Builder has no quality control, he is a building broker, subs out all work to sub-contractors. Has only 1 employee who is unable to over see all construction being preformed by various sub-contractors on muitlple homes being constructed.
During the home construction I visited my home after work 3-4 times per week to insure quality assurance. However the workers got upset when I visited the project site wearing my official Government hard hat and carrying a clip board & digital camera to take notes and photos of the work. The president of Alaskan Homes (edited) had me removed from the construction site. Even after I discovered several probems; (light fixtures mixed up, installed in the wrong locations, Incorrect kitchen appliances delivered to the home, plumber almost installed the incorrect type of wash basin in the bathroom, etc.). The builder would not inform me on the progress of my home, so I was forced to make site visits and perform my own inspections. I have over 20 years of construction experience with military construction projects including military family housing projects. The builder did not want me to be around during the construction process, Was he trying to hide something from me?
This builder does not use a 3rd party construction warranty, he provides his own warranty. The warranty is difficult to enforce and has many exclusions all in favor of the builder. The warranty requires the homeowner to go through mediation / arbitriation with the Anchorage Home Builders Association. Surprise, Mr. (edited) of Alaska Homes was the former president of the Anchorage Home Builders Association and all his friends are on the Association Board. Also he is currently the Anchorage Home Builders Association Spokesperson / Representative at the Anchorage Assembly public meetings concerning legislation of home builders and developers. If you take a warranty problem to mediation / arbitration, guess who they will rule in favor of, certainly not the homeowner?
I had a problem with vibrating pipes in the home which took several months to resolve. Several phone calls, one meeting at my home, 2 letters certified mail before he got the plumbing sub-contractor out to my home to correct the problem.
My neighbor had a dead tree installed by the land scaping sub-contractor, it took 3-4 phone calls to Alaskan Homes to get the dead tree replaced. Another neighbor has 3 dead trees in his yard, I wonder how many phone calls to Alaskan Homes will be required to correct this? The builder forgot to install 2 windows in the garage of another neighbor's home. The builder promised to install the 2 windows, it has been over 6 months and my neighbor is still waiting for his windows. The neighbor gave up and is not expecting any windows for his garage.
Last week I noticed a section of exterior vinyl siding was loose on the second floor side wall. I will get faster results if I took out my 24 ft. extension ladder and my staple gun and fix it my self, less than 1 hour of my time. Then making phone calls and writing letters to the builder to get his vinyl siding sub-contractor out to my house for warranty work.
Once this builder gets your $$$$, you are on your own, do not expect him to return for warranty work.
Although I paid over $200k for the new house and had no quality control by the builder, I wonder how much more quality control will the new home owners will get at Alaskan Homes new project in South Anchorage selling in the $300k to $350k range.
Also the Builder's wife acts as the seller's realtor and is not disclosed unless questioned. (Conflict of Interest?)
The builder and his wife were the previous members of the executive board of the new homeowners association with authority to sign checks and disburse funds. After all the homes in the project were sold the new homeowners took control of the association. There was a charge of $611.10 for trash service which was authorized by the previous executive board members and paid. I questioned this, since the homeowners have individual trash service and the management company was unable to provide an explaination. (do I smell fraud here?). Were the homeowners association charged for Builder's construction trash service for the construction trash dumpsters?
