Who Are The Most Reputable Home Builders in the Phoenix Area? (purchase, construction)

[MotleyCrew]

I think you are entitled to your opinion and your experience has been a sour one. 8 years is a fairly lenghthy time to own a home and expect it to be in new condition. If these things popped up after the warranty, then change the laws here. I do believe that is in the works. CA has a 10 year latent defect law that keeps builders on their toes. Paint fades quickly in this heat as do roof tiles. Dryer vent was dumb that is a given, but then again, hire a home inspector to watch the progress. Sorry for your pain, but we love our [mod cut-- delete builder name, relates to deleted post] home.

[scammed1]

The 2 best sites in my opinion related for builder questions are Homeowners for Better Building and Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings. You can post just about any question in regard to construction. Lots of good tips, what to look for. Those are the sites to do your homework from. They are both national grassroots organizations and work in conjunction with other top consumer groups in the country.
Someone had a perfect Home huh? Is that what your own inspector said?
Good for you.
Mine is a bust and I emapthize with SES. Had all the inspections then some and still came out bad. Too bad people don't have xray vision to see behind walls and beneath floors.

[aj661]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

With the way most of the builders build here and using guest labor, we should expect a certain percentage to fall through the cracks.

Motley, I think that's the heart of the problem. I'm old enough to remember when homes were built by craftsmen rather than unskilled labor. I visited the [mod cut-- delete builder name] sites many times during construction and seldom was there an english speaker working on the house. Our current [mod cut- delete builder name] came with a number of cosmetic problems, including a baseboard that looked like it was modeled after a Sidewinder rattler. The subdivision 'super' fixed those problems personally (I was with him) after the walk through. This guy was an exception to the rule though. I asked him early in the construction process how much he would charge to add some flooring to the attic for storage. He put in about 60 sq ft for us and didn't charge anything.

We've only had one "hidden" problem with this [mod interpose] home. Someone drilled through the softwater loop in the back wall near where it dumps into the washer drain. We didn't buy a water softener until three years after move in. I learned about the leak when I woke up to an inch of water in the pantry. We called [mod cut- delete builder name] and they had an inspector there within 48 hours and had the repairs done to the loop and walls within a week.

[mod cut-- no consumer complaints] If I bought another [mod cut-- delete builder name] it would be about 30% because of initial quality and 70% because of the way they stood behind their product.

[ohjan]

I am in the process of buying a Centex home, so I can't vouch 100% because I haven't moved in yet

This is some information that helped us in choosing centex:
"Centex received the highest overall average score among the largest home-building corporations included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) announced today. In addition to the Platinum Award, Centex ranked highest in 14 out of 30 study markets in which Centex operates, and also ranked among the top five in all of the 30 markets where Centex is represented."

I also thought their standard features were great and upgrades not too costly. They have a lot of energy efficient standard features as well as great incentives.

Good Luck!

[altus2006]

All voices need to be heard on the builder subject, as well as other subjects. It is helpful to know problems that others have had and it makes it easier to check up on these builders when we have a place to start looking.

This site is one of the best for learning about the city and getting a feel for what is happening in Phoenix.

Thanks to all who post here.

altus2006

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

I just called the sales office here in Vistancia and the St. Thomas is listed on the web site for $300K and with incentives it comes down to $170K. The Antiqua is $324,000 on the web site and with incentives it comes down to the $190s. Ouch, ouch, ouch. She also said that the incentives come off the base price, so your loan would be based on the sales price.

OMG... that's really scary for the previous buyers...

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

I do believe that is in the works. CA has a 10 year latent defect law that keeps builders on their toes.

I read we're getting (hopefully) a similar law.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by aj661

Motley, I think that's the heart of the problem. I'm old enough to remember when homes were built by craftsmen rather than unskilled labor. I visited the Fulton and K-B sites many times during construction and seldom was there an english speaker working on the house.

I don't believe there are English speakers on any site... other than the supers who have to speak Spanish if they want the job...

[scammed1]

On the other forums I mentioned there are quite a few articles in regard to JD Power and builder ratings. I found my builder through the BBB. What a joke. They have a good record there. Why? Because if you file a complaint you will ither resolve it at the BBB or your complaint will get closed out in order to keep the builder in good standing. Who, after making the biggest purchase of their lives is going to make consessions to keep the BBB and their paying customers happy, Not me. My complaint was closed out as were numerous others.
When I had a roof leak, remember the 20 year warranty-my builder came up with "homeowners maintance-you should have been on the roof caulking."
Just know about the warranty. If they were as they proclaim our defects would have gotten taken care of.
Know what every word of your contract says and means. Know about Mandatory Binding Arbitration. Know the odds are stacked against you if you have to go there.
All I can say is do your homeowork thoroughly and then some.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by scammed1

On the other forums I mentioned there are quite a few articles in regard to JD Power and builder ratings. I found my builder through the BBB. What a joke. They have a good record there. Why? Because if you file a complaint you will ither resolve it at the BBB or your complaint will get closed out in order to keep the builder in good standing. Who, after making the biggest purchase of their lives is going to make consessions to keep the BBB and their paying customers happy, Not me. My complaint was closed out as were numerous others.
When I had a roof leak, remember the 20 year warranty-my builder came up with "homeowners maintance-you should have been on the roof caulking."
Just know about the warranty. If they were as they proclaim our defects would have gotten taken care of.
Know what every word of your contract says and means. Know about Mandatory Binding Arbitration. Know the odds are stacked against you if you have to go there.
All I can say is do your homeowork thoroughly and then some.

Gee... too much of this on these forums lately... Either have to quit the forums or go cancel my contract... I'm freaked out enough as it is!