Pulte Homebuilders? Nightmare Homes? Good Luck suing? Rip-off Builder from HELL. *REBUTTAL *EDitor's Comments

The truth is that this homeowner would have had an attorney review their contract if they hadn't tied all of their savings up in the purchase of their new home.  As for the inspection... Even if they had paid for an inspector to go through the home there's no guarantee that the specific problems they encountered would have been noticed.  The inspector, just like everyone else, wants to get in, get out, and get his check.

To avoid being riped off any potential purchaser of real property should consult with a real estate attorney. If you only rely upon the seller or the seller's representative to give you straight answers well then you are unfortunately living in a dream world and not realty! Sorry.

Its general knowledge by people in the home building trades that Pulte Homes are junk. They get the cheapest of everything including materials, appliances, to labor. Remember you get what you pay for. Most production home builders suck. Buyer beware. I recently moved to Florida and rented a Pulte home..when it rained the sliding glass door leaked..bad. It was a VERY cheap door and was installed improperly. I noticed things all over the house and couldnt believe they sold those houses for over 200,000.

BUT - by in large, they DEpreciate in value rather than APpreciate as a stick built would.

We lived in manufactured home, enjoyed our time there - and are enjoying our stick built home.

100K for 2300 sq.ft? Not sure where the property is, or if it would be within commuting distance to anything....hope so.

We are in the process of purchasing a home from Pulte now and so far the writing on the wall is not good, but I will address that in a few. Just wanted to quickly comment on Allen and Ernesto(?). Allen you appear to be a person without compassion and have the "they should know better" and "its their own fault" mentality. Using your logic, there would be no need for police, because some of Pultes action appear to rise to the level of criminal and certainly unethical. The majority of people do not have the time or resources to know how to protect themselves against big companies. I can pretty much guarantee that when you purchased your home, even though you may have had a lawyer present, you didnt change the language of the contract unless (which are always in the builders favor) you went with a private builder and or you had a very good/expensive attorney, in which case you again you weren't dealing with a mass production builder like Pulte. To Ernesto (I think it was Ernesto) who purchased in Leheigh Acres, Fl. many continued blessings for your success and your thouroghness, but most people cant afford to fly back and forth "Unannounced" from NY to FL just to check on the builder.

Now to my experience thus far with Pulte. I saw a few people mention "they should have a home inspector". Well Pulte has a standard clause in there contract which basically discourages home inspections. The clause states that if you choose to have a home inspector, that person has to meet very specific requirements (extreme hoops) before they will be allowed on the property for the inspection. They then have a turnaround time of one day to bring up discrepencies in a formal report. Then the contract still basically states that Pulte really doesnt have to do too much about the report.

Our sales person was only out to push as many upgrades as she could and jack the price of the house up. I wasnt there when my wife signed the contract, but the sales person knew that my wife didnt have much of an understanding of financial matters and basically led my wife to believe that payments would be a certain figure when in fact they were not. She just fast talked my wife about the "bonuses, incentives and discounts". There is no way the sales person should have quoted mortgage payment figure, because she hadnt even checked our credit. In conjunction with that, now that we have signed the contract and given the deposit, they have since placed the house back on the market. We will lose our deposit if someone else gets a mortgage before we do and purchases the home. This is due to the housing crisis, and with new credit guidelines, we can only qualify for a mortgage if I am working in the new state. I currently have a job in the state we are leaving and will not leave that one until I do secure employment in the new state.

I live in Michigan and worked for Pulte for just a few days but learned alot. I guess I should say I worked for the subcontractor who worked for Pulte. I answered an ad in the local paper and thought I might like it and could learn about construction as I went. I was young and would have even started out doing clean up just to see what is going on with home construction. I had heard about Pulte homes in 1979 or so when I was about 11. My next door neighbor was in construction and built his own home. Driving by our sub one day he commented how he could spot a Pulte home a mile away and would never live in one. This guy new his stuff and built his house from the first nail to completion.; I loved watching his house for him while he was building it.

First of all Pulte builds nothing its all subcontractors. When I first arrived at work I learned that my boss and owner of the company that Pulte hired was a nurse. Thats right a nurse. There was at least a dozen crews in this subdivision building homes. All these subcontractors wanted to get done as fast as possible so they could move to the next vacant lot. Money, money, money. Thats why I was hired because the Nurse/subcontractor was behind. Pulte gives you a very short time period to get done or else. I'm positive that Pulte even paid less if you didn't make the deadline. These crews where complete patchwork businesses. I knew I wasn't qualified to build houses and just wanted experience. These other crew members weren't qualified to build houses either but didn't care. After seeing the speed and carelessness of these so called builders I would never buy a Pulte home.

If you do you have no idea who actually built it. When they hired a few more guys they really didn't need me anymore. Some of these clowns actually had some experience so they kept them. I had a heart to heart with the foreman and he even told me he would like to keep me if he was doing his own houses because he would go slower and pay attention to detail. I would have a chance to learn.

Some of the people on this blog don't seem to bright so I'm going to clear up some stuff in advance. I was just looking for a summer part time job so I am not a bitter ex-employee. I think it is a good idea to have an attorney look contracts over but to say that because people don't means they deserve it is ridiculous. I guess if I can't watch my car 24hrs a day I deserve to have it stolen. HECK NO.

Bottom line is the usual. Pulte is a gigantic corporation that is in business to make as much money as possible. They care nothing for you or your home after you pay them. I feel for these people and the others who have been suckered. I'm in the process of building a home right now and I have a builder I think. I will be seeking references and I will have an attorney look it over. I'm glad I found this web site because I think I was getting a little impatient. I won't let that happen now because this is a very important decision. Pulte isn't the only greedy lazy builder out there so I will be careful.

This makes all the other comments pale in comparison but it goes a long way in explaining why Pulte does what it does.

We had land that we sold to Pulte but with restrictions. It was on a lot by lot basis and they were to a) keep the lot at 3/4 to 1 acre b) leave the trees on it that would surround the new home and c) not build 3 sided "siding" but three sided brick or stucco. The results on the first few homes were 2 homes to 1 acre; NO trees at all, and three sided siding with one side brick.

When we stopped selling them the rest of the land, they threatened retaliation but unfortunately we could not know what it was until it was too late. We got it pieced together in this way. Someone(s) high up in Pulte bribed some officials in the county to get the rest of the land put on a flood plain - for real!! even though there are homes all around these lots and there are no floods ever here (even before this drought). This all took place in the mid 1980's and now ofcourse, no one wants to own up to it since it has reached the FEMA level (federal interpretation and we all know how well that one works). I know., - unbelievable but all true.

When you look at what they are willing to do - and how far they are willilng to go - really., - how does on little itty bitty buyer really have a chance??

Hi,

It grieves me to no end to learn of the many issues you have had with your new Pulte home. Personally, I had a new home built in Florida recently (moved in 1 year and 4 months ago) and have nothing but wonderful things to say about my builder (not mentioning the name bcause I'm not sure if I should). My experience with the entire process takes exception with a number of the rebuttals posted above and I thought I should comment.

Firstly, I believe wholeheartedly with the Buyer Beware point of view. Before I even made a decision on a builder, I took three trips from NYC to Florida to investigate the neighborhood that I was planning to move my family into. I personally knocked on the doors of the people in the neighborhood and stepped into their homes and interviewed them concerning the neighborhood and their builder. I made a note of each and every visit and was careful to take these into account during the decision/selection process.

Secondly, the internet is our ally. I did an entire year worth of research on the prospective neighborhood, each and every homebuilder, the local governement, studied maps and water tables, etc...you get the picture. I also wrote and requested information from various organizations/companies. Suffice it to say that by the time I got off the airplane in Fort Myers for the very first time, I knew exactly where I was going...including, but not limited to, every street, avenue, locations of all places of worship, etc...in fact, I knew exactly which neighborhood I wanted to have my first home built in! I then visited each and every homebuilder in the area and made a note of anything and everything and put it all into a spreadsheet which, in the end, helped make my decision easier (because I had all of the information in one place). On this note, I will say that Pulte had the absolute worst reputation of all at the time and so, I did not even consider them in the least during the final stages of the process. Also, like someone else mentioned before me, be sure to choose a builder that has been in the business for as many years as humanly possible. For example, my builder has been in existence for a number of years and is 100% employee owned...so each and every employee has something to lose, so each and every employee will do everything within their power to assure your satisfaction.

After our third trip, I finaly settled on a builder and told them I wanted property in a very specific neighborhood. If they could find me something, I would enter into a contract and if not, I would just go back to NYC and rethink my dream. They called a real estate agent and it took him the better part of 3 days to find me a property that met all my requirements (dead-end street being the main one because of our small son ). I liked it as soon as I saw it and we sat down to read over contracts.

I, as many, did not have a lawyer present at my closing, nor did I have an inspector present. I did my own walkthroughs various times during the building process (I would fly down unannounced and call the construction manager who would always make time for me). I should also mention that I also had friends/family ,locally, who would stop by and check on things for me from time to time and report back to me with pictures, etc...very helpful! Having been born and raised in NYC taught me to be aware and ready for anything at anytime so I deliberately mentioned to the builder that, although I would not be living here during the construction process, I was only 3 hours away and could, and would, be here at a moment's notice. I also purposefully neglected to mention that I had my spies. On ocassion, I would walk into my home, while it was under construction, and the contractors would ask who I was...hehehe. This allowed me to see the construction process firsthand and to see the quality of the materials being used. While I was in NYC I was constantly doing research on the home building process (on the internet) and during that time learned how to build a home from the ground up (you have to take an active interest, after all).

During my final walkthrough (1 day before scheduled closing) there were a couple of things still to be finished. However, since I wasn't scheduled to move in for another 3 months after closing, we made a contractual note about the items and they promised they would be taken care of...and they were!

The issues that I have had with my home have been quite miniscule compared to some I have seen here but, thankfully, whenever I have called to report on them they have usually been here in a matter of hours and have taken care of them to my satisfaction. As far as the person above that mentioned cracks in the foundation, some settling is absolutely normal with new homes...as long as they are repairable.

In closing, I would just say that we need to be careful when it involves the largest and most important purchase we will ever make and become informed before the fact and take any and all steps necessary to protect our interests. I adhere to Buyer Beware and the only way that I have discovered to lessen these situations is to do the legwork/research and become better educated/informed.

Keep at it and don't give up...until your're satisfied!

Hi,

It grieves me to no end to learn of the many issues you have had with your new Pulte home. Personally, I had a new home built in Florida recently (moved in 1 year and 4 months ago) and have nothing but wonderful things to say about my builder (not mentioning the name bcause I'm not sure if I should). My experience with the entire process takes exception with a number of the rebuttals posted above and I thought I should comment.

Firstly, I believe wholeheartedly with the Buyer Beware point of view. Before I even made a decision on a builder, I took three trips from NYC to Florida to investigate the neighborhood that I was planning to move my family into. I personally knocked on the doors of the people in the neighborhood and stepped into their homes and interviewed them concerning the neighborhood and their builder. I made a note of each and every visit and was careful to take these into account during the decision/selection process.

Secondly, the internet is our ally. I did an entire year worth of research on the prospective neighborhood, each and every homebuilder, the local governement, studied maps and water tables, etc...you get the picture. I also wrote and requested information from various organizations/companies. Suffice it to say that by the time I got off the airplane in Fort Myers for the very first time, I knew exactly where I was going...including, but not limited to, every street, avenue, locations of all places of worship, etc...in fact, I knew exactly which neighborhood I wanted to have my first home built in! I then visited each and every homebuilder in the area and made a note of anything and everything and put it all into a spreadsheet which, in the end, helped make my decision easier (because I had all of the information in one place). On this note, I will say that Pulte had the absolute worst reputation of all at the time and so, I did not even consider them in the least during the final stages of the process. Also, like someone else mentioned before me, be sure to choose a builder that has been in the business for as many years as humanly possible. For example, my builder has been in existence for a number of years and is 100% employee owned...so each and every employee has something to lose, so each and every employee will do everything within their power to assure your satisfaction.

After our third trip, I finaly settled on a builder and told them I wanted property in a very specific neighborhood. If they could find me something, I would enter into a contract and if not, I would just go back to NYC and rethink my dream. They called a real estate agent and it took him the better part of 3 days to find me a property that met all my requirements (dead-end street being the main one because of our small son ). I liked it as soon as I saw it and we sat down to read over contracts.

I, as many, did not have a lawyer present at my closing, nor did I have an inspector present. I did my own walkthroughs various times during the building process (I would fly down unannounced and call the construction manager who would always make time for me). I should also mention that I also had friends/family ,locally, who would stop by and check on things for me from time to time and report back to me with pictures, etc...very helpful! Having been born and raised in NYC taught me to be aware and ready for anything at anytime so I deliberately mentioned to the builder that, although I would not be living here during the construction process, I was only 3 hours away and could, and would, be here at a moment's notice. I also purposefully neglected to mention that I had my spies. On ocassion, I would walk into my home, while it was under construction, and the contractors would ask who I was...hehehe. This allowed me to see the construction process firsthand and to see the quality of the materials being used. While I was in NYC I was constantly doing research on the home building process (on the internet) and during that time learned how to build a home from the ground up (you have to take an active interest, after all).

During my final walkthrough (1 day before scheduled closing) there were a couple of things still to be finished. However, since I wasn't scheduled to move in for another 3 months after closing, we made a contractual note about the items and they promised they would be taken care of...and they were!

The issues that I have had with my home have been quite miniscule compared to some I have seen here but, thankfully, whenever I have called to report on them they have usually been here in a matter of hours and have taken care of them to my satisfaction. As far as the person above that mentioned cracks in the foundation, some settling is absolutely normal with new homes...as long as they are repairable.

In closing, I would just say that we need to be careful when it involves the largest and most important purchase we will ever make and become informed before the fact and take any and all steps necessary to protect our interests. I adhere to Buyer Beware and the only way that I have discovered to lessen these situations is to do the legwork/research and become better educated/informed.

Keep at it and don't give up...until your're satisfied!

Hi,

It grieves me to no end to learn of the many issues you have had with your new Pulte home. Personally, I had a new home built in Florida recently (moved in 1 year and 4 months ago) and have nothing but wonderful things to say about my builder (not mentioning the name bcause I'm not sure if I should). My experience with the entire process takes exception with a number of the rebuttals posted above and I thought I should comment.

Firstly, I believe wholeheartedly with the Buyer Beware point of view. Before I even made a decision on a builder, I took three trips from NYC to Florida to investigate the neighborhood that I was planning to move my family into. I personally knocked on the doors of the people in the neighborhood and stepped into their homes and interviewed them concerning the neighborhood and their builder. I made a note of each and every visit and was careful to take these into account during the decision/selection process.

Secondly, the internet is our ally. I did an entire year worth of research on the prospective neighborhood, each and every homebuilder, the local governement, studied maps and water tables, etc...you get the picture. I also wrote and requested information from various organizations/companies. Suffice it to say that by the time I got off the airplane in Fort Myers for the very first time, I knew exactly where I was going...including, but not limited to, every street, avenue, locations of all places of worship, etc...in fact, I knew exactly which neighborhood I wanted to have my first home built in! I then visited each and every homebuilder in the area and made a note of anything and everything and put it all into a spreadsheet which, in the end, helped make my decision easier (because I had all of the information in one place). On this note, I will say that Pulte had the absolute worst reputation of all at the time and so, I did not even consider them in the least during the final stages of the process. Also, like someone else mentioned before me, be sure to choose a builder that has been in the business for as many years as humanly possible. For example, my builder has been in existence for a number of years and is 100% employee owned...so each and every employee has something to lose, so each and every employee will do everything within their power to assure your satisfaction.

After our third trip, I finaly settled on a builder and told them I wanted property in a very specific neighborhood. If they could find me something, I would enter into a contract and if not, I would just go back to NYC and rethink my dream. They called a real estate agent and it took him the better part of 3 days to find me a property that met all my requirements (dead-end street being the main one because of our small son ). I liked it as soon as I saw it and we sat down to read over contracts.

I, as many, did not have a lawyer present at my closing, nor did I have an inspector present. I did my own walkthroughs various times during the building process (I would fly down unannounced and call the construction manager who would always make time for me). I should also mention that I also had friends/family ,locally, who would stop by and check on things for me from time to time and report back to me with pictures, etc...very helpful! Having been born and raised in NYC taught me to be aware and ready for anything at anytime so I deliberately mentioned to the builder that, although I would not be living here during the construction process, I was only 3 hours away and could, and would, be here at a moment's notice. I also purposefully neglected to mention that I had my spies. On ocassion, I would walk into my home, while it was under construction, and the contractors would ask who I was...hehehe. This allowed me to see the construction process firsthand and to see the quality of the materials being used. While I was in NYC I was constantly doing research on the home building process (on the internet) and during that time learned how to build a home from the ground up (you have to take an active interest, after all).

During my final walkthrough (1 day before scheduled closing) there were a couple of things still to be finished. However, since I wasn't scheduled to move in for another 3 months after closing, we made a contractual note about the items and they promised they would be taken care of...and they were!

The issues that I have had with my home have been quite miniscule compared to some I have seen here but, thankfully, whenever I have called to report on them they have usually been here in a matter of hours and have taken care of them to my satisfaction. As far as the person above that mentioned cracks in the foundation, some settling is absolutely normal with new homes...as long as they are repairable.

In closing, I would just say that we need to be careful when it involves the largest and most important purchase we will ever make and become informed before the fact and take any and all steps necessary to protect our interests. I adhere to Buyer Beware and the only way that I have discovered to lessen these situations is to do the legwork/research and become better educated/informed.

Keep at it and don't give up...until your're satisfied!

Hi,

It grieves me to no end to learn of the many issues you have had with your new Pulte home. Personally, I had a new home built in Florida recently (moved in 1 year and 4 months ago) and have nothing but wonderful things to say about my builder (not mentioning the name bcause I'm not sure if I should). My experience with the entire process takes exception with a number of the rebuttals posted above and I thought I should comment.

Firstly, I believe wholeheartedly with the Buyer Beware point of view. Before I even made a decision on a builder, I took three trips from NYC to Florida to investigate the neighborhood that I was planning to move my family into. I personally knocked on the doors of the people in the neighborhood and stepped into their homes and interviewed them concerning the neighborhood and their builder. I made a note of each and every visit and was careful to take these into account during the decision/selection process.

Secondly, the internet is our ally. I did an entire year worth of research on the prospective neighborhood, each and every homebuilder, the local governement, studied maps and water tables, etc...you get the picture. I also wrote and requested information from various organizations/companies. Suffice it to say that by the time I got off the airplane in Fort Myers for the very first time, I knew exactly where I was going...including, but not limited to, every street, avenue, locations of all places of worship, etc...in fact, I knew exactly which neighborhood I wanted to have my first home built in! I then visited each and every homebuilder in the area and made a note of anything and everything and put it all into a spreadsheet which, in the end, helped make my decision easier (because I had all of the information in one place). On this note, I will say that Pulte had the absolute worst reputation of all at the time and so, I did not even consider them in the least during the final stages of the process. Also, like someone else mentioned before me, be sure to choose a builder that has been in the business for as many years as humanly possible. For example, my builder has been in existence for a number of years and is 100% employee owned...so each and every employee has something to lose, so each and every employee will do everything within their power to assure your satisfaction.

After our third trip, I finaly settled on a builder and told them I wanted property in a very specific neighborhood. If they could find me something, I would enter into a contract and if not, I would just go back to NYC and rethink my dream. They called a real estate agent and it took him the better part of 3 days to find me a property that met all my requirements (dead-end street being the main one because of our small son ). I liked it as soon as I saw it and we sat down to read over contracts.

I, as many, did not have a lawyer present at my closing, nor did I have an inspector present. I did my own walkthroughs various times during the building process (I would fly down unannounced and call the construction manager who would always make time for me). I should also mention that I also had friends/family ,locally, who would stop by and check on things for me from time to time and report back to me with pictures, etc...very helpful! Having been born and raised in NYC taught me to be aware and ready for anything at anytime so I deliberately mentioned to the builder that, although I would not be living here during the construction process, I was only 3 hours away and could, and would, be here at a moment's notice. I also purposefully neglected to mention that I had my spies. On ocassion, I would walk into my home, while it was under construction, and the contractors would ask who I was...hehehe. This allowed me to see the construction process firsthand and to see the quality of the materials being used. While I was in NYC I was constantly doing research on the home building process (on the internet) and during that time learned how to build a home from the ground up (you have to take an active interest, after all).

During my final walkthrough (1 day before scheduled closing) there were a couple of things still to be finished. However, since I wasn't scheduled to move in for another 3 months after closing, we made a contractual note about the items and they promised they would be taken care of...and they were!

The issues that I have had with my home have been quite miniscule compared to some I have seen here but, thankfully, whenever I have called to report on them they have usually been here in a matter of hours and have taken care of them to my satisfaction. As far as the person above that mentioned cracks in the foundation, some settling is absolutely normal with new homes...as long as they are repairable.

In closing, I would just say that we need to be careful when it involves the largest and most important purchase we will ever make and become informed before the fact and take any and all steps necessary to protect our interests. I adhere to Buyer Beware and the only way that I have discovered to lessen these situations is to do the legwork/research and become better educated/informed.

Keep at it and don't give up...until your're satisfied!

We bought our Pulte home 6 years ago. It was 7 years old at the time. We have been fortunate, since our neighbors have had absolute nightmares with the construction of their Pulte homes. Here are our issues:

Trusses in attic were out of code (we had to hire a truss engineer to certify that they did not meet code) Putle agreed to fix this even though the house was 7 years old because it was a safety issue.

Kitchen had tile counter tops (an upgrade ordered by the orginal purchaser). They layed the tile on partical board. Not cement backer board, partical board...there were 117 broken tiles from the warped counters.

Our daughter over-flowed the upstairs bath. It has an over-flow valve so it did not overflow into the bathroom, but ran through the valve as is the design. However, the pipe connected to the value ended at a floorjoist and then picked back up again on the other side of the joist. There was no elbow joint to connect the two sections of pipe. This bathroom is located above the garage...the pipes ran through the ceiling of the garage....we had a waterfall of water and chunks of ceiling falling onto cars, etc before we realized what was happening.

No flashing around windows, decks or fireplace. Not only does the siding rot, but all OSB under it, floor joists, everything within reach of those areas rot because of lack of flashing.

Our back door (from kitchen) was install backward. It opened outward with hinges on the outside. Can't put a screen on that door and makes it pretty easy to break in...just remove the hinge pins..crazy.

As I said before, these are relatively small issues with our home and I can honestly say that I've met many people in homes built by other companies with just as miserable living conditions. I think the problem is a product of builders trying too hard to build too fast.

I've heard more complaints than i can possibly remember on manufactured homes, including Champion. I agree that tract homes are often no better. The former sales person who gave all the useful tips is correct that buyers should do all those things. I don't know how much luck any buyer would have in getting any builder to agree to those things, but IMO buyers should learn to walk away from builders who won't agree to that kind of thing, instead of getting swept up in the dream home craze and agreeing to one sided contracts just to get in a new house.

Builders should be accountable for what they do, whether their customers are really savvy about construction and real estate or not. But the fact is, nowdays, you need to learn to build a house and learn some legal stuff to protect yourself, whether it's fair or not. That's how incompetent and corrupt some people are in these industries. If you want their product, you can't afford to be trusting.

After reading through the thread here, I have to say that I am very glad that I chose to buy a manufactured home. While it took me a bit to get my complaints recognized and fixed, the bottom line is that my builder honored their customer service and warranty! I now live in a safe, well built home that will last for many years to come.

For those of you thinking about using a company that has so many problems and complaints, maybe you might want to think about setting up a manufactured home from Champion... at least they will take care of you if defects are found!!! (Total cost for 10 acres and a 2300 sf premium manufactured home was $100,000...... and what did your Pulte cost you????)

In the State of New Jersey, a realtor MUST suggest to a customer, in writing (as part of the "Opinion 27 notice"), that it is wise to invest in the service of a real estate attorney, and that a realtor, builder, or home seller cannot and will not represent them in legal matters regarding the contract they are about to execute. It is the law to do so, and it gets stapled to the top of the contract. You don't have to get one, but it pretty much says that you should.

Holly,

My husband and I are also buying a Pulte home in Woodstock (probably the same neighborhood!!! . . . off '92). Could you provide any details about the problems you've experienced and anything you would suggest before we close? We're already having a negative experience with the mortgage company - just because the counselor is an idiot - but luckily my husband is a financial consultant so he can explain things to her!

Thanks

I sold homes from $90,000 to 9 million dollars and I will assure you that the complaints are consistent and people simply do not protect themselves.

I never understood why people put on all their armor when dealing in an existing home/used home transaction. They often send their documents to an attorney for review, they ALWAYS have a home inspection, they wouldn't close if something wasn't done yet, etc. Why Why so trusting that a builder is somehow NOT a seller?

RULE #1 NEVER close on a home that has any items remaining to complete

RULE# 2 AGAIN, RULE #1 NEVER close on a home that has any items remaining to complete
RULE #3 Never put yourself in a position where you have to move that weekend, so they builder can easily strongarm you into closing.

In fact, write it into your contract that all items will be complete 48 hours prior to closing and available for your confirmation or no funds disperse for closing. (so as not to stress out your mortgage lender)

RULE #4 The BBB will not be aggressive for you. (Our builder's CEO was the BBB Board of Directors)

RULE #5 You are signing a seller's contract. It benefits the seller to protect them from neurotic buyers. By all means, folks, send it to a real estate attorney for review. Yes, it adds a couple days to your buying process, but trust me----the "free" 3-car garage or the big promo will still be there for you waiting.

****NOTE To comment on what someone said above--- As a new home salesperson, I NEVER told a client not to have an attorney review their paperwork, we just requested for it to be an attorney that practices real estate law, so we don't have to educate your brother's uncle's divorce lawyer about real estate law and mess around for weeks. *********

RULE #6 Be professional, send your correspondence certified mail and give deadlines. CC it to your attorney and request the builder address this before you have to file a claim with their insured warranty. Request that the builder communicate with you via letter, so there is no communication breakdown. Mail all copies of all documentation with every claim, even if it's a UPS package size at some point.

RULE #7 As worthless as it is, file a complaint with the builder's 2-10 Warranty if there is a violation and you can document (see Rule #6 above) that you have given the builder adequate time for repairs. They often like to have "diamond builder status" or some poofy title and lose opportunity when multiple claims get filed.

RULE #8 NEVER sign a contract where you waive your right to a jury trial. Builders know you will win because there are always sympathetic people who have also built a home in their life. My biggest lunatic I sold a house to was a judge.

RULE #9 Don't go psycho first without going through all proper channels. (Including rationally calling the local builders assocation president and the owner/president of your company) If you get made after 90 days and put a sign in your yard. You're toast. Legal department steps in and doesn't let anyone do a darn thing.

RULE #10- Before building, talk to the neighbors. Remember that even the most stellar builders have a 98% satisfaction rating at best. You are going to find the 2% that are mad. (they also are the people that gripe at you in your line of work, too)
Building a home is emotional and stressful. Production builders have been challenged for decades because you want the most for your money and they are trying to provide the most for the dollar. Something gives. If the builder has real problems, you will find a much larger percentage with gripes. Do this information gathering in the beginning and present it to justify your requests (see earlier rules) at contract.


Good luck!

P.S. I'm retired now! whew, thank God.

My husband and I, too, are unfortunate owners of a Pulte home in a suburb of Atlanta. We have had many of the same problems mentioned above, as well as several new ones not mentioned(conveniently, it is also the same floor plan shown). In our 11 months of dealing with this company, it is important to note that we had both an attorney and an inspector involved in our deal prior to moving in and still faced significant problems. Many of the problems described above would not have been evident in an initial inspection of a home that was never lived in--inspectors do what they can, but they cannot predict long term damage where none exists currently.

HOWEVER, there is an organization that we have found along the way that can offer help, advice and support. HADD, Homeowners Against Defective Dwellings, is a non-profit, in part founded by a man ripped off by Pulte on his home. You can contact them online at www.hadd.org

Filing a complaint with HADD will provide immediate advice and contact info for other helpful organizations or individuals in similar situations. I highly recommend their services and have referred them to many of my neighbors experiencing similar issues.

I am a journeyman plumber that has plumbed many Pulte homes,and I just have to say;I have been plumbing for 7 years and 1 1/2 of which is in Pulte homes.

I have seen quite a few problems in the construction of these homes, but they were almost always addressed by the inspectors and/or contractors.I'm not saying all there houses are quality craftsmanship,not by a longshot,but they are up to code and specs.

I personally wouldn't purchase one of their homes,
only because there price exceeds there quality.They are generally high-end in this area,
with average amenities and average workmanship.I take pride in my work,I just wish everyone else would.

My comments to the consumer to better understand
building and purchase of a new home. The most important item is a contract that both parties mutually understand. The consumer should turn to a construction lawer to advise for fairness.
Different areas of the nation swing from lazy to strict building codes and both sides do not monitor cosmetic issues. Consumers may decide to hire an outside specialist for quality control. This can be set forth into a constuction contract or purchase ageement ( end sale). We should all try to think pro active and I believe if the consumers takes a few extra precautions 95% of items listed would not have happened. High volume unit builders and small volume builders can make simple mistakes that can end up being major at the end of the project.It blows me away to think the consumer can expect a perfect home without going through a few steps to insure the single largest investment they are about to undertake. By the way I am a Licenced General Contractor in the state of Florida and own and operate a business for 20 years.

please beware if you buy a house in s w florida you must have a private inspector hire by you in order to make sure that you house is buil right.i now for a fact that only about 20% of the inspections are verified the rest is history. please take this to your heart .thanks

Sure you should get an inpsection on a new home and have your own attorney review the contracts before you agree to sign anything...but that does not excuse the builder or the building industry for the fact they are building way too many defecive homes and that far too often the warranties are not honored. There are consumer protection laws that aren't being enforced with regards to builders. There are building codes that are often violated meaning these new homes may not even meet minimum standards or even be safe. There is no excuse for this industry to be doing things like this! A customer has to protect themselves with all builders, but there has to be some recourse in place, that is enforced, when everything fails and the builder is doing business deceptively. Blaming the customer is a dumb solution to a serious problem for which there is no good excuse.

I've owned a Pulte Home for the past five years. I am generally satisfied with everything about the home. My home is in Florida, where as previously mentioned, there are many home builder and construction scams.

I have not had one problem with my home. Now that does not mean that others do not have problems with their Pulte homes. Your inspector should have caught these defects, and you probably could have seen some of them in your final walk through. Also, as mentioned, an attorney helps in the closing process. Most don't want the added expense but that is being penny wise and dollar dumb.

Best wishes, good luck.

Everyone in this whole column who said that they didn't have a lawyer, or you don't need a lawyer, should think again. I just bought my third house. In every transaction, I had a lawyer. Who has the time and patience of reading all those forms, especially the ones from the mortgage company... I know I don't. My lawyer handled everything for me. If he had a question, he called. Do you know what I paid for my lawyer to handle my closing? $600. THATS IT!!! If you are buying a house (which by anyones standards is a big deal and probably your biggest purchase ever made), what is $600, or even $1,000. If you are buying a house and cannot afford that much for a real estate lawyer, you should not be buying the house. Put down $1,000 less on the house and get the lawyer. Protect yourself. It pays.

Allen,

I have to take issue with your logic...

"(My Response) Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer. Of course they are going to tell you that you don't need an attorney for document review. It is up to the BUYER to protect themselves. The SELLER certainly won't do it."
Allen - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Okay, if a company deals in a less than honest way... this is just "boys will be boys" and everyone should just shake their head and excuse their behavior?

You are implying (actually stating) that companies can't be trusted, so you are proving the point of the people that are upset with the company. How is that?

Real estate law, torts, the Uniform Commercial Codes and the need for lawyers are brougth on because of the lack or morals and ethics.

As far as the editors comments concerning loan applications and internet services... that is pretty close to being right on.

It is quite common to have a response to a complaint here that the person should have read the Terms of Agreement or the return policy, the back of the ticket or the sign behind the cash register... You see, companies go through the expsense of hiring lawyers to make sure that they are NEVER laible for ANYTHING. So, basically, anything costing more than a few dollars in today's society requires an hours reading and either a law dictionary and flow charting program or a lawyer.

Did you read your User's Agreement for your computer operating system? Did you read the back of the ticket for your car and the parking lot? The limits of liability for flight (Domestic and international) before you got on a plane?
You can shrug your shoulders all you want and say that that is just the way things are... other's may decide that they are not going to take it.

The one thing I remember from the business law class I took many many years ago is that companies can pretty much claim that they are not responsible for something... but in reality they might. A person cannot sign away their rights. Those blurbs are there to intimidate the uneducated and passive people. Passive people such as yourself.

Go ahead, if it makes you feel better, consider yourself a victim and blame yourself when you are abused.

Allen,

I have to take issue with your logic...

"(My Response) Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer. Of course they are going to tell you that you don't need an attorney for document review. It is up to the BUYER to protect themselves. The SELLER certainly won't do it."
Allen - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Okay, if a company deals in a less than honest way... this is just "boys will be boys" and everyone should just shake their head and excuse their behavior?

You are implying (actually stating) that companies can't be trusted, so you are proving the point of the people that are upset with the company. How is that?

Real estate law, torts, the Uniform Commercial Codes and the need for lawyers are brougth on because of the lack or morals and ethics.

As far as the editors comments concerning loan applications and internet services... that is pretty close to being right on.

It is quite common to have a response to a complaint here that the person should have read the Terms of Agreement or the return policy, the back of the ticket or the sign behind the cash register... You see, companies go through the expsense of hiring lawyers to make sure that they are NEVER laible for ANYTHING. So, basically, anything costing more than a few dollars in today's society requires an hours reading and either a law dictionary and flow charting program or a lawyer.

Did you read your User's Agreement for your computer operating system? Did you read the back of the ticket for your car and the parking lot? The limits of liability for flight (Domestic and international) before you got on a plane?
You can shrug your shoulders all you want and say that that is just the way things are... other's may decide that they are not going to take it.

The one thing I remember from the business law class I took many many years ago is that companies can pretty much claim that they are not responsible for something... but in reality they might. A person cannot sign away their rights. Those blurbs are there to intimidate the uneducated and passive people. Passive people such as yourself.

Go ahead, if it makes you feel better, consider yourself a victim and blame yourself when you are abused.

Allen,

I have to take issue with your logic...

"(My Response) Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer. Of course they are going to tell you that you don't need an attorney for document review. It is up to the BUYER to protect themselves. The SELLER certainly won't do it."
Allen - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Okay, if a company deals in a less than honest way... this is just "boys will be boys" and everyone should just shake their head and excuse their behavior?

You are implying (actually stating) that companies can't be trusted, so you are proving the point of the people that are upset with the company. How is that?

Real estate law, torts, the Uniform Commercial Codes and the need for lawyers are brougth on because of the lack or morals and ethics.

As far as the editors comments concerning loan applications and internet services... that is pretty close to being right on.

It is quite common to have a response to a complaint here that the person should have read the Terms of Agreement or the return policy, the back of the ticket or the sign behind the cash register... You see, companies go through the expsense of hiring lawyers to make sure that they are NEVER laible for ANYTHING. So, basically, anything costing more than a few dollars in today's society requires an hours reading and either a law dictionary and flow charting program or a lawyer.

Did you read your User's Agreement for your computer operating system? Did you read the back of the ticket for your car and the parking lot? The limits of liability for flight (Domestic and international) before you got on a plane?
You can shrug your shoulders all you want and say that that is just the way things are... other's may decide that they are not going to take it.

The one thing I remember from the business law class I took many many years ago is that companies can pretty much claim that they are not responsible for something... but in reality they might. A person cannot sign away their rights. Those blurbs are there to intimidate the uneducated and passive people. Passive people such as yourself.

Go ahead, if it makes you feel better, consider yourself a victim and blame yourself when you are abused.

Allen,

I have to take issue with your logic...

"(My Response) Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer. Of course they are going to tell you that you don't need an attorney for document review. It is up to the BUYER to protect themselves. The SELLER certainly won't do it."
Allen - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Okay, if a company deals in a less than honest way... this is just "boys will be boys" and everyone should just shake their head and excuse their behavior?

You are implying (actually stating) that companies can't be trusted, so you are proving the point of the people that are upset with the company. How is that?

Real estate law, torts, the Uniform Commercial Codes and the need for lawyers are brougth on because of the lack or morals and ethics.

As far as the editors comments concerning loan applications and internet services... that is pretty close to being right on.

It is quite common to have a response to a complaint here that the person should have read the Terms of Agreement or the return policy, the back of the ticket or the sign behind the cash register... You see, companies go through the expsense of hiring lawyers to make sure that they are NEVER laible for ANYTHING. So, basically, anything costing more than a few dollars in today's society requires an hours reading and either a law dictionary and flow charting program or a lawyer.

Did you read your User's Agreement for your computer operating system? Did you read the back of the ticket for your car and the parking lot? The limits of liability for flight (Domestic and international) before you got on a plane?
You can shrug your shoulders all you want and say that that is just the way things are... other's may decide that they are not going to take it.

The one thing I remember from the business law class I took many many years ago is that companies can pretty much claim that they are not responsible for something... but in reality they might. A person cannot sign away their rights. Those blurbs are there to intimidate the uneducated and passive people. Passive people such as yourself.

Go ahead, if it makes you feel better, consider yourself a victim and blame yourself when you are abused.

As a first time home buyer in 2002, I bought a newly built home.
people will say many things about what you should do or should have done, after the fact. I' m very guilty of this too.
to purchase something so grand as a home is very exciting which causes us to lose our minds something. we make pure emotional decisions while trying to think logically at the same time.
I cannot say who the builder is because I am under settlement terms,
But let me say this. after documentation from the second month, reading my warranty 26 times, my documents I signed 27 times. everything put in front of me i read.
companies know when ever there is a battle to fight, most people do not want the head ache of fighting, they make promises, trying to use up your time to get you out of warranty.
they expect you to become intimidated, and still make promises to you.
this is where you may have the upper hand because you have to show them that you are not going away. you have to follow up , over and over and over again. writing letters, sending reminders, dont cuss them out, be professional as you can be. dont just send one letter, send several letter and copy them to many people that you have spoking to along the way.
If you speak to more than one executive. keep them in the loop. for example. you have to go thru a channel for complaints before you make it to the ceo. every person I spoke to, I included them in the letters I wrote cc- everybody, attorney general. . I finally made it to the president of the company I copied his lower personnel. send the letters out to everybody you can. one thing that they want to do is keep it a secret.
remember these companies have many contacts. tell them.
as long as you have your proof in place. One of my neighbor had a leak inside her upstair wall that molded the drywall and the ceiling of the garage. they only fully corrected it 11 months later after her warranty ran out. I told her want to do to correct it but contacting the warranty provider. she didnt do. she just told me she would wait on the builder to correct it.
I had to leave this person alone but i felt sorry for her because she even had a long crack in her garage foundation. I knew my rights under the warranty. and documented them very well

while I was in my old house i began to look for a new one. I was in transition of my deal. so I would explain my situation to the loan officers, I told every body.
once I signed my settlement form I couldnt reveal the company anymore.
this wasnt an easy job. I was really one track minded in getting out because many people told me that the company would not buyback my home. even my own mother. i didnt give up because the longer i was in the home, it was going to be mine and i didnt want it .
I had too many issues same as the pictures above
I have too much integrity to sell the home to some unsuspecting soul.
one of my biggest problems was my neighbors.
we had owners and investors, some of these people had same problems such as plumbing with sewage comming up, plumbing leakage, mold growth.
and they thought I was the crazy one because i complained all the time. I have found that you can not sit back an take what they are dishing out or you are going to be stuck. I had to go thru my fight alone. and be crazy in there eyes.
but I got out.
I will say know your stuff, documentation is the key and continue to follow up. phone, fax, email, certified letter,

I got out of mine. You can too!
ps.I only used an attorney to read the settlement form. attorneys are very expensive. they tried to get me a better settlement however the story is most builders' will not buy back a home, i was advised to take the money and run.
they gave me back almost what I paid for it
i ran

My boyfriend purchased a three story townhome three years ago from Pulte. Over the past six months we've discovered problems we would have never predicted. We had a problem where something in the ceiling started leaking, we had no idea what it was, and it stopped after an hour so we forgot about it. About two months later the ceiling started leaking in a different area profusely. We thought it was the shower stall in the mastar bathroom so we started using the jacuzzi/shower in it's place until we could get the problem fixed. This created a whole new leak. My boyfriend contacted Pulte to try and resolve the situation. They sent out one of their foreman to look and it was determined that our dryer vent was leaking, not the shower, but that the jacuzzi/shower also had a leak. The foreman that was sent left the house promising to have the plumber come out and fix the problem, etc., etc. No more than an hour later the foreman called the house and said he had talked to his supervisor and that this was out of warrenty and he would not fix anything. Knowing that this had to be fixed my boyfriend went ahead and hired a plumber to come out and fix the jacuzzi/shower but he was unable to fix the dryer vent. Apparantly the tubes for the plumbing connecting to the jacuzzi weren't even connected and the water was draining into the ceiling! Thinking that the dryer vent needed to be cleaned we hired someone to come out and clean it. The thing wasn't even dirty but it was filled with water. You wouldn't even believe the water that came pouring out of the ceiling. We allowed it to drain and kept calling Pulte to try and resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we were forced to go to the laundry mat every weekend to get our laundry done. Again, at our expense. Pulte still refused to cover any repairs because the items were out of warrenty. Did I mention that the original foreman that came out cut about three holes in the ceiling of our first floor? Finally one of the supervisors come out and he agreed to fix the drywall because his guy cut the holes. We contacted the county and had an inspector come out and investigate. According to the inspector the dryer vent was in violation of code. We informed the supervisor at Pulte of this, and after a three months work of phone calls, reminders, aggrevation, and frustration Pulte has finally agreed to fix it. The dryer vent was reinstalled to code standards, the drywall will be fixed, and they are going to paint the ceiling. We won't be reimbursed for the plumbing or other expenses we incurred but at least they are doing something. Of course we were told over the phone that they would take care of us, as if they are doing us a favor, but if any of our neighbors have this problem they'll have to pay for it. Even though every dryer vent is in violation of code. We are happy we're getting ours taken care of, so the only thing I can recommend is to keep pounding the pavement. I know it's a lot of work and very aggrevating, but if you bug them enough and threaten bad publicity and lawsuits, they may come around and settle with you to avoid all that.

My boyfriend purchased a three story townhome three years ago from Pulte. Over the past six months we've discovered problems we would have never predicted. We had a problem where something in the ceiling started leaking, we had no idea what it was, and it stopped after an hour so we forgot about it. About two months later the ceiling started leaking in a different area profusely. We thought it was the shower stall in the mastar bathroom so we started using the jacuzzi/shower in it's place until we could get the problem fixed. This created a whole new leak. My boyfriend contacted Pulte to try and resolve the situation. They sent out one of their foreman to look and it was determined that our dryer vent was leaking, not the shower, but that the jacuzzi/shower also had a leak. The foreman that was sent left the house promising to have the plumber come out and fix the problem, etc., etc. No more than an hour later the foreman called the house and said he had talked to his supervisor and that this was out of warrenty and he would not fix anything. Knowing that this had to be fixed my boyfriend went ahead and hired a plumber to come out and fix the jacuzzi/shower but he was unable to fix the dryer vent. Apparantly the tubes for the plumbing connecting to the jacuzzi weren't even connected and the water was draining into the ceiling! Thinking that the dryer vent needed to be cleaned we hired someone to come out and clean it. The thing wasn't even dirty but it was filled with water. You wouldn't even believe the water that came pouring out of the ceiling. We allowed it to drain and kept calling Pulte to try and resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we were forced to go to the laundry mat every weekend to get our laundry done. Again, at our expense. Pulte still refused to cover any repairs because the items were out of warrenty. Did I mention that the original foreman that came out cut about three holes in the ceiling of our first floor? Finally one of the supervisors come out and he agreed to fix the drywall because his guy cut the holes. We contacted the county and had an inspector come out and investigate. According to the inspector the dryer vent was in violation of code. We informed the supervisor at Pulte of this, and after a three months work of phone calls, reminders, aggrevation, and frustration Pulte has finally agreed to fix it. The dryer vent was reinstalled to code standards, the drywall will be fixed, and they are going to paint the ceiling. We won't be reimbursed for the plumbing or other expenses we incurred but at least they are doing something. Of course we were told over the phone that they would take care of us, as if they are doing us a favor, but if any of our neighbors have this problem they'll have to pay for it. Even though every dryer vent is in violation of code. We are happy we're getting ours taken care of, so the only thing I can recommend is to keep pounding the pavement. I know it's a lot of work and very aggrevating, but if you bug them enough and threaten bad publicity and lawsuits, they may come around and settle with you to avoid all that.

My boyfriend purchased a three story townhome three years ago from Pulte. Over the past six months we've discovered problems we would have never predicted. We had a problem where something in the ceiling started leaking, we had no idea what it was, and it stopped after an hour so we forgot about it. About two months later the ceiling started leaking in a different area profusely. We thought it was the shower stall in the mastar bathroom so we started using the jacuzzi/shower in it's place until we could get the problem fixed. This created a whole new leak. My boyfriend contacted Pulte to try and resolve the situation. They sent out one of their foreman to look and it was determined that our dryer vent was leaking, not the shower, but that the jacuzzi/shower also had a leak. The foreman that was sent left the house promising to have the plumber come out and fix the problem, etc., etc. No more than an hour later the foreman called the house and said he had talked to his supervisor and that this was out of warrenty and he would not fix anything. Knowing that this had to be fixed my boyfriend went ahead and hired a plumber to come out and fix the jacuzzi/shower but he was unable to fix the dryer vent. Apparantly the tubes for the plumbing connecting to the jacuzzi weren't even connected and the water was draining into the ceiling! Thinking that the dryer vent needed to be cleaned we hired someone to come out and clean it. The thing wasn't even dirty but it was filled with water. You wouldn't even believe the water that came pouring out of the ceiling. We allowed it to drain and kept calling Pulte to try and resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we were forced to go to the laundry mat every weekend to get our laundry done. Again, at our expense. Pulte still refused to cover any repairs because the items were out of warrenty. Did I mention that the original foreman that came out cut about three holes in the ceiling of our first floor? Finally one of the supervisors come out and he agreed to fix the drywall because his guy cut the holes. We contacted the county and had an inspector come out and investigate. According to the inspector the dryer vent was in violation of code. We informed the supervisor at Pulte of this, and after a three months work of phone calls, reminders, aggrevation, and frustration Pulte has finally agreed to fix it. The dryer vent was reinstalled to code standards, the drywall will be fixed, and they are going to paint the ceiling. We won't be reimbursed for the plumbing or other expenses we incurred but at least they are doing something. Of course we were told over the phone that they would take care of us, as if they are doing us a favor, but if any of our neighbors have this problem they'll have to pay for it. Even though every dryer vent is in violation of code. We are happy we're getting ours taken care of, so the only thing I can recommend is to keep pounding the pavement. I know it's a lot of work and very aggrevating, but if you bug them enough and threaten bad publicity and lawsuits, they may come around and settle with you to avoid all that.

My boyfriend purchased a three story townhome three years ago from Pulte. Over the past six months we've discovered problems we would have never predicted. We had a problem where something in the ceiling started leaking, we had no idea what it was, and it stopped after an hour so we forgot about it. About two months later the ceiling started leaking in a different area profusely. We thought it was the shower stall in the mastar bathroom so we started using the jacuzzi/shower in it's place until we could get the problem fixed. This created a whole new leak. My boyfriend contacted Pulte to try and resolve the situation. They sent out one of their foreman to look and it was determined that our dryer vent was leaking, not the shower, but that the jacuzzi/shower also had a leak. The foreman that was sent left the house promising to have the plumber come out and fix the problem, etc., etc. No more than an hour later the foreman called the house and said he had talked to his supervisor and that this was out of warrenty and he would not fix anything. Knowing that this had to be fixed my boyfriend went ahead and hired a plumber to come out and fix the jacuzzi/shower but he was unable to fix the dryer vent. Apparantly the tubes for the plumbing connecting to the jacuzzi weren't even connected and the water was draining into the ceiling! Thinking that the dryer vent needed to be cleaned we hired someone to come out and clean it. The thing wasn't even dirty but it was filled with water. You wouldn't even believe the water that came pouring out of the ceiling. We allowed it to drain and kept calling Pulte to try and resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we were forced to go to the laundry mat every weekend to get our laundry done. Again, at our expense. Pulte still refused to cover any repairs because the items were out of warrenty. Did I mention that the original foreman that came out cut about three holes in the ceiling of our first floor? Finally one of the supervisors come out and he agreed to fix the drywall because his guy cut the holes. We contacted the county and had an inspector come out and investigate. According to the inspector the dryer vent was in violation of code. We informed the supervisor at Pulte of this, and after a three months work of phone calls, reminders, aggrevation, and frustration Pulte has finally agreed to fix it. The dryer vent was reinstalled to code standards, the drywall will be fixed, and they are going to paint the ceiling. We won't be reimbursed for the plumbing or other expenses we incurred but at least they are doing something. Of course we were told over the phone that they would take care of us, as if they are doing us a favor, but if any of our neighbors have this problem they'll have to pay for it. Even though every dryer vent is in violation of code. We are happy we're getting ours taken care of, so the only thing I can recommend is to keep pounding the pavement. I know it's a lot of work and very aggrevating, but if you bug them enough and threaten bad publicity and lawsuits, they may come around and settle with you to avoid all that.

Many builders don't use any type of window flashing, an important step to keep windows from leaking. Even if they caulk or use some other shortcut method, it will not hold! It might hold just long enough for your warranty and statute of limitations to run out though. It is true that SOME people do have a good experience with builders who have other customers who are unsatisfied. If every single customer was unhappy they would not stay in business. But for some strange reason, many will figure that one happy person negates one unhappy person...this is not reality. In reality, the defective homes need to be fixed no matter if it's one person complaining, or 5% or 50% of the customers. Nothing negates defects or a warranty that's not being honored, period.

Regarding leaks around doors and windows...
Caulk cannot do everything; make sure flashing was used where appropriate.

My husband and I purchased a Pulte home in 2002. We have been extremely satisfied with our home as is everyone in our community. Pulte has always worked very quickly on any complaint we have had. Pulte had us do walk-throughs three times while the house was being built, from the foundation being poured to the final house being built Pulte welcomed and encouraged buyer participation and inspection and our home supervisor was always willing to meet us to explain any questions we had.

After moving in to our home it was discovered (by Pulte on a 3 month walk through) that the windows that the contractor had put in were the wrong size (barely) and as soon as stormy season hit would start leaking (we moved in during the dry part of summer). They had the window contractor replace 20 of the 25 windows in our home. When we broke a water line in our front yard (our fault) Pulte gladly repaired it for us only charging us for the part.

We have never had a complaint from any of our neighbors about their homes and in fact we often talk about the other builders in the area and what poor construction they do.

As with all companies and businesses, there are going to be bad things that happen. No one can build a quality product every time without a mistake somewhere along the way especially with as many homes as they build and as many different contractors involved in each building.

I do have one question for the original poster of this thread. Did you not have to go through a customer orientation and final walk through on your home before closing? You never noticed at that time that the walls moved? Or that the linoleum didnt meet up or any of the other things?
Also during our closing we had a title company employee, an employee from our mortgage company and my husband and I present. We were never rushed and we made sure to read through all papers. We saw the arbitration agreement and since "WE" had done a thorough inspection of our home before coming to closing AND had made sure that ALL repairs were done before signing we were not concerned with it. In fact, Pulte required that the home be signed off on before they would allow us to close.

I would say that the buyer in this instance does need to shoulder some of the blame for things.

I just wanted to make a quick comment about so called licenced home inspectors. I am a real estate investor and own many single family homes. I have never found a home inspector that was worth the money that I paid for his services. Without fail, each and every time that I used the services of a home inspector problems later came up that the inspector should have found. Many of these problems were things that I would have found myself without any formal training at all. Simple things, like the toilet not being attached to the floor, or windows that don't lock. I could go on and on but this is not about my problems. The way I fixed the problem, I became smart on the subject. I went to my local home builders supply store and bought a book on inspecting homes, you can also get books at any library on the subject. Know I do all my own inspections. It is a great way to know your property inside and out. I know this is a little off of the subject matter, but what I am saying is that home inspectors are not the answer. Many states have no requirements at all governing who can call themself a home inspector. Buyer Beware.

I CAN and DO sympathize with each and every one of you.

I have been the victim of a very very similar situation with my "new" home. I have been here for 2 years and 2 months. I have been fighting my builder since the second month I moved here.
Water leaks inside door, electrical problems, mold due to moisture intrusion, cracks in the slab, going through the entire home from front, through to the back as you can SEE the crack underneath the vinyl-since its soooo cheap and thin. Water standing in yard, the entire home is sitting in water, I am afraid.
NO one wants to help, no one cares, the New Home warranty is usually just as good at giving the runaround as the builder, so THATS a dead end.

I have contacted the BBB, to no avail. The builder didnt even respond, so they said..."oh well" didnt even post my complaint, or show that there was one......

I thought that since this was a new home, i wouldnt have to have an inspector, but also, I thought that because I purchased a home that was built for the US Dept of Agriculture/Rural Development, and they do inspections. Dumb mistake....they only come in and do a slight visual.

The county inspectors here, dont even show up most of the time.. and when asked to see my certificate of occupancy where everything checked to code....THEY COULDNT FIND IT...how convenient.

whats worse, there are at least 20 homes in the sub with the same problems, in the exact same places, back door leaks, etc....When I went to model to complain, THEY even had the same problem, which magically disappeared with a little paint.
WHATS WORSE???? I work at a Real Estate Company, and I should have known better!!!

My out?? At least so far....since my loan was funded through a government dept., I complained to HUD. Washington office,.....THAT got results, as they are the guaranteers of the loan repayment for me, and when they got in trouble, they started going to bat for me! They informed the builder, 30 days, or they would not build another home for the government again.
I got the back door fixed. WEll, no, actually, I got the 30 lbs of caulk as done in one of the postings.. I can relate to THAT. I say, they must have a lot of stock in that company, thats all they ever did to fix anything.
For now, its not leaking,
I am going to hire an inspector. I am going to see what is what. How bad is it? I will present that report to the govt. dept. and see.

Its not about being stupid, or careless, or good, or bad. Its about people not standing behind or being proud of the quality of their work.
Bottom line.....doesnt matter how big your company is, or how well known, the work is only as good as the goof balls you have working for you!! You get a bunch of folks that cant even speak good english, well, what do you expect.

I worked for Pulte in Tampa, Florida many years ago and left on good terms (pregnancy leave and to become a fulltime mom). I am ashamed that I ever worked there.

Sadly it was the policy to build homes as cheaply and quickly as possible - d**n the longterm consequences. In fact, no one in our branch ever used Pulte to build their homes - we knew the bait and switch to inferior products and what was put in the models was of much higher quality than what would ever go into the tract homes.

With the "so-called" warranty, many new home owners thought they did not need an inspector. Even those who were going VA/FHA had inspectors who could easily be duped into believing the building specs were as promised. The only way a new home owner would know would to be present 24/7 while the home was being built - and even then unless they saw the bills of lading for the building products - they would never know what went into the house wasn't as it had been advertised or specified.

Our 'unwritten' policy was to give the runaround to vendors and take every opportunity to avoid paying late charges or providing refunds of deposits.

I personally will not ever buy a Pulte home or allow a friend to purchase a Pulte home. Disgruntled employees have reason to fear ever speaking out against Pulte. Thank heaven I'm no longer in the industry or will ever need them for a reference.

Good luck to all of you fighting with Pulte.

I am an independant contractor. I have done trim carpentry contract work for Pulte Homes in the midwest for 10 years. I've seen very happy and very miserable Pulte customers.

Pulte Home Builders are no better or worse than the majority of builers. They are a very large company and sell many homes so they probally incur a good portion of criticism. I would like to list some observations of my experiences at Pulte Homes.

Pulte uses average grade construction materials of adequate quality.

Pulte does not provide a option for stained wood trim in any house that I've worked on. The trim material is a fingerjoined primed poplar. It's ok but it can only be painted.

The electrical and plumbing fixtures, cabinets, flooring materials, doors, windows and door hardware, are not top of the line nor are they junk. The closest I can come to describing them is "contractor quality" You make the judjement on that.

They build homes on a very tight construction schedule with few delay's.

The construction sites are well organized and relatively clean.

They use the same sub-contractors for years.

They have curb apeal, good for resale.

They don't pay as well as other builders but do pay consistently.

They have a responsive service department.

Pulte is a large company that builds a decent home. They want to maximize profits and cut costs. What does that mean to you? Well it means ask the saleman questions. What type and grade of materials will be used? Everything from the paint used on the walls to the thickness of the exterior vinyl siding to the grade of hardwood used on the floor. You have a right to know what your buying!

I understand the over-whelming excitement, but commonsense and LOTS of homework are necessary. "Ed-the-editor's" rebuttal was nonsense! We're not talking about a credit card app. or an Internet purchase. Tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake here. If an attorny isn't at the signing, or doesn't review the contract before signing, then commonsense or LOTS of homework would dictate NOT to sign. Who gives a rugrats butt if the seller is uncomfortable with that? A reputable seller, builder, or lender would insist that the buyer understand the terms, to protect both parties. I do understand your plight and sympatize with your situation. Go with your gut, not your heart. The best of luck with Pulte. I hope you both find an equitable resolution.

I own a Pulte home in Michigan built 20 years ago. We bought it from the original owners which couldn't be happier with it. They just had a new home built and choose Pulte to build for them a 2nd time. This is my 3rd house, and it's the best build quality of all. 20 years later, everything is solid in the house -- even has the original windows which are holding up nicely.

We hired an inspector, as EVERYBODY should ALWAYS do before buying a home, and the inspector was very impressed with the build quality -- and we hired a "tough" inspector because we wanted to know prior to closing exactly what we were getting into. He found a few minor things but nothing atypical. This is a common and recommended thing to do before buying a house. In fact, most purchase agreements have it typed into the default agreement that the sale is contingent upon passing an inspection. Same thing with a realtor/attorney. If you choose to not hire one to look after your best interests then THAT IS YOUR FAULT. These people have jobs for a reason, and part of that is to help

In response to Pat's comment "Pulte homes have lower resale" this is total nonsense -- at least up here in Michigan it is. I suggest you pick up a few real estate magazines and see for yourself or go talk to some real estate agents before making such an inaccurate comment. The Pulte subdivision I live in the house values go up by $20,000-$30,000 a year.

Now I'm not saying that Pulte hasn't had it's problems. Surely they've done some people wrong out there and I believe they should take care of these people. It all comes down to the contractors that were hired to build the homes. Every market area is going to be a different type of quality because of the contractors they hire in each area. Some places have excellent workmanship by the contractors, and some are poor. But the point of all of this is you should have hired a good inspector and an attorney/agent before this mess started. That could have saved you all these problems right off the bat.

I have heard rumors of the Pulte orginization losing their builders license in Michigan back in the 1980's. Coincidently, they moved to the Southeast. Funny to see this story here. The homes in the Detroit Suberbs built by Pulte in the 1970's have one of the worst reputations around the City of Detroit and have a lower resale value as well.

My friend owns an older Pulte home and I recently changed out the Air Conditioner because it was way undersized and the furnace is undersized as well. This was and is a major complaint for most of these older homes. The home seems to be built like a cracker box in construction, bad widows etc..

Pulte is back in Michigan building homes but has a better reputation and is building higher end homes as the one illustrated in the beggining of this story.

My big question is how such bad workmanship is getting by the local inspectors, such bad workmanship like that that is shown would not fly up here, but that is why our homes cost twice as homes down south. Some things do get by, but you get what you pay for. Most of our inspectors were in the field at one time and do a great job of policing crappy workmanship and reputation is very important.

I have built a few homes and my suggestion is to talk with people who have recently bought in the subdivision and see if they are happy or not.

Good Luck.

i don't understand why people would buy a home from a "large" builder. the owners of the company are never on the jobsite. they get paid the same each week, wether the house is built right or wrong. the "foreman" on the job probably only makes about 25k a year and has never built a house in his life.

these "large" builders put all the subcontractors bids in a pile and pick the lowest price. folks, the lowest price is usually the dumbest moron who just went into business for himself last week and will be out of business in 1 year.

cheapest price DOES NOT mean quality. does Yugo ring a bell??!!

when you are going to commit to the largest purchase of your lifetime, use a custom builder. sure it make cost you a little now, but look at the big picture. the owner usually is available to the customer at all working hours. they have actually built houses before and understand the "process". they will answer questions and explain the process. word of mouth is everything. ask for references.

talk to home owners. choose a builder that has been in business five years or more that only builds ten to thirty homes a year. they care about you, it's their livlyhood.

i am not a builder and i don't own a construction company.no, i am not a subcontractor either.

I'ts only "whining" when you're a paid shill, or maybe a person that bought the builder's line of crap, hook line and sinker. You know the line of crap I'm talking about...that "everyone's suing their builder over cosmetic imperfections and it's driving up the cost of housing..." PUH-LEASE.

A defective house is not affordable in the least, and these people are complaining about major problems not paint drips. Besides, builders like Pulte, etc, all claim such glowing satisfaction rates, in the high 90 percent...who the heck is suing them, then, that they have to pay lobbyists to remove our consumer protection at the state and U.S. capitol? People that think this is "whining" REALLY need to have this happen to them. Pull your head out and look at what's going on here...a severely defective house is something people should be SCREAMING about, and anyone that says they shouldn't must be a paid shill or a complete idiot.

I have been a real estate broker in SC for 18 years and in that time I have never been to a closing where there was not a real estate attorney representing the buyer. Furthermore enough of the whining about bad workmanship or missrepresentation you are all adults so stop crying about your homes. I would like to know how many of you had your home inspected by a licensed professional prior to closing and if you did't why not? Your home is the largest investment you will make, why wouldn't you have it inspected? Everybody who has had home problems seems to be computer literate so why didn't you spend some of your time researching prior to purchasing your home????

I am a Real Estate Agent in Va. I have also seen Pulte attempt to wrong to my personal clients which is the reason this catches my attention.

Although, I do not believe the problem is with Pulte exclusively. "Most" builder contracts are "equally" as one sided. If the buyer does something wrong it ends up costing them. If the builder does something wrong they have the right to walk away from the deal in most cases.



Anyway, how we solved our problem is we..(the buyer and myself) went on a letter writing / emailing campain to anyone and any organization that would listen..mentioning Pulte employees by name. It was alot of copying and pasting but we did get satisfaction from Pulte in the end because of all the bad press we were starting to generate. Keep your head up! You can do it!!!!!

Allen from PA said: "Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer." which is a pretty lame defense...OF COURSE it isn't the buyer's fault if the builder made errors or violated the contract.



The buyer did not build it wrong, PULTE did, and PULTE should make things right. Blaming the Victim is a game builders play. What if you had surgery and your doctor told you it was YOUR fault he left his forceps in your bladder?



Who is the "professional" selling a product and service here? The builder! If the builder screws up, the builder is at fault, and their ways of ripping people off evolve faster than the lawyers are able to keep up with. Just try being an owner of a defective home and you'll find out really fast that in most states it's hard to even find a lawyer who's up to speed on builder scams.



If they know anything about this, it's probably because they're working for the builders and helping them formulate new sneaky ways to hide shortcuts and write biased contracts. Lawyers are NOT the answer... holding builders accountable IS the answer.

My son and daugther-in-law looked at a Pulte house a year ago and after hearing of a bad report on on Pulte on Dateline (?) or one one of those shows they did not buy. Pulte called them several times and finally made them an offer (a year later) that they felt they couldn't refuse.



They bought the model house that had been used as a sales office for a year. They closed their loan on tuesday and on wednesday I was helping to unpack and started using the dishwasher when the downstairs commode started gurgling. Then green, really green water started backing up in the commode. We called the plumber and they came out about an hour later. After about 3 hours and 5 workers later they said they had fixed the problem. When asked about why this happened they said some guy had thought a valve was needed leading outside that was causing the problem so they removed it. When I questioned them more they admitted there had been the same problem while being used as a model and sales office but the water had not been green at that time.



Also, I was concerned that even though the interest rate had dropped they were not allowed to lower to the current rate for the same selling price. This was all handled by Pulte. Needless to say I have many concerns for my son and his wife in this home. Especially with a baby on the way.



They also were put off closing their loan til it was convenient for Pulte. I suggested they ask for compensation but I don't know if they did or not.They have only been in their house for about 2 weeks and I fear this is only the beginning.

The editor questions why do business with a firm if you think you need a lawyer?

Even honest men/women can have different interprtaions of what is fair. The buyer seems to have been unclear about his rights to recourse. A lawyer would have gone over the documents and explained the contents and explained what they mean to the buyer. I do not use a lawyer any more, but I have in the past for the first 2 or 3 homes I have bought. unless there is something specific that concerns me, I feel I have enough experience to wade through the fine print. It is worth the price for your self content.

This site has spared me many a headache. I have checkedf products and companys that may have cost me a lot of money and trouble. Certainly a lot of the complaints are personal, but if there is enough smoke ther is a fire.

Needless to say, I was interested in a Pulte home, but now will think twice.

The editor questions why do business with a firm if you think you need a lawyer?

Even honest men/women can have different interprtaions of what is fair. The buyer seems to have been unclear about his rights to recourse. A lawyer would have gone over the documents and explained the contents and explained what they mean to the buyer. I do not use a lawyer any more, but I have in the past for the first 2 or 3 homes I have bought. unless there is something specific that concerns me, I feel I have enough experience to wade through the fine print. It is worth the price for your self content.

This site has spared me many a headache. I have checkedf products and companys that may have cost me a lot of money and trouble. Certainly a lot of the complaints are personal, but if there is enough smoke ther is a fire.

Needless to say, I was interested in a Pulte home, but now will think twice.

April:



You are correct no state will advise you to have an attorney present. It is up to you as the prospective buyer to protect yourself. It is the BUYER who allows "them" to obtain the upper hand.When you are ready to spend the kind of money that is required for any home, why would you not think to protect your interests first?



Concerning your comments on being "rushed" by the builder and/or mortgage company to sign documents. Again, if the "BUYER" allows this to happen, they deserve what they get. I find it hard to believe that any person would sign any document that contains verbage which they don't understand!



Concerning your last comment, I am in no way associated with the builder or any of their entities. I am a consumer like you. I have (2) homes which I purchased using the expertise of a real estate attorney. I can tell you that the $750-$1000 that it cost me for each property was well worth it. I did not sign any documents which I did not understand & all documents were reviewed prior to my closing on the homes.

(Editor Response) Yeah, right! In many states the prospective home buyer is told by the builder/seller, real estate agent, and title agents that you don't need a lawyer, so they can get an opportunity to deliberately take the advantage.



(My Response) Again, you are trying to pass blame on to someone other than the buyer. Of course they are going to tell you that you don't need an attorney for document review. It is up to the BUYER to protect themselves. The SELLER certainly won't do it.

I don't know about your state - but Delaware requires that there be a lawyer present at any house closing - it's the law. Now - you can let that be the sellers/builders lawyer... if you Really trust them that much, or you can shell out the $500 and retain a real estate lawyer of your very own.



From my experience on closing my house - my lawyer saved me the amount of almost his entire fee when he checked and noticed that the builder had forgotten to give me a discount rate on a tax that I got as a first time home buyer. His paralegal contacted and set up home and termite inspectors, and the like. It saved me time - which is also a good thing. And if there was a problem with the paperwork - I had recourse back at my lawyer - he was a real estate specialist after all -



I remember signing paperwork stating that if there turned out to be a problem with the paper work - I would "help fix it" - but he was liable for fines.



anyway - you should check out Pulte Homes in Delaware - if my memory serves - there was a big blow up about similar mistakes and problems in a development in New Castle County about a year and a half ago. And they were supposed to be high end homes.

The National Association of Home Builders, and the many local home building associations they back, are pushing for less regulation, (i.e. less accountability for themselves, less legal recourse for the buyer), in the name of "affordable housing." Then after a builder rips you off, they tell you, "You SHOULDA had a lawyer and an inspector..." how affordable is that? Many of the defects are hidden, and inspectors are not liable for finding them anyway. How affordable is a defective house or the lawyers fees to try and get a builder to honor the contract? It's NOT affordable! The NAHB and building industry does not care whether people can afford a home, they just want to sell MORE homes.



It didn't used to be true that you needed a lawyer, a buyers agent, and an inspector and engineer to buy a new home and be reasonably assured you were getting what you paid the builder for. But it is certainly getting that way. It isn't because home buyers are stupid, it's because home builders are getting away with more, and more severe, defects and outright fraud. The industry is corrupt, plain and simple.



A buyer used to be able to check with the state agencies, BBB, ask around a little, etc, and find out the true picture. They didn't have to bring an arsenal of expensive experts to closing, and they weren't rushed thru it. At least not in my past home buying experiences.



What consumers should REALLY be doing is refusing to agree to buy from builders who use one-sided contracts and who have numerous complaints on the internet. You can't rely on the BBB or gov't agencies to divulge complaints anymore. And buyers are too scared to harm their property value to tell the truth about their homes if you drive around the neighborhoods and ask how they liked their builder. They're often planning to cover up the defects and resell without disclosing.



It's really too bad that the increasing population is driving the increased need for housing. Consumers could easily put a stop to this without having to fight an uphill battle with politicians bought off by the building industry and the millions of dollars the building industry has to spend on it.



Arbitration is hardly fair, neutral, or cheaper--what a joke!!! In some states binding arbitration clauses are mandatory because the builders associations dictate it will be that way, and make membership in their association mandatory for all builders in that state. Quite a bit of pull for an organization that quickly tells a home buyer with a defective home, "we don't have any authority to deal with the builder."

First, I'd like to say that my husband and I

bought our first home nearly four years ago, and

we didn't have an attorney present with us. We

were able to take our time to look over the

paperwork, no one was rushing us to do so.



From the comments regarding Pulte Homes, it seems as if they (or the contractors) had something to hide.



My comments to the supporters of Pulte, doesn't

the responsibility fall on their part regarding

the hiring of the workers who work on the homes.



Someone mentioned in one of the rebuttals above

that the people building the homes didn't do the

job correctly. So Pulte doesn't inspect the

home's QUALITY ensuring that the customer will get

the best possible home for their investment.



The eason people don't have attorneys available is

first of all, that's an added expence to the down

payment and possible closing costs, secondly,

you don't go into a deal thing that a company

like Pulte Homes would rip you off.



I heard ofPulte and seen their ads in many new home magazines, and I never dreamed I'd see them on this website as a rip off home builder.

Sorry to hear about your experience in purchasing your home.



I can certainly understand why you didn't have a lawyer present during your signing. I did not have one for the purchase of my first home either. Who does?



I would have advocated the use of a licensed Home Inpsector (as I did), but you were buying a new home and probably thought what would they find? I would have thought the same. My home is almost 100 years old so an inspection was a good idea.



You *might* have some relief if you contact your mortgage lender. They will usually not become involved between homeowner and builder, but there are exceptions to every rule. Look into it.



In addition, in the myriad of paperwork you signed at closing you should have been given some type of home warranty. FHA and VA require this as a matter of course. They usually last 10 years or so and cover *most* problems.



If not, as indicated in previous comments, consult a Real Estate Attorney (before entering into any Arbitration, *regardless* of what your contract said) and see what course of action you might have there.



Again, I feel bad your home isn't what it should be. I hope this works out for you to some satisfactory end result.

Jagdeesh,



Let me ask you if you take your lawyer with you when you fill out your credit card applications? What about when you accept the terms of service from an Internet service? Can you see how ridiculous your position is?



Do you really want to do business with companies that you mistrust so much that you must be that suspicious? If you need a lawyer when dealing with this builder, then, they aren't worth dealing with at all. Your argument supports our position.



ED Magedson

EDitor@RipoffReport.com

badbusinessbureau.com

www.ripoffreport.com



Don't let them get away with it.

Make sure they make the Rip-off Report!



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We are not a collection agency.



We are Consumer Advocates.

...the victims' advocate



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Remember.

Don't let them get away with it!

Make sure they make the Rip-off Report.

A lot has been said and done here. the bottom line is "Buyer Beware".



(1) Why didn't the homeowner have an attorney present regardless of what the circumstances? Always have an attorney review all the documents. Hindsight is 20/20, but any moron buying a house should know about this



(2) What about home inspection? Didnt you get one done prior to the final walk through?



You are now proably stuck with that house and spent a lot of time and money trying to fight the injustice you think has done on you, too bad.

Buyer Beware!! Good luck with your fight

Unbelievable! How much did you get paid to say such crap. If you own a home, you know full well, no matter how many homes you own or rent, in NO state do they suggest or incourage the new buyer or new renter to bring an attorney along. It's not common sence not too. Most home owners that buy for the first time, save their hard earned money for settlement costs, the builders are quite aware of this and love it. It gives them the upper hand in situations like the above. They know these people don't have the extra hundreds or even thousands to pay for an attorney.



Not only do they, NOT RECOMMEND an attorney, but the builders and morgage companies will rush the buyer telling them things like, this paragraph just states this or that, etc. They will do everything they can to rush and decieve any facts about their contract that they can. I hope these people get everything that they're intitled to under the law. By the way, if your NOT the builder or an associate, This will in some way happen to you and if it does, no one wants to hear it.

Allen,



Yeah, right! In many states the prospective home buyer is told by the builder/seller, real estate agent, and title agents that you don't need a lawyer, so they can get an opportunity to deliberately take the advantage.



Your statement is like telling a woman who has just been raped that she should have done something more to keep her panties on.

Allen,



Yeah, right! In many states the prospective home buyer is told by the builder/seller, real estate agent, and title agents that you don't need a lawyer, so they can get an opportunity to deliberately take the advantage.



Your statement is like telling a woman who has just been raped that she should have done something more to keep her panties on.

Allen,



Yeah, right! In many states the prospective home buyer is told by the builder/seller, real estate agent, and title agents that you don't need a lawyer, so they can get an opportunity to deliberately take the advantage.



Your statement is like telling a woman who has just been raped that she should have done something more to keep her panties on.

Allen,



Yeah, right! In many states the prospective home buyer is told by the builder/seller, real estate agent, and title agents that you don't need a lawyer, so they can get an opportunity to deliberately take the advantage.



Your statement is like telling a woman who has just been raped that she should have done something more to keep her panties on.

It is unfortuanate that this homeowner has encountered this situation. However, the homeowner has to shoulder some blame. Why would you sign any document without first having it reviewd by an attorney? This document review should of been done before you even agreed to buy a house from this builder. Did you have any type of home inspection done prior to move-in? I'm not talking about the typical walk through that the builder wants to do with you. The homeowner, like many new homeowners, may have been blinded by the excitement of the new home purchase process & unfortuanately a lot of these new buyers cast common sense aside.

Another way to avoid arbitration is if you have an FHA loan, as the terms of FHA do not require it, nor do they allow any one particular method of dispute resolution to be the exclusive method, or forced upon the homeowner.







The person that said arbitration was neutral, etc, is either very uninformed, or is making up a false report to try and discredit a complaint against a builder. The person who judges in arbitration is nearly always from an arbitration company who's cash cow is the builders. The homeowner can't appeal it, and often gets a gag order so they can't talk about it.



They can't get back anything but actual repair costs, and they have to pay their lawyer from that, plus many undisclosed fees for arbitration. Yes, you do need a lawyer in arbitration, though it isn't technically required. Arbitration is often as expensive as a court trial, with undisclosed fees that quickly add up. It is designed to wear down the homeowner and make them give up, and to ensure the builder will win.



After you filed a Rip-off Report on this web site, please contact www.hadd.com for homebuilder complaints, too, if you haven't already.

Evidentally, you probably work for Pulte Homes.



Concerning your comments about binding arbitration. Anyone who can type on a computer can find out that binding arbitration is usually NOT an unbiased person....This third party is usually on the side of the company! (Do your homework. - BUT...you probably already knew this.)



I am also a ripped-off homebuyer.

Some people spend their life savings in order to buy a home. How would you like it if someone ripped YOU off. (The story would be alot different then, wouldn't it.)



You have no idea how it feels to get ripped-off on the biggest investment of your life.



Until you can actually walk in these people's shoes...It is my opinion that you don't know what you are talking about. This also leads me to believe you work for Pulte Homes. (Who else would take up for someone like that.)



If/when something like this happens to you...please don't cry on my shoulder. It is people like you who ENABLE the con artists to carry on their deeds.



Billie M. Teague

I know many of the Pulte Homes board members personally. Pulte usually builds very nice homes to fit individuals needs, but like any Construction, there tends to be times when the contractors and subcontractors are lazy and unprofessional. As to the recent rebuttal from the "Pulte Devote" I also like and have done alot of busines with them in the past as myself and family are in the "Construction" business, but when this happens to someone, it does need fixed and the situation should be at what ever cost the victim seems satisfied with, not what YOU feel is right.



There is a few things legally that the homeowner can do at this point. First, contact the main office for Pulte homes, or get their address and mail them Return Recite Requested Certified Mailed letter with what you would like to see done, give them a specific amount of time (eg; 10 working days from recite of this letter) to reply to your needs, send them copies of pictures, if you have documentation of when repairs where called for and the results written down send them a copy of that, if you put any money out of your pocket send them a copy of those recites, and and all recites, documentations, pictures, etc, you should send a copy of. Address the letter to the Presisent, VP or VIP of the company.



Second, you need to contact the attorney general for SC and also send copies of everything, including your contract. Your attorney general is there to protect you. Don't bother with the BBB of SC, they never seem to want to help anyone.



Third, if there is still no resulution, contact an attorney as the editor mentioned above.



As to the Binding Arbitration, here's what you may not know: A binding arbitration in your contract is there for the company's benefit not the consumer. All that really means is that the Company (Pulte) would like you to try to work things out with their arbitration commettee. In accordance to each states and federal laws and regulations involving binding arbitrations, if this is an ongoing problem, you DO NOT have to go through arbitration, you have the right as the consumer to go about any means you deem nessasary to rid these problems and recieve satisfactory justification to these ongoing problems. You can go around this contract. The main reason for this over-riding is when the company breaches the contract in anyway it is NO LONGER VOID and VALID. So, you now have the right to sue.



Best of luck to you. If you wnat help ask the editor for my email and I will be happy to assist you in dealing with Pulte.

Pulte devotee,



What about all the years of pain and suffering Pulte put these people through? Pulte should have settled this a long time ago and the damages would have been a lot less.



You state, just buying back the home should be enough? ..I'm sure that option was first suggested by the victims a long, long, time ago, ..hundreds and thousands of dollars of aggravation ago.



You must be a Pulte employee or just a complete idiot for saying what you have above.



What about Pulte's reputation? Go ahead, knock on a few doors of their customers who have lived in a Pulte Home for more than 8 or 10 months and then get back to us.

It's interesting that you feel like you're being deprived of your right to a jury trial. Binding arbitration is neutral, objective and fair. Obviously, it prevents you from getting the millions of dollars you'd like to have as a result of the "pain and suffering" you've gone through while Pulte works to correct the problems wuith your home.



I'd even bet that they would repurchase the home for what you paid. I don't suppos that would be satisfactory to you though. So why don't you share with those of us that are interested exactly how much more than the price of your home would satisfy you? I don't expect you will and I'm sorry that the easy money isn't going to happen for you here. Good luck padding your retirment fund!

It's unfortunate that had to spend your hard earn money on a makeshift home for your family.



An Attorney by the name of Isaac Byrd of Jackson Mississippi had a clients who recently filed suit against Jim Walter (Home Buidler) where the jury found Jim Walter liable and awarded $13.3 million to 3 (three) plaintiffs.



(The firm also had and Asbestos case of $150 million where the 6 (six) palintiffs were awarded 25 million each. I hope lead based paint wasn't used on your walls.)



Isaac Byrd & Associates Attorneys PROVED that the company (Jim Walter) committed fraud and breach of contract. The plaintiffs were promised a QUALITY home and this was NOT done.



I understand that you reside in SC. Byrd and Associate Attorneys' are licensed in MS, WI, IL, TX and FL. Please give them a call and tell them your situation and I guarantee they will assist you. They will probably give you the name of a REPUTABLE attorney in SC who WILL handle your case appropriately and effectively.



This is NOT a sales pitch. I don't care if you have to call 95 more attorneys....just locate an attorney who will assist you. Please don't give up. Continue to have faith.



I am in real estate and I DO understand your nightmare. I just WANT justice to be served to you and your family as justice was served to the plaintiffs listed above. I wish other Pulte Homeowners would join you and file a suit against the company as well. The more evidence the better the verdict for the plaintiffs.



As consumers, we need to put an end to deception and fraud. It is ridculous!!!



Please let the Attorney or Receptionist you speak with know that his (Isaac Byrd) niece Monique (Chicago) gave you the information.



Best wishes and many blessings.



Byrd & Associates

1-800-748-8617