Anyone have any information on Sharp Residential? (Atlanta, Alpharetta: new home, neighborhood)

[mrtree]

Originally Posted by dekewf

I have lived in a Sharp house for the last 4 years in Ashebrooke - only issue I have (and others have as well) is with squeaky floor boards - make sure you check those very thoroughly at closing - some are going to obviously come loose over time but do as much work as you can upfront. Overall, its a very well built house and the warranty people are very willing to fix things if you come at them with sugar rather than the vinegar approach that my neighbors have unsuccessfully tried.

The other thing I will say is that we still do not control the HOA (after 4-5 years) in our subdivision - Mr. Sharp still has a tract of land in the subdivision that has not been built on so he controls the HOA. Be wary that he may try that in Lakestone as well

Thanks for the input on the floors...we will definitely keep an eye on it. Does Sharp police the HOA since they are still in charge or have they been slipshod in enforcing the rules?

[steven5362]

Originally Posted by mrtree

My wife and I are considering buying a house in Lakestone and were wondering if anyone had any first hand information on Sharp Residential. I haven't really been able to find much of anything about them, and am curious as to their reputation as a builder.

Avoid!! Several issues with delay in construction. Handled very poorly by Sharp. I was the one who discovered their trim contractor was 1 and 1/2 months behind schedule (they fired him). No apologies for delay... Home decent but not worth poor treatment.

[Homer12]

They are a builder in Seven Hills, the huge community in Dallas. I found the other builders to be better quality than sharp for the same money. For example, sharp used basic moulding, the other builders used upgraded moulding. Sharp door locks were cheap junk, other builders were quality. Might seem small, but if they are cheap on that they are probably the same on most things.

By the way, these were $400-550k houses

[cigary43]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Yup, and when the market conditions allow for it, they'll also build other houses in the area that sell for more than you paid- will you be running to the sales office to write them a check for the extra amount so the entire neighborhood is in sales-price equilibrium? It's part of living in a free market society- sometimes you'll buy on the high end, and sometimes you'll buy on the low end- get used to it.

Actually, they have a sign when you enter the sub-division that tells you what the pricing is and then they sale the inventory homes for 15% less than the signage. I don't have a problem with the free market society but when your home is devalued by the builder when other reputable builders hold their pricing in the same area you have to wonder who is the "reputable" builder? SHARP is not reputable in any way shape or form because of how they do business.

[cigary43]

Originally Posted by mrtree

Thanks for the input on the floors...we will definitely keep an eye on it. Does Sharp police the HOA since they are still in charge or have they been slipshod in enforcing the rules?

Sharp does not police the HOA at all. What they do is keep at least one inventory house in play so they have access to HOA proceedings. As far as the floors are concerned you have your year warranty to deal with problematic issues but you would be smart to get all issues fixed before signing any paperwork on your house. Do not trust them to have things fixed on your timetable.

[cigary43]

RUN do not walk from buying from Sharp Residential. There are better builders and have better reputations than this crook. There are too many stories about how this guy operates and you know you are in trouble when he refuses to meet with you when you have problems with your house. He always had an excuse not to meet with us because of the problems we had.

[cigary43]

Originally Posted by jmshipp

I guess I will help you out since no one seems to be...

Sharp is actually a very good builder. They are what I call a "stick" builder. Their homes are actually made using an on site constructed framework vs trusses that are made off site and then assembled on the property. Truss built homes seem to have more issues with settling, in my opinion. Also tolerances can be off since they are going on measurements that were not made on site.

I myself am an engineer by trade and just so happen to have looked at Lakestone. I was dealing with Brandon over there. I have looked at those homes and would probably own one if my fiance had not fallen in love with the KB Martha Stewart homes around the corner. TRUSS BUILT... BOOOOO! But she is the boss...

In my opinion, Lakestone is going to be an excellent neighborhood. The level topography is outstanding (very important for kids). The builder is top notch based on construction quality and standard options included with the home. Based on what custom builders I have dealt with in my line of work have said, Sharp makes a very good house.

Hope this helps!

If you are comparing Sharp with KB you are right on the mark. Both builders are very shoddy when it comes to building a house as they use vendors that are very shoddy when it comes to painting, drywall, and decorating. You would think in a $400k house that the lights would reflect the price of the house but it doesn't. I have seen houses in the $150K pricing that had better lighting and when it comes to paint and drywall they use a Level 3 grade. Look up in contract terms what you get from a level 3 when you should be getting at the very least is a level 4. This is just the short list of how Sharp cheaps out.

[tejas01]

Considering buying a Sharp Residential Home? I have purchased a home and would not do it again or recommend buying to anyone. My home has had and still has several ongoing issues. 1. We have been in our home just over a year and a half, have had drainage issues from day one and still have drainage issues. Sharp has patched the problems but will not fix the problems. We have had several issues with drainage. 2. The retaining wall was falling over, Sharp has patched it together by taking apart some the timbers, vertically cutting the ground behind the wall, beating the lower portion of wall into place with sledge hammers, (leaving big hammer marks in face of wall), and then resetting remainder of timbers. Looks like crap, Sharp will not replace. Neighbors wall is starting to lean. (been approx. 6 months). 3. Driveway was on neighbors property, I notified Sharp several months in advance of the sale, I had a small arched section of driveway that encroached onto neighbors property about 1'. Day of closing neighbors house, Sharp came and saw cut my driveway without even letting me know this was their solution. 4. Master closet is very warm in summer and very cold in winter, you might need to get dressed to enter the closet in winter. Sharp did add another duct, but it did not solve the problem. Needs more insulation above garage, but they said this is not required. 5. The latest problem is one of the air conditioning units has failed. The compressor has quit working. And its only the second season. I have to replace the compressor and a coil. Cost $1000 +, not what you would expect on a new home. Whats next???????? Several of my neighbors have had similiar problems with Sharp Homes. I wish I had know earlier. Is there such a thing as a lemon law on a home??? Buyers beware.........

[cigary43]

Originally Posted by cigary43

Actually, they have a sign when you enter the sub-division that tells you what the pricing is and then they sale the inventory homes for 15% less than the signage. I don't have a problem with the free market society but when your home is devalued by the builder when other reputable builders hold their pricing in the same area you have to wonder who is the "reputable" builder? SHARP is not reputable in any way shape or form because of how they do business.

Originally Posted by BobKovacs
Yup, and when the market conditions allow for it, they'll also build other houses in the area that sell for more than you paid- will you be running to the sales office to write them a check for the extra amount so the entire neighborhood is in sales-price equilibrium? It's part of living in a free market society- sometimes you'll buy on the high end, and sometimes you'll buy on the low end- get used to it.

Soooo, Bob,,,,so what are your thoughts on the market conditions now,,still think that I was out of line? Hope you are living in a Sharp Home and are watching your equity going down the drain while they soaked everyone else for 15-20% above what they are now,,,,and continue to sell current new homes for the same pricing. Nice for them to look out for their current residents.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cigary43

Soooo, Bob,,,,so what are your thoughts on the market conditions now,,still think that I was out of line? Hope you are living in a Sharp Home and are watching your equity going down the drain while they soaked everyone else for 15-20% above what they are now,,,,and continue to sell current new homes for the same pricing. Nice for them to look out for their current residents.

So, are you saying that even if the market takes a dive, they should continue selling their homes for the same price as when the market was booming? Because I doubt they would be selling many. Like everyone has said, housing prices follow the housing market. If the market drops, so do prices. This is not particular to Sharp.