OK, what's up with the General Contractors in the NE PA area?

[Bagldot]

Thanks - I'll check them out, next time I'm in the area, and look online for some info on them. Appreciate the tip.

[chriss1099]

We are currently using Shorten Homes for our home and let me tell you-it's been a total nightmare!! What should've been a great day, delivery day, we noticed first thing, that initial changes we made to the floor plan were never erased as we were promised they would be, and 2 whole months later, they are still not even half-way done with the site work on our home. I even had what turned into a heated conversation with Jim Shorten Sr., who wanted me to move in with my two small children (ages 1 and 3) while they continued site work with garbage all around and an unclosed wall in the dead of winter out here!! No one cares there anymore-and NO ONE ever returns phone calls! They blame "the manufacturer" for everything and the site work is very shoddy. I heard from the electrician that they just laid off all finishing workers b/c someone got injured at a job site and Osha is involved now, so, in an effort to not have to pay for their benefits, they are now going to sub-contract the work outside....cheap. We're betting that the business is going to go under-due to bad management. What a shame-Shorten Sr., doesn't realize that his family is throwing all of his hard work and efforts away....

Anywhoo, whoever you are, don't buy from them!!! Unless you're a glutton for punishment!

[I LOVE PA!]

I agree, it was a nightmare dealing with them. An ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!!! I'm sure with your initial changes they promised things would be correct, and you know if you insisted on seeing a corrected copy, it could have taken months to get, they know that and use that against you, promising...then this is why the ordering of my home took so long.

[rscustomhomes]

I am a custom stick/modular home builder in berks county. I am curious if any of your talked to any references from the builder? You could talk to a client who had their home built from them, even go see there home to see their work. We mostly deal with 2 manufacturers pennlyon and pleasant valley. Pleasant valley has 12 model homes that are fully furnished and climate controlled to look at of you can see them online. I read earlier someone asked why is it hard to find contractors to work on modular homes. Well thats because if you call a drywall finisher to come in and work on the home not alot of money there for him to make. See I was a foreman for custom stick homes for years and my friend started setting modular homes. So now we also do work for other builders setting their homes, and finishing them. We can make out ok because we do every phase of construction. We wont waste a day doing 2 hours of drywall finish because we can do something else to the home like flooring, or siding etc.. Also alot of contractors never worked on modulars they arent as easy to work on like a nice stick built home. I still like them alot and will continue to work on them as well. Just check references nothings 100% but it should help you out some.

[I LOVE PA!]

Shorten does so much business that you can always find someone who will give a good reference. The problem is not with the house, I love my house, the problem with Shorten is the people working in their office, not returning phone calls, the paperwork and the follow up for minor repairs after the house is delivered.