Comments:

Americas Home Place - Builder to the sucker nation

OMG!! Don't ever trust a builder to have your best interests at heart. They are interested in completing the house at the lowest cost, no matter what the condition. Luckily I was unemployed throughout construction and was able to spend EVERY day with the contractors, and yes, they came back over and over to repair/replace items. I am 90% satisfied with the home, but no thanks to Americas Home Place!! My main gripe is the promise of proper landscaping, and the undersized A/C Unit (It's freaking hot in here! - 3 ton unit for a 2800 sf home!! - Although an independant company that I paid said that was the recommended size, and yet I sweat in the main living area...)

Comments:

I chose this builder based on the testomoneys of past cliants as well as info on their web site. I made a poor choice. After getting pre-qualified on the site for financeing I did not hear from AHP or any of the mortage people for 4 months. When I did get in touch with their mortgage company I was told I was all approved and they had been waiting for AHP to do their thing. What made this most diffacult for us was that AHP decided to build my home from an office in valdosta Ga. rather in Fl where we lived and where our land was located. Our home at the time was 3.5 hours south of the building site. We got Pre aproved in Sept. of 03 We signed the contract in Jan 04. The company did not break ground untill Oct. 04. Meanwhile we had listed Our home in StPete for sale and had a contract pending to close in Oct. With nowhere to live when the sale closed. I Have worked in the building trades for years and know alittle about each phase of home construction. After being told that there was progress being made on our construction and then driving 3.5 hours N. only to find nothing had been done at least 5 diferent times the company finally dug out the footers. I saw what they had done before inspection and called the Superentedant to tell him it was not right and NOT to call in for inspection. They called - it failed, 3 different times. Lack of on site supervision by AHP. When they fineally got the ok to poor concrete someone forgot to put in some rebar that was sposed to tie in the block. Another 2 week delay while the found a guy to come out and drill holes in the footer and GLUE in the rods that should have been embeded in the concrete. Afetr yet another 3 weeks the guys showed up to lay the block without any blue prints. During this mess Our home had sold and we were homeless a yr after siginig up with AHP. I bought a 30' Coachman and pulled it onto the land and we lived in it for over 9 months while we watched AHP make one blunder afetr another. The next feasco was the crew that built the floor structure. The guys flattened the steel straps that were to tie the house to the foundation.When the framed up the house there was no way to tie it together to the foundation. Another month long delay while the got a guy to drill holes in the block and install redhead anchors to tie the sill plate down to the foundation. After that they had to go back and install all hurricane straping that is required in Fla. This was sposed to be done during the framing part of the construction. This type of thing went on throught the entire job. Most of it could have been avoided if the Super came out more than 2 times a month. I could go on and on. If ya want to see more look up the post in Google. Botom line is that we moved into the home without AHP's aprovel as soon as I got the C.O. from the building dept. We have been in a legal battle for 3 months over the final draw on the construction loan.The workman ship is poor at best. Doors dont open and close right, Floors creek walls are crooked. They sealed up a plumbing leak inside of a bathroom wall after I told them it was there and let it go untill mold started growing on the outside of the wall. AHP sent a handy man guy to cut a hole in the wall the plumber came back and fixed the leak. 3 weeks later a drywall guy came and patched the hole but no one ever finished it. The painters showed up a month late and then when they were told that the plumbers and the elect.guys were due back in 2 days to trim out they walked off the job leaving my wife and I to completely paint the home in 2 days. (We were still charged for paint and labor). In closing. I rate this company poor. The subs they use are all Low dollar bids the material is the cheepest on the market. The office staff while nice enough folks rate incompant. the feild supervisors lie and tell ya what ya want to hear.and it seems like the upper management suports them in what the due. My advise is buyer beware!