DR HORTON builder question (Trinity: mortgage, new home, neighborhood)

[h152cc2]

Hello,

We plan on buying a new home in the Heritage neighborhood in DR HORTON's "Trinity at Heritage" development. Could you please tell me your experience with dealing with this builder? How about their financing company DHI mortgage? And if anyone here lives in this neighborhood, please tell me how you like the area?

Our price range is 150K - 200K.

Thanks!

[nsumner]

DHI mortgage is very comparable to other companies. The Trinity is a nice neighborhood. I don't live there but I have sold several homes there this year.

If you are buying a spec home, the process should be fairly easy. I do recommend that you get an independent home inspection done with an inspector that uses a thermal imaging camera. Very well worth the $250

I am sure that your Realtor is giving you advice accordingly.

Naima

[loves2read]

if you are builoding from the ground up you should have more than one inspection at certain stages of construction
like after foundation, after rough out for plumbing/electricity, windows, roof but before sheet rocking walls, have the HVAC system checked for proper load factor--J-calc for YOUR HOME--not just generic----and final inspection once fixtures are in and supposedly working...
you might find inspector who will do all of those for one price paid in installments...
once walls are in it is difficult to fix some problems--much more expensive then and less likely to happen

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by nsumner

DHI mortgage is very comparable to other companies. The Trinity is a nice neighborhood. I don't live there but I have sold several homes there this year.

If you are buying a spec home, the process should be fairly easy. I do recommend that you get an independent home inspection done with an inspector that uses a thermal imaging camera. Very well worth the $250

I am sure that your Realtor is giving you advice accordingly.

Naima

Naima,

I would be interested in knowing how you come up with the price for an inspection? Do you also run an Inspection business or are married to an Inspector?

Quite frankly these "$250, any house, any size, anywhere, any time" Inspectors really need to be watched closely.

[nsumner]

Originally Posted by escanlan

Naima,

I would be interested in knowing how you come up with the price for an inspection? Do you also run an Inspection business or are married to an Inspector?

Quite frankly these "$250, any house, any size, anywhere, any time" Inspectors really need to be watched closely.

I don't own an inspection company nor am I married to a home inspector.

I've been in business in DFW for 15 years and I have had buyers that used inspectors that charge from $250 to $450 an inspection. I haven't seen anything from a home inspector that charges $450 do that a cheaper one didn't except that they wore a "fancy uniform with cap". Many of them were very detailed. May be they don't have to split it with anyone and can afford to charge less.

Of course the $250 is for a basic inspection without a WDI or pool or septic etc.

Naima

[Rakin]

Originally Posted by nsumner

I don't own an inspection company nor am I married to a home inspector.

I've been in business in DFW for 15 years and I have had buyers that used inspectors that charge from $250 to $450 an inspection. I haven't seen anything from a home inspector that charges $450 do that a cheaper one didn't except that they wore a "fancy uniform with cap". Many of them were very detailed. May be they don't have to split it with anyone and can afford to charge less.

Of course the $250 is for a basic inspection without a WDI or pool or septic etc.

Naima

$250 for a slab foundation, smaller new home sounds about right. Don't need a termite report.

[escanlan]

It can't be said enough!

"Quite frankly these "$250, any house, any size, anywhere, any time" Inspectors really need to be watched closely."

[LovesFortWorth1]

We built with DR Horton and had a really bad experience...I hope your experience is better. My best advice is to get everything in writing that they promise you and make sure that you are clear on what are upgrades vs standard before signing anything (this is probably true with any builder, though). Also, keep a close eye on the build process and do not move in until they have completed everything on your punch list. We made the mistake of moving in on the promise that they would finish our punch list items within a few weeks. Unfortunately for us, once they got their money, it was a nightmare/next to impossible to get them to finish (even though we had it all in writing). I would never build with them again.

If I was building in Heritage, I would seriously consider Standard Pacific...they are a much better builder and much easier to deal with based on several happy homeowners I know.

[expatChicagoan]

I live in a DR Horton home in Heritage. I love the house; I love the neighborhood; I have absolutely no complaints about any of it. I paid for a home inspection, as I wasn't around for the building process (I lived in Chicago, and flew down for the house walk through and the closing, and then moved down 2 weeks later).

[usc619]

Originally Posted by LovesFortWorth1

. Unfortunately for us, once they got their money, it was a nightmare/next to impossible to get them to finish (even though we had it all in writing). I would never build with them again.

If I was building in Heritage, I would seriously consider Standard Pacific...they are a much better builder and much easier to deal with based on several happy homeowners I know.

Ditto!