Any feedback on KB Homes or Maronda? Trying to buy new home (Miami: rental)

[Grobaldo]

Could anyone please give us some feedback about KB Homes or Maronda Homes?? I have read some real bad complaints about Maronda after I had fallen in love with one of their model homes and was ready to buy, now I'm so scared because we would like a new home so that we don't need to worry about roof problems, etc., from older homes. We just sold our Miami property and will invest ALL we made in the same to purchase this new home, which should pay close to 50% of value and let our mortgage be real low, with a low HOA as it seems to be everywhere in the Clermont, Groveland or Minneola areas...please, if you know anything good or bad, could you comment?? Thank you!

[Joey Falcon]

well me and my girlfriend are not homeowners and never were, but I would be afraid to buy a new home in Florida. Too many bad stories.

[lovfl]

Gribaldo, I think KB would be fine. I don't know about Moranda. We had a new Lennar home and a new Beazer home with no problems whatsoever.

[BrokerHarry]

Originally Posted by Grobaldo

Could anyone please give us some feedback about KB Homes or Maronda Homes??

In general, both KB & Maronda have reputations as builders of production homes, aimed at the more budget conscious & first time buyers. You're certainly not going to see the same construction quality that one might expect from a premium builder like Toll Brothers.

But there's nothing wrong with that, any more than a car manufacturer who puts out affordable new product in maybe the $20K price range, compared to higher end companies producing new product for double or triple the price.

Many people would say it's not unreasonable to expect the cheaper product might have a shorter time-frame before maintenance issues arise. But the fact is, there's a product for almost all price ranges, & you have to buy what you can afford.

KB, Maronda, as well as DR Horton, have all had numerous consumer complaints over failed exterior stucco, during the last decade.

But in their defense, it has been asserted that the owners of these lower priced homes fail to adequately maintain the stucco (i.e. promptly address hairline cracks that allow moisture intrusion).

During RE downturns, distressed homeowners defer maintenance. Then, when their stucco starts to bubble & delaminate (especially on 2 story homes), they cry foul.

But is that the fault of the original stucco application, or the homeowner who is too financially stressed to seal hairline cracks as soon as they appear, or to re-paint their house every 6-7 years?

My personal home was built by a higher end builder.

But I also own a number of rental properties, including one that was built by Maronda in 2002. We're very happy with that investment home.

[Fl1150]

Kb Homes had to just pay a settlement payment to homeowners in this state so I would be cautious with them.


KB Home to settle on statewide construction defects - Orlando Sentinel


KB Home settles FL building defects claim for $23.5M | Construction Dive

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by BrokerHarry

In general, both KB & Maronda have reputations as builders of production homes, aimed at the more budget conscious & first time buyers. You're certainly not going to see the same construction quality that one might expect from a premium builder like Toll Brothers.

But there's nothing wrong with that, any more than a car manufacturer who puts out affordable new product in maybe the $20K price range, compared to higher end companies producing new product for double or triple the price.

Many people would say it's not unreasonable to expect the cheaper product might have a shorter time-frame before maintenance issues arise. But the fact is, there's a product for almost all price ranges, & you have to buy what you can afford.

KB, Maronda, as well as DR Horton, have all had numerous consumer complaints over failed exterior stucco, during the last decade.

But in their defense, it has been asserted that the owners of these lower priced homes fail to adequately maintain the stucco (i.e. promptly address hairline cracks that allow moisture intrusion).

During RE downturns, distressed homeowners defer maintenance. Then, when their stucco starts to bubble & delaminate (especially on 2 story homes), they cry foul.

But is that the fault of the original stucco application, or the homeowner who is too financially stressed to seal hairline cracks as soon as they appear, or to re-paint their house every 6-7 years?

My personal home was built by a higher end builder.

But I also own a number of rental properties, including one that was built by Maronda in 2002. We're very happy with that investment home.

We live in an older Maronda home. No problems with our CB home. Stucco has no cracks and the home is 22 years old. It is solid built. Just bought it 6 years ago and inspector even said he would buy it it was so solid. Of course every area a builder has different construction companies doing the actual building of their homes. Even though the previous owner had not maintained the home very well it basically just needed paint and updating to a 2000+ home interior. The basics were there