  them for an equal  principal  amount of
Notes of other  denominations.  The Registrar may require a Holder,  among other
things, to furnish  appropriate  endorsements and transfer  documents and to pay
any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture.  The Registrar
need not  transfer or exchange  any Note  selected  for  redemption,  except the
unredeemed part thereof if the Note is redeemed in part, or transfer or exchange
any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed.


#369490
                                       A-5

<PAGE>



7.       Persons Deemed Owners.

         The registered  Holder of this Note shall be treated as the owner of it
for all purposes.

8.       Unclaimed Money.

         If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for
two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent will pay the money back to the Company at
its request.  After that, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company
for payment unless an abandoned property law designates another person.

9.       Amendment, Supplement, Waiver.

         Subject  to  certain  exceptions,  the  Indenture  or the  Notes may be
amended or  supplemented  with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority
in principal amount of the outstanding  Notes and any past default or compliance
with any provision relating to the Notes may be waived in a particular  instance
with the  consent  of the  Holders  of a  majority  in  principal  amount of the
outstanding  Notes.  Without  the  consent of any  Holder,  the  Company and the
Trustee  may  amend  or  supplement  the  Indenture  or the  Notes  to cure  any
ambiguity,  defect or  inconsistency,  to provide  for  uncertificated  Notes in
addition  to or in place of  certificated  Notes,  or to make any other  change,
provided such action does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder.

10.      Change of Control.

         In the event that a Change of Control  Triggering  Event (as defined in
Section 4.11 of the Indenture) has occurred, each Holder will have the right, at
such  Holder's  option,  subject  to the terms and  conditions  set forth in the
Indenture,  to require the Company to repurchase in the manner  specified in the
Indenture,  all or any part (in integral  multiples of $1,000) of such  Holder's
Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal  amount  thereof,  plus
accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase.

11.      Successor Corporation.

         When  a  successor  corporation  assumes  all  the  obligations  of its
predecessor under the Notes and the Indenture,  the predecessor corporation will
be released from those obligations.

12.      Trustee Dealings With Company.

         U.S. Bank National Association, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its
individual or any other  capacity,  may make loans to, accept deposits from, and
perform services for the Company or its Affiliates,  and may otherwise deal with
the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not Trustee.


#369490
                                       A-6

<PAGE>



13.      No Recourse Against Others.

         A director,  officer, employee or stockholder,  as such, of the Company
shall not have any liability for any  obligations of the Company under the Notes
or the  Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of, such
obligations  or their  creation.  Each  Holder by  accepting  a Note  waives and
releases  all  such   liability.   The  waiver  and  release  are  part  of  the
consideration for the issue of the Notes.

14.      Discharge of Indenture.

         The Indenture  contains  certain  provisions  pertaining to defeasance,
which  provisions  shall for all  purposes  have the same effect as if set forth
herein.

15.      Authentication.

         This Note shall not be valid until the Trustee signs the certificate of
authentication on the other side of this Note.

16.      Abbreviations.

         Customary  abbreviations  may be used in the  name  of a  Holder  or an
assignee,  such as:  TEN COM (= tenants  in  common),  TEN ENT (= tenants by the
entireties),  JT TEN (= joint  tenants  with  right of  survivorship  and not as
tenants in common),  CUST (= custodian),  and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors
Act).



#369490
                                       A-7

<PAGE>



                                 ASSIGNMENT FORM

         If you, the Holder, want to assign this Note, fill in the form below:

         I or we assign and transfer this Note to:

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       (Insert assignee's social security or tax ID number)


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Print or type assignee's name, address, and zip code)

and irrevocably appoint:

     
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
agent  to  transfer  this  Note on the  books  of the  Company.  The  agent  may
substitute another to act for him.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: ________________                                           Your signature:
- -------------------------------
                                                   (Sign exactly as your name
                                                    appears on
                                                    the other side of this Note)

Signature
Guarantee:___________________________________________________________

                               SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

Signatures must be guaranteed by an "eligible guarantor institution" meeting the
requirements  of  the  Registrar,   which  requirements  include  membership  or
participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program ("STAMP") or such
other  "signature  guarantee  program" as may be  determined by the Registrar in
addition  to,  or in  substitution  for,  STAMP,  all  in  accordance  with  the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.



#369490
                                                         1

<PAGE>



                       OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

        If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant
to Sections 4.11 or 4.12 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box:

[_]  Section 4.11  [_]  Section 4.12

         If you  want to elect  to have  only  part of this  Note  purchased  by
theCompany  pursuant to Sections 4.11 or 4.12 of the Indenture,  as the case may
be, state the amount you want to be purchased: $________


Date:  ________________ Signature: ______________________
                           (Sign exactly as your
                           name appears on the
                           other side of this Note)



Signature Guarantee:  ___________________________________

                               SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

Signatures must be guaranteed by an "eligible guarantor institution" meeting the
requirements  of  the  Registrar,   which  requirements  include  membership  or
participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program ("STAMP") or such
other  "signature  guarantee  program" as may be  determined by the Registrar in
addition  to,  or in  substitution  for,  STAMP,  all  in  accordance  with  the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


#369490
                                                         2

<PAGE>


<PAGE> 
  1
                                                                    Exhibit 25.1

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                 ------------

                                   FORM T-1

                      Statement of Eligibility Under the
                 Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of a Corporation
                         Designated to Act as Trustee


                       FIRST TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
              (Exact name of Trustee as specified in its charter)

               United States                          41-0257700
       (State of Incorporation)             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

            First Trust Center
         180 East Fifth Street
          St. Paul, Minnesota                              55101
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                (Zip Code)


                              M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
            (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                   84-0622967
     (State of Incorporation)               (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)


   3600 S. Yosemite Street
   Suite 900
   Denver, Colorado                                       80237
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                (Zip Code)



                   8 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2008
                      (Title of the Indenture Securities)
<PAGE>
   2
                                    GENERAL

1.    GENERAL INFORMATION.  Furnish the following information as to the Trustee.

      (a)   Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which
            it is subject.
                  Comptroller of the Currency
                  Washington, D.C.

      (b)   Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.
                  Yes

2.    AFFILIATIONS WITH OBLIGOR AND UNDERWRITERS.  If the obligor or any
      underwriter for the obligor is an affiliate of the Trustee, describe 
      each such affiliation.

            None

            See Note following Item 16.

      Items 3-15 are not applicable because to the best of the Trustee's
      knowledge the obligor is not in default under any Indenture for which the
      Trustee acts as Trustee.

16.   LIST OF EXHIBITS.  List below all exhibits filed as a part of this 
      statement of eligibility and qualification.

      1.    Copy of Articles of Association.*

      2.    Copy of Certificate of Authority to Commence Business.*

      3.    Authorization of the Trustee to exercise corporate trust powers
            (included in Exhibits 1 and 2; no separate instrument).*

      4.    Copy of existing By-Laws.*

      5.    Copy of each Indenture referred to in Item 4.  N/A

      6.    The consents of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the act.

      7.    Copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published
            pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining
            authority is incorporated by reference to Registration Number
            333-34585.

      *Incorporated by reference to Registration Number 22-27000.
<PAGE> 
  3
                                     NOTE

      The answers to this statement insofar as such answers relate to what
persons have been underwriters for any securities of the obligor within three
years prior to the date of filing this statement, or what persons are owners of
10% or more of the voting securities of the obligor, or affiliates, are based
upon information furnished to the Trustee by the obligors. While the Trustee has
no reason to doubt the accuracy of any such information, it cannot accept any
responsibility therefor.


                                   SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the
Trustee, First Trust National Association, an Association organized and existing
under the laws of the United States, has duly caused this statement of
eligibility and qualification to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, and its seal to be hereunto affixed and attested, all
in the City of Saint Paul and State of Minnesota on the 30th day of October,
1997.

                        FIRST TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION



                                /s/ Kathe M. Barrett
                                ---------------------
                                    Kathe M. Barrett
                                    Trust Officer


/s/ Eve D. Kaplan
- - -------------------
Eve D. Kaplan
Assistant Secretary
<PAGE>
   4
                                   EXHIBIT 6

                                    CONSENT

      In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the
undersigned, FIRST TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION hereby consents that reports of
examination of the undersigned by Federal, State, Territorial or District
authorities may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange
Commission upon its request therefor.

Dated:  October 30, 1997            FIRST TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION



                                      /s/  Kathe M. Barrett
                                      ----------------------
                                           Kathe M. Barrett
                                           Trust Officer



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