has anyone heard of lennar builders? (Houston, Austin: hotels, new home, neighborhood)

[pagani]

We were looking at a few houses, and really like the lennar plan that we saw in seven meadows. I've never heard of them before, but are they any good? How's the quality of the house?

I haven't heard too much about them and would like to know from a previous or current lennar home owner to see if i should stay away from them.

The builders im currently interested in are David Weekly, Newmark, Highland... and I've heard bad things about Meritage and Pulte. But I would like to find more about Lennar. I know they include a lot of options and you get the most value for your money. But how does the quality of the house hold up? I mean if the house would be full of problems after i buy it, then there's really no point, cause i would have to shell out a lot of time/money/frustration to fix them all, right?

However I am open to suggestions.

[SkyeAnjel]

I believe Lennar has very nice homes. I had mine built by Pulte and have had no problems, they came out for 1 year after closing and fixed anything that was wrong, however the day after our 1 year contract they would not return calls. This applied to others in the neighborhood as well. It was all minor stuff anyway. I wouldn't hesitate to get a Lennar home, they are very nice although I'm sure you can find someone who isn't happy with them. I never heard anything bad about Meritage either although I thought they were overpriced for what you got when I went househunting. I have heard negatives about DR Horton but have a friend who is happy with hers.

[Mom2Feebs]

Pulte has one of the best reputations in the business for customer service.

Lennar has a good reputation as well.

[pagani]

I found this website Lennar Homes - Complaints, Defects, Code Violations, Articles, Lawsuits and More and read a lot of bad stuff about lennar. This is what making me think twice about them. We saw the model home they had and it was nice like usual. But I'm skeptical about the warranty, and the quality of the house that they build. I hear so many people having problems.

My 2nd choice would have to be David Weekley.

[rtrip]

I'd be weary of builders who are large public companies since they have to finish a certain amount of homes per quarter. But the people building Lennar houses in Florida may be different than the ones in Houston since it's the subcontractors who really build the houses.

If I were you I'd spend walk around the neighborhood and ask people who are walking if their builder is Lennar and if they are happy with there houses. Also ask if they had their houses inspected and what the results were.

Still you are right to be concerned. Some production builders have very few complaints, while some are known for poor quality construction.

[love roses]

I can't speak for Lennar in Houston, but in Austin there has been a lot of trouble with them. Many people were recently put into hotels so they could repair water leaks, cracks, sewage, etc..(and not minor problems with these things either). So be wary. My sister lives in a Lennar, but has had no problems except with the air conditioner unit.

[pagani]

love roses, i also read of people with similar problems, not just from florida, but from around the US having these problems with Lennar. It's just a scary thought, because this is the biggest investment of my life, and if I can save myself the trouble, I will take on another builder. The lennar model home that I saw was very nice though, It's just these stories that scare me. Sigh... I'm particular interested in the quality of lennar homes in the Houston area since thats where i'm from.

[love roses]

Just ask the people in your neighborhood that have Lennars. I'm sure they wouldn't mind telling you. I don't think all of their homes have problems, but up here I think they put things up too quickly and their subcontractors were bad.

[Master Shake]

Lennar is one of the biggest nationwide builders, just like KB, DR Horton, Pulte, & Centex. They are a mass builder, meaning they build a lot of houses in many different markets. Just as you will hear good and bad about any of the other builders I just listed, you will also hear good and bad about Lennar.

In this case, your best bet would be to try and talk to some of the people who already live in the community you want to build/buy in. It may not be the easiest or most convenient way, but it would most likely provide the most accurrate information about your future community. Each community often times has different supervisors and laborers, which can lead to very different levels of quality just from one community to another -- even for the same models.

[Houston guy]

I am Realtor. Lennar is great,. and they give you all the applicances when you buy a new home. THey were on my short list when I bought a house. I bought a David Powers house in Oakhurst (golf community) and they are really appreciating.
Houston guy