Construction (KB) from contract to close

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by tejano2828

... A home is one of those few items that will almost always go up in value...

lol wut? I have a bunch of friends out here that'd love to sell you their place...

OK really the problem with a lot of these developments out in the exurbs is that sellers compete with new construction. Why buy a house 2 years old for $200K when the builder is making the same floorplan down the road for $160?

[Rasero]

My wife and I had a custom KB home built 3 1/2 years ago and we've been very pleased with the quality of it. Their customer service department was great when we had questions, and the few issues we did find after we moved in they fixed immediately (new grass didn't come in as quickly, they replaced it; the microwave venthood blower wasn't reversed to blow outside the home, they reversed it). We live in the corner of our neighborhood in a cul-de-sac and the home backs up to a field, and we love the area. But unfortunately I just found out the home is worth just a little bit more than what we bought it for in 2006; even though the city appraisal had it at $11,000 more. I'm curious to see what the tax appraisal for this year says.

Here are the cons though to living in a new KB homes neighborhood: since many of the homeowners are first-time home buyers, a lot of them don't seem to have a clue about how to maintain their yards or their homes for that matter. There are so many yards in my neighborhood that died and got full of weeds, it makes me angry. The HOA gets on to people, but all they do is cut the weeds down really low. Hardly anyone stained their fences, and now a lot of them are turning gray. I'm amazed that people would invest so much in a home and then not maintain it well from the outside. Though I think that since we changed our HOA to be managed by the property owners, things have looked nicer. But nevertheless, it affects your property value. Also, there were several foreclosures in the neighborhood which brought down home values. New home owners who bought more than they could afford.

Honestly, though, not sure if I would move into another new subdivision like this. Ours was the 4th house that was finished, so we got to watch it all from start to finish. Next house we'll move into a fairly new but well established subdivision where people have lived their for several years and the yards and exteriors are well maintained.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by Rasero

My wife and I had a custom KB home built 3 1/2 years ago and we've been very pleased with the quality of it. Their customer service department was great when we had questions, and the few issues we did find after we moved in they fixed immediately (new grass didn't come in as quickly, they replaced it; the microwave venthood blower wasn't reversed to blow outside the home, they reversed it). We live in the corner of our neighborhood in a cul-de-sac and the home backs up to a field, and we love the area. But unfortunately I just found out the home is worth just a little bit more than what we bought it for in 2006; even though the city appraisal had it at $11,000 more. I'm curious to see what the tax appraisal for this year says.

Here are the cons though to living in a new KB homes neighborhood: since many of the homeowners are first-time home buyers, a lot of them don't seem to have a clue about how to maintain their yards or their homes for that matter. There are so many yards in my neighborhood that died and got full of weeds, it makes me angry. The HOA gets on to people, but all they do is cut the weeds down really low. Hardly anyone stained their fences, and now a lot of them are turning gray. I'm amazed that people would invest so much in a home and then not maintain it well from the outside. Though I think that since we changed our HOA to be managed by the property owners, things have looked nicer. But nevertheless, it affects your property value. Also, there were several foreclosures in the neighborhood which brought down home values. New home owners who bought more than they could afford.

Honestly, though, not sure if I would move into another new subdivision like this. Ours was the 4th house that was finished, so we got to watch it all from start to finish. Next house we'll move into a fairly new but well established subdivision where people have lived their for several years and the yards and exteriors are well maintained.

IMO, many home owners these days are too busy/lazy to maintain their yards. And if you're in a large HOA, it can be overwhelmed trying to keep up with this problem (for example, Westcreek).

[joe123456]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

lol wut? I have a bunch of friends out here that'd love to sell you their place...

OK really the problem with a lot of these developments out in the exurbs is that sellers compete with new construction. Why buy a house 2 years old for $200K when the builder is making the same floorplan down the road for $160?

There is a reason why a home that was being sold by the builder for $200K is now selling at $160K. The builders are cutting every corner to save money and therefore are able to lower the price point on the same floor plan.

I have noticed that the builders aren't using 12 gauge electrical wire (yellow) and now are using a higher gauge. They have went from plywood exterior to thermosheath that has two colors green (non structural) and red (structural), no longer use manabloc plumbing distribution as a standard feature, not running plumbing to a feeder valve, now they are just splicing the lines many times which will make it more likely to lose pressure, not using gulam headers, etc. etc. Changing standard features by now making them upgrades that you have to pay for.

I have noticed the above in at least three tract home neighborhoods by differant builders. Not all of the above applies to all builders but it is a compilation of things I have noticed. Same floorplan cheaper built house and less standard options.

[Seguinite]

The builder is not going to get away with using the wrong size wire on a regular basis. That's one of the reasons it's now color coded... makes it easier for even a lazy inspector to check. Unless something has changed (and it may have), lighting circuits can still be 15a/14gauge (white 'Romex').

And to an earlier post about the vent hood blowing the wrong direction... not sure how somebody can install that backwards, unless it was wired wrong at the factory.

[joe123456]

Originally Posted by Rasero

My wife and I had a custom KB home built 3 1/2 years ago and we've been very pleased with the quality of it. .

I also thought KB would give me lots of custom options when I built my house. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I couldn't even get a three - four way electrical switch installed; couldn't upgrade HVAC blower to variable speed, add zoning or another heatpump for a two story 3300sf home, undercabinet kitchen lights, upgrade the cabinets to their best quality on their higher end homes, insulate the garage, add windows where there were none in the room, R-15 for the exterior walls contractor quote was only $600, upgrade windows to double hung, etc. etc.

These are the type of upgrades that matter most - more comfortable house with zoning or two heatpumps, more energy efficient, double hung windows allow you to be able to clean your windows from the inside, and make a home more liveable etc.. With that said you can get alot of sf for the money, but it takes alot of money to make the house look more like a home than a nice apartment like interior.

Iv'e done some upgrades to my KB home...here are some pictures. It doesn't look like a KB home anymore.

Arches were built after I closed, bookcases custom, skylight...floor plan had a dark stairway, very wired house, and lots of trim work and flooring done after I closed. Not to mention alot of extra work done during the build process.

My wife states the house is too big and wants to downsize. Message me if your are house hunting.