Legacy Communities (Atlanta, Dunwoody, Newnan: fit in, real estate, apartment complex)

[jonjon01]

I have decided against Legacy, but I agree with the person that said its ultimately your decision. I love their floor plans they definitely give you alot of house for the money. I just don't like the quality of the construction. I now see how they are able to build such a big house for less. In the beginning I thought they must have a secret that no other builder knows. They are such big houses, but when u look a little deeper u see that they use lower grade products. They use kitchen vinyl in the foyer, should be hardwood. The lack or gutters around the house. Small cabinets in such a large kitchen. The front doors have to be the lowest grade door I have ever seen. The light fixtures are really cheap looking. These are the things I can see when I walk in the house, I have more concerns when I walked through 2 or 3 houses that were in construction. I pulled over and asked at least 4 or 5 people in different subdivisions how they like their new homes, and I only got one good comment. Most of them said they had alot of problems before closing and now they are still having problems. They did like the fact that they got such a big house for cheap, but they are having alot of problems. I think the saying that you get what you pay for is true. I do not want to sway anyones oppinions, so do your homework. I just have been studying them for a few months now and don't think that I will buy Legacy. Good luck. I have found three builders that I like. Silver Creek, Knight Homes, and Brayson. Their houses are a little smaller, but the houses are built with better products. I bought a lemon car in 2001, and I vowed to do my homework before i make a large purchase.

[khristinah]

Jtmony- I have the measurements of the rosewood. I spent over an hour in this one Rosewood, the measurements are as follows: LR-11'8"x21'2"; DR-11'8"x18'3"; kit-18'7"x 15'2"(including breakfast area); pantry-3'7"x3'; fam rm-18'10"x19'7"; libr-10'7"x13'8"; laundry-5'7"x6'4"; mstr bed-27'9"x18'10"(including sitting); sitting rm 13'4"x12'6";wlk-in-14'x8';bed#2-19'6"x11'8"(from ext wall to closet is15'6') bed#3-12'x12'7"; bd#4-12'x11'9"; bd#5-12'x10'6" The actual outside measurement from side to side is 55' and from front to back is 44' and 9' ceilings on the first floor only. Upstairs is 8' but all the rooms have vaulted ceilings so the depth perception is grander.

[khristinah]

jonjon01 I am happy you are closer to making your choice. I agree with some of what you have said about the quality of the materials in the home. However I view this as a plus because all builders have limited choices for upgrades anyway and they all do not use the highest quality stuff to maximize profitability. I want to add my choice of wood and granite floors and imported light fixtures down the road. Ultimately hiring an experienced inspector that is looking out for OUR best interest will save many of us many headaches down the road. I must say that the 42" cabinets which are standard on the Rosewood did seem adequate in the kitchen. I did notice that the people who installed it were not really careful because there were some scratches but obviously as a buyer you will see things like these in the walk-tru before you close and have them corrected.

[CiciInAtlanta]

This is lengthy, but I hope it helps anyone in the market to buy ANY new home...

First of all, I've noticed several people saying, "My agent said..." and "My agent told me..." I HOPE they mean the Realtor that they hired to represent them, and not the Sales Agent at the community. Having a Buyer's Agent is FREE to you -- they are paid by the Builder. So you lose nothing by having them represent you.

I say this, not just because I'm a licensed Realtor, but also because it's true -- YOU NEED YOUR OWN AGENT. The on-site agents represent THE BUILDER -- they do NOT represent you. You need an advocate who will pressure the builder to do what they are supposed to do, and will guide you through the ENTIRE process, including making sure that the builder pays what they're supposed to pay at the closing table.

Another thing, a good Realtor will tell you that YOU MUST HIRE A HOME INSPECTOR, *especially* with a brand new home. No matter what the reputation of the builder (whether good or bad), nearly every builder hires subcontractors who hire subcontractors who -- you got it -- hire subcontractors.

Do *not* depend on the county to inspect the home for you. A Fulton County inspector once told me that there are too many new homes being built for them to inspect every home, so they depend on the builder's on-site engineers to find code violations. Did you catch that? The BUILDER is responsible for reporting his own code violations!

I hired a fantastic home inspector to inspect my home three times -- once for the foundation (took about an hour), once for the framing (took about two-and-a-half hours), and then a final inspection (took more than three hours). If you can't afford to get all three inspections, BE SURE TO GET THE LAST TWO. They are the most important.

When Legacy's subcontractors put in the sheetrock before fixing the framing issues that my inspector had found, their plan was to remove the sheetrock on those portions, fix the problems, and replace the sheetrock. So I called Fulton County, who discovered that they had not sent out an inspector to okay the next step in the building process (what a surprise), so they made the builder tear out the sheetrock in the entire house.

At that point, Legacy actually did fix the framing issues. Then, after making sure I was satisfied that all of the issues had been fixed, they replaced the sheetrock.

To make a long story less long, it took Legacy 10 months to build my house... But I am confident that I have the best built house in the subdivision.

Legacy does well with what Legacy does best -- build HUGE square footage for a low price. My home, a brick Newport, is more than 3800 square feet, and everyone is impressed when they come over. Of course, I did my own hardwood floors (DO NOT pay for the builder to do those -- they are cabin grade, and will likely warp the first time you walk in with wet shoes); and I'm also doing my own granite countertops and Berber carpeting. But as I say, I've got space galore, so I'm happy -- and I didn't have to buy my blinds, refrigerator, washer or dryer.

Also, I can tell you that I've been in my home for a year, and Legacy's Warranty Department is FANTASTIC -- a refreshing change from some of the issues I faced during the building process. They always respond to my calls immediately (and I've called them A LOT), and they always fix whatever problem I called them about.

Hope this helps somebody. :-)

[oej]

hello
My family and I are moving from TX, we are considering buying a legacy home in Georgia. Are you satisfied with your home. After reading the blogs it makes me weary.

[oej]

Thanks for the information. We are thinking of buying a home that has been completed. So we have not been their for the entire building process. Is it to late for the inspector to notice problems with the foundation and framing?

[jtmony]

CiCi,

Would you happen to have photos of the Newport? Also, thanks for the post. Although you claimed it to be long, it was very useful. I believe you're the first licensed Realtor to post in support of Legacy. What I enjoyed most about your post was your advice to hire an inspector. I spoke to my hired inspector today. Although he has yet to inspect my house (the house is being inspected in phases) he's given me a detail checklist of what to expect. Since I'm not a home inspector, I validate what he tells me by calling other inspectors. So far, so good.

Although we're under contract, my wife and I would like to see photos of the Newport. We have friends that are moving to ATL also, and we'd like to give them as many options as possible. I believe had we known of the Newport, we would have purchased it instead. The community we selected does not sell the Newport, only the Rosewood and the Waverly.

[jtmony]

khristinah,

When are you due to close on your Rosewood? It looks as though we're on schedule to close near mid-June. Of course this depends on inspections and weather. I spoke to the sales rep and she informed me that if during the final walk through the buyer/inspector finds errors, the buillder will correct the errors within 48 hours. I don't know how much of this is true. I told her it takes as long as it takes. Good luck on your purchase, and please keep us updated with the progress.

OEJ,
I considered buying a home already built, but without an inspection by a hired inspector, I decided against it. You just never know. I'd be more tempted to buy an older home then a new home if I didn't have an inspector. My wife and I found a 1 1/2 acre lot with a Rosewood already built. The initial cost was not bad, but the guy who put the contract on the house (and pulled out) he selected colors and upgrades that I just refused to pay for. For example, cherry wood cabinets and rear stairs. I have nothing against cherry wood, it just doesn't match our furniture. The rear stairs is simply out of the question. Rear stairs provides family (kids), friends and guest too many options to interupt nature's calling.

The other house was too close to a power line, and the third house was an ugly green mixed with red. I'm in the military, and green is the last thing I want to come home to.

Good luck in your choice though. I know there's a home out there that's already built, I just lost patience looking. Figured, I'd at least have a say in something.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by CiciInAtlanta

This is lengthy, but I hope it helps anyone in the market to buy ANY new home...

First of all, I've noticed several people saying, "My agent said..." and "My agent told me..." I HOPE they mean the Realtor that they hired to represent them, and not the Sales Agent at the community. Having a Buyer's Agent is FREE to you -- they are paid by the Builder. So you lose nothing by having them represent you.

I say this, not just because I'm a licensed Realtor, but also because it's true -- YOU NEED YOUR OWN AGENT. The on-site agents represent THE BUILDER -- they do NOT represent you. You need an advocate who will pressure the builder to do what they are supposed to do, and will guide you through the ENTIRE process, including making sure that the builder pays what they're supposed to pay at the closing table.

Another thing, a good Realtor will tell you that YOU MUST HIRE A HOME INSPECTOR, *especially* with a brand new home. No matter what the reputation of the builder (whether good or bad), nearly every builder hires subcontractors who hire subcontractors who -- you got it -- hire subcontractors.

Do *not* depend on the county to inspect the home for you. A Fulton County inspector once told me that there are too many new homes being built for them to inspect every home, so they depend on the builder's on-site engineers to find code violations. Did you catch that? The BUILDER is responsible for reporting his own code violations!

I hired a fantastic home inspector to inspect my home three times -- once for the foundation (took about an hour), once for the framing (took about two-and-a-half hours), and then a final inspection (took more than three hours). If you can't afford to get all three inspections, BE SURE TO GET THE LAST TWO. They are the most important.

When Legacy's subcontractors put in the sheetrock before fixing the framing issues that my inspector had found, their plan was to remove the sheetrock on those portions, fix the problems, and replace the sheetrock. So I called Fulton County, who discovered that they had not sent out an inspector to okay the next step in the building process (what a surprise), so they made the builder tear out the sheetrock in the entire house.

At that point, Legacy actually did fix the framing issues. Then, after making sure I was satisfied that all of the issues had been fixed, they replaced the sheetrock.

To make a long story less long, it took Legacy 10 months to build my house... But I am confident that I have the best built house in the subdivision.

Legacy does well with what Legacy does best -- build HUGE square footage for a low price. My home, a brick Newport, is more than 3800 square feet, and everyone is impressed when they come over. Of course, I did my own hardwood floors (DO NOT pay for the builder to do those -- they are cabin grade, and will likely warp the first time you walk in with wet shoes); and I'm also doing my own granite countertops and Berber carpeting. But as I say, I've got space galore, so I'm happy -- and I didn't have to buy my blinds, refrigerator, washer or dryer.

Also, I can tell you that I've been in my home for a year, and Legacy's Warranty Department is FANTASTIC -- a refreshing change from some of the issues I faced during the building process. They always respond to my calls immediately (and I've called them A LOT), and they always fix whatever problem I called them about.

Hope this helps somebody. :-)

CinCin thank you so much for your post. It is so very helpful to those of us who are going to be entering the housing market here. We actually have a realtor pretty much. A friend of my wife's works for Keller-Williams up in Jersey and she put us in contact with a KW office dow here. So when we came down in the summer of 05 they showed us all around and took us to all of the developments we wanted to see. I can recall at the time that some of the on-site agents didn't seem too pleased with them being with us. Do you know why that would be? Nevertheless they will be representing us when we are set to buy.

[khristinah]

Jtmony,
I'm scheduled to close early Oct. They didn't start building yet. I was down in atl this weekend and I want to have ALL my questions answered before we close(I do have a FEW months to walk away if needed). We are also in the process of choosing an inspector. In regards the powerlines, I have some not far away from the site. What is your opinion? Any tips in regards the inspector are also welcome. Thanks for all your helpful info.