Looking for info on Richmond American Builder/ good or bad (Phoenix: rent, credit)

[altus2006]

If you go to the link below and type in the builders name, you will find one of their licenses has been canceled and the other license has quite a few open complaints.

Buyer Beware with this company.

Arizona Registrar of Contractors

altus2006

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by altus2006

If you go to the link below and type in the builders name, you will find one of their licenses has been canceled and the other license has quite a few open complaints.

Buyer Beware with this company.

Arizona Registrar of Contractors

altus2006

Under the ROC that I have for the company they have 7 open complaints and 10 that have been resolved. I don't think that is bad for what I read was the 3rd largest builder in the area and one of the top 4 builders in the nation. What do you think? I realize that they also have closed licenses as well. I checked with the A.R.of C and noticed that other notable builders in the area also have closed, expired, and suspended licenses. Trend for one builds a nice home, but they also have issues that were listed.

Not sure if you will find a builder that is going to be free from problems or issues. Maybe there are some. My thought is that when things were booming most of these builders slapped these homes together. They just didn't have the ability to make sure that everything was perfect. I doubt that I would want a home that was built within the past 4 years. You had everyone in the world putting these things together.

[altus2006]

I would be concerned about them myself because of problems other posters have encountered. It would help if you could find out what the complaints are too instead of just a number. If it were my house going to be built, I would be asking the questions face to face with the builder or his foreman.

From what I have been able to dig up (not easy, by the way) some builders have been sued over building on expandable/collapsing soil and not preparing land to handle the foundations. This has occurred even though builders are aware of the problems in the soil and they choose to ignore simple engineering practices that would have spared homeowners cracking problems in later years.

You have to do your own research and decide for yourself what is best for you. I can tell you that I have eliminated at least 8 builders from my list because of the way they have treated buyers of their homes when problems occur.

One thing about the ROC, is that they don't accept complaints against builders after a person has lived in the property for two years. So, houses that are built on poor quality soil don't have foundation problems that are visible for about 2 1/2 years, which makes them ineligible for filing a complaint with the ROC. At that point a person usually has to file a lawsuit, which is expensive and usually not helpful to the buyer.

Maybe an engineer will post here and add some information. Someone had posted a comment here about a month or so ago asking about a certain builder because he was told that he needed to kick in more money. This is the same thing that another poster on this thread has said. When a purchase agreement has been accepted and signed, the builder cannot, as far as I understand, come back and ask for more money.

If you just google "cracked houses" or soil issues in Phoenix you will find a lot of info to help you decide what to do because a lot of builders are named in these issues. It is a real eye opener for people that are new to the area (like me). Problems occur from the foundation to water leaking behind walls and electrical problems, etc.

Good luck to us both as well as others in the same boat who are trying to find information in order to make a good decision.

altus2006

[OctoberMoon]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I know in our paperwork it gave them 1 year to complete the project. Our sales rep told us that it takes about 6 months to build the home. We also have only seen dirt in the lot and no action as of yet. Our contract was signed in December. From the wording in the contract they don't have to turn over the home untill December of 2008, one year from the date we signed. I think you are correct in the fact that they gave you an estimated time frame. I bet if you were to read your contract you also will see a note that they have one year to complete the home.

We were also told that in Surpsise that it can take anywhere from a month to 2 months for the builder to get the building permit. Not sure if that is true or are they just blowing smoke. We were told though last week that the permit process has started, so we will see. If that is the case then our home can be completed anywhere from 7 months to 9 months from now. I am kind of hoping that we will be there by the start of the next school year. Then we can at least get used to the weather over time.

The problem is, we've had the building permit for months now. Everything is all set to go in that area. They just keep giving us the run around and will NOT give us any kind of straight answer as to why they haven't started building.

The thing that pissed me off the most was that they asked us for more of an earnest deposit so we could "prove" we weren't going to walk away. I'm sorry, but if you want a higher earnest deposit, ask for it to begin with. They only require $2000, so that's all they are going to get from us.

And yes, it does say in the contract they have a year. We were TOLD it doesn't take that long, ever, though and that our home would be done in February. We were lied to and then never told otherwise until we started asking. Our rep never calls us back, we have to keep calling until he is finally in the office. Had we known it would take this long we might not have gone with them. We now have to rent come February because my husband is going to start the police academy in Phoenix and we're in California right now. So we have to move and rent again, instead of moving into our home that was SUPPOSED to be done.

[crystalys]

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

I am currently in contract with Richmond American and we have been having nothing but trouble with them.

We signed the contract in August. We were told the estimated finish date for our home would be February 2008. Well, they haven't even STARTED to build it yet. My husband and I keep getting the run around. Their realtor that we worked with keeps telling us they're having meetings and he'll call us "next week." We don't hear from him EVER when he tells us he will call us. So we have to hound him. We've NOT been given a reason why they haven't started. We've been approved for our loan, and we have a 20% down payment and yet nothing is happening. On top of it, he tried to ask us for more of an earnest deposit to show we wouldn't walk away from the deal. WHAT? If they wanted more than our initial $2000, they should have asked for it up front. We're at our witts end.

If you do sign a contract with them, make SURE you get some sort of written time frame on when your home will be done. We were told February, but it was never put in the paperwork. So really, there is nothing we can do but wait. Now, we have to rent an apartment in February (we're moving from California) until whenever they decide to finish our home. They need to start, though, first.

Sorry you are having so much trouble with their realtor but I think the fact that you used the builder's realtor was the beginning of your problems. No matter what they say to you they represent the builder at all times. May I ask why you didn't get your own realtor? Just wondering. Although I guess this is neither here nor there after the fact unless you are willing to walk away from the whole thing and start over elsewhere. I do hope when all is said and done that you are very happy in your new home. Good Luck!

[altus2006]

OctoberMoon,

"The thing that pissed me off the most was that they asked us for more of an earnest deposit so we could "prove" we weren't going to walk away. I'm sorry, but if you want a higher earnest deposit, ask for it to begin with. They only require $2000, so that's all they are going to get from us."

This is the same complaint that another buyer posted here within the last month or so. He never posted back (that I am aware), so I don't know what happened to him.

altus2006

[OctoberMoon]

Originally Posted by crystalys

Sorry you are having so much trouble with their realtor but I think the fact that you used the builder's realtor was the beginning of your problems. No matter what they say to you they represent the builder at all times. May I ask why you didn't get your own realtor? Just wondering. Although I guess this is neither here nor there after the fact unless you are willing to walk away from the whole thing and start over elsewhere. I do hope when all is said and done that you are very happy in your new home. Good Luck!

We are new to buying a new build home, but we're learning a lot fast. We had no idea when we started looking at new homes earlier this year you could even USE your own realtor. Too late now, but we know for the future.

And just an update, we finally got some dates. Our first mortgage payment is due October 1st, 2008. Which means our home will be done and ours on or before that date. So much for that 1 year contract (we signed the contract August 18, 2007), eh?

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

You could have pulled out of the deal at the year date. If you don't like this deal I would think that you could still pull out of it. They stated that they would have a home built within a year. As you stated that won't happen now. Unless they get you a home by August then aren't you free to walk?

[OctoberMoon]

I'm sure we could. Problem is, we love the home. We think the people who work for Richmond don't know what they're doing, but if we pull out of this deal and go with someone else, we still won't have a home for at least that long. That's why we started back in July...we wanted a home done by February. It's too late for that now so here we are.

A couple friends of ours got a home built with Centex last year. They were told the home would be done in October 2007. Centex delivered the home a month late and because of that they paid for the movers for my friends and knocked a little off the final price of the home. No wonder they are high on the lists of good builders and Richmond isn't. Too bad we didn't like any of the Centex models, they do seem like they really work for the buyers.

[isabella20948]

Wow! What a lesson learned I still like the model that Richmond American builds but I have had nothing but negative feedback from them from the 1st day. The lot I chose was not "open" yet. Finally after contacting one of the higher-ups they released the lot we liked but required a 5% down payment of the purchase price instead of the usual down payment. So from there I get quotes from the design center (or try to) They don't quote any fee's on ugrades until after the contract is signed. So the realtor in the sales office got me the 2 quotes I wanted via fax. That was Jan 10th. today i find out the fireplace went up $200 the deck went up $300 and the central vac went up $700.
I still haven't signed a contract and don't think I will. They don't give you hardly anything "standard " in their home You have to pay for coach lites, prewire for gas, no garage door opener, preplum for laundry room, you get vinyl in the wet areas, no choice for standard appliances you get only white and its a white coil stove. Who gives a white coil stove in this day and age. My grandmother had one back in the 1970's!

Anyway as far as the contract goes, on page 9 par 2 it states that if the house is not built in one year the buyer has "only a 15 day periord" to request their money back in writing/ that is the only clause in the contract about the buyer getting their money back / and you have to make sure you don't MISS THE 15 DAY PERIOD otherwise your out of luck

Anyway I went to check out Taylor Woodrow and their customer service right off the bat is far more superior than Richmond/ They have a higher incentive, they include more in the home Their standard applicance package is black/white smooth top stove/ they give you coach lites in the front of your house / garage door opener/ So now I will do my homework on them.... The story continues...