Fort Wayne area, any builders to avoid? (Mexico: home builders, neighborhoods)

[sr2012]

Our last home (another state) was a nightmare...actually after hearing "I've never seen it done that way" one too many times we learned the builder took every short cut in the book (actually I have no idea how the city ever signed off on the home other then someone was seriously paid off)...also learned he was stripped of his licenses and never allowed to build another home (long before we moved there). Lesson learned - do your research.

Moving to Fort Wayne, buying a home and so I'd love to find out what builders I should be cautious of or even avoid at all costs in an attempt to not have another nightmare home.

Thank you,

[belovenow]

I would stay away from Lancia and Granite Ridge as those "budget" home builders produce so many homes at one time (and have been for about 20 years in this vicinity) that quality is pretty darned low. I lived in a Lancia built home for 8 years and even though it supposedly had every upgrade offered just a few years prior, I found the sound and temperature insulation for all exterior walls and the roof to be seriously lacking, and the foundation work to be shoddy. The builders you never hear anything bad about are the high-end custom builders like Masterpiece Homes, Buscher, and Windsor (basically the builders who focus upon the really nice high-end neighborhoods).

[cdr18]

The problem with homebuilding nowadays is that with subdivisions, builders will take very shortcut possible. Granite Ridge and Lancia definitely produce multiple homes at one time. Not to say the homes are poorly made, but whenever homes are being mass produced, you do have to wonder if the quality is there. There are many neighborhoods in Fort Wayne that do offer custom built homes at a lower price. Some of these neighborhoods are older, but you'll be better off in the long run. Many of the newer homes will probably be fine for a couple of more years, but the poorly built houses will show their age sooner rather than later. I would trust a house that looks like it is not a cookie-cutter neighborhood, where each home has a unique characteristic about it.

[dogsrgreat]

We lived in Ft. Wayne for about a year. One of the most knowledgeable builders I met while there (who we were seriously thinking of having build our home) was a man named Jeff Godfrey of Bridle Homes (www.bridlehomes.com). He has been involved in all areas of the building process and took a lot of time to meet with us. He answered our questions thoroughly, showed us through several of his homes, and has a quality product. If we would have stayed in Ft. Wayne, there is no question he would have been our builder.

[pp8616]

I would hire a builder to stick frame ONLY, then sub out the rest. This way you can see everything before its covered up. Dont forget to film it as you go for historical reasons.

[LRHostetler]

GRD, those boys can build(the GR is Greg Richard, not Granit Ridge)!

-Luke

[LuckyAJC]

If you are looking for a custom home builder that goes above and beyond your expectations, Ryan and Wannemacher Design are exactly the builder you are looking for.....highly recommend! ~Aaron C.

[Helga99]

Originally Posted by sr2012

Our last home (another state) was a nightmare...actually after hearing "I've never seen it done that way" one too many times we learned the builder took every short cut in the book (actually I have no idea how the city ever signed off on the home other then someone was seriously paid off)...also learned he was stripped of his licenses and never allowed to build another home (long before we moved there). Lesson learned - do your research.

Moving to Fort Wayne, buying a home and so I'd love to find out what builders I should be cautious of or even avoid at all costs in an attempt to not have another nightmare home.

Thank you,

I was going to answer you, but this question is a violation of this site, and a grave offense to Mexico and Poland!