Hypothetical Grand Homes Question (Dallas, Plano: foreclosure, how much, hotels)

[Rakin]

Originally Posted by qmoosa

Suppose we sign contract and during construction if we dont like the way they doing foundation or structure what can we do. can we stop the construction and if builder resist can we take them to law and order this will cause animosity between builder and customer also.

No once you start construction you cannot stop if you don't like the way they are doing things. They (Even Grand) knows more about building a home then you do and are not going to stop because you don't think it's right.

Grand sells a lot of homes to recent Immigrants to the US who don't work with Real Estate agents. Grand has a fairly bad reputation in the Realtor community for their quality, warranty follow up and resale. There has to be a reason Grand Homes is every year rated by JDP so low by the people for whom they build homes.

I've seen Grand advertise stuff like 2011 Builder of The Year in the past. I've always wondered how someone can advertise that in January of 2011. All I can say is if you like it, buy a Grand Home. Be sure and hire an inspector to go through the house several times during the construction.

Google Grand Home Complaints.

[Twincam666]

Stay away from K. Hovnanian too, I bought one and they wouldn't fix anything! I had to walk away from it as it was not safe...Brand new $300k home in McKinney and it was JUNK!

[skids929]

Rakin knows what he is talking about and has presented you with all you need as far as links to what people think about them..

I myself have been in their models in a couple of neighborhoods, and when you really look closely they aren't built well by comparison. In one instance I went into a highland, took note of the windows, whether or not it had radiant Barrier. Not only did the grand have awful aluminum windows but also no RB. It was a really hot day (106 degrees) and I could literally feel the difference upstairs in the house from the highland.

You get what you pay for in life, don't fall for the banana in the tailpipe.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by qmoosa

i want to fulfil american dream of owning a nice decent size 3800sq ft house in Plano school district.

The American Dream is NOT to own the biggest house in the city/county/area/neighborhood and to sacrifice quality in doing so. The American Dream is simply to OWN a house of their own. Many people happily live the American Dream in a 1200 sq foot house and raise a good family in a good school district in that smaller square footage HOME. That 3800 sq ft house does NOT guarantee that you will be living the American Dream AT ALL! I bolded the word HOME as there is a VAST difference between the word HOME and HOUSE! A house is what you make it no matter what size it is.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by qmoosa

...if builder resist can we take them to law and order

Is this like Chevy Chase telling John Candy that his gun is a "Magnum P.I."?

... how is Pointe West PLSD, Regency park PLSD, Kings Ridge(lewisville school dont like:-( ] .

Regency Park isn't in Plano ISD either. You'd have to stick with Pointe West or go with one of their neighborhoods in the eastern part of the Plano ISD.

i want to fulfil american dream of owning a nice decent size 3800sq ft house in Plano school district.

I like Plano ISD just fine, but I didn't realize that the whole nation aspired to move here. Take THAT, you Lakewood, Southlake Carroll, and HPISD boosters!

can we get grand design and tell toll brother to build just like that or gave toll an idea of what we like to be build.

Uh, no. Toll Brothers has their own set of standard designs (which are probably far superior technically to the Grand Homes designs). That's like asking Honda to make a car more like a Pontiac.

[Rakin]

Gmoosa, just wanted to give you a link from a few years back on some good reading. The website generally is used by people in the new home and construction business. It addresses some of your questions on how they get their awards.

Implode-Explode Forums :: View topic - Grand Homes, Allen tx

BTW, best of luck with your home purchase.

[galore]

Those specifications you listed don't really say anything substantial about the strength of the structure (besides 3000 psi concrete, which is about the weakest concrete you can buy).

Thermo-ply is essentially thick card-board. Wood framing is ridiculously weak to begin with (ask any tornado) but using card-board as a shear load member instead of OSB is really cutting corners.

Treated base plates are code minimum for wood framing. Engineered I-joists mean little (they are engineered to minimize wood, cost and weight while being reasonably strong) for the strength of the floor. What's the spacing? How's the subfloor attached?

This list from Grand is as generic as it can get....

[galore]

Originally Posted by qmoosa

I look Grand avery mediterrian design by Grand home looks very good though. so what we do go with who? grand or Toll ????????. i want to fulfil american dream of owning a nice decent size 3800sq ft house in Plano school district. can we get grand design and tell toll brother to build just like that or gave toll an idea of what we like to be build. Thank you all. we like Plano though. Frisco seems like too far from city.

I'd wager a guess that Toll brothers are going to charge a huge amount of money (compared to Grand) if you want them to build a design similar to the Grand model you like (they can't build a Grand design - copyright and all). Neither Toll nor Grand are true custom builders (who develop a totally unique house design from scratch for you with an architect) so you'd have to use one of their stock plans and modify it.

If you want a builder who will build based on "an idea what we like to be build", you'll have to go completely custom (unless your idea is flexible enough to be realized with a stock plan + modifications), which will catapult you into a totally different dimension, cost wise: The US uses home classes: "trailer", "tract home", "semi-custom", "full custom". which loosely track economic classes: "poor", "blue collar", "white collar", "rich".

[mikestrong]

Originally Posted by KLHunt

Well I had a bad experience with someone that has a great BBB rating. That (BBB) means nothing to me as a buyer now. I only wish I met those that were living in my neighborhood before I bought! Besides, the word "FREE POOL" in ads means nothing to me either. Unless the company is about to go under, BBB means nothing.

But when I see so many bad comments from one person online, I question the credibility and motives of that person thats all. We all should!

I've been down this road...I know now to go to the community and randomly ask those that are living in the communities that bought recently how their experience went and how they like their home. I do this with EVERYONE I'm looking at now. 4 different builders so far. All in Allen area. I live in Coppell now.

My agent said Grand won America's Best Home Builder this year and have turned around. She also said they used to pretty bad but really made an effort to change and they have improved dramatically. Which is why they probably won I guess.

Now, I don't know because I haven't spoke to anyone over there, but she gives me an unbiased opinion on every builder. The bad and good. Like any good agent should.

Fact is there are bad things on every home builder...(trust me I've looked!!)...it's really a matter of learning from the first time you buy on knowing what to ask, who to ask and talking to those in the community you're looking at. Face to Face, One on One.

I now know what NOT to do, but I also know what to do. I say do like me...do your homework online, like I am now...(just got distracted), do your homework offline and don't trust anything I say or anyone else for that matter, GO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF! Ask those already living in the community. ASK ASK ASK!!

Don't mean to be abrasive I just have a hard time trusting now...specially cause I don't know you. You just never know people motives.

FYI. Grand pays for the awards. Alot builders do. I worked for them, and still have friends that do. I had to leave do the lack of quality. I couldn't sell bad products anymore.
You should really check your self. It is well know in the building industry that grand is the absolute worst builder. They have fantastic floorplans that wow people. They then sell sub par homes that have huge problems. AND yes many, many realtors will not take clients to view them because of the problem. Talk to building insiders to find the truth. I have been in the industry for 11 years. Grand is still the bad company if was back then.
Just sad.

[mikestrong]

Originally Posted by KLHunt

Interesting...How about Drees? Highland? or Weekley? I plan to talk with the people living in their communities this month.

Thanks for the help

Both great bulders. Check out Pulte as well. There are plenty of great builders out there. Just not Grand nor KB.