Moving into the Quarry at Iron Mountain (San Antonio, Austin: HOA, place to live)

[mrstxcop]

hmmm --- that is strange banker --- maybe go into the sales office and ask them what is up --- i would think they would tell you what is going on considering that you are a resident there and have a true interest ---

i wonder also if it has anything to do with the area --- as you know, we are building centex but over off of i-10/ralph fair --- however, prior to this location we were considering a location off of canyon golf road --- the other day dh and i drove by the canyon golf location and there are very, very few lots that have sold and even fewer homes that have been built since we were looking back in March...

when i was talking to our sales office lady on Tuesday i asked them if their canyon golf location was struggling and she said yes, they are having a very hard time with that area --- i don't know if it is because of area, the traffic, the fact that there are SO MANY home builders to chose from out in the 281/1604/bulverde area or what ---

the lots where we are building do seem to still be selling rather quickly, but they did say they are no longer building spec homes just to sell, the only spec homes they have are those that fell thru with previous buyers...

[banker]

Originally Posted by mrstxcop

hmmm --- that is strange banker --- maybe go into the sales office and ask them what is up --- i would think they would tell you what is going on considering that you are a resident there and have a true interest ---

i wonder also if it has anything to do with the area --- as you know, we are building centex but over off of i-10/ralph fair --- however, prior to this location we were considering a location off of canyon golf road --- the other day dh and i drove by the canyon golf location and there are very, very few lots that have sold and even fewer homes that have been built since we were looking back in March...

when i was talking to our sales office lady on Tuesday i asked them if their canyon golf location was struggling and she said yes, they are having a very hard time with that area --- i don't know if it is because of area, the traffic, the fact that there are SO MANY home builders to chose from out in the 281/1604/bulverde area or what ---

the lots where we are building do seem to still be selling rather quickly, but they did say they are no longer building spec homes just to sell, the only spec homes they have are those that fell thru with previous buyers...

KB also does not build spec homes. That said - they have about a half dozen or so that are on the market in my neighborhood (some not on MLS) that were contracts that have fallen through. All homes under construction are "sold" or rather under contract.

We looked up off Canyon Golf last fall and decided not to build up there due to the horrid location and traffic conjestion. Our community does not suffer from the same ingress egress issues that most of Stone Oak has - so I doubt that is it. I suspect it is part of the larger housing crisis combined with the fact that KB just doesn't have a reputation strong enough to sell homes in the $300K price range. Sadly - they were slowly building a following until they switched product lines this spring.

Anyway - I will be asking the folks in the sales office - but will not be holding my breath as they either may not know or won't give me a honest answer if what ever is up isn't public yet.

I know from talking to other folks in my neighborhood that other neighbors read this thread...if you know something please chime in.

If I find out anything I will update here.

[banker]

So - I checked with the sale office and they assured me the lots weren't being sold to another builder. Instead it appears that KB is preparing to release all the currently unavailable lots. Also - KB is having a big sale this weekend on their inventory homes - currently about six houses. With KB's fiscal year end coming up on 11/30/08 there will probably be some really good deals on the Estate and Liberty homes. Just in case anyone is interested - check out the homes currently on MLS - prices have gone down significantly on some of the loaded up models.

All is well in the Quarry.

[banker]

Some sad news from the Quarry over the long weekend. There was a tragic accident yesterday at one of the large two story homes under construction. One of the roofers evidently fell off the roof. His condition is unknown but the paramedics were on site yesterday around 5:00 for quite a while before leaving with the injured roofer.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the worker and his family.

[banker]

Just in case anyone has been eyeing a Liberty or Estate home in The Quarry and sad that KB no longer offers these floor plans...they have three that are currently part of a "secret sale" which runs through Friday. The incentives run from $30,000 to $75,000. I believe you have to be able to close by month end - so unlike the poor folks that contracted these houses...you have to be able to qualify for the mortgage!

These are incredible deals...which means I paid too much for my house!!! But things are good and we are back to being a happy home owner!

[banker]

So it appears KB is looking for ways to cut more costs and sacrifice their perseption in the local home building market. Last summer/fall when my wife and I were looking for a home/builder one of the things we appreciated about the "new KB" was the fact that they left so many trees in their new higher end communities. They waited until the actual home was selected, surveyed the lot for the foot print of the foundation and then only removed the trees that would be impacted by the driveway and slab. This left their newer higher end communities (Herff Ranch, Saddle Mountain and The Quarry) with a much nicer established feel. It also set them apart from the other builders like Pulte, Centex, etc that just scrape every living thing off the lots before they begin building. We loved the fact that there were native oaks on the lots both in the front, side and back yards. Even today, there are large very old oaks in the front yards of the newly built homes.

Well...fast forward to today and a depressed housing market. A few weeks ago I noticed that KB had scraped nearly every remaining tree off the lots in Saddle Mountain and now they are doing that in The Quarry. It seems the the survey markers I noticed last week were to determine the area they were going to destroy with thier chain saws and earth moving equipment. I suppose that in the long run it is cheaper to have all the lots cleared at once instead of making individual jobs as each home is built...but the effect is horrible.

Moderator cut: off-topic

There were smaller Liberty line homes they could have introduced to broaden the existing and successful Liberty line without removing the product line that was more successful than what they have now and kept the trees - and this community would have ended up as they originally envisioned...a showcase community for KB.

The impact to me and my familiy is minimal since we purchased the cheapest Liberty floorplan...but those that purchased expensive Liberty's or Estate homes will suffer the most. For them I feel badly. It seems that KB just doesn't care. And that - is very unfortunate.

Moderator cut: off topic

If KB ever decides to do a neighborhood along the lines of The Quarry again - it will be an even harder sell as people will remember the drastic changes that you put in place here. Again...we love our house and are not worried about the new cheaper homes...but those that spent in the high $300K and low to mid $400K range...they have lost real value - despite the high level of quality and execution in their very nice homes.

[KY Filly]

Originally Posted by cheermomof4girls

Yes, you get the spill about the water treatment from Ryland when you go in and pick out your stuff at the design center. Then they try again when the guy comes out to your new home to install the free filter. We had no problems cutting him off telling him that we just wanted our filter installed.....after he set up his water presentation.

We have a Ryland home also and got the "presentation" on the water treatment and softener....we politely said thanks, but no thanks (then laughed our heads off when we got way from them...$5000 for a softener and treatment system?? you gotta be kidding?!). We bought our softener from Lowes for hmmm, I think $500-600 including installation, and have been very satisfied with it. DH said we could buy/replace the softener many times over for the $5000 they wanted. Also, the softener people were not high pressure at all.

[banker]

There are now 11 homes for sale in the Quarry and 14 across the street in Iron Mountain Ranch... Looks like a good time to buy but not a good time to sell...

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

It's an oft-repeated fallacy that because a lot of homes are for sale that it's a good time to buy. A good time to buy is (1) You have a steady source of income and plan to stay somewhere a long time, and 2) The price of the purchase, taking tax benefits and opportunity costs into account, makes it a better deal than renting.

[banker]

Originally Posted by LivingLikeAGradStudent

It's an oft-repeated fallacy that because a lot of homes are for sale that it's a good time to buy. A good time to buy is (1) You have a steady source of income and plan to stay somewhere a long time, and 2) The price of the purchase, taking tax benefits and opportunity costs into account, makes it a better deal than renting.

I assumed that the two factors above were in play. If they are and supply is higher than demand...then it is a good time to buy.