Who Are The Most Reputable Home Builders in the Phoenix Area? (loan, showing)

[NE Live]

Does anyone have a list of the best home builders in Phoenix. Sounds like some people in other threads had some nightmare of home purchases out there. Thanks!

[aj661]

Originally Posted by NE Live

Does anyone have a list of the best home builders in Phoenix. Sounds like some people in other threads had some nightmare of home purchases out there. Thanks!

Good:
Shea Homes has always had a good rep. We're in a K-B home now and overall it was well built and they were good about fixing problems that came to light after our move in. I don't have any personal experience with high-end builders.

BAD:
Fulton on the other hand...

We bought a new Fulton in 1996. It was the poorest quality home I've ever been in. Getting them to fix problems often was like pulling teeth. When our dining room ceiling collapsed during a spring downpour because of the roof leak where their patio cover met the house, I must admit they were prompt in repairing it. But when it leaked again because of a lousy repair job, they weren't so fast. Even the downstairs half-bath, which was only about 4'x8', wasn't square-it was a full 3" off on the 8' wall. The foundation was so unlevel it was visible to the naked eye. In fact a baseball set in the middle of the kitchen floor would slowly roll to the wall without a push. We noticed where it peaked in the family room during the walk-through and brought it to their attention. They said it was (1) a carpet seam that would flatten out in a few months and (2) if it didn't, to (3) give them a call. It wasn't, it didn't and we did.

They never even attempted to fix it. Ultimately we dropped the issue because I knew one more meeting with that incompetent s.o.b. was likely to put him in the hospital and me in jail. (Call me hot-headed but I get just a little fired up when someone calls my wife crazy and says she's seeing things.) But we promised to spread the word about them to anyone that asked.

Thanks for asking

[NE Live]

Thanks aj661. My wife and I would not be looking at homes over $275,000 most likely. So TW and some of the others would not be applicable I believe. We just want to find a good builder, who does a high quality job - especially with the insulation. Thanks again!

[NE Live]

Also aj661 did you have that bad Fulton home you purchased inspected, roof specifically, before you purchased it? Is it just tough for inspectors to catch stuff like that or is there anyway to mitigate situations like that?

[MotleyCrew]

We bought a Shea home 3 + years ago and have been very happy so far. The issues we had were cosmetic and easy to fix. There are some fantastic buys here in Vistacia right now with the incentives that Shea is offering. Our 2,069 square foot home we purchased in 04' for $207K is down (or was last week) to $200K. Ouch. Ashton Woods builds a decent home here as well and I think they have some great floorplans and prices are very low right now.

[altus2006]

Motley,

Are the new prices just posted at the models for Shea and Ashton Woods? I checked out their websites and did not see any great prices like you described.

Also, what area of Vistancia are you referring to in your post. I would like to check current prices out in that area because I have seen nothing but good things about Vistancia.

altus2006

[MotleyCrew]

I think the "great" prices are including the incentives that the builder is giving at the sales office. You might want to call the office to see what they are asking with the incentives off the price. My daughter went with her roommate to see some Shea homes and the prices were different than the web site. I would call the sales office's to see what the story is. Maracay homes start around $199 according to the web site and they may be having some inventory sales as well. Not a bad time to be shopping.

[MotleyCrew]

Altus. The other thing you may want to check out would be the resales here in Vistancia. A few over enthusiastic investors have been trying to dump their homes before they make it to the courthouse steps. If you have a realtor, have them run through the MLS for you. There is a Belize model home across the street from us that the owners just lost. The price is silly.

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.

[sheahomesareawful]

Apparently we can only post postive things in here? I explained last night all the major problems I have had with shea homes, but it's been removed. Roof is defective, needs to be redone at my 8300 expense. Dryer vent not connected, lint fillilng up wall, fire hazard, inferior diluted exterior paint, all 2 x4s are showing, water heater exploded and drained into guest bedroom instead of garage....major, major damage and a piece of crap home.

[MotleyCrew]

How old is your home? Most of that should be covered under warranty. You had a bad home, does not mean that all the Shea homes are "crap." With the way most of the builders build here and using guest labor, we should expect a certain percentage to fall through the cracks. We have had few (very few) homes here fall into your catagory and the company took care of all concerns. I saw a news story on Pulte homes and the roof was literally lifting off the house. I would not base all of Pultes homes on that one bad egg. If you buy a new build here, hire a home inspector to watch the progress.