About to purchase a Ryan Home. Am I making a mistake? (Ellicott City: hardwood floors, fit in)

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Hello everyone,

I'm a military guy and I recently relocated to Maryland from Germany where I was stationed for three years. Prior to making the move, I relied a great deal on info and tips from this website. Hopefully you guys can help me out once again.

I'm looking to purchase a new Ryan Home townhouse in Ellicott City. Not being familiar with Ryan Homes, I was drawn in by the model home's high-end appliances and (seemingly) top-notch finishes. After meeting with the sales rep over the past two weeks, my wife and I scheduled a meeting for this Saturday (TOMORROW!) to sign paperwork and get the process started.

Today, I happened to be perusing the internet to get more info on my upcoming purchase, and I stumbled upon site after site of webpages dedicated to folks who've had horrible experiences with Ryan Homes.

Needless to say, I'm now a lot more concerned about moving forward. However, as much as those websites concern me, I don't want to give them undue influence over my decision.

If any of you have extra insight into Ryan Home constructions (especially here in Maryland), I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

[WhoDatInMD]

No personal experience but I have read the many bad reviews also, especially involving rushed construction and poor quality. A couple weeks ago, a poster in the DC forum vented about her regret with buying a Ryan home, which she felt was rushed and has had issues with her appliances:

//www.city-data.com/forum/washi...l#post36425209

Also try doing a search for Ryan Home on this forum. I believe a poster last month inquired about a RH development in Ellicott City. I'm not sure if he received any responses though.

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Thanks WhoDat. I see the other post now.

[Seaponies]

I would suggest you continue doing as much research as you can regarding Ryan Homes.

It is true they build very fast, almost assembly line. I've witnessed them pour concrete when it was around freezing outside. I'm not an expert on construction but I have to question about doing full construction in the middle of winter. It seems they want to get it built in about 2 months.

From actual observation they build for the most part cookie cutter houses, almost all look alike in the same size/price range. They don't allow much customization.

I had a maintenance person over at my home and we were just talking about Ryan as well as other builders.
He thought Ryan used the cheapest HVAC systems, as an example. He said they buy so much in bulk and they break down very often.

I'm not here to bad mouth Ryan but I've seen them build a whole community and have talked to 3rd party maintenance people who have an unbiased opinion.

I'm sure the Ryan model looks great(they are suppose to make it look homey and deck it out) however as I mentioned to another poster Genieveray(sp ?), if you knew that a builder had many complaints and knowing that information, would you still feel comfortable with that builder ? Only you and your wife can make that decision.

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Good point, Seaponies. While no construction is flawless, there are simply too many complaints about this outfit in particular.

[AeroGuyDC]

When we built our house (not Ryan Homes) last year, we had multiple independent inspectors come out for the pre- and post-drywall inspections. I recall it mentioned by the pre-drywall inspector that he was very pleased with the quality of framing by our contractor and proceeded to say that he's seen so many homes by Ryan and similar large homebuilders where cutting corners was the norm. One example he pointed out to me was the subfloor. I forget the exact measurements, but our subfloors were "thick sheeting" and therefore would not give in or bend over time.....whereas with the large builders the subfloor was "thin sheeting" and very likely to give a lifetime worth of squeaking and problems when hardwood floors are put down. It was termed a cost-cutting measure.

I'm not here to put down Ryan Homes, per se, but just to point out an area of concern that you might want to research.

Good luck.

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Much appreciated AeroGuy. Thanks.

[goldenage1]

I think you should take a deep breath and not commit to purchase yet. Contact a Realtor and see a Ryan townhouse that is 5 years old, and see how well it has held up.

[tgs_bg]

I own a Ryan townhouse. It was built from the ground-up 3 years ago.

Ryan in the past has been known to "cut corners" if you will, and do poor work. A friend of mine who used to work for Ryan told me that prior to the purchase and construction of my home. He also stated that Ryan has improved their quality a lot and recommended them now. After careful consideration I decided to go with Ryan and have not been dissapointed to this day. My friend came with me during the pre-drywall phase and was impressed how Ryan has impoved their construction. I hired an inspector and he did point out a few minor things along the way which the Ryan project manager took care of, no questions asked and it was hassle free.

I was quite impressed with the experience -- my sale's rep and project manager made sure I understood everything going on, kept me in the loop and encouraged me to call them at any time with any questions.

I say go for it, but make sure you hire an inspector during the pre-drywall phase and after completion prior to move in. If you have any questions let me know.

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Thanks tgs_bg. That helps a lot.

Just curious...are you in Maryland?