Buying a KB Home (San Antonio, Medina: apartment, houses, safe area)

[banker]

Ok...so back to the topic. Anyone have any luck negotiating the purchase of a KB home?

[joe123456]

Originally Posted by banker

Ok...so back to the topic. Anyone have any luck negotiating the purchase of a KB home?

No, I took their incentives and also got a 2% rebate off the base price from my realtor. I noticed that they changed their pricing scheme....lowered base prices, lowered some options, but got rid of most cash incentives. As a whole prices are probably a little better but by not much.

The only way you probably can get a good deal is on a house that is finished. This would also go for other builders as well.

[banker]

Originally Posted by joe123456

No, I took their incentives and also got a 2% rebate off the base price from my realtor. I noticed that they changed their pricing scheme....lowered base prices, lowered some options, but got rid of most cash incentives. As a whole prices are probably a little better but by not much.

The only way you probably can get a good deal is on a house that is finished. This would also go for other builders as well.

Thanks - yes - we noticed that the pricing on the upgrades dropped significantly. On the upgrades we want for our house the total savings was about $10K.

BTW - just for those that think all KB builds is characterless cheaply built houses - check out these communities featuring their premium 100% massonry homes:

Saddle Mountain in Stone Oak San Antonio:
KB Home Community - Saddle Mountain - San Antonio, TX

The Quarry at Stone Mountain in Stone Oak San Antonio:
KB Home Community - Quarry at Iron Mountain - San Antonio, TX

The Trails at Herff Ranch in Boerne:
KB Home Community - Trails at Herff Ranch Texan Collection - Boerne, TX
KB Home Community - Trails at Herff Ranch Liberty Collection - Boerne, TX

[martinez4]

Originally Posted by banker

Thanks - yes - we noticed that the pricing on the upgrades dropped significantly. On the upgrades we want for our house the total savings was about $10K.

BTW - just for those that think all KB builds is characterless cheaply built houses - check out these communities featuring their premium 100% massonry homes:

Saddle Mountain in Stone Oak San Antonio:
KB Home Community - Saddle Mountain - San Antonio, TX

The Quarry at Stone Mountain in Stone Oak San Antonio:
KB Home Community - Quarry at Iron Mountain - San Antonio, TX

The Trails at Herff Ranch in Boerne:
KB Home Community - Trails at Herff Ranch Texan Collection - Boerne, TX
KB Home Community - Trails at Herff Ranch Liberty Collection - Boerne, TX

You kinda sound like a salesman for KB homes..... You will make a proud owner I am sure.

[banker]

Originally Posted by martinez4

You kinda sound like a salesman for KB homes..... You will make a proud owner I am sure.

Not a saleman - just trying to set the stage to get the right kind of feedback. So many people (and I was one of them) think of KB as the builder of just cheap box like houses...I had no idea they have an upper line that is far superior to the stuff most people think of. I know a couple of people in The Quarry at Stone Mountain and they are both very happy - and these are $400-500K homes.

[joe123456]

The one thing I don't like about saddle mountain and alot of other trac sites is the fact the homes are right on top of each other. Saddle moutain homes are 10ft from each other - 40ft wide on 50ft lots. It's almost like living in a duplex.

Developers have got the upper hand, for some reason the city has allowed them to stack homes right next to each other. The minimum distance between homes should at the bare minimum be at least 20ft.

I was lucky in my home search, because I was able to find a larger lot in KB's Springtree community that will give me 22ft between the homes (44ft home on a 65ft wide lot x 120 lot, not a corner lot). These type of lots are very very few and far between the typical lots.

For the best value, location, schools, very low taxes just over 2.4%, and price Springtree was the hands down winner for me. Downsides are no amenities which is fine by me...keeps my HOA dues low, expansive soils, and HVAC. As far as expansive soils, I called some home builders and all of them stated expansive soils as a common site condition. Even in Stone Oak, there is expansive soils. As far as the HVAC, I wanted two heatpumps one for each floor, KB wont' accomodate. I am having my home zoned once it closes.


205K for 3266sf home, all brick, 5 bedrooms, 30 year shingle, radiant barrier, 3 full bathrooms, 900sf of tile, 42" maple cabinets, upgraded faucets, upgraded light fixtures, energy star rated, tiled bathroom surrounds,9ft ceilings 1st floor, large covered patio is a great deal.

I compared many builders and KB was hands down the best value in the Schertz/Cibolo area. Yes it is a big box, but building boxes is very effecient and keeps the costs down per sf.

I plan on adding some 5" crown molding for my 9ft ceilings, paint, quartz counters, top of the line appliances, engineered wood floors, and wrought iron baulsters. I would rack and stack the home I am building as very comparable to other homes that cost a ton more. My upgrades will add another 17K more to my 205K home.

[banker]

Originally Posted by joe123456

The one thing I don't like about saddle mountain and alot of other trac sites is the fact the homes are right on top of each other. Saddle moutain homes are 10ft from each other - 40ft wide on 50ft lots. It's almost like living in a duplex.

Developers have got the upper hand, for some reason the city has allowed them to stack homes right next to each other. The minimum distance between homes should at the bare minimum be at least 20ft.

I was lucky in my home search, because I was able to find a larger lot in KB's Springtree community that will give me 22ft between the homes (44ft home on a 65ft wide lot x 120 lot, not a corner lot). These type of lots are very very few and far between the typical lots.

For the best value, location, schools, very low taxes just over 2.4%, and price Springtree was the hands down winner for me. Downsides are no amenities which is fine by me...keeps my HOA dues low, expansive soils, and HVAC. As far as expansive soils, I called some home builders and all of them stated expansive soils as a common site condition. Even in Stone Oak, there is expansive soils. As far as the HVAC, I wanted two heatpumps one for each floor, KB wont' accomodate. I am having my home zoned once it closes.


205K for 3266sf home, all brick, 5 bedrooms, 30 year shingle, radiant barrier, 3 full bathrooms, 900sf of tile, 42" maple cabinets, upgraded faucets, upgraded light fixtures, energy star rated, tiled bathroom surrounds,9ft ceilings 1st floor, large covered patio is a great deal.

I compared many builders and KB was hands down the best value in the Schertz/Cibolo area. Yes it is a big box, but building boxes is very effecient and keeps the costs down per sf.

I plan on adding some 5" crown molding for my 9ft ceilings, paint, quartz counters, top of the line appliances, engineered wood floors, and wrought iron baulsters. I would rack and stack the home I am building as very comparable to other homes that cost a ton more. My upgrades will add another 17K more to my 205K home.

I agree with the lot sizes. In Saddle Mountain there are many lots over the standard 50 foot width between culdesac and corner lots. We are eying one of the larger lots. We briefly looked at Spring Tree and Fox Grove - but ultimately decided that we wanted (and were willing to pay for) the added architectural interest that the Saddle Mountain homes offer. The Hallmark homes are just to boxy for us.

As far as expansive soils - yes - there are some in Stone Oak - but not in Saddle Mountain. If anything - the near complete lack of top soil will make landscaping a challenge. But I would rather have a foundation that is on solid rock than the expansive soil for foundation issues.

Sounds like you will be getting a nice home. Enjoy.

[banker]

Originally Posted by joe123456

As far as the HVAC, I wanted two heatpumps one for each floor, KB wont' accomodate. I am having my home zoned once it closes.

Are you adding a second unit or having your ducts modified?

[joe123456]

Originally Posted by banker

Are you adding a second unit or having your ducts modified?

The ducting will have to be modified. Automatic air dampers are installed and are controlled by the thermostats in the home. The cost of a zone system is comparable to putting in two heatpumps when the home is built. It is not the ideal system, because two heatpumps are more effecient than a zoned system.

It is cost prohibitive to install two heatpumps after the home is built, because you have to design room for two air handlers instead of one. It's possible, but very costly.

[banker]

Originally Posted by joe123456

The ducting will have to be modified. Automatic air dampers are installed and are controlled by the thermostats in the home. The cost of a zone system is comparable to putting in two heatpumps when the home is built. It is not the ideal system, because two heatpumps are more effecient than a zoned system.

It is cost prohibitive to install two heatpumps after the home is built, because you have to design room for two air handlers instead of one. It's possible, but very costly.

We are looking at a 3,106 square foot KB Home in Saddle Mountain that also only has one unit. Who are you having do the work on your house? How much in dollars are you talking? $3,000+/-? Thankfully the floorplan we are looking at has return air ducts on the first and second floor which dramatically improves circulation - but would prefer to have two units. I'm not sure how the zoning would work. We will have radiant barrier in the attic - which will help efficiency though.