Did you hire a third party inspector? If you did, did he find anything?snut100 said:Finally was able to do the final walk through inspection this week. It was more of a find the scratches, dents, and half-a$$ed workmanship. After I was done, the walls looked like the football helmets you see on college teams. >>
The cabinet doors were installed wrong. Crooked.
San Mateo Phase 2++ @ Stonegate
- Thread starter snut100
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NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
From a litigation point of view, the TIC is trying to minimize liability by saying as little as possible. Basically their take will be, here is your house...you got 4 years to sue on obvious stuff and 10 years for the non-obvious stuff. After that, they're home free. They don't want anyone to come back and say that the agent said this or made this warranty. Sounds like a company who is not used to building homes.
Snut,
I am sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately TIC doesn't care much about customer service and your experience is not unique. Good luck with the rest of your home purchase, hopefully it goes better than your walk through.
I know TIC monitors this board and their lack of a response speaks volumes.
Took about 3 hours. Would have been done sooner but I was asking him questions about how things worked. Unless, you are trained in construction, it just pays to get it inspected by a 3rd party. You will be amazed at the "shady" things that Steve uncovers. Definitely, an eye opener. All I can say is don't be cheap. You already spent a lot of money for this house, make sure it's done right.
During escrow, I was told that IP puts $700 in the escrow account in case there is a shortfall by a couple of bucks. If you are off even $1, you will not close. So the money is there to make sure it doesn't happen because everything is an estimate. After everything is done, you should get a refund check for about $700 or less.
As for the trash, there are trash cans at each site. I don't get it. Take pride in your work. Not this...Oh, it's not my house so why do I give a rat's a$$?
Regarding the keys, what exactly do you ask for to change the locks? Because you aren't changing the whole fixture and doorknob, right?
I need to do this when I move next week. Having people unlock my door when I'm home can be very troublesome for everybody ???
I'll echo the comments about Steven and also highly recommend Biltrite. We were one of the first two residents of Las Ventanas, and Steve's inspection was a real eye-opener.
I should note that we were actually very happy with how TM handled the process from sales though to the first year of customer service (with the exception of their in-house lender, who I understand is no longer with them).
Nevertheless, the walk-through is very "cosmetics" focused. The building foreman and our customer service rep were more than eager to put the magic blue tape up everywhere, focusing on paint scratches, etc. Since we had never bought a house and aren't contractors, we weren't looking for anything more than that.
Steve comes in and looks at things on a whole other level -- weep screeds, electrical wiring, etc. He found multiple items that needed to be addressed, the vast majority of which were addressed immediately.
Getting your own inspector is an absolute must on an investment this size.
I've never understood people buying new construction and not putting canned lites in every room of the house. We have them in every room. I think it cost us about 2,000 or so to do canned lites throughout the house, I hated using lamps in our old rental. Most of the canned lites are on dimmers as well which is nice. Frankly, I don't understand why it's not required to use canned lites in new construction.
Regarding Steve/biltrite, I would highly recommend him as well. The builder was very agreeable in fixing everything. In hindsight, wish I would have used him during the pre-drywall inspection, I was really busy at work and forgot to schedule him for the pre drywall walk through, next time I buy a house though, I will definitely use him for a predrywall inspection if we buy new contsruction again.
qwerty
Well-known member
Snut100 - sorry to hear that. I would get a home inspection. That is a shitty walk through. At William Lyon we did a prefloor walk through (every thing is done but the floor), we walked around with the quality control person and she showed us everything she had found, and if we found anything we could point it out. For the final inspection, they said to allow for at least 3 hours since they go into detail On how to use everything and show u where everything was at in the house. I was very impressed at the pre floor walk through, she made the comment that she treats it as if it were here house and I definitely believe it. Shows you the difference between companies that care about the customer and those that don't.
The Motor Court Company
Well-known member
San Mateo III is going to be between JOST and Egret park.
thedude111222 said:
Irvinecommuter
New member
snut100 said:Finally was able to do the final walk through inspection this week. It was more of a find the scratches, dents, and half-a$$ed workmanship. After I was done, the walls looked like the football helmets you see on college teams. >
The cabinet doors were installed wrong. Crooked.
"Don't worry, you have one-year warranty."
Since I been back and forth this place in the summer, I wonder if it's worth my time to do a home inspection. The service received at the title company (First American Title) was non-existent. You have to follow up with them with the wire instructions. There is a slight change to them when they send you that packet in the mail. (The one where you have the option of having your escrow funds earn interest) Such a joke, they wanted $50 to set up the account. >
Here is what a tankless water heater looks like. This is your oven. This is your dishwasher. This is your hood in the kitchen. Here is some extra paint under the sink. We will paint the house and get it ready for you next week. This concludes the inspection of your house.
WTF?
From a litigation point of view, the TIC is trying to minimize liability by saying as little as possible. Basically their take will be, here is your house...you got 4 years to sue on obvious stuff and 10 years for the non-obvious stuff. After that, they're home free. They don't want anyone to come back and say that the agent said this or made this warranty. Sounds like a company who is not used to building homes.
iacrenter
Well-known member
snut100 said:Finally was able to do the final walk through inspection this week. It was more of a find the scratches, dents, and half-a$$ed workmanship. After I was done, the walls looked like the football helmets you see on college teams. >
The cabinet doors were installed wrong. Crooked.
"Don't worry, you have one-year warranty."
Since I been back and forth this place in the summer, I wonder if it's worth my time to do a home inspection. The service received at the title company (First American Title) was non-existent. You have to follow up with them with the wire instructions. There is a slight change to them when they send you that packet in the mail. (The one where you have the option of having your escrow funds earn interest) Such a joke, they wanted $50 to set up the account. >
Here is what a tankless water heater looks like. This is your oven. This is your dishwasher. This is your hood in the kitchen. Here is some extra paint under the sink. We will paint the house and get it ready for you next week. This concludes the inspection of your house.
WTF?
Snut,
I am sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately TIC doesn't care much about customer service and your experience is not unique. Good luck with the rest of your home purchase, hopefully it goes better than your walk through.
I know TIC monitors this board and their lack of a response speaks volumes.
lilgophee
New member
Hi! My advice to all is to get a home inspection by a professional before you move in. Most people have stars in their eyes when they get their keys so they don't bother. That was me last week. Don't believe the 1 year warranty hype. That is a countdown. From the time you get your keys, IP has a countdown of 365 days. When they get to zero, they toast because they are no longer liable and off the hook.
Once you get your home inspection report, you present that to IP. Code violations will be addressed ASAP. However, they may tell you to pound sand with the other stuff. Keep in mind that you officially requested the repair. There are some things they will fix, others they will not. They key is you putting them on notice.
If they don't fix it and it becomes an issue after the 1 year, it's on them.
When I did the walk through with IP, I was very happy. However, after the inspection with Steve, I was GRRRRRRR! Those bastards tried to pull a fast one.
Steve at Bilt-Rite did a wonderful job. He saw things that I didn't realize. He has high standards and is very detailed about the report. IP tried to cut corners and get away with it. Steve found some code violations and some inconsistencies throughout the house. I am very happy that we took the time to do the inspection. His prices are very reasonable and I wished I involved him when the foundation was poured. Steve took the time to explain how things worked and what the Irvine Pacific Inspector and (pick one: construction workers/subs/immigrant workers) should have done. You will be surprised that some things are a simple fix but they didn't bother.
http://www.biltriteinspect.com/
IP acts like you got the house for free. Had we not done the inspection, there were some electrical outlets in the house that could have electrocuted us. I got Steve's contact information from these boards.
In fact, if you come visit your house each week, you will notice scraps of food everywhere. It was gross to see all the flies and ants. Not to mention the smell of urine. As for the Escrow (First American Title) company, it left a lot to be desired. The deadline for the Escrow company to send the funds is 1pm each day. However, they don't tell you that and try to pressure you to come in when they are free or they will offer to dispatch a mobile notary for an extra $150.
Once you get your home inspection report, you present that to IP. Code violations will be addressed ASAP. However, they may tell you to pound sand with the other stuff. Keep in mind that you officially requested the repair. There are some things they will fix, others they will not. They key is you putting them on notice.
If they don't fix it and it becomes an issue after the 1 year, it's on them.
When I did the walk through with IP, I was very happy. However, after the inspection with Steve, I was GRRRRRRR! Those bastards tried to pull a fast one.
Steve at Bilt-Rite did a wonderful job. He saw things that I didn't realize. He has high standards and is very detailed about the report. IP tried to cut corners and get away with it. Steve found some code violations and some inconsistencies throughout the house. I am very happy that we took the time to do the inspection. His prices are very reasonable and I wished I involved him when the foundation was poured. Steve took the time to explain how things worked and what the Irvine Pacific Inspector and (pick one: construction workers/subs/immigrant workers) should have done. You will be surprised that some things are a simple fix but they didn't bother.
http://www.biltriteinspect.com/
IP acts like you got the house for free. Had we not done the inspection, there were some electrical outlets in the house that could have electrocuted us. I got Steve's contact information from these boards.
In fact, if you come visit your house each week, you will notice scraps of food everywhere. It was gross to see all the flies and ants. Not to mention the smell of urine. As for the Escrow (First American Title) company, it left a lot to be desired. The deadline for the Escrow company to send the funds is 1pm each day. However, they don't tell you that and try to pressure you to come in when they are free or they will offer to dispatch a mobile notary for an extra $150.
lilgophee
New member
irvine123searching said:
Took about 3 hours. Would have been done sooner but I was asking him questions about how things worked. Unless, you are trained in construction, it just pays to get it inspected by a 3rd party. You will be amazed at the "shady" things that Steve uncovers. Definitely, an eye opener. All I can say is don't be cheap. You already spent a lot of money for this house, make sure it's done right.
During escrow, I was told that IP puts $700 in the escrow account in case there is a shortfall by a couple of bucks. If you are off even $1, you will not close. So the money is there to make sure it doesn't happen because everything is an estimate. After everything is done, you should get a refund check for about $700 or less.
As for the trash, there are trash cans at each site. I don't get it. Take pride in your work. Not this...Oh, it's not my house so why do I give a rat's a$$?
buylowsellhigh
New member
After living in San Mateo for "some number of weeks" I'd like to offer the following feedback. Overall happy owner, these new construction have all sorts of new bells and whistles compared to homes constructed even 5 years ago. Its also amazing how much energy efficient these new homes are in terms of insulation, building material, appliances, etc. I think theres a good amount of savings for utilities every month.
But some small annoyances......
Walkthru - Is like a prior poster said. Almost every single wall of every single room gets marked up with some sort of inspection tape. I feel that this "walkthru" was a major waste of my time because out of 10 problems the inspector finds 8 himself, lol. How about solving the 8 first so that buyers do not come and think about the sh*tty construction quality?
After Moving in - Still had to report handful of defects. They were fixed quite quickly but most of the problem resolution were for TIC to give me their contractor's phone number. Had some bigger electrical items go defective already. I don't want people to think I'm being entitled here but I don't like the idea of taking 1-2 hours out of work each time some problem is discovered.
Also, I find, as some sort of disconcerting that their "production" keys were copied to non-affiliated companies. Between the escrow close and modifying the locks I always came to find dozens of advertisements from house cleaning to landscaping INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR. Needless to say... change your locks... cuz i was in the house a few times when people unlocked the front door to drop flyers. If I were closer to the front door, I would have inflicted pain & injury to the intruders...
Other minor annoyances -
- Bathroom switches had motion sensors to turn off the light when not occupied.. yet this sensor switches power incandescent bulbs. Why not just use CFL and regular switch... these sensors shut the power off when you're in the shower as those are blind spots.
- All of the recessed light except kitchen uses inefficient incandescent bulb... Building code is so strict (double pane windows, high efficient insulation, etc) yet it allows TIC to put almost close to 20 energy wasting bulbs around the house...
- All faucets and toilet are "water saving" requiring longer shower, time to wash hands/face, double toilet flush (you get what i mean), and longer time to wash dishes... Almost defeats the purpose of energy saving.
- The HVAC contractor is a pain to deal with, their appointments are completely booked.. imagine cold or hot day with out HVAC.
Escrow company, was fine to deal with. Wells Fargo their in house lender was very professional, rate was decent enough at 3.625, which was sold to mac & mae shortly after.
Loan process was a major pain in the ass.... they look at your bank account statement and if you have a dollar that was deposited not by your employer, they will ask what it is and for check copy. If you spend $$ on bigger things they will also ask you what you bought. If the money comes from family they need to sign one contract for every check the write to you. If money comes from business operation you need to have a CPA state that you are allowed to take money out, and your business won't eat **** afterwards.
But some small annoyances......
Walkthru - Is like a prior poster said. Almost every single wall of every single room gets marked up with some sort of inspection tape. I feel that this "walkthru" was a major waste of my time because out of 10 problems the inspector finds 8 himself, lol. How about solving the 8 first so that buyers do not come and think about the sh*tty construction quality?
After Moving in - Still had to report handful of defects. They were fixed quite quickly but most of the problem resolution were for TIC to give me their contractor's phone number. Had some bigger electrical items go defective already. I don't want people to think I'm being entitled here but I don't like the idea of taking 1-2 hours out of work each time some problem is discovered.
Also, I find, as some sort of disconcerting that their "production" keys were copied to non-affiliated companies. Between the escrow close and modifying the locks I always came to find dozens of advertisements from house cleaning to landscaping INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR. Needless to say... change your locks... cuz i was in the house a few times when people unlocked the front door to drop flyers. If I were closer to the front door, I would have inflicted pain & injury to the intruders...
Other minor annoyances -
- Bathroom switches had motion sensors to turn off the light when not occupied.. yet this sensor switches power incandescent bulbs. Why not just use CFL and regular switch... these sensors shut the power off when you're in the shower as those are blind spots.
- All of the recessed light except kitchen uses inefficient incandescent bulb... Building code is so strict (double pane windows, high efficient insulation, etc) yet it allows TIC to put almost close to 20 energy wasting bulbs around the house...
- All faucets and toilet are "water saving" requiring longer shower, time to wash hands/face, double toilet flush (you get what i mean), and longer time to wash dishes... Almost defeats the purpose of energy saving.
- The HVAC contractor is a pain to deal with, their appointments are completely booked.. imagine cold or hot day with out HVAC.
Escrow company, was fine to deal with. Wells Fargo their in house lender was very professional, rate was decent enough at 3.625, which was sold to mac & mae shortly after.
Loan process was a major pain in the ass.... they look at your bank account statement and if you have a dollar that was deposited not by your employer, they will ask what it is and for check copy. If you spend $$ on bigger things they will also ask you what you bought. If the money comes from family they need to sign one contract for every check the write to you. If money comes from business operation you need to have a CPA state that you are allowed to take money out, and your business won't eat **** afterwards.
qwerty
Well-known member
buylowsellhigh - did you have an inspection done before you closed?
We just had ours done. we are going to request that all the stuff get fixed before we close so we dont have to deal with taking time off after we close to have things fixed, or argue over having something fixed. Used Steve from Biltrite - he did a great job and would highly recommend.
We just had ours done. we are going to request that all the stuff get fixed before we close so we dont have to deal with taking time off after we close to have things fixed, or argue over having something fixed. Used Steve from Biltrite - he did a great job and would highly recommend.
irvineshadow
New member
buylowsellhigh said:
Regarding the keys, what exactly do you ask for to change the locks? Because you aren't changing the whole fixture and doorknob, right?
I need to do this when I move next week. Having people unlock my door when I'm home can be very troublesome for everybody ???
lilgophee said:
I'll echo the comments about Steven and also highly recommend Biltrite. We were one of the first two residents of Las Ventanas, and Steve's inspection was a real eye-opener.
I should note that we were actually very happy with how TM handled the process from sales though to the first year of customer service (with the exception of their in-house lender, who I understand is no longer with them).
Nevertheless, the walk-through is very "cosmetics" focused. The building foreman and our customer service rep were more than eager to put the magic blue tape up everywhere, focusing on paint scratches, etc. Since we had never bought a house and aren't contractors, we weren't looking for anything more than that.
Steve comes in and looks at things on a whole other level -- weep screeds, electrical wiring, etc. He found multiple items that needed to be addressed, the vast majority of which were addressed immediately.
Getting your own inspector is an absolute must on an investment this size.
lilgophee
New member
Now that I moved in, here are some my regrets:
1. Not hiring inspector when concrete was poured. Would loved to have done their job for them.
2. Not installing a door between the master bath and master bathroom. I can feel a draft.
3. Not installing recess lighting in the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms.
4. Not asking questions about the shower head (sucks for me, I don't like the non-removable ones)
Here are my warnings to those that just bought:
1. You are told not worry about something now = WORRY NOW, THEY PLAN TO COVER IT UP* BEFORE THE WALK THROUGH
2. Write a letter to the association, pointing out the damage to your shared driveway AKA motorcourt AKA common area**
3. Always take the effort to be informed about the stages your house is in. Visit often.
*There is a difference between fixing the problem or covering it up. TIC takes the cake for covering up stuff. They will say don't worry until the walk through but the walk through is a joke.
**Yes, the asphalt is already scratched. Deep scratches everywhere. Not caused by us moving in and I took pictures over the summer as proof. I am going to do the favor for everyone and write a letter with pictures and send it certified mail to the association. Pointing out the damaged caused by TIC's construction workers. Then I will copy the letter to each homeowner in the motorcourt with the certified mail info.
I can predict the future where I will get a letter from the Association claiming the driveway is worn and looks unprofessional so they have to collect $$$ from each owner in order to repave it.
1. Not hiring inspector when concrete was poured. Would loved to have done their job for them.
2. Not installing a door between the master bath and master bathroom. I can feel a draft.
3. Not installing recess lighting in the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms.
4. Not asking questions about the shower head (sucks for me, I don't like the non-removable ones)
Here are my warnings to those that just bought:
1. You are told not worry about something now = WORRY NOW, THEY PLAN TO COVER IT UP* BEFORE THE WALK THROUGH
2. Write a letter to the association, pointing out the damage to your shared driveway AKA motorcourt AKA common area**
3. Always take the effort to be informed about the stages your house is in. Visit often.
*There is a difference between fixing the problem or covering it up. TIC takes the cake for covering up stuff. They will say don't worry until the walk through but the walk through is a joke.
**Yes, the asphalt is already scratched. Deep scratches everywhere. Not caused by us moving in and I took pictures over the summer as proof. I am going to do the favor for everyone and write a letter with pictures and send it certified mail to the association. Pointing out the damaged caused by TIC's construction workers. Then I will copy the letter to each homeowner in the motorcourt with the certified mail info.
I can predict the future where I will get a letter from the Association claiming the driveway is worn and looks unprofessional so they have to collect $$$ from each owner in order to repave it.
qwerty
Well-known member
lilgophee said:
I've never understood people buying new construction and not putting canned lites in every room of the house. We have them in every room. I think it cost us about 2,000 or so to do canned lites throughout the house, I hated using lamps in our old rental. Most of the canned lites are on dimmers as well which is nice. Frankly, I don't understand why it's not required to use canned lites in new construction.
Regarding Steve/biltrite, I would highly recommend him as well. The builder was very agreeable in fixing everything. In hindsight, wish I would have used him during the pre-drywall inspection, I was really busy at work and forgot to schedule him for the pre drywall walk through, next time I buy a house though, I will definitely use him for a predrywall inspection if we buy new contsruction again.