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SJP is not for everyone and that is OK. It is a large community with folks transplanted from all over the country. I like the people and the diversity. That does not appeal to everyone. The builders that approved by the Builders Guild are fine. Is every house perfect - no, are they lousy construction - no. Let's stop making all inclusive general statements. Whether you build in Landfall or SJP, the quality will be similar. The bottom line is I love costal North Carolina and will be happy to live there.
I totally agree with you Pony. I for one, never alluded to all the homes in SJP having lousy construction. I was simply saying that the possibility of shoddy construction exists everywhere. As I have said in previous posts on this thread, your only assurance is to be on site all day everyday.
When we built our custom home, we could come and go at our discretion in monitoring the construction. This is an HOA run community, but did not restrict the times we could visit our construction site. However, in the community where our winter home is located, their covenants state that your visit times to your site are restricted and you must make the arrangements in advance of your visit. I don't know how the covenants control works on this issue at SJP, but it would suffice to say, if your permitted visits to your site are not totally open, there is the possibility that some deficit in construction exists.
Once again my friend, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about, it is simply not so.... there are too many people that know differently. The homes being built here and at each plantation in the area are not 'prefab' at all, they are not put together in remote locations they are stick built on sight and not by 18 year old day labororers at all. One only needs to drive through the places ( in this century anyway ) and see how the construction is being done and by whom. But again, why let the facts of the present interfere with your jaded memory of the past. I have never seen so many unhappy people trying their best to keep people out of an area... especially by telling them, untruthfully of course, that if they move down here looking for a better retirement life that their own personal sky will be falling soon, their propane tanks will explode and all their new homes will fall down around their ears..... what a terrible, unhappy outlook on life.
trying to keep people away? I no longer live in the area, but I wouldn't try to keep anyone away. I own property down there, and I would like to see the market down there rebound. see, I have no vested interest either way, so I can offer an unbiased opinion based on my experience. I don't care if all of newark moves there, and I don't care if all of newark stays in jersey. I highly doubt anyone else does either, because the transplants seem to have isolated themselves behind walls.
This is terrible.... I have changed my thoughts on the subject... I understand now...
I am now convinced !
CAVEAT.... please, please, please... do not under any circumstances purchase or have a house built in NC... especially in a gated plantation.... obviously 100% of the foundations are poured at night by non English speaking 18 year old laborers by headlight and the construction process on 100% ( oops, scratch that... 99% ) of the homes that were ever built or are about to be built will be built "poorly" by these "18 year old non English speaking laborers" in the dark with non motorized hand tools from the early 1900's..... obviously leaving 99 % of the structures completely unsafe for human habitation.
Avoid homes in NC at all cost, run for your life. Now, I am assuming that our learned friends are excluding SOUTH Carolina as they only mention NORTH Carolina so if you go several yards south over the border I assume you'll be OK.
when did I say that people couldn't speak english? I said unskilled laborers. I didn't say anything in regards to race.
That's simply not true. The trusses may be pre-built, but walls and roofs are not. I have personally watched Savvy and H&H homes being build around me, and they are not high-end, by any means.
I have much respect for the Spanish-speaking men who can build a 45-degree sloped French-manor roof, and get the angles right.
In answer to SJP being "cookie-cutter", that is absurd when you look at real estate listings. Most houses are unique. Here's one example:
so you just admitted that trusses are prefabricated and loaded onto flatbed trucks. again, I never mentioned a thing about anyone speaking spanish. where do people come up with this? cookie cutter comes in many designs. you could also consider the houses there generic mcmansions.
also, last but not least, is the new trend to refer to subdivisions as "plantations" now? just wondering, as I have only heard st. james referred to as a "plantation" on here. even though it is called st. james plantation. are they starting to harvest the pine trees for pulpwood?
st. james is a typical subdivision with poorly built cookie cutter homes in the middle of nowhere.
Well Mr. gators, if your wish was to get a rise out of the forum, you have certainly accomplished that goal! I must admit that over the past few months the posts have been relatively tame... AND INFORMATIVE!
Now we're back to the old banter. Well, as an out-of-stater landowner in St.James I have had the opportunity to enter several older as well as newly-built and under construction homes. As a result, I have a pretty good idea of the quality of at least some of the homes constructed in St. James. Based upon that experience I have selected a builder that I plan on working with.
Having witnessed the construction of our existing home (in another state) and having experience in the construction field, I can say without any reservation that the quality of construction of the homes in St. James does vary by builder. But regardless of the "quality" of construction, If North Carolina is even close to the regulations in my state, all phases of construction require an inspection process which should be done by a licensed, competent, educated individual(s) to determine if the construction is up to code. Are there exceptions to this? Of course, grease the palm of the inspector and some things may get "overlooked." I would hope that this would the exception and not the rule. In any event, the onus is on the potential homeowner to do their "due diligence" and research the builders that they are considering (walk through a home under construction, talk with homeowners who have used the builder, etc.) A quality builder will produce a quality product, if not, they won't be in the building business for long.
Just an aside to Southeastlady: Of course you're right about the debris that is sometimes placed in foundation block. But does it really affect the quality/structural integrity of the foundation? We both know the answer to that. The advantage to building in Coastal Carolina is that the foundation walls are short enough so that I can reach down and take out the stuff during one of my walk-throughs during construction (evidence to show the builder!)
Let's get back to the informative stuff and stop the bashing...
Well Mr. gators, if your wish was to get a rise out of the forum, you have certainly accomplished that goal! I must admit that over the past few months the posts have been relatively tame... AND INFORMATIVE!
Now we're back to the old banter. Well, as an out-of-stater landowner in St.James I have had the opportunity to enter several older as well as newly-built and under construction homes. As a result, I have a pretty good idea of the quality of at least some of the homes constructed in St. James. Based upon that experience I have selected a builder that I plan on working with.
Having witnessed the construction of our existing home (in another state) and having experience in the construction field, I can say without any reservation that the quality of construction of the homes in St. James does vary by builder. But regardless of the "quality" of construction, If North Carolina is even close to the regulations in my state, all phases of construction require an inspection process which should be done by a licensed, competent, educated individual(s) to determine if the construction is up to code. Are there exceptions to this? Of course, grease the palm of the inspector and some things may get "overlooked." I would hope that this would the exception and not the rule. In any event, the onus is on the potential homeowner to do their "due diligence" and research the builders that they are considering (walk through a home under construction, talk with homeowners who have used the builder, etc.) A quality builder will produce a quality product, if not, they won't be in the building business for long.
Just an aside to Southeastlady: Of course you're right about the debris that is sometimes placed in foundation block. But does it really affect the quality/structural integrity of the foundation? We both know the answer to that. The advantage to building in Coastal Carolina is that the foundation walls are short enough so that I can reach down and take out the stuff during one of my walk-throughs during construction (evidence to show the builder!)
Let's get back to the informative stuff and stop the bashing...
Obviously, pop cans in a cement block wall will not affect the structure, however, it is a vivid display of the general sloppiness of the work crew. Given this, ever think about what might potentially be down your drains?
Dear lakeffect, you are right of course.... and if one were to listen to the sky is falling / nay saying ( make that screaming ) characters who are telling you and everyone else that you have made a grave error and you will have a terrible house "no matter what".... then nobody would ever build one..... unfortunately there are some very unhappy individuals in this world and unfortunately they seem to gather on this forum and make every attempt to spread their unhappiness to as many as they can..... c'est la vie.
On a happier note ( as we are VERY happy to be living here ) just got back from Tommy's, stopped there on the way home and imbibed exactly two ice cold yeunglings while having a stogie with a group of regulars as we watched the boats coming into the marina because it was such a nice day high 70's, breezy and clear as a bell. As I came up the stairs into our townhouse I jumped up and down on them to see if they would fall down because of the reported poorly built condition they must be in..... good news, they did not cave and when I flushed the toilet.... nothing untoward happened.... so I guess we slighted fate again for at least one more day.
Dear lakeffect, you are right of course.... and if one were to listen to the sky is falling / nay saying ( make that screaming ) characters who are telling you and everyone else that you have made a grave error and you will have a terrible house "no matter what".... then nobody would ever build one..... unfortunately there are some very unhappy individuals in this world and unfortunately they seem to gather on this forum and make every attempt to spread their unhappiness to as many as they can..... c'est la vie.
On a happier note ( as we are VERY happy to be living here ) just got back from Tommy's, stopped there on the way home and imbibed exactly two ice cold yeunglings while having a stogie with a group of regulars as we watched the boats coming into the marina because it was such a nice day high 70's, breezy and clear as a bell. As I came up the stairs into our townhouse I jumped up and down on them to see if they would fall down because of the reported poorly built condition they must be in..... good news, they did not cave and when I flushed the toilet.... nothing untoward happened.... so I guess we slighted fate again for at least one more day.
I just state facts, and you seem to be the only one who is upset. I state what I saw while living there, and building houses there. I don't stand to make money off of my opinion.
Ah, the SJP crowd is at it again, protecting
their investment fiercely and as always in a passive aggressive kind
of way!
as far as SJP being diverse , now that would be a joke.
Diversity does not excist behind tall walls.
I really don't get the strong attack on everybody who
posts the least bit criticism of SJP?
It's really okay that not everybody wants
to live there, ist'n that the reason for gated communities?
Lastly, I have a friend who got in trouble on CDF for promoting
a business, this thread seems like excactly that.
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But does it really affect the quality/structural integrity of the foundation? We both know the answer to that. The advantage to building in Coastal Carolina is that the foundation walls are short enough so that I can reach down and take out the stuff during one of my walk-throughs during construction (evidence to show the builder!)
