KB, Pulte, McMillin, Centex, SP, Lennar….best? worst? thoughts?

[Bunny Meadows]

I’m new to the world of builders and new home construction.

When I spoke to a friend up in Livermore (I think the Bay Area’s answer to Wildomar) about Pulte, she told me to find a website called, “Friends don’t let friends buy from Pulte.” She said they have a terrible reputation, don’t build quality product, etc.

I’ve heard the same thing about Centex, Lennar, SP, etc. Everyone seems to have a horror story. I have yet to hear someone say, “Our builder was just the greatest!”

Any personal stories out there about these guys? Anyone to avoid? Or are there builders who really do a great job?

Thanks,
Bunny

[barnaby33]

I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.

That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.

Josh

[mixxalot]

Older homes better construction

My sisters hubby works in the construction trades and was telling me that homes built in the 1970-1980’s are more solid than new homes built.

[golfproz]

I have a friend that is a supervisor with a large construction company. His company has built for all the major builders. He told me consistently KB is the worst. They focus on 90 days, don’t care how you get there but it better not take longer than 90 days. As far as the other ones he seems to think it depends on the development. Since most all of the actual construction work is sub’d out it really depends on how good the guys were that did the work on that particular tract. His advise is to ALWAYS get a inspection on new homes.

[svelte]

Word on the streets in the 90s was the McMillan and Fieldstone were pretty good, not sure how they are now.

We have a larger ’95 Ryland home and I’ve been pretty impressed with it. Where I’ve chopped into walls,etc for our remodel, I’ve found nice stuff where I would have expected a mass builder to scrimp.

One example of many: virtually every interior wall is stuffed chock full of insulation. I’m not even sure why a builder would do that, except perhaps for noise dampening?

[mydogsarelazy]

We have a KB home in Murrieta, purchased in 2003, escrow closed in 2004.

Here are some pluses and minuses:

On the negative side…

– Sales staff mis-informed us on some details, and pushed the use of KB Home Mortgage company which we avoided.

– You have to purchase a number of upgrades to get a decent house. For example, their standard carpeting is a nightmare.

On the plus side…

– We love the house. Great design, excellent low energy consumption as we paid for vinyl double-paned window and extra roof insulation. I would buy it again.

– KB has been fantastic in terms of responding to minor fixes needed during early warranty period. All issues were taken care of promptly, including one item we reported after our initial one year period on some items had expired. The company is very anxious to clean up their image, which they know has been soiled, particularly by problems and lawsuits in Texas.

– The house closed on time, and all upgrades and mods were exactly as we wanted.

– We had it privately inspected after escrow close and it came through very nicely, with only one small wiring issue needing attention.

JS

[Tuba]

I used to work for KB Home prior to my current career. It is true that KB Home does push the 90 day schedule, and pressure the homeowners to close within KB’s time frame (qtr numbers).But, the homes are built with quality up until you reach the finish stage. This is where the homeowners come into play with the homeowner walk prior to Close of Escrow. You go through every inch of the house room by room and you have the customer service rep document everything you see. This is extremely important, because KB’s and most other large builders have a policy to not close a home without that walk list being 100% complete and signed off by the homeowner. With that being said, just as the previous KB Homeowner stated, they will take care of you during the standard 1 year stucco to stucco warranty. Also, another note, where KB really makes their money is in the studio options you choose, where the other builders might give as standard.

Good luck, and thank god for SB800

Tuba

[Anonymous]

A National builder is only as good as it’s local workers are… To a point. The company must have transparent operations and good customer service to help you ensure that you will be buying a quality product.
In South Carolina, Centex has a very good name where KB and Beazer are not so esteemed. Lennar also has also gotten a bad rap as well.
I had been dealing with a Company called Keystone (out of Richmond va) that has the most evasive polices ever. They don’t allow private phase inspections. You are not allowed to talk to the builder or even know his name. They don’t do walkthroughs. Talking to them is like talking to the wall. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A COMPANY WITH SUCH POLICES AGAIN!
I ended up backing out of the deal as I noticed that they were not flashing the windows before they were set or in my interpretation- following the manufacturer instructions on the Tyvek that they charge you $1000 extra for. I didn’t trust them to fix it either.
This was the same company that argued with county building services that OSB board didn’t need a moisture barrier behind siding because of the thin wax coating that is applied to OSB! They lost that argument as there is only one siding company that does not require a moisture barrier.
One thing I learned is that when you buy in a new neighborhood you are not just buying into the problems of your house, but that of all the other homes in the neighborhood. Ask yourself= Do you really want to live in an area where all the other homes are falling apart?
The shoddy work of today, will become the slums of tomorrow.

[bearvine]

Builder Experience-

This is builder experience from homes we’ve been involved with in one way or another, amd only includes the tracts with over 100 homes.

In order for SoCal,

1. Pulte- in SoCal is definitely better that Pulte NoCal and Pulte Vegas, with national builders in SoCal Pulte is near the top.

2. Lennar- never had a problem, quick to assist, good quality

3. (tie)Shea- hit and miss depending on neighborhood, depends on who the supe was and the subs they hired. I guess that means their hiring practices are substandard

3. (tie)Mcmillin- middle of the road construction, materials not as nice as the two above. They don’t have the same buying power for materials as the nationals, and to compete price wise it shows in their construction

4. US Homes- prior to becoming part of Lennar, not so great. It shows in a lot of their older Temecula Redhawk homes.

5. K Hov- again, so so

6. DB Horton- whatever

7.t Richmond American- poor quality

7.t Centex (same as above)

8. KB- the bottom of the batch

[Anonymous]

Bearvine, what about Van Daele? How do they rate? They have some floorplans they use over and over that I particularly like.

Marion

[temeculaguy]

marion, Vandaele is a regional builder, I’d put them in the middle of the pack

bear, the lennar assumed tracts in redhwak were built by col-rich who lennar bought pretty much near the beginning to middle of those tracts, most of the backside of redhawk (St.Andrews, Augusta, Pinehurst), I don’t remember US home? Eagle point was continental, the fairways was richmond, Baratt, warmington and a few others each had a tract in the early nineties section closer to the waterfall. There are a few I don’t like and never looked at but I’ve been here forever and there are always signs, which area was u s home/lennar other than the ones I mentioned because I never saw lennar around here until about 1997.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, TG. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks, TG. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks, TG. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks, TG. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks, TG. 🙂

[temeculaguy]

marion, Vandaele is a regional builder, I’d put them in the middle of the pack

bear, the lennar assumed tracts in redhwak were built by col-rich who lennar bought pretty much near the beginning to middle of those tracts, most of the backside of redhawk (St.Andrews, Augusta, Pinehurst), I don’t remember US home? Eagle point was continental, the fairways was richmond, Baratt, warmington and a few others each had a tract in the early nineties section closer to the waterfall. There are a few I don’t like and never looked at but I’ve been here forever and there are always signs, which area was u s home/lennar other than the ones I mentioned because I never saw lennar around here until about 1997.

[temeculaguy]

marion, Vandaele is a regional builder, I’d put them in the middle of the pack

bear, the lennar assumed tracts in redhwak were built by col-rich who lennar bought pretty much near the beginning to middle of those tracts, most of the backside of redhawk (St.Andrews, Augusta, Pinehurst), I don’t remember US home? Eagle point was continental, the fairways was richmond, Baratt, warmington and a few others each had a tract in the early nineties section closer to the waterfall. There are a few I don’t like and never looked at but I’ve been here forever and there are always signs, which area was u s home/lennar other than the ones I mentioned because I never saw lennar around here until about 1997.

[temeculaguy]

marion, Vandaele is a regional builder, I’d put them in the middle of the pack

bear, the lennar assumed tracts in redhwak were built by col-rich who lennar bought pretty much near the beginning to middle of those tracts, most of the backside of redhawk (St.Andrews, Augusta, Pinehurst), I don’t remember US home? Eagle point was continental, the fairways was richmond, Baratt, warmington and a few others each had a tract in the early nineties section closer to the waterfall. There are a few I don’t like and never looked at but I’ve been here forever and there are always signs, which area was u s home/lennar other than the ones I mentioned because I never saw lennar around here until about 1997.

[temeculaguy]

marion, Vandaele is a regional builder, I’d put them in the middle of the pack

bear, the lennar assumed tracts in redhwak were built by col-rich who lennar bought pretty much near the beginning to middle of those tracts, most of the backside of redhawk (St.Andrews, Augusta, Pinehurst), I don’t remember US home? Eagle point was continental, the fairways was richmond, Baratt, warmington and a few others each had a tract in the early nineties section closer to the waterfall. There are a few I don’t like and never looked at but I’ve been here forever and there are always signs, which area was u s home/lennar other than the ones I mentioned because I never saw lennar around here until about 1997.

[Anonymous]

Bearvine, what about Van Daele? How do they rate? They have some floorplans they use over and over that I particularly like.

Marion

[Anonymous]

Bearvine, what about Van Daele? How do they rate? They have some floorplans they use over and over that I particularly like.

Marion

[Anonymous]

Bearvine, what about Van Daele? How do they rate? They have some floorplans they use over and over that I particularly like.

Marion

[Anonymous]

Bearvine, what about Van Daele? How do they rate? They have some floorplans they use over and over that I particularly like.

Marion

[bearvine]

Builder Experience-

This is builder experience from homes we’ve been involved with in one way or another, amd only includes the tracts with over 100 homes.

In order for SoCal,

1. Pulte- in SoCal is definitely better that Pulte NoCal and Pulte Vegas, with national builders in SoCal Pulte is near the top.

2. Lennar- never had a problem, quick to assist, good quality

3. (tie)Shea- hit and miss depending on neighborhood, depends on who the supe was and the subs they hired. I guess that means their hiring practices are substandard

3. (tie)Mcmillin- middle of the road construction, materials not as nice as the two above. They don’t have the same buying power for materials as the nationals, and to compete price wise it shows in their construction

4. US Homes- prior to becoming part of Lennar, not so great. It shows in a lot of their older Temecula Redhawk homes.

5. K Hov- again, so so

6. DB Horton- whatever

7.t Richmond American- poor quality

7.t Centex (same as above)

8. KB- the bottom of the batch

[bearvine]

Builder Experience-

This is builder experience from homes we’ve been involved with in one way or another, amd only includes the tracts with over 100 homes.

In order for SoCal,

1. Pulte- in SoCal is definitely better that Pulte NoCal and Pulte Vegas, with national builders in SoCal Pulte is near the top.

2. Lennar- never had a problem, quick to assist, good quality

3. (tie)Shea- hit and miss depending on neighborhood, depends on who the supe was and the subs they hired. I guess that means their hiring practices are substandard

3. (tie)Mcmillin- middle of the road construction, materials not as nice as the two above. They don’t have the same buying power for materials as the nationals, and to compete price wise it shows in their construction

4. US Homes- prior to becoming part of Lennar, not so great. It shows in a lot of their older Temecula Redhawk homes.

5. K Hov- again, so so

6. DB Horton- whatever

7.t Richmond American- poor quality

7.t Centex (same as above)

8. KB- the bottom of the batch

[bearvine]

Builder Experience-

This is builder experience from homes we’ve been involved with in one way or another, amd only includes the tracts with over 100 homes.

In order for SoCal,

1. Pulte- in SoCal is definitely better that Pulte NoCal and Pulte Vegas, with national builders in SoCal Pulte is near the top.

2. Lennar- never had a problem, quick to assist, good quality

3. (tie)Shea- hit and miss depending on neighborhood, depends on who the supe was and the subs they hired. I guess that means their hiring practices are substandard

3. (tie)Mcmillin- middle of the road construction, materials not as nice as the two above. They don’t have the same buying power for materials as the nationals, and to compete price wise it shows in their construction

4. US Homes- prior to becoming part of Lennar, not so great. It shows in a lot of their older Temecula Redhawk homes.

5. K Hov- again, so so

6. DB Horton- whatever

7.t Richmond American- poor quality

7.t Centex (same as above)

8. KB- the bottom of the batch

[bearvine]

Builder Experience-

This is builder experience from homes we’ve been involved with in one way or another, amd only includes the tracts with over 100 homes.

In order for SoCal,

1. Pulte- in SoCal is definitely better that Pulte NoCal and Pulte Vegas, with national builders in SoCal Pulte is near the top.

2. Lennar- never had a problem, quick to assist, good quality

3. (tie)Shea- hit and miss depending on neighborhood, depends on who the supe was and the subs they hired. I guess that means their hiring practices are substandard

3. (tie)Mcmillin- middle of the road construction, materials not as nice as the two above. They don’t have the same buying power for materials as the nationals, and to compete price wise it shows in their construction

4. US Homes- prior to becoming part of Lennar, not so great. It shows in a lot of their older Temecula Redhawk homes.

5. K Hov- again, so so

6. DB Horton- whatever

7.t Richmond American- poor quality

7.t Centex (same as above)

8. KB- the bottom of the batch

[Anonymous]

A National builder is only as good as it’s local workers are… To a point. The company must have transparent operations and good customer service to help you ensure that you will be buying a quality product.
In South Carolina, Centex has a very good name where KB and Beazer are not so esteemed. Lennar also has also gotten a bad rap as well.
I had been dealing with a Company called Keystone (out of Richmond va) that has the most evasive polices ever. They don’t allow private phase inspections. You are not allowed to talk to the builder or even know his name. They don’t do walkthroughs. Talking to them is like talking to the wall. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A COMPANY WITH SUCH POLICES AGAIN!
I ended up backing out of the deal as I noticed that they were not flashing the windows before they were set or in my interpretation- following the manufacturer instructions on the Tyvek that they charge you $1000 extra for. I didn’t trust them to fix it either.
This was the same company that argued with county building services that OSB board didn’t need a moisture barrier behind siding because of the thin wax coating that is applied to OSB! They lost that argument as there is only one siding company that does not require a moisture barrier.
One thing I learned is that when you buy in a new neighborhood you are not just buying into the problems of your house, but that of all the other homes in the neighborhood. Ask yourself= Do you really want to live in an area where all the other homes are falling apart?
The shoddy work of today, will become the slums of tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

A National builder is only as good as it’s local workers are… To a point. The company must have transparent operations and good customer service to help you ensure that you will be buying a quality product.
In South Carolina, Centex has a very good name where KB and Beazer are not so esteemed. Lennar also has also gotten a bad rap as well.
I had been dealing with a Company called Keystone (out of Richmond va) that has the most evasive polices ever. They don’t allow private phase inspections. You are not allowed to talk to the builder or even know his name. They don’t do walkthroughs. Talking to them is like talking to the wall. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A COMPANY WITH SUCH POLICES AGAIN!
I ended up backing out of the deal as I noticed that they were not flashing the windows before they were set or in my interpretation- following the manufacturer instructions on the Tyvek that they charge you $1000 extra for. I didn’t trust them to fix it either.
This was the same company that argued with county building services that OSB board didn’t need a moisture barrier behind siding because of the thin wax coating that is applied to OSB! They lost that argument as there is only one siding company that does not require a moisture barrier.
One thing I learned is that when you buy in a new neighborhood you are not just buying into the problems of your house, but that of all the other homes in the neighborhood. Ask yourself= Do you really want to live in an area where all the other homes are falling apart?
The shoddy work of today, will become the slums of tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

A National builder is only as good as it’s local workers are… To a point. The company must have transparent operations and good customer service to help you ensure that you will be buying a quality product.
In South Carolina, Centex has a very good name where KB and Beazer are not so esteemed. Lennar also has also gotten a bad rap as well.
I had been dealing with a Company called Keystone (out of Richmond va) that has the most evasive polices ever. They don’t allow private phase inspections. You are not allowed to talk to the builder or even know his name. They don’t do walkthroughs. Talking to them is like talking to the wall. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A COMPANY WITH SUCH POLICES AGAIN!
I ended up backing out of the deal as I noticed that they were not flashing the windows before they were set or in my interpretation- following the manufacturer instructions on the Tyvek that they charge you $1000 extra for. I didn’t trust them to fix it either.
This was the same company that argued with county building services that OSB board didn’t need a moisture barrier behind siding because of the thin wax coating that is applied to OSB! They lost that argument as there is only one siding company that does not require a moisture barrier.
One thing I learned is that when you buy in a new neighborhood you are not just buying into the problems of your house, but that of all the other homes in the neighborhood. Ask yourself= Do you really want to live in an area where all the other homes are falling apart?
The shoddy work of today, will become the slums of tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

A National builder is only as good as it’s local workers are… To a point. The company must have transparent operations and good customer service to help you ensure that you will be buying a quality product.
In South Carolina, Centex has a very good name where KB and Beazer are not so esteemed. Lennar also has also gotten a bad rap as well.
I had been dealing with a Company called Keystone (out of Richmond va) that has the most evasive polices ever. They don’t allow private phase inspections. You are not allowed to talk to the builder or even know his name. They don’t do walkthroughs. Talking to them is like talking to the wall. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A COMPANY WITH SUCH POLICES AGAIN!
I ended up backing out of the deal as I noticed that they were not flashing the windows before they were set or in my interpretation- following the manufacturer instructions on the Tyvek that they charge you $1000 extra for. I didn’t trust them to fix it either.
This was the same company that argued with county building services that OSB board didn’t need a moisture barrier behind siding because of the thin wax coating that is applied to OSB! They lost that argument as there is only one siding company that does not require a moisture barrier.
One thing I learned is that when you buy in a new neighborhood you are not just buying into the problems of your house, but that of all the other homes in the neighborhood. Ask yourself= Do you really want to live in an area where all the other homes are falling apart?
The shoddy work of today, will become the slums of tomorrow.

[Tuba]

I used to work for KB Home prior to my current career. It is true that KB Home does push the 90 day schedule, and pressure the homeowners to close within KB’s time frame (qtr numbers).But, the homes are built with quality up until you reach the finish stage. This is where the homeowners come into play with the homeowner walk prior to Close of Escrow. You go through every inch of the house room by room and you have the customer service rep document everything you see. This is extremely important, because KB’s and most other large builders have a policy to not close a home without that walk list being 100% complete and signed off by the homeowner. With that being said, just as the previous KB Homeowner stated, they will take care of you during the standard 1 year stucco to stucco warranty. Also, another note, where KB really makes their money is in the studio options you choose, where the other builders might give as standard.

Good luck, and thank god for SB800

Tuba

[Tuba]

I used to work for KB Home prior to my current career. It is true that KB Home does push the 90 day schedule, and pressure the homeowners to close within KB’s time frame (qtr numbers).But, the homes are built with quality up until you reach the finish stage. This is where the homeowners come into play with the homeowner walk prior to Close of Escrow. You go through every inch of the house room by room and you have the customer service rep document everything you see. This is extremely important, because KB’s and most other large builders have a policy to not close a home without that walk list being 100% complete and signed off by the homeowner. With that being said, just as the previous KB Homeowner stated, they will take care of you during the standard 1 year stucco to stucco warranty. Also, another note, where KB really makes their money is in the studio options you choose, where the other builders might give as standard.

Good luck, and thank god for SB800

Tuba

[Tuba]

I used to work for KB Home prior to my current career. It is true that KB Home does push the 90 day schedule, and pressure the homeowners to close within KB’s time frame (qtr numbers).But, the homes are built with quality up until you reach the finish stage. This is where the homeowners come into play with the homeowner walk prior to Close of Escrow. You go through every inch of the house room by room and you have the customer service rep document everything you see. This is extremely important, because KB’s and most other large builders have a policy to not close a home without that walk list being 100% complete and signed off by the homeowner. With that being said, just as the previous KB Homeowner stated, they will take care of you during the standard 1 year stucco to stucco warranty. Also, another note, where KB really makes their money is in the studio options you choose, where the other builders might give as standard.

Good luck, and thank god for SB800

Tuba

[Tuba]

I used to work for KB Home prior to my current career. It is true that KB Home does push the 90 day schedule, and pressure the homeowners to close within KB’s time frame (qtr numbers).But, the homes are built with quality up until you reach the finish stage. This is where the homeowners come into play with the homeowner walk prior to Close of Escrow. You go through every inch of the house room by room and you have the customer service rep document everything you see. This is extremely important, because KB’s and most other large builders have a policy to not close a home without that walk list being 100% complete and signed off by the homeowner. With that being said, just as the previous KB Homeowner stated, they will take care of you during the standard 1 year stucco to stucco warranty. Also, another note, where KB really makes their money is in the studio options you choose, where the other builders might give as standard.

Good luck, and thank god for SB800

Tuba

[mydogsarelazy]

We have a KB home in Murrieta, purchased in 2003, escrow closed in 2004.

Here are some pluses and minuses:

On the negative side…

– Sales staff mis-informed us on some details, and pushed the use of KB Home Mortgage company which we avoided.

– You have to purchase a number of upgrades to get a decent house. For example, their standard carpeting is a nightmare.

On the plus side…

– We love the house. Great design, excellent low energy consumption as we paid for vinyl double-paned window and extra roof insulation. I would buy it again.

– KB has been fantastic in terms of responding to minor fixes needed during early warranty period. All issues were taken care of promptly, including one item we reported after our initial one year period on some items had expired. The company is very anxious to clean up their image, which they know has been soiled, particularly by problems and lawsuits in Texas.

– The house closed on time, and all upgrades and mods were exactly as we wanted.

– We had it privately inspected after escrow close and it came through very nicely, with only one small wiring issue needing attention.

JS

[mydogsarelazy]

We have a KB home in Murrieta, purchased in 2003, escrow closed in 2004.

Here are some pluses and minuses:

On the negative side…

– Sales staff mis-informed us on some details, and pushed the use of KB Home Mortgage company which we avoided.

– You have to purchase a number of upgrades to get a decent house. For example, their standard carpeting is a nightmare.

On the plus side…

– We love the house. Great design, excellent low energy consumption as we paid for vinyl double-paned window and extra roof insulation. I would buy it again.

– KB has been fantastic in terms of responding to minor fixes needed during early warranty period. All issues were taken care of promptly, including one item we reported after our initial one year period on some items had expired. The company is very anxious to clean up their image, which they know has been soiled, particularly by problems and lawsuits in Texas.

– The house closed on time, and all upgrades and mods were exactly as we wanted.

– We had it privately inspected after escrow close and it came through very nicely, with only one small wiring issue needing attention.

JS

[mydogsarelazy]

We have a KB home in Murrieta, purchased in 2003, escrow closed in 2004.

Here are some pluses and minuses:

On the negative side…

– Sales staff mis-informed us on some details, and pushed the use of KB Home Mortgage company which we avoided.

– You have to purchase a number of upgrades to get a decent house. For example, their standard carpeting is a nightmare.

On the plus side…

– We love the house. Great design, excellent low energy consumption as we paid for vinyl double-paned window and extra roof insulation. I would buy it again.

– KB has been fantastic in terms of responding to minor fixes needed during early warranty period. All issues were taken care of promptly, including one item we reported after our initial one year period on some items had expired. The company is very anxious to clean up their image, which they know has been soiled, particularly by problems and lawsuits in Texas.

– The house closed on time, and all upgrades and mods were exactly as we wanted.

– We had it privately inspected after escrow close and it came through very nicely, with only one small wiring issue needing attention.

JS

[mydogsarelazy]

We have a KB home in Murrieta, purchased in 2003, escrow closed in 2004.

Here are some pluses and minuses:

On the negative side…

– Sales staff mis-informed us on some details, and pushed the use of KB Home Mortgage company which we avoided.

– You have to purchase a number of upgrades to get a decent house. For example, their standard carpeting is a nightmare.

On the plus side…

– We love the house. Great design, excellent low energy consumption as we paid for vinyl double-paned window and extra roof insulation. I would buy it again.

– KB has been fantastic in terms of responding to minor fixes needed during early warranty period. All issues were taken care of promptly, including one item we reported after our initial one year period on some items had expired. The company is very anxious to clean up their image, which they know has been soiled, particularly by problems and lawsuits in Texas.

– The house closed on time, and all upgrades and mods were exactly as we wanted.

– We had it privately inspected after escrow close and it came through very nicely, with only one small wiring issue needing attention.

JS

[svelte]

Word on the streets in the 90s was the McMillan and Fieldstone were pretty good, not sure how they are now.

We have a larger ’95 Ryland home and I’ve been pretty impressed with it. Where I’ve chopped into walls,etc for our remodel, I’ve found nice stuff where I would have expected a mass builder to scrimp.

One example of many: virtually every interior wall is stuffed chock full of insulation. I’m not even sure why a builder would do that, except perhaps for noise dampening?

[svelte]

Word on the streets in the 90s was the McMillan and Fieldstone were pretty good, not sure how they are now.

We have a larger ’95 Ryland home and I’ve been pretty impressed with it. Where I’ve chopped into walls,etc for our remodel, I’ve found nice stuff where I would have expected a mass builder to scrimp.

One example of many: virtually every interior wall is stuffed chock full of insulation. I’m not even sure why a builder would do that, except perhaps for noise dampening?

[svelte]

Word on the streets in the 90s was the McMillan and Fieldstone were pretty good, not sure how they are now.

We have a larger ’95 Ryland home and I’ve been pretty impressed with it. Where I’ve chopped into walls,etc for our remodel, I’ve found nice stuff where I would have expected a mass builder to scrimp.

One example of many: virtually every interior wall is stuffed chock full of insulation. I’m not even sure why a builder would do that, except perhaps for noise dampening?

[svelte]

Word on the streets in the 90s was the McMillan and Fieldstone were pretty good, not sure how they are now.

We have a larger ’95 Ryland home and I’ve been pretty impressed with it. Where I’ve chopped into walls,etc for our remodel, I’ve found nice stuff where I would have expected a mass builder to scrimp.

One example of many: virtually every interior wall is stuffed chock full of insulation. I’m not even sure why a builder would do that, except perhaps for noise dampening?

[golfproz]

I have a friend that is a supervisor with a large construction company. His company has built for all the major builders. He told me consistently KB is the worst. They focus on 90 days, don’t care how you get there but it better not take longer than 90 days. As far as the other ones he seems to think it depends on the development. Since most all of the actual construction work is sub’d out it really depends on how good the guys were that did the work on that particular tract. His advise is to ALWAYS get a inspection on new homes.

[golfproz]

I have a friend that is a supervisor with a large construction company. His company has built for all the major builders. He told me consistently KB is the worst. They focus on 90 days, don’t care how you get there but it better not take longer than 90 days. As far as the other ones he seems to think it depends on the development. Since most all of the actual construction work is sub’d out it really depends on how good the guys were that did the work on that particular tract. His advise is to ALWAYS get a inspection on new homes.

[golfproz]

I have a friend that is a supervisor with a large construction company. His company has built for all the major builders. He told me consistently KB is the worst. They focus on 90 days, don’t care how you get there but it better not take longer than 90 days. As far as the other ones he seems to think it depends on the development. Since most all of the actual construction work is sub’d out it really depends on how good the guys were that did the work on that particular tract. His advise is to ALWAYS get a inspection on new homes.

[golfproz]

I have a friend that is a supervisor with a large construction company. His company has built for all the major builders. He told me consistently KB is the worst. They focus on 90 days, don’t care how you get there but it better not take longer than 90 days. As far as the other ones he seems to think it depends on the development. Since most all of the actual construction work is sub’d out it really depends on how good the guys were that did the work on that particular tract. His advise is to ALWAYS get a inspection on new homes.

[mixxalot]

Older homes better construction

My sisters hubby works in the construction trades and was telling me that homes built in the 1970-1980’s are more solid than new homes built.

[mixxalot]

Older homes better construction

My sisters hubby works in the construction trades and was telling me that homes built in the 1970-1980’s are more solid than new homes built.

[mixxalot]

Older homes better construction

My sisters hubby works in the construction trades and was telling me that homes built in the 1970-1980’s are more solid than new homes built.

[mixxalot]

Older homes better construction

My sisters hubby works in the construction trades and was telling me that homes built in the 1970-1980’s are more solid than new homes built.

[barnaby33]

I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.

That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.

Josh

[barnaby33]

I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.

That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.

Josh

[barnaby33]

I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.

That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.

Josh

[barnaby33]

I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.

That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.

Josh

[temeculaguy]

I don’t doubt your friend had a bad experience but that is not the national reputation for that company. KB probably builds the lowest quality in this region, but they are the cheapest so you get what you pay for. I’d lump Centex, Standard Pacific, D.R. horton and ,most of the rest of the Nationals together, they have high end projects and low end projects. Around here, Pulte has only built the higher end stuff and from the few times I’ve looked at their models, it was very well built. They along with Lennar went with a no options policy (Pulte built half of Morgan Valley) where everything is included, granite, stainless, ceiling fans in every room (not just the outlet but the fan), higher end flooring, even the little things like christmas tree outlets on the second floor, phone and cable in every room, etc. It’s just a strategy but I like it. Mcmillan is not a national builder, sometimes the regional or local builders are better, sometimes they are not. It varies too much for any one builder to the BMW and another to be the Yugo of the industry. If I had to pick a BMW, funny thing is that I would have said Pulte, so that really will confuse you since your friend hates them. You really want a perfect house, find a local builder with a sterling reputation amongst other builders.

BTW, the top three builders in 2006 according to J.D.Power consumer satisfaction polls, covering 12 large metro areas was 1. Del Webb (owned by Pulte) 2. Pulte and 3. Shea Triliogy

[temeculaguy]

I don’t doubt your friend had a bad experience but that is not the national reputation for that company. KB probably builds the lowest quality in this region, but they are the cheapest so you get what you pay for. I’d lump Centex, Standard Pacific, D.R. horton and ,most of the rest of the Nationals together, they have high end projects and low end projects. Around here, Pulte has only built the higher end stuff and from the few times I’ve looked at their models, it was very well built. They along with Lennar went with a no options policy (Pulte built half of Morgan Valley) where everything is included, granite, stainless, ceiling fans in every room (not just the outlet but the fan), higher end flooring, even the little things like christmas tree outlets on the second floor, phone and cable in every room, etc. It’s just a strategy but I like it. Mcmillan is not a national builder, sometimes the regional or local builders are better, sometimes they are not. It varies too much for any one builder to the BMW and another to be the Yugo of the industry. If I had to pick a BMW, funny thing is that I would have said Pulte, so that really will confuse you since your friend hates them. You really want a perfect house, find a local builder with a sterling reputation amongst other builders.

BTW, the top three builders in 2006 according to J.D.Power consumer satisfaction polls, covering 12 large metro areas was 1. Del Webb (owned by Pulte) 2. Pulte and 3. Shea Triliogy

[temeculaguy]

I don’t doubt your friend had a bad experience but that is not the national reputation for that company. KB probably builds the lowest quality in this region, but they are the cheapest so you get what you pay for. I’d lump Centex, Standard Pacific, D.R. horton and ,most of the rest of the Nationals together, they have high end projects and low end projects. Around here, Pulte has only built the higher end stuff and from the few times I’ve looked at their models, it was very well built. They along with Lennar went with a no options policy (Pulte built half of Morgan Valley) where everything is included, granite, stainless, ceiling fans in every room (not just the outlet but the fan), higher end flooring, even the little things like christmas tree outlets on the second floor, phone and cable in every room, etc. It’s just a strategy but I like it. Mcmillan is not a national builder, sometimes the regional or local builders are better, sometimes they are not. It varies too much for any one builder to the BMW and another to be the Yugo of the industry. If I had to pick a BMW, funny thing is that I would have said Pulte, so that really will confuse you since your friend hates them. You really want a perfect house, find a local builder with a sterling reputation amongst other builders.

BTW, the top three builders in 2006 according to J.D.Power consumer satisfaction polls, covering 12 large metro areas was 1. Del Webb (owned by Pulte) 2. Pulte and 3. Shea Triliogy

[temeculaguy]

I don’t doubt your friend had a bad experience but that is not the national reputation for that company. KB probably builds the lowest quality in this region, but they are the cheapest so you get what you pay for. I’d lump Centex, Standard Pacific, D.R. horton and ,most of the rest of the Nationals together, they have high end projects and low end projects. Around here, Pulte has only built the higher end stuff and from the few times I’ve looked at their models, it was very well built. They along with Lennar went with a no options policy (Pulte built half of Morgan Valley) where everything is included, granite, stainless, ceiling fans in every room (not just the outlet but the fan), higher end flooring, even the little things like christmas tree outlets on the second floor, phone and cable in every room, etc. It’s just a strategy but I like it. Mcmillan is not a national builder, sometimes the regional or local builders are better, sometimes they are not. It varies too much for any one builder to the BMW and another to be the Yugo of the industry. If I had to pick a BMW, funny thing is that I would have said Pulte, so that really will confuse you since your friend hates them. You really want a perfect house, find a local builder with a sterling reputation amongst other builders.

BTW, the top three builders in 2006 according to J.D.Power consumer satisfaction polls, covering 12 large metro areas was 1. Del Webb (owned by Pulte) 2. Pulte and 3. Shea Triliogy

[temeculaguy]

I don’t doubt your friend had a bad experience but that is not the national reputation for that company. KB probably builds the lowest quality in this region, but they are the cheapest so you get what you pay for. I’d lump Centex, Standard Pacific, D.R. horton and ,most of the rest of the Nationals together, they have high end projects and low end projects. Around here, Pulte has only built the higher end stuff and from the few times I’ve looked at their models, it was very well built. They along with Lennar went with a no options policy (Pulte built half of Morgan Valley) where everything is included, granite, stainless, ceiling fans in every room (not just the outlet but the fan), higher end flooring, even the little things like christmas tree outlets on the second floor, phone and cable in every room, etc. It’s just a strategy but I like it. Mcmillan is not a national builder, sometimes the regional or local builders are better, sometimes they are not. It varies too much for any one builder to the BMW and another to be the Yugo of the industry. If I had to pick a BMW, funny thing is that I would have said Pulte, so that really will confuse you since your friend hates them. You really want a perfect house, find a local builder with a sterling reputation amongst other builders.

BTW, the top three builders in 2006 according to J.D.Power consumer satisfaction polls, covering 12 large metro areas was 1. Del Webb (owned by Pulte) 2. Pulte and 3. Shea Triliogy

[Author]

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