Armadillo Homes Boerne (Canyon Lake, Canyon, Lost Creek: apartment, rental, new home)

[CD's Only Mrs. X]

Hi All

My husband and I have transplanted from NY to SA a few months ago. While living in SA is ok...I prefer to live in a smaller town like Boerne. We have been there several times and we find the commute for him to work much easier than the current one. We also lived in cities for a long time and with a new baby we prefer something more quieter.

My question is, have any of you dealt with Armadillo Homes in Boerne? Or even in general? We were planning on buying our own lot and building a unique home but after a trip up to Bandera we found it to be too secluded. I dont want to be the wife that screams a coyote ate my doggie. We have a doggie.

Any answers or general views would be much appreciated!

Ta!

[bjornb17]

I've never seen an Armadillo Home but i think the most recent JD Power and Associates survey gave them only 2 or 3 rating out of 5. But at the same time they gave KB Home a 4 or 5 i think, so I'm not sure sure i'd trust the ratings!! Boerne is a very nice area though!

[kevcrawford]

KB is actually still fighting their stigmas from years back. They're building pretty solid homes now. It's always going to be a production home, but they're better than they were. The KB stigma came from them approving anyone and everyone for a home a while back. Most of those people got in over their heads, and when that happens, people stop caring for the home. Even a million dollar home starts to get pretty worn when people stop caring for it.

Armadillo Homes doesn't have a great reputation in the area. I haven't seen their product in Boerne, but I'm familiar with it elsewhere. What's your price range?

[jwebtx]

The Armadillo homes i've seen don't look to be the best quality from the exterior. Boerne, fwiw, is losing the "small" tag fairly quickly. The growth in and on the way to Boerne is high.

[CD's Only Mrs. X]

Our price range is about $225000 which would be the high end of things. I know that Boerne is growing but coming from NYC it seems still much smaller than Brooklyn. I have been to Bandera and considered moving out that way but with a population of 972 and deer in the front yard kind of scared me. I am not the Laura Ingalls type and prefer the soccer suburb mom.

I have heard many and seen KB homes up hand from foundation problems to mold within three states. I would never buy a KB home and even if we bought a resale I will not buy one within a KB development. My husband does work in construction and although we most likely will renovate regardless if new or resale for our own unique touch, I just wouldnt bother with a KB home. What other areas would you refer along the I10 corridor?

Thanks to all who replied.

[FCF's Wife]

Originally Posted by TheOriginalMrsX

Our price range is about $225000 which would be the high end of things. I know that Boerne is growing but coming from NYC it seems still much smaller than Brooklyn. I have been to Bandera and considered moving out that way but with a population of 972 and deer in the front yard kind of scared me. I am not the Laura Ingalls type and prefer the soccer suburb mom.

I have heard many and seen KB homes up hand from foundation problems to mold within three states. I would never buy a KB home and even if we bought a resale I will not buy one within a KB development. My husband does work in construction and although we most likely will renovate regardless if new or resale for our own unique touch, I just wouldnt bother with a KB home. What other areas would you refer along the I10 corridor?

Thanks to all who replied.

I don't blame you...I don't care for KB and my husband says that they flat-out suck!!

[mrstxcop]

Hi MrsX --- I live in the area you are talking about

we moved here in Oct 2008 --- we live in the Centex neighborhood --- Lost Creek --- there are 3 levels...The Presidio, The Summit and The Heights --- We live in The Summit and we are at the very end of the neighborhood, over by the farm ... we LOVE LOVE LOVE this area and are very happy here...

traffic only in the morning right around Boerne Stage Rd and in the evening coming home it gets hairy right around the I-10 / 1604 area thru the area just past Lowe's ... but the traffic is always moving, very rarely at a stand still like in other areas of the city ... really the only time i go towards town is when i go to Sam's on Fridays --- other than that i go into Boerne for everything else and there is NEVER traffic going into Boerne, regardless of the time of day...it is wonderful!!!

have a look around the neighborhood, if you have not already...and DM me if you want to stop by while you are in the neighborhood and I can give you a first hand experience with our home buying and with the quality of home workmanship --- FWIW dh and i did hire a private home inspector thru out the building process and he was very impressed and said the home was very solid and sound --- the items he found were very minor and were quickly taken care of by Centex...

good luck!!!

[jwebtx]

I lived in both Prospect Park South and Greenpoint for years, so I know the difference in size.

I live near downtown SA, but commute to Fair Oaks Ranch daily. I frequently make it into Boerne for dinning and shopping and it is a nice town without doubt. Mrstxcop's assessment of traffic is accurate. There are a number of established homes in Boerne that would fit your price range if you are not stuck on new.

Be certain though, you will get deer in your yard in Boerne.

[CD's Only Mrs. X]

Originally Posted by mrstxcop

Hi MrsX --- I live in the area you are talking about

we moved here in Oct 2008 --- we live in the Centex neighborhood --- Lost Creek --- there are 3 levels...The Presidio, The Summit and The Heights --- We live in The Summit and we are at the very end of the neighborhood, over by the farm ... we LOVE LOVE LOVE this area and are very happy here...

traffic only in the morning right around Boerne Stage Rd and in the evening coming home it gets hairy right around the I-10 / 1604 area thru the area just past Lowe's ... but the traffic is always moving, very rarely at a stand still like in other areas of the city ... really the only time i go towards town is when i go to Sam's on Fridays --- other than that i go into Boerne for everything else and there is NEVER traffic going into Boerne, regardless of the time of day...it is wonderful!!!

have a look around the neighborhood, if you have not already...and DM me if you want to stop by while you are in the neighborhood and I can give you a first hand experience with our home buying and with the quality of home workmanship --- FWIW dh and i did hire a private home inspector thru out the building process and he was very impressed and said the home was very solid and sound --- the items he found were very minor and were quickly taken care of by Centex...

good luck!!!

Thank you MrsTXcop. I will look into Lost Creek. We have been to Boerne several times and I love it. I love the main street with its quaint Texas country shops and it seems to have the overall small feel that I am looking for. DH and I use our weekends to explore outside of Loop 1604. We have even went out towards Canyon Lake and found that to be way too far for us including too secluded.

We currently live off of Loop 1604 in GW but our rental house backs onto a main road and every Friday night we get teens thumping loud music from their cars and revving the engine at the light. ERRRR! Its funny how when your a teen you think its fun and dont care about anyone else but once you get married and have a kid, how quickly that funny turns into a nuisance. I found my first floor apartment in NYC to be quieter than what we have now.

Since it is a good time to buy I just want to make sure I get a reputable builder and not someone like KB homes or those who have onslaught of lawsuits and/or bankruptcy. I know its hard to come by but I am sure we will find something we like.

[CD's Only Mrs. X]

Originally Posted by jwebtx

I lived in both Prospect Park South and Greenpoint for years, so I know the difference in size.

I live near downtown SA, but commute to Fair Oaks Ranch daily. I frequently make it into Boerne for dinning and shopping and it is a nice town without doubt. Mrstxcop's assessment of traffic is accurate. There are a number of established homes in Boerne that would fit your price range if you are not stuck on new.

Be certain though, you will get deer in your yard in Boerne.

I am sure I will get deer...its not so much the deer that I fear but when I went out into the Hill Country through the smaller more secluded areas I got that whole Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe! I am not use to it and I lived with nut jobs in NYC. I am better at handling a crazy homeless drag queen preaching about Jesus on the subway at night than hearing something creeping about in the woods....

When I lived abroad... we had foxes and hedgehogs in our garden but it was better because at least I had neighbors nearby. I am not stuck on new just trying to get an assessment of these new homes and in general just in case we go down that avenue.