Jim Walter Homes Warning from a former Salesman at Jim Walter Homes Jackson Tennessee

I worked at Jim Walter Homes for quite some time. For reasons that I cannot disclose, I cannot state my position and/or offices worked in.

I can tell you this. While I worked at Jim Walter Homes I saw illegal practices taking place that should never go on in the home building business. There are people out there that will read this and simply say "well why didn't you tell someone?" The truth of the matter is that I did tell someone, I told anyone, I told EVERYONE that would listen about what was going on there, and no one cared.

I have read every report on this site about the horrors people have encountered while building thier Jim Walter Home. I sympathize with you because I know the true way that they do business. The truth is that it is a sales driven workplace and the ONLY thing that matters to anyone in the company is numbers, numbers, numbers.

They don't care about how you are building the houses, as long as they are being built in the right "cycle" time. They don't care How you are selling houses as long as you are selling and counting sales at the end of the week.

I have seen salespeople say whatever it takes to "get the sale" Yes they lie, yes they will cheat you and yes they will do whatever they can to get you to sign those papers, no matter what the cost later. I have seen so many people being taken advantage of and I am ashamed to admit that I was even a part of the workforce there.

I have seen managers signing names on deeds "for" the customer without telling the customer. There were times when managers signed deeds and had them recorded at the courthosue and the customer never even knew that they had "closed" on a house. I have seen managers take more land under mortgage than they are supposed to because they didn't want to wait on a survey with a new legal description to count the sale.

I have heard managers admit that they will "go ahed and take all the land right now so we can count a sale, and we will fix it later." Knowing that every single peice of paperwork will be attached to that piece of land. And knowing that no matter what they do there will be no repercussions later because, hey we are all counting sales right? And the customers never know because instead of having the legal description on the paperwork like it should be, they instead write "See Exhibit "A" attached, which by the way has now changed to "See Exhibit "1" attached. and when the customers actually sign the paperwork the exhibits are never attached and therefore the customer has no idea what land you are taking under mortgage. And since most of thier offices get notary public to notarize documents after the fact, the notaries have no idea either.

And for those of you out there who think your exhibit was attahced at the time of sale, Don't be fooled, they can always change the exhibits before sending in the sale and you would never know. Thats why I have seen so many customers on here complaining about how Jim Walter Homes took all my land instead of just one acre, or Jim Walter took the wrong peice of land. My suggestion is this. before you go any further, go to your local courthouse, pull copies of your own documents, and make sure they are the documents that you agreed to sign. Make sure that the legal that is attached is actually the one that you agreed to.

I have also seen sales being counted for customers that never truly existed. I have seen customers die before their house was started and we built in anyway so we could recover some of the cost when the house got repo'd because no one was paying the note.

I could go on for days and days and days about all of the ways this company will get you. Heed my warning. Don't listen to the Employees that are saying all is fine and dandy with Jim Walter. It's not. Watch your back.

Steve you may not remember me. My name is Don former construction manager from same location and the guy who roofed your home while I was in Tn. helping my father in law out.

I brought many things to Ray Boldings attention during the time I spent working on your home and I know in my heart he just blew it off such as problems with the plumbing, damaged subfloor etc. Ray was not the guy for this position because he' all walk and no talk know what I mean? I have during my time with JWH built this same home over 100 times successfully but it was due to perserverence on my part because I fought the same demons he did uc uc uc built built built. I know this story well and this is how the company does business on a daily basis and you as a company insider know all to well how the system works.

I'm sorry your dream is turning into a nightmare and if I can help in any way should you pursue litigation contact me and I would be willing for fee to help all I can with your situation or any others that arise I have 1 copy of all the Jwh plans current to 11-1-04 the time of my resignation from JWH.

this does not include models that came afterwards but there still is an inside track to those also so contact me if you want and lets go to bat, can you say homerun!

It is unfortunate that you were working in an office that chose to use the tactics you discussed to generate business. I would like to assure you and others reading this blog, that not all offices operate in that manner. We are expected to produce, as in any sales field. But I, and other salespersons in my office, have never been encouraged or has it even ben insinuated, that we hide charges or tell our customer anything to get the deal.

We make sure our clients know what is and isn't included in their home, the steps and process that they will go through, what we do and what they are responsible for. For that reason, our clients get what they expected, the process goes fairly smooth and customer relations are good. We have a great construction manager, and our homes are completed in a timely manner and with very little "strife". We are in a different division than you but I have never been encouraged by management of any level to be less than honest to get the deal. We are reminded quite often though, that we are expected to produce.

I simply take this to mean, I need to network, get our name out there and make the most of each lead, with proper follow up and good service. No, I am not new. I have been here long enough to see how things work and I am still happy with the company. I only wish I didn't have to work so much. Best wishes to you.