Question about builder reviews.... Seeing a lot of low stars? (Alexandria: real estate, apartment)

[lioil]

I am doing some research on the primary builders of units i am interested in - ryan homes, toll brothers, khovanian homes. They seem to get very low reviews (especially Khovanian) in consumer reports... is this a concern or the warranty and hiring a good inspector will give me piece of mind? I know there are only few hundred reviews so maybe it is just a very small % of total sold.

[boyd888]

The problem with online reviews is that only disgruntled people tend to leave them. If they list both positives and negatives I would consider that a legit review. If it is all negative I'd ignore it to be honest.

You see the same thing with apartment buildings,car dealerships, etc. Many of them have thousands of happy tenants/customers across a couple year period, yet their online reviews are a couple of dozen negatives sprinkled in with a few positives.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by boyd888

Many of them have thousands of happy tenants/customers across a couple year period, yet their online reviews are a couple of dozen negatives sprinkled in with a few positives.

Or, just people who tolerate it and have neither the time nor the inclination to review the place. If a lot of people are taking the time to review it negatively, it's usually a warning sign.

[Old Guard]

I usually take negative reviews more seriously if I see the same thing showing up in a lot of the reviews. "The shower head just came off while I was taking a shower and killed my dog!". Then I have something to look at and see if any review mentions what caused the problem.

[DMom]

As a real estate agent, I advise my clients to stop by and speak with homeowners in the community you are looking to purchase ask about their experience with the builder. People are happy to share both good and bad experiences when asked in person.

Good Luck!

[Annandale_Man]

Originally Posted by lioil

I am doing some research on the primary builders of units i am interested in - ryan homes, toll brothers, khovanian homes. They seem to get very low reviews (especially Khovanian) in consumer reports... is this a concern or the warranty and hiring a good inspector will give me piece of mind? I know there are only few hundred reviews so maybe it is just a very small % of total sold.

It does not matter who's name in on the house plans. All of these projects are constructed using the same labor pool.

[patrick85395]

Toll Brothers builds beautiful models loaded with hundreds of thousands of dollars in upgrades to lure homebuyers into purchasing. The models are landscaped beautifully and include pools that would cost six figures+. That's all fine, but regular production homes don't even come close to what the model looks like. That's fine if you understand that going in. Here's the problem: By the time you realize what it's going to cost you to turn the basic (and I mean basic) home into the luxury home that you picture in your mind, you've already given them your deposit for the home + lot premium. You could easily be invested $50k in deposits all of which is 100% NON-REFUNDABLE should your loan not be approved.

There is no loan contingency in Toll Brothers contracts for any reason. Google this: toll brothers keeping deposit

If you lose your job during these COVID times and fail to close on your house that takes a year to build. Toll Brothers will keep 100% of your deposit and there is nothing that you can do about. So, just remember to contract with your eyes wide open (and your wallet).

I'm not suggesting that Toll builds anything but a good home, only that you you need to understand what you're committing to when you sign their contract.

[webster]

If you are considering buying a new home that is not yet built, ask and see if the contract permits you to visit the job site. Some are prohibiting that now.

Shrink swell soil is a problem throughout VA. Current building Code requires the building addresses the problem if the soil map for the project area shows a rating of “moderate” or higher. Contact the local building / permit office for additional information on building permit requirements; then ask the builder how they comply. They are complying otherwise they would not be able to build, but it might give you some insight into how they react to someone with questions? Are they knowledgeable or are they dismissive and contemptuous?

You can also search the Virginia Courts Case Information System. Link below. Pick out your jurisdiction for circuit court, be sure to use civil and not criminal and then you can see how many times this has gone to court. Note that this doesn't mean guilty, just that they were sued.

http://ewsocis1.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/Logoff.do

Note that the Circuit Courts of Alexandria and Fairfax do not use the statewide Circuit Case Management System; you have to contact them directly.

[Nomad1320]

Generally spec home builders are all similar quality. I don't want to say that labor is unskilled but they're not craftsman by any means. Their job is to build a lot quickly and keep moving forward. Plans are typically based on what sells not what makes sense or is appealing. Materials are bought on the cheap and only are upgraded if profitable.

Remember builders make money by doing the same thing over and over again. Typically a problem on one house in the subdivision will be prevalent on all of them.

Roof is usually a 10 year system that will start to fail in 8.
Plumbing is builder grade and done quickly, drain fall is usually inconsistent to poor.
HVAC is uneven due to long convoluted runs of flex duct.
Insulation is better due to code but typically the seal is not complete (look around the main sleeper at the top of the foundation)
Electrical is typically at a bare minimum and circuiting makes no sense. Switch locations are a joke (my bathroom switch is outside in the bedroom)

They're not out to cheat you but understand what you are buying and that almost anything in this area in a subdivision under $1m is a commodity home.

[novadogs]

As someone who's been looking into the few new home developments in Loudoun, also know that builder are hiking the base prices of homes by 6 figures right now. Then, you are looking at $200K or so to make your new home look like the model, and the "upgraded" materials are not impressive AT ALL.

For the most part, these new homes are built to look very attractive from the front, but are builder-grade crap on the inside. Too much carpet, low-grade cabinetry, cheap fixtures.
Unless the owner upgraded at the time of build, or after, on their own.

I prefer my 1970's home build for quality compared to what's out there under $1 million.