Help with homebuilder issue? (lawyer, house, neighborhoods)

[bailey7]

I need people's opinions on an issue we are having with a home we are having built. We bought in an area because of all the different styles of homes (not cookie cutter). We now have found out that across the street from us, not only is the same elevation being built, but the same exterior colors. Obviously, we are not happy with this. Do we have any kind of recourse or how would you handle this with a homebuilder?
Really stressing out over this. Thanks for any help or info.

[rjrcm]

Do they have a policy in writing about how different elevations are allowed to be selected?

Is your home already built, have you closed on it? You may have to appeal to the other buyer and the builder to change their design if yours is already done. If not closed, be sure to read your contract for any contingencies or options you may have to negotiate with the builder. Are you working with an agent? Perhaps contact a lawyer to review your documents and provide advice if you can't work it out with the builder.

[observer53]

I would be surprised if you have any options at all, and I surely would not be " really stressing out" about it. As you've noted, there are a lot of neighborhoods being built in recent years (and not so recent years) where EVERY house is the same color, and the elevations are similar enough that you really can't tell one from another. Just because the ONE house directly across the street looks like yours, with NO other house in the immediate area being the same...I suspect that you, and the neighbor in question, will be the only people who even notice, (and I'm not sure about the neighbor).

You can ask if they are willing to change the main color, or maybe just the trim color, but if they say no, I'd be surprised to hear you have any other recourse but to change the color on your own, perhaps at your own expense.

And, in the end, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[nightgirl151]

This happened to me as well, when I went thru the building process, the same floor plan could only be two in a row, but had to be different elevations with different colors...but then the housing market crashed even further...to close out inventory the builders would put any floor plan, any elevation, and any color the buyer wanted just to sell the house. We went to the builder (our house was already completed and closed) to complain that the exact house with exact colors was being built across from us, but they would not ask the buyer to change...they just wanted to get the sale...

[Ritchie_az]

Is it too late to pick a different color?