Comments:

This is my third house but first new home buying experience. I learned much from this. I will start with the builders realtor. She was fired by her boss before I settled and he took over her accounts. I was stuck with the main realtor that only wanted me to close and was not willing to help out at all. In the beginning I was told that I would receive $3000 from the builder for upgrades and what not but that I was also responsible for the interest the builder incurred on the loan he took our for the building materials. The cost was $2500. The realtor, before she was fired told me that was how builders lured potential home buyers in. She denied it after the fact when I brought it up to her boss and the builder. Next is the problem with the master bath. I did not want the expensive upgrade to the whirpooltub ($4500) and asked for a basic shower/tub combo. What I got was a 3x3 shower stall and a very big, very empty master bath. The realtor tried to tell me that I did not want the bathtub and if I did I would have to drop about $1200 of my own money to get one. After arguing wiht him for a couple of weeks I dropped it. Now for the builder. The biggest problem was with the foreman. Missed appointments and failed promises were common. Next is my basement. I had Superior Walls installed for an extra $2500. I figured if an outside company installed my foundation the at least the core of the house would be ok. The basemant walls looked great until the plumber arrived. He knocked three big holes in my wall to get just the right place for the sewer line. After many attempts to get them to fix it before I moved in they finally decided to about 2 days before settlement. I also got the the builder to honor the warranty on that wall equal to Superior Walls. Next the kitchen. 2 days before settlement I noticed that only half of the cabinets were installed. The blueprints they had were totally different than what I had. After some complaining the kitchen was corrected. These are only a few of the problems I have had with this process. Many of the problems I was able to correct during or after the build. Builders will only build to the minimum of what they have to, to get you in. These problems only represent a small portion of what others in my neighborhood have had with this builder. What I have learned though is before you start the build retain a lawyer. The payment he or she will receive will be from the settlement. Also make sure you can visit the site as much as possible during the build to make spot inspections. Most builders hire subcontractors to do the labor and rarely have someone certify the work. I highly recommend hiring a home inspector to check the process throuhgout. The cost will be worth it in the long run and just knowing someone is working for you will give you some comfort during this stressful time. DON'T EVER TRUST YOUR BUILDER TO BE HONEST WITH YOU! They only want your money. You need to make sure they are held accountable for every mistake that is made. A good site to is www.nahb.org. It is a very informative site about how to deal with builders before going the legal route.