Info on D.R. Horton Homes (Houston, The Woodlands: for sale, buying a home, neighborhoods)

[justinandsarah1023]

My husband and I will be coming to TX next week to look at new homes in Spring. In the mean time we have to rely on the internet. We have found some homes we really like by D.R Horton (Northcrest Village). I have heard some bad reviews about other builders and so I'm trying to do my homework. They have no history on the Better Business Bureau and I find nothing with a Google search. Has anyone bought a D.R. Horton home or have any info regarding this builder?

[jimboburnsy]

Justin & Sara,

DR Horton homes are fine, but be prepared for the same downside that you will find with any of the major builders. When the time comes for you to sell the home you may have trouble getting your money back and it may be on the market for quite a long time. I can't speak to the area you are looking at buying but a large percentage (approaching a third) of the homes in DR Horton's NW Houston construction have had major foundation issues. The houses they build are what is called "30 year construction." These homes are not built to be re-sold in the future, but rather to be torn down and rebuilt. While you are going to pay for the lot and the house when you buy, you will really only be selling the lot when it is time to move on. All that said, the price is certainly hard to argue with. If you are simply buying a home, there is no particular problem with buying a DR Horton house versus any other track house, but if you are making an investment you should look elsewhere.

If you are going to be working in the Spring area then you are on the right track. If you plan on commuting, I think you are going to get very tired of the drive. There are a number of neighborhoods much closer to town that have excellent schools and much shorter commutes to work. The prices will be higher, but in many cases not prohibitively so. It will take a lot of legwork to find the right house at the right price in the right place, but it will make your life much easier if and when you decide to move.

[EasilyAmused]

Good quality about the same as Village. But I agree they're hard to resale when the same model is for sale brand spanking new a few blocks or one subdivision away. Everyone wants bright,shiney and new in the tract communites.

[justinandsarah1023]

Thank You for the helpful info jimboburnsy! We are pretty sure that Spring and The Woodlands is where we want to be. We will find out for sure when we come to visit next week. We have friends who live in the area, I will be staying home with children and my husband is a personal banker and will be able to work in the town (or near by) where we live. I'm not worried about making a huge profit on a home when it is time to sell but i definitely don't want to have huge resale issues. Thanks for the heads up....anyone else feel this way?

[scammed1]

My friend has had a real bad experience with her Horton home- a nightmare actually.
I would say to know what you are doing go to homeowners against deficient dwellings and homeowners for better building. If you are going to buy new there is excellent advise on both sites. Questions to ask, what to look for and look out for.
Good luck!

[chris_ut]

DR Horton has a bad reputation but I cant say anything from personal experience.

[SkyeAnjel]

I have a friend who bought a DR Horton and she is happy with it. My nephew also has one in The Woodlands/Spring area and is happy with it.You can find unhappy customers of any builder, just be sure to get your home inspected by your own inspector and have then fix everything.

[scammed1]

You can good inspectors under the ashri website.
You may want to get your home inspected BEFORE you close. If there are defects and or code violations etc. get them fixed and reinspected before closing.
Just know you cannot sue most builders and also do your homework on TRCC-Texas Residential Construction Commission
Once you do close it is a whole new ballgame and good luck to ya!!!!

[Poltracker]

Check out these sites first:

Construction Defect Help - Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings

HomeOwners for Better Building - Home

Ripoff Report: By Consumers, For Consumers

[therewego]

we have built a home with DR Horton and have been happy w/it. We were at the homesite pretty frequently and they were very accommodating when we wanted a few cosmetic things done differently. They do a lot of things like arches, niches, crown moulding as standard that all other builders consider upgrades. Good luck!