Townhomes in Berea

[cleveburg]

Originally Posted by jkex420

Well I have decided to take the plunge and purchase in sandstone ridge. After much research I have heard a nearly equal amount of criticism and praise, and have come to the conclusion that overall it appears to be a generally well constructed house for a good price. It's seems it is usually only the negative aspects that get posted on line. People who are happy have nothing to vent about, but I have ran into co-workers and other aquaintances who seem very happy. Even the waitress at a local restaurant saw some of my paperwork and commented how she built with ryan and loves her house. I will let you know in the next few months how the process shakes out. Maybe I will see you around Rodrigo and Bereahopeful.

I wish you nothing but the best. Building is an exciting time (and stressful). Your correct . . . there are pro's and con's to every aspect of a company. As long as you are aware of the pitfalls with Ryan, I'm sure you'll be sure to remain on top of things and thwart anything ahead of time.

Best!

[rodrigo2006]

Congratulations and good luck - please keep me posted on your experience. I have also done alot of research and like you said you find both good and bad. Everyone I have spoke to in the neighborhood seem to be satisfied with the work done by Ryan Homes.

[vortix]

Looks like Berea is now offering 3-year 100% tax abatement for people that buy homes in Sandstone Ridge:
Berea may offer tax breaks to new homes - News Sun: Breaking News and More - Cleveland.com

Was anyone able to take advantage of that? A year or two ago, there was another newspaper article about Berea possibly offering 15-year 100% tax abatement for new homes. Anyone know whatever happened to that?

Those of you that decided to move in to Sandstone Ridge recently, how do you like your Ryan Homes experience? I almost considered moving into a townhome there myself, though decided against it since they are directly next to the railroad tracks.

[hurlek]

Can I ask what you decided to do? I am considering building there myself but I am concerned about the sump pump in the basement. Has anyone had any problems with the sump pump and any of your other experiences would be helpful.

[rodrigo2006]

Hi jkex420 did you purchase at Sandstone? What was your experience?
We also signed and will be digging soon...

[kaimik]

We rented a brand new home in Sandstone Ridge, on the Cobblestone Court cul-de-sac from April 2005 - April 2006. The home had just been finished and we were involved, along with the owners, with the final inspection process.

Here is a very short list of problems we encountered:
1. garbage disposal had construction debris dropped into it, and had to be replaced
2. kitchen counter/island was completely crooked and they offered to rip it out and rebuild it
3. power was not run to the A/C unit
4. hot/cold water line was crossed, so we only had hot water in the garage
5. subflooring had a hole in it, which was not repaired, just carpeted over
6. doorways were crooked, most interior doors would not latch
7. within a few months of completion, there were settling cracks in the walls, and dozens of places where you could see the nail pops

No problems with the sump pump though!

Since we were renters, obviously we didn't have the investment in the property to worry about. But, I was truly shocked at the lack of quality in this home. One contractor who was out to work on the landscaping (which they also did a rotten job on) said they just hire the cheapest labor they can find to build their homes.

After what we saw, we would never buy a Ryan home. And when we bought our home, our realtor confirmed that Ryan was considered one of the poorer quality home builders. We thought they looked great on the surface, but the quality just wasn't there.

Are you sure you don't want to buy a 5 year old home in Strongsville? We're selling ours!

[rodrigo2006]

Interesting. I have talked to many neighbors, those that build 2 years ago and those that built recently (not only in Sandstone Ridge but other Ryan Homes development) and this is not the feedback I have gotten. I have heard of the nail pops and doors but they have come back to fix that when they do the final inspection.

[kaimik]

They did come in and repair all of those problems. I was just surprised that they would sell a home with all those issues still outstanding. I would like to think they'd do it right the first time! Maybe these problems could be avoided by being very involved and diligent during the building process?

We did enjoy the neighborhood though, very nice people and our home backed up to the treeline which was great.

[builtinberea]

We have recently started the building process in Sandstone Ridge in Berea. In fact, they are ahead of schedule and we should be moving into our beautiful new home in the next month. Yes, there negetive things written about Ryan Homes, but consider what state its being written about. I feel they have a good rep in Ohio and our building process from start to finish has been wonderful! The staff has bent over backwards, helped us along the way, met every deadline, and simply have been great to work with. I feel that people only write in these forums to complain, which I understand because a dissatisfied costumer tells twenty people-a satisfied costumer tells five. Also, as a massive company such as they are, you can not please everyone. Some of the things I read about Ryan Homes is so out in left field that I did not even consider them when deciding to build. Thankfully I did not because I could not be happier with my purchase. The community is wonderful, schools are great, taxes are fair, and the developement looks beautiful! My advise to those considering to build here is to do what feels right for you and your family! If the price, style of home, and speaking with the staff feels right, then do it. As for the complaints, the company I work for has a few bad comments floating around on the web, we do not take them seriously because we know the quality of our work is always up to par.