Maricopa design appointments options/process

[thedude111222]

There gets to be a point when you have to stop complaining just for the sake of complaining.  This is what it boils down to, you do not own the house under construction.  It is the builder's, in this case IP.  All you have done so far is agreed to buy the home from the builder after it has been completed.  In that respect, they do not owe you anything...technically, they don't even have to give you a walkthrough at any stage other than the one at closing. Whether you feel you should be entitled to more or not is a different discussion.  I would argue not...but don't really feel like writing an essay right now on it.

If you bought the home thinking that you'd get the opportunity to customize it however you wish, then that is on you for not knowing the difference between tract homes with builder options and truly custom homes.  If you're upset that the construction workers didn't erect a giant umbrella over your future house to protect it from the rain, then don't buy a house that is going to be built in late fall and winter.  If you want complete control over the building process and the workers, go buy some land, hire an architect, and then you can crack the whip on the workers and not let them eat on the job site. 

Lastly, if you really want an inspector at your pre-drywall, just hire one and bring him.  Any inspection you get at this stage would not really be official, but only for your own records.  They don't check ID's or do background checks on who you bring to the walkthroughs, as long as they sign the release, they are good to go. 

 

[sentosa]

This is what it boils down to, you do not own the house under construction.  It is the builder's, in this case IP.  All you have done so far is agreed to buy the home from the builder after it has been completed.  In that respect, they do not owe you anything...technically, they don't even have to give you a walkthrough at any stage other than the one at closing. Whether you feel you should be entitled to more or not is a different discussion.  I would argue not...but don't really feel like writing an essay right now on it.

If you bought the home thinking that you'd get the opportunity to customize it however you wish, then that is on you for not knowing the difference between tract homes with builder options and truly custom homes.  If you're upset that the construction workers didn't erect a giant umbrella over your future house to protect it from the rain, then don't buy a house that is going to be built in late fall and winter.  If you want complete control over the building process and the workers, go buy some land, hire an architect, and then you can crack the whip on the workers and not let them eat on the job site. 

buyers deserve to be screwed?

 

[thedude111222]

again...how are you getting screwed? As a consumer, you should have done your homework before you agreed to buy the home.  If you don't like the terms, don't buy it or try to negotiate before you fork over your dollars. Just don't sit there and pretend that you're paying for something that you're not...again, you're buying the house from them not paying them to build the house for you...its a fine distinction

 

[sentosa]

again...how are you getting screwed? As a consumer, you should have done your homework before you agreed to buy the home.  If you don't like the terms, don't buy it or try to negotiate before you fork over your dollars. Just don't sit there and pretend that you're paying for something that you're not...again, you're buying the house from them not paying them to build the house for you...its a fine distinction

u will be perfect to work in IP sales office.
does builder's terms state that they are not going to build according to the code?
u r not going to prevent others to discuss issues they have encountered.
i just don't see yr point here.

 

[thedude111222]

again...how are you getting screwed? As a consumer, you should have done your homework before you agreed to buy the home.  If you don't like the terms, don't buy it or try to negotiate before you fork over your dollars. Just don't sit there and pretend that you're paying for something that you're not...again, you're buying the house from them not paying them to build the house for you...its a fine distinction

u will be perfect to work in IP sales office.
does builder's terms state that they are not going to build according to the code?
u r not going to prevent others to discuss issues they have encountered.
i just don't see yr point here.

I'm not quite sure how to interpret what you're asking in that question...are you saying that they have violated building codes in the construction of your house? Eating on site isn't a construction site violation.  Rain falling on your house mid construction isn't a violation.

If they've actually promised you something and haven't delivered, please share your story.  If you're house has been built and there were any mistakes, please share your story...but so far all I've heard from you is that you're upset that you don't have control over the construction process, which you are not entitled to in the first place.  Am I missing something?

 

[sentosa]

again...how are you getting screwed? As a consumer, you should have done your homework before you agreed to buy the home.  If you don't like the terms, don't buy it or try to negotiate before you fork over your dollars. Just don't sit there and pretend that you're paying for something that you're not...again, you're buying the house from them not paying them to build the house for you...its a fine distinction

u will be perfect to work in IP sales office.
does builder's terms state that they are not going to build according to the code?
u r not going to prevent others to discuss issues they have encountered.
i just don't see yr point here.

I'm not quite sure how to interpret what you're asking in that question...are you saying that they have violated building codes in the construction of your house? Eating on site isn't a construction site violation.  Rain falling on your house mid construction isn't a violation.

If they've actually promised you something and haven't delivered, please share your story.  If you're house has been built and there were any mistakes, please share your story...but so far all I've heard from you is that you're upset that you don't have control over the construction process, which you are not entitled to in the first place.  Am I missing something?

u shld comment after u really read the post carefully.
i am not complaining about the eating. i am saying trash all around the house with leftover drinks & food. they attracted rodents, ants or other things.
i am not complaining rain fall on my house. i am saying they put up insulation before shiething or wrapping the house and the insulation on the outside wall do get wet from the rain which is not the right way to do insulation.

 

[socal78]

I'm enjoying this discussion.

Call me crazy but I totally see the dude's (hehe) point.

Anyway, if you feel the product is or is likely to be inferior, why buy it?

For what it's worth, it was either my handyman or inspector - can't remember which - who told me every home has food trash hidden inside the walls. Sure enough, when we had to open up our wall, we found wrappers from the crew some 20 years ago. We thought it was funny. A time capsule! It's a lot more common than one might think.

 

[test]

i am saying they put up insulation before shiething or wrapping the house and the insulation on the outside wall do get wet from the rain which is not the right way to do insulation.

You better get a mold test before the drywall goes up.

 

[socal78]

Anyway, if you feel the product is or is likely to be inferior, why buy it?

I'm not above this, by the way. I'll share with you one of my dumbest consumer moments ever. It has zilch to do with Irvine homes. Feel free to skip.

I wanted a nicer wallet. Nothing fancy but I picked out a Coach wallet that I liked online. Went to the store at South Coast Plaza to buy it. The saleslady fetched it for me. The hardware was terribly scratched. I showed her and asked for a different one. Surely, it was just a dud. She brought a new one out. Same thing but even worse! I couldn't believe it. I'm not really an ultra picky kind of person. I can deal with modest irregularities. Showed her again. She brought three more out. They were all in as bad or worse shape. I couldn't believe they sell this crap and can charge what they do.

Do you think I set it down and walked out? Noooo. I bought it.

Three days later, the snap broke!  : I had to go back again for an exchange.

This was about four years ago. This one hasn't broken but it looks worse than ever and it does not work very well. However, I still carry it because I would feel like an idiot for not using it after everything.

I've had Nine West wallets - heck, I've had wallets from Kohl's - that are much better quality than this piece of junk for a fraction of the price. Lesson learned.

 

[broda]

I see both points to the argument.  You spend 700K to 1M and you expect some level of caring from the builder of what your customers think.  Regardless of how "manufactured" your housing is.  Sales people will say whatever it takes for you to sign that contract.  Construction workers could give 2 $h!ts about your house...it's a job to them.  So you have to have some level of understanding they aren't going to be meticulous about your house.  Leaving insulation in the rain isn't a concern.  And let's be fair...it was a drizzle not rain.  It's not like Sandy came through Cali.  And it will dry up pre-drywall unless you're drywall is going up today.

You as the customer who is able to see your product being built would like to be picky.  And within reason, you should be picky and make a stink over what you want.  Say what you need to say to them.  If there is anything I learned is if you keep quiet and go with what they tell you, they'll walk all over you.  What's the saying...the squeaky wheel gets the grease?

 

[Arman]

There gets to be a point when you have to stop complaining just for the sake of complaining.  This is what it boils down to, you do not own the house under construction.  It is the builder's, in this case IP.  All you have done so far is agreed to buy the home from the builder after it has been completed.  In that respect, they do not owe you anything...technically, they don't even have to give you a walkthrough at any stage other than the one at closing. Whether you feel you should be entitled to more or not is a different discussion.  I would argue not...but don't really feel like writing an essay right now on it.

It's true that it's the builder's house until it's yours, but at the same time, you've put in a (hefty) deposit, and you've also put down a deposit for the various upgrades you've purchased. Putting down the deposit, in my opinion, gives you the right to watch/question the action in process. It's not reasonable to not be included in the building process and, after all the deposits you've put down, simply be given the option to say yea or nay to the house once complete. That's not the building process as I see it, nor should any builder worth anything want the process to proceed as such. I agree that some buyers can be annoying or picky to a fault, however I would hope that this is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[test]

Can you imagine if every buyer wanted to watch/question the action in progress?  Nothing would get done and no one's house would ever get built.  There's a reason why when you take your car to the shop there's a waiting room.

 

[iacrenter]

Can you imagine if every buyer wanted to watch/question the action in progress?  Nothing would get done and no one's house would ever get built.  There's a reason why when you take your car to the shop there's a waiting room.

You have it all wrong. This all comes down to customer service and good communication. Based on the numerous negative reviews of TIC their customer service and communication suck.

It is possible to build widgets on a budget and still maintain excellent customer relations. Just because the homes are not custom does not excuse the poor buying experience. TIC obviously doesn't care and until real competition comes into the market, things will probably not change.

 

[Arman]

Can you imagine if every buyer wanted to watch/question the action in progress?  Nothing would get done and no one's house would ever get built.  There's a reason why when you take your car to the shop there's a waiting room.

You have it all wrong. This all comes down to customer service and good communication. Based on the numerous negative reviews of TIC their customer service and communication suck.

It is possible to build widgets on a budget and still maintain excellent customer relations. Just because the homes are not custom does not excuse the poor buying experience. TIC obviously doesn't care and until real competition comes into the market, things will probably not change.

So true. I'm currently in the process of buying a home through The New Home Company, and their customer service has been excellent. I read about the experiences of people here dealing with TIC and am ever more pleased with the service provided by TNHC.

 

[rain]

You have it all wrong. This all comes down to customer service and good communication. Based on the numerous negative reviews of TIC their customer service and communication suck.

It is possible to build widgets on a budget and still maintain excellent customer relations. Just because the homes are not custom does not excuse the poor buying experience. TIC obviously doesn't care and until real competition comes into the market, things will probably not change.

agreed 100%.

good luck to any future buyers that are trying to arrange a pre-drywall inspection or trying to visit your home in construction. TIC will try their best to prevent any of these happening.
what a shame!

 

[irvineshadow]

You have it all wrong. This all comes down to customer service and good communication. Based on the numerous negative reviews of TIC their customer service and communication suck.

It is possible to build widgets on a budget and still maintain excellent customer relations. Just because the homes are not custom does not excuse the poor buying experience. TIC obviously doesn't care and until real competition comes into the market, things will probably not change.

agreed 100%.

good luck to any future buyers that are trying to arrange a pre-drywall inspection or trying to visit your home in construction. TIC will try their best to prevent any of these happening.
what a shame!

I didn't have a problem with pre-drywall inspection, and I've been allowed to visit my under construction home pretty much any time I wish.  I even had a problem caught and corrected regarding some ceiling lights.  Just my 2 cents, but i would say that after I signed the contract the service has been pretty good, not perfect, but pretty good.

I would agree though, that if you are spending lots of money on a new home, you should have an expectation of reasonably good service.

 

[rain]

You have it all wrong. This all comes down to customer service and good communication. Based on the numerous negative reviews of TIC their customer service and communication suck.

It is possible to build widgets on a budget and still maintain excellent customer relations. Just because the homes are not custom does not excuse the poor buying experience. TIC obviously doesn't care and until real competition comes into the market, things will probably not change.

agreed 100%.

good luck to any future buyers that are trying to arrange a pre-drywall inspection or trying to visit your home in construction. TIC will try their best to prevent any of these happening.
what a shame!

I didn't have a problem with pre-drywall inspection, and I've been allowed to visit my under construction home pretty much any time I wish.  I even had a problem caught and corrected regarding some ceiling lights.  Just my 2 cents, but i would say that after I signed the contract the service has been pretty good, not perfect, but pretty good.

I would agree though, that if you are spending lots of money on a new home, you should have an expectation of reasonably good service.

that's before i believe. check with them now. they just changed their tone (not sure it's for this tract or all the homes)

 

[thedude111222]

that's before i believe. check with them now. they just changed their tone (not sure it's for this tract or all the homes)

I don't feel the tone has changed recently.  Our pre-drywall was just a few weeks ago and I'd agree that overall the customer service has been pretty good.  I can point out several examples of how accommodating the sales staff has been...I like to check up fairly regularly on the construction of the house...will drive by twice a week and take pictures (this is exciting for us and want to document the process), the sales staff have never had an issue taking us behind the fences whenever we drop by. There was also a couple week stretch when we were not able to swing by the site to see the progress, so the sales office took pictures to let us know that stucco was up and detailed the next steps in the construction of the house.  Similar to irvineshadow, we too had an ceiling light/electrical issue, which the builder and design center both worked with us to resolve quickly.  So when people complain here about the IP sales office stonewalling them, I get kind of confused because my experience has been nothing like that.  It could also be a two way street as far as how the sales staff treats some people...if you go in there looking to pick a fight each time, maybe they will be less enthusiastic about laying out the red carpet for each and every one of your demands. 

I think there is still a lot of things to hate on IP about though, for instance their ridiculous markup on most design center options and their limited option on cabinet colors/styles/materials...but I've been around the game long enough to know that most builders are going to be the same.  But even with the markup, the sales staff at the design center never pushed me into an upgrade that I didn't want or tried to upsell something that was overpriced....that's saying something for people that I assume are probably working on commission.  I would really like to hear from the Lambert folks about what The New Home Company's builder options pricing is like...

Lastly, to the person who was complaining about the insulation...I've seen every house that has been constructed at Maricopa over the last 3-4 months and they are all done the exact same way....they do not insulate until they have wrapped and wired the outside, with the exception of a few places that are next to impossible to insulate afterwards like behind a bathtub...I highly doubt they did something different on your house.

 

[sentosa]

that's before i believe. check with them now. they just changed their tone (not sure it's for this tract or all the homes)

Yeah, confirmed by the sales office no more third party inspection in the future for all IP company new homes.

 

[broda]

that's before i believe. check with them now. they just changed their tone (not sure it's for this tract or all the homes)

Yeah, confirmed by the sales office no more third party inspection in the future for all IP company new homes.

seriously?  can they legally do that?