Buying a KB Home (San Antonio, Spring: sales, cheap home, neighborhoods)

[banker]

With the quality of KB homes rising sharply I am for the first time considering one. Has anyone checked out their new community in Stone Oak - Saddle Mountain. Anyway - I was wondering if anyone on this forum has purchased one - and if so - were you able to negotiate the price? Once you start adding upgrades they get very expensive. The sales rep has indicated to me that the pricing is non negotiable - but that just can't be. Especially in today's market.

I have done extensive research including walking through many homes under construction and am pleasantly suprised to find out that the higher end KB homes are as nice and of better quality than many Pulte, Medallion, Standard Pacific, Woodside and David Weekly Homes. Saddle Mountain is one of the few remaining developments that offers new homes south of Stone Oak Parkway on 281N.

Any help would be appreciated. Before anyone starts bashing KB homes - I realize that their homestead, classic and hallmark lines leave a lot to be desired - so I am not looking for feedback on their cheaper "box" homes. So please save that kind of commentary. But if you have purchase any KB home and had success negotiating on price - please give examples and neighborhoods.

Thanks in advance.

[martinez4]

We do not own a KB home so I really can't and won't say anything about them:-) We do, however, own a Conventry Home and I am very pleased with it. There is a new community called Monte Cristo, off Borgfeld and Blanco that Coventry is building . This might be worth looking into if you are looking for a new home. There are a few other neighborhoods off Wilderness Oak, The Heights at Stone Oak is one and there are a few new neighborhoods off Canyon Golf in Canyon Springs.

Just a thought...I am not trying to send you away from a KB home just mentioning other options.

[banker]

Originally Posted by martinez4

We do not own a KB home so I really can't and won't say anything about them:-) We do, however, own a Conventry Home and I am very pleased with it. There is a new community called Monte Cristo, off Borgfeld and Blanco that Coventry is building . This might be worth looking into if you are looking for a new home. There are a few other neighborhoods off Wilderness Oak, The Heights at Stone is one and there are a few new neighborhoods off Canyon Golf in Canyon Springs.

Just a thought...I am not trying to send you away from a KB home just mentioning other options.

Thanks - I will check into it. One thing we really like about Saddle Mountain is that ALL the homes have 100% masonry siding - front, sides and back - even on two story homes. I really don't like track home builders that don't have brick/rock all the way up on the second level of a home. Looks cheap over time. All of KB's high end neighborhoods have 100% masonry siding - it is a unique feature in the price range.

[nrlatsha]

Originally Posted by banker

With the quality of KB homes rising sharply I am for the first time considering one. Has anyone checked out their new community in Stone Oak - Saddle Mountain. Anyway - I was wondering if anyone on this forum has purchased one - and if so - were you able to negotiate the price? Once you start adding upgrades they get very expensive. The sales rep has indicated to me that the pricing is non negotiable - but that just can't be. Especially in today's market.

I have done extensive research including walking through many homes under construction and am pleasantly suprised to find out that the higher end KB homes are as nice and of better quality than many Pulte, Medallion, Standard Pacific, Woodside and David Weekly Homes. Saddle Mountain is one of the few remaining developments that offers new homes south of Stone Oak Parkway on 281N.

Any help would be appreciated. Before anyone starts bashing KB homes - I realize that their homestead, classic and hallmark lines leave a lot to be desired - so I am not looking for feedback on their cheaper "box" homes. So please save that kind of commentary. But if you have purchase any KB home and had success negotiating on price - please give examples and neighborhoods.

Thanks in advance.

Here's my .02:

Its not always about the houses themselves, but how they do handle problems if there are any...

[martinez4]

I agree.....you certainly want to purchase a home from a builder that stands behind their product!!!

In todays market that also requires doing a little due diligence to make sure that builder is financially sound. Especially if they are over exposed in heavily depreciating markets.

[bigthirsty]

My only issue with them was reputation. Seems like they have had a bad rep here and since this town has a large military presence that reputation has spread rapidly since so many military come back here to retire.

I think their high end is fine.. probably still wouldn't buy their middle of the road house.

[banker]

Originally Posted by nrlatsha

Here's my .02:

Its not always about the houses themselves, but how they do handle problems if there are any...

Agreed. As problems with Siterle and Ryland here in SA show - you can have problems that have very difficult resolutions with just about any builder despite price range... Thankfully - laws regulating home builders have gotten tougher and favor the home owner - especially here in Texas.

[banker]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

My only issue with them was reputation. Seems like they have had a bad rep here and since this town has a large military presence that reputation has spread rapidly since so many military come back here to retire.

I think their high end is fine.. probably still wouldn't buy their middle of the road house.

KB purchase Ray Ellison Homes back 10-15 years ago and Ray Ellison just built cheap homes. It has taken KB a while to begin to import in some of their higher end neighborhoods that they build in the rest of the country to San Antonio. If anything - many military people are knowledgeable of the higher quality homes that are built in other parts of the country. Had KB started in SA with neighborhoods like Herff Ranch in Boerne, Saddle Mountain and The Quarry at Stone Mountain in Stone Oak - then San Antonio would have a much higher opinion of them as a builder.

Ray Ellison did more damage for KB's San Antonio Reputation than for the KB houses themselves. KB came in and kept building in Ray Ellison's price range for too long...and people still associate KB with Ray Ellison's starter home box houses.

[banker]

Originally Posted by martinez4

We do not own a KB home so I really can't and won't say anything about them:-) We do, however, own a Conventry Home and I am very pleased with it. There is a new community called Monte Cristo, off Borgfeld and Blanco that Coventry is building . This might be worth looking into if you are looking for a new home. There are a few other neighborhoods off Wilderness Oak, The Heights at Stone Oak is one and there are a few new neighborhoods off Canyon Golf in Canyon Springs.

Just a thought...I am not trying to send you away from a KB home just mentioning other options.

Just checked on that community - and it is a little pricey for me. The homes start at $300K - Saddle Mountain starts in the low $200K range. The Monte Cristo community does look very nice though.

[banker]

Back to my original question - anyone buy a KB home and have any success negotiating the price?