is there any website that gives the rating of builders or discuss about the quality of their builts or is there any home buyers forums. Some builders in my area like centex homes, statdard pacific and KB homes sell pretty nice looking homes for cheap, I was woundering whats the life of these homes...
1st time home buyer
- Thread starter andy04
- Start date
When I as looking KB tends to be a little more pricey, but they usually make more upscale neighborhoods. Centex is pretty good and they have CTX Mortage, which is a really good company to use. The Centex homes though do tend to be more of a starter home, they offer less upgrade options, but are still solidly built. This is all in North Texas for reference.
Get some cash back from your agent if you're buying a new home.
How it works: talk/negotiate with your agent about getting 50% of his commission. Shop around if he doesn't know what you're talking about.
You pick the home. He just show's up when the paperwork is signed and home delivered.
I got over 4k back from mine on a 250k home. It's taxable at end of year as 1099 (i think).
Not a gimmick...it's real.
How it works: talk/negotiate with your agent about getting 50% of his commission. Shop around if he doesn't know what you're talking about.
You pick the home. He just show's up when the paperwork is signed and home delivered.
I got over 4k back from mine on a 250k home. It's taxable at end of year as 1099 (i think).
Not a gimmick...it's real.
ViviTheMage
Lifer
Are you set on new? Better value in some older homes. Stuff built before the 80's is usually better quality too.
lupi
Lifer
- Apr 8, 2001
- 32,539
- 260
- 126
PM me later. Mine was a late middle age lady whom while still maintaining her name under a large real estate firm has made enough money so she is doing mostly previous clients and referals only.
BTW, not sure how prices are in Pitt, but here be prepared to pay premium for marginal. House (and property) prices have shot up drastically since 2002 to the point where local city governments are actually capping real estate taxes. Like mine has doubled in value since I bought in 2001.
I have zerod in on one vacent lot in a builer's community, so when do I have to bring in this agent? I am ready to pay the initial fees to book the lot. But i will be closing after 4 6 months from now. Do i bring him in now or can i bring him in later too, coz I am planning to do the initial paperwork in a day or two and the agent i talked to is out of town for the week
Gooberlx2
Lifer
- May 4, 2001
- 15,381
- 6
- 91
I remember Centex having a bad rep in the Denver area, KB was middle-of-the-road in quality, but kinda pricey for what you get, and Oakwood was the best of both worlds.
I'll hopefully be looking for a home later this year where I live now in FL (Vero Beach). Prices here have plummeted and with interest rates being so low, I think it's going to be a good time to buy, provided I can find a decent enough area (i.e. not neighborhoods made up of a mixture of nicely built two story houses with double-wides and parking-lot-lawns next door).
I'll hopefully be looking for a home later this year where I live now in FL (Vero Beach). Prices here have plummeted and with interest rates being so low, I think it's going to be a good time to buy, provided I can find a decent enough area (i.e. not neighborhoods made up of a mixture of nicely built two story houses with double-wides and parking-lot-lawns next door).
Be careful with newly-built properties. These often command a significant price-premium. Not only that, but you may also find that the developers have tried to maximize profits:
Rooms smaller, so the property can be advertised as having more rooms;
reduced clearance between neighboring properties, so that more homes can be built on the same land.
Cheapest possible 'hidden' fittings - e.g. HVAC, water heating, etc. which may have inadequate performance
Lots of nooks, crannies, ledges, etc. where the room goes around obstructions like the building frame - whereas previously, the frame would go between rooms, and the rooms would have flat walls, albeit thick ones. You'd be amazed at how difficult this can make installation of curtains, wardrobes, etc.
I've seen examples of all of these: 'bedrooms' that were so small, you could not put a single bed in without removing the door.
Houses so close together that if you wanted to move a bicycle into the back-garden, you'd have to do it through the house because it wouldn't go around.
3 bedroom apartments, with 'off-peak' discounted electricity water heating, but only a 130 litre hot-water tank. The heater spent more time on 'full-price override' than in normal mode.
You may want to look more closely at older properties - these are often much cheaper, have bigger rooms, and if there is someone living there, you get an impression of how the rooms can be furnished.
Rooms smaller, so the property can be advertised as having more rooms;
reduced clearance between neighboring properties, so that more homes can be built on the same land.
Cheapest possible 'hidden' fittings - e.g. HVAC, water heating, etc. which may have inadequate performance
Lots of nooks, crannies, ledges, etc. where the room goes around obstructions like the building frame - whereas previously, the frame would go between rooms, and the rooms would have flat walls, albeit thick ones. You'd be amazed at how difficult this can make installation of curtains, wardrobes, etc.
I've seen examples of all of these: 'bedrooms' that were so small, you could not put a single bed in without removing the door.
Houses so close together that if you wanted to move a bicycle into the back-garden, you'd have to do it through the house because it wouldn't go around.
3 bedroom apartments, with 'off-peak' discounted electricity water heating, but only a 130 litre hot-water tank. The heater spent more time on 'full-price override' than in normal mode.
You may want to look more closely at older properties - these are often much cheaper, have bigger rooms, and if there is someone living there, you get an impression of how the rooms can be furnished.
SarcasticDwarf
Diamond Member
- Jun 8, 2001
- 9,574
- 2
- 76
If you are looking at a new home the absolute best thing you can do is to inspect the house as it is being built.
Here's what to do:
Find a general contractor, one who does electrical work, framing, everything. Call them up and tell them that you are having a house built and that you want to have someone look it over a couple of times (during different stages of construction). Sure, this will probably run you about a grand, but they are almost guaranteed to find problems that you would never have seen until years down the road.
Here's what to do:
Find a general contractor, one who does electrical work, framing, everything. Call them up and tell them that you are having a house built and that you want to have someone look it over a couple of times (during different stages of construction). Sure, this will probably run you about a grand, but they are almost guaranteed to find problems that you would never have seen until years down the road.
Gooberlx2
Lifer
- May 4, 2001
- 15,381
- 6
- 91
QFT. My friend has a house townhouse in Denver where the builder put all the heat vents coming out of the ceiling to save money. Thankfully the neighborhood won a suit and the builder is being forced to reinstall the heat vents, but what a stupid way to do things in the first place. They also fitted all the homes with what must be the absolute worst water heaters and furnaces available. Needless to say, his utility bills for the winter months so far have been atrocious.
waggy
No Lifer
- Dec 14, 2000
- 68,143
- 10
- 81
yeap. a builder here got nailed for shady crap like that.
they would build these huge houses but they were cheaply made. the windows they installed would fall out of the house within 5 years etc. the water heates/heaters/AC units were so under powered they would have to be replaced. they also used the cheapest materials they could get. heck some were borderline illegal.
one of the tricks they did is scoop out the backyard so the basement has a exit so they can increase footage. that way they can say they have a 2500-3500 sqft house but the basement is usless (leaky, not heated etc).
they were taken to court and the ORGINAL owner was gevin a warentee for like 10 years. BUT it was not transferable. Many houses were sold so the new owners are screwed. And the orginal owners are having a hard time selling the house.
seen one house that was $300k new go for $175k. they have just to many problems for peopel to take the risk.
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