Pulte Homes

[Zzyzx]

Originally Posted by TomCTX

If you had a bad experience, you should respond to the follow up survey that most builders supply you with at closing and reflect your negative sentiments. J.D. Power is a respected consumer research firm owned by McGraw Hill. The 2007 New Home Builder Survey was compiled from 50,000 responses from new home buyers in 34 markets. To say that it's "pure nonsense" seems a bit opinionated.. Is it a gaurantee? No. Is it a good barometer? Yes. That's all it is intended to be.

Real world experience from my subdivision is where I base my opinion. The poll from JD Powers survey in no way reflects the Pulte homes in my neighborhood. When I was doing research on homebuilders I looked at JD Powers as a source of information as well.

For example:
The land is not graded properly throughout the community, therefore they are now having to go in many lots around the community and put in french drains. After a year they finally fired the survey company.
Our $4 million dollar amenity center has been closed for months because they built on a water table and flooded it.
They put no top soil on any of the homes in the community.
Many driveways in the community have been ripped up and redone because they were to steep.
We have street light wired to the sprinkler timers.
I have seen homes completely re-bricked because they were not done properly.
My neighbor has had all her basement walls ripped out so they can find out were a leak is coming from.
Another neighbor has water coming from the outside and ruined all his hardwood flooring.
I could keep going, but I hope you get the point. These and many other issues are not isolated and run rampant my community.
A few months ago Pulte cleaned house in Austin, the President of the Austin division was fired, as well as the VP of sales and many others.

I have been to several meetings with homeowners and we have been in constant battle with Pulte for over a year with a multitude of defects and shoddy workmanship that need to be addressed.

If you chose to use the JD Powers Survey to base your decisions that's fine, but from my and many other people experience it is not a valid survey and will not look to it as a reliable source in the future.

[banker]

I would imagine that with any builder - local management plays a big part in the quality that people experience. Your story above is sad...but just goes to show that even the ones with good reputations are not immune to problems.

[HappyTexan]

IMHO the big national builders are all about get in and build it, sell it and then get out as quick as they can. I think they are all about quantity not quality.

I went with a local Texas builder for my home (Tilson) and couldn't be happier. I've been in the home for 10 years now and never had a problem. I plan to go with them again for my next home.

[TomCTX]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

IMHO the big national builders are all about get in and build it, sell it and then get out as quick as they can. I think they are all about quantity not quality.

I went with a local Texas builder for my home (Tilson) and couldn't be happier. I've been in the home for 10 years now and never had a problem. I plan to go with them again for my next home.

That guy builds a nice house. He's also got one hell of a nice business going. You should see his house in Lakeway.. Waterfront with a huge doc and a couple of monster cigarette boats... Very cool..

[banker]

Tilson is just another trac builder - they just don't buy up land - they build on yours. A unique business model - but nothing special when it comes to quality when compared to the big national builders. If you have land - I would recommend Tilson - but if you don't they aren't really an option. Also - if you are looking for a development of houses with deed restrictions - building on your own land outside of town can be risky.