SMART! Brick is THE ONLY way to go. Earthquake prone areas are the exception, but for everywhere else BRICK only!!!! People are naive, and think wood is just as sturdy. it is not.
If you stick with an independant contractor who doesn't sub all the phases out, you'll do okay most of the time. Houses should last longer because of all the codes in place. I tear a lot of old houses up, and construction is generally poorer back then.
Yep you're old school houses are your best because it was built from Old School person. There wasn't any kind of fancy equipment back in those days! Sure it's nice to see a huge house built in less than 3 months. But like I said above lot of mistakes can happen and not to mention it's a mistake it's done they don't do anything about it but just cover it! Back in my time 70s and 80s everything was done perfectly. And way before that was totally different.
Also, they tear down ALL the trees in the area and then plant new trees, which take years to grow full size. WTF? Why not leave some of the good, healthy trees in place? It's more eco-friendly isn't it, and it should be cheaper too because you are removing fewer trees ... less labor!
This has been going on for over 15 years. I use to work building these new homes and they are built on the cheap by un trained people and inspected by inspectors who get money for signing off on the paperwork without checking the homes.
Benjamin Esposti I witnessed alot of that happening in North Carolina, Georgia, and Delaware. The South is seeing a construction boom right now, subdivision developments popping up everywhere and the Forests and wildlife are paying the price. Sad.
Older homes are much superior. They have actual wood and brick, whereas these new houses are just plywood. They’d burn down in 5 minutes flat. I have yet to buy a house, but these new ones worry me.
mindyschocolate they burn down so fast because the wood has more glue in it than wood the glue burns like fuel another reason for all the problems is that the land these are built on is what is left of the prime location they are the left over no one would build on in the 70s non of these homes will be there 30 years from now they will be trashed and the value will drop because you will start having foreclosed homes because of too many repairs or mold issues so the whole neighborhood starts going down and when your just 10 feet away or 5 feet away no trees just house after house that what your left with. Sadly no one can afford a home in the city. New looks so much better than the high cost for a small house. Granite and stainless steel sell the house. If they would just used drywall screws and not a nematic nailer the pop out drywall would not happen or the floors .
gtb2009b That's what I noticed too, that the good land was cherry picked decades ago, then large farms were broken into subdivisions. Now the low lying, filled in swamp land is being used in Florida.
Some builders are. If this is one of your most expensive investments or purchases , then why wouldn't you do your research and make sure you're not getting a house built in a week!! Those houses are not worth maybe half what they paid. They use whatever materials, don't send back warped beams. They use cheapest labor can find. Half the houses can turn into low income housing. Those horses are not built well. Those neighborhoods are really a scam. Investors come in and purchase land, cram as many homes on the property they can, find the cheapest labor and materials that look good at first. Offer upgrades to make the buyer feel involved and in control of build. It's a joke.
it's too bad that they don't empower the viewers with data about WHY the concrete cracked (lack of rebar? soil too expansive for simple slab on grade concrete?) WHY the vinyl siding warped (the buying process and what defects to watch out for), WHY there is mold (unintelligent roof penetration plan / poor craftsmanship ). The mainstream media will never empower you appreciably.
I had the opportunity to get a practically new house for only $267,000 with 6 BR, 3.5 bath, .23acre, brand new stainless appliances, 3 car garage, and granite. Also had a community pool, playground, trail, and clubhouse for $360/year. Best deal ever, right??? After doing careful research I realize that these were cookie cutter lunchbox houses with the beautiful stone veneer in the front and every lot looked the same with only a variation of three different designs. The neighborhood looked like something from a Sci-fi thriller with zero personality with giant houses on small lots. They were thrown up and built in less than 6 months. I chose an older home nearby made by a builder who is still in business and rated top in the USA. People thought I made a bad choice to turn down the new giant house with more rooms for $45,000 less. They need to watch videos like this.
LynRuiz And for all you know the other house could have been fine and you indeed did spend $45k more than you needed to. Newer homes are also more energy efficient than older homes. If you worked in Insurance you would know to stay away from older homes, they can be a nightmare of problems you haven't encountered yet because no matter what inspection you have you can never have the inside of the walls inspected prior to purchase like you can with a new home. The builder in this particular segment is well known to be bad, go with a reputable builder and you will be fine. Good luck with your utility bills.
Liz Myers I got lucky and found a tiny hidden subdivision within walking distance to the other place. The extra money hurt us but we got more than double lot size and full privacy in each direction. Our water bill has decreased somehow and our electric is prob about $80 more plus a winter gas bill. The huge McMansion “deal” lunchbox houses are already falling apart at the joints with many showing sealing and moisture issues and warped windows. Mine was built in 1995 and those were 2005-2009 phase. We pass through and check out open houses. They are massive and have tons of wasted space and zero design substance.
Liz Myers it’s still far cheaper to improve energy efficiency and replace windows with the double paned ones than the massive foundation/leakage/warped siding/mold, etc the new ones have.
I had my first house built in 2001 and stopped by every day to take pics of everything and to also see any problems before they got covered up. Was the smartest think to do. That way I had pics later of all the wiring,plumbing,etc. So when I remodeled or chanced something I knew what was there. Doing this I caught couple things wrong. I had good cement work,good framers,but bad roofers,and drywallers. I also did the blue tape this lady did and freaked out my contractor. Had part of the roof replaced( laid crooked.) Sump pump was in wrong place(but caught it before the lower level floor was poured).also moved a ceiling light before it was installed. I would be skeptical of buying a new build without being there during the build. Doing this saved me a lot of money later. Had one thing warranted moisture on seem of poured wall. They wanted to tell me how they were going to fix it from the inside. In the end they fix it my way (the right way)and then even did a little more extra.Why becouse they new I knew my stuff and I didn't play around. Most my neighbors had problems that were warrantied,but could hardly get them to come out. I didn't have that problem( knowledge is power)and pictures is evidence.lol
We are currently starting the home shopping phase, and thought DR. Horton was good until we visited a couple of communities. The older 4-5 years old and up have began to deteriorate within the entire communities. Shame on you D.R. Horton!
My dear late husband turned our 1960's cedar kit cottage into a little beauty. He had it raised with new foundation and infrastructure. I am snug as a bug in a rug in my tiny dream house.
Thanks for your testimony how you pulled out. My family was just looking at these homes in Buckeye last weekend the weekend before Memorial day and talk to our realtor about these houses very seriously but I decided to come to RU-vid to see the layout on the models I like which I never seen die to this video I immediately showed my hubby this video and was WOW! I HAVE TO SHOW HIM THIS VIDEO HE WAS LIKE WE ARE NOT GOING THEIR AT ALL HE W AS SO GLAD I RAN INTO THIS VIDEO AND SO IM I SO HECK NO WE ARE NOT COMING AND IM GLAD YOU GOT YOUR DEPOST BACK.
Damn I’m in the process of putting a deposit for a DR Horton Home in Stafford,VA. I think I’m knocking on a few doors tomorrow to talk with some folks. 👀 hopefully DR Horton changed since these vids came out
Ugh those aren't nice homes. Those are prepackaged cookie cutter pieces of junk with no soul, love, or thought put into them. Build your own home with a private contractor. Don't go with these cookie cutter mass producers.
Some people do not have money to buy anything but cookie cutter homes. Not all cookie cutter homes are poorly constructed. They need to do some homework first.
Donna Brown the bad builders should be put on blast via some type of warning list with verified issues so they can’t continue to sell shoddy houses to families.
I am glad I found this video. I have a D. R by the house am renting . I was hope to buy a house in the subdivision next year but after seeing this video. I will stay away from that company.
A developer down the street from me is building million dollar "carriage homes" (3400sq/ft twin homes) on a literal landfill surrounded by limestone. The area is already a 10 year flood plain riddled with sinkholes due to the limestone. The first set of homes were completed in late 2016 - the sidewalks and streets are already shifting and cracking. Everyone (besides the hired realtors and gullible buyers) are concerned of how the houses will hold up. Large scale ballon construction developments are a big issue in my area, and it's only getting worse.
That's what I'm seeing in central Florida, low-lying areas filled in and leveled off. They don't even bother to build up a mound for drainage away from the homes.
If I can afford a $400,000 house I hire an inspector to overlook the building process and make sure it build right. With that kind of money I make sure that built to last for years.
That's the thing, they can't afford to buy these houses. Pre Foreclosures are up by 43% over this time last year. This story is the echos of 2006 when McMansions were being slapped together to meet demand.
tonykeo83 I was wondering about that. I bought a 10 year old house last year and had a private inspector come out- it was required. No problems with my house!
Yep, companies who mass produce homes in less than six months, I almost bought a new construction home but changed my mind when I was told wouldn't be able to watch them work on the foundation.
If I ever want a new home I'm getting a custom home that is designed by an architect, built by a well reviewed construction firm, and it wouldn't be in a subdivision.
Same. I work as a contractor myself for a family real estate business, and I know these manufactured houses are not at all good. I also learned that I could easily buy some land, and have a house built for an amazing price as well. It would be exactly how I need it, the right size, and no HOA on my back as well. But I'd definitely use brick and mortar rather than wood and drywall.
Makes me very glad that my childhood homes were built by my dad, uncle, family and neighbors. The only thing that caused us problems was the structure... After a RV ran into the front of the house...
what i cant stand is when people say they are homeowners when they really dont own the home the bank does! you dont own the home until you have it paid off completely!
My house was built in 2000 and we had an inspector there throughout all stages of the construction. If they found any problems, there were like three or four that weren't too serious, and they fixed them before the constitution was finished. Almost 20 years later we have never had any problems with our house. Didn't even need to use the one year warranty.
When I was painting houses one family found a local carpenter and paid him to stop by for a couple of minutes after he got off work to check out the work done on their house that day. Every morning there would be a list of stuff they had done wrong that they had to redo. Sometimes we would add stuff to the list when they were gone. Every morning you could hear them complaining about that list.
I purchased a new construction home in 2003 and had an inspector check the work during every phase (framing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, etc) and it was probably the best money I ever spent. My home had zero defects.
I love the ideas of knocking on some doors around the neighborhood, I'd never consider doing that til now!! We plan on building and after seeing all these issues and reading all these reviews I'm terrified
This is bologna. People want a quality, well-built, safe home, and they should get what they are supposed to be paying for. What ever happened to home inspectors?? They should sue these builders for a new home, and I do not normally promote suing, but if they are not going to be more responsible, they need to pay for that choice.
My house is 33 years old,the rest of my neighborhood was built about 20 years ago and those houses are falling down around themselves meanwhile ours is standing strong. I'll never buy a house built after the mid 90's.
This is so true in many cities. The fact that the builder is allowed to have a legal document already in place should be outlawed immediately. I won't mention names but you don't get what you paid for is a symbol of bad construction due to the lack of union workers who know their craft. We now have homes built by day labor's who can barely use a hammer let alone mix concrete. This will not end until we once again value the craftsmen who train for years before being certified. My sympathy to those who now are victims of shoddy workmanship and are forced to pay the piper.
On most of these large subdivisions built by a larger general contractor such as DR Horton in the larger cities, they are mostly built by union contractors and workers. With the exception of union plumbers and electricians the rest of union trades are a joke.
Yup this is exactly why I'm buying a house from the 70's, we had an inspection and appraisal done. The inspector found not one major issue with the home. It appraised for far more then what we're paying! The only things needed to do is cosmetic. My husband and I are doing those things ourself. Well people these days want new flashy things and look what it gets you smdh
Fila Kri Same here the former home owner painted the outside of our home lime green🤣🤣🤣 so tragic. It's wood which I am not a fan of so we've decided to reside. But, that is all that's needed which is a easy cosmetic fix. Done by a reputable company. Oh and paint the walls which we're doing our selves.
I bought a 70s home, the home is solid but be prepared the pipes are copper and it not gona last much longer. And the wiring is old and needs updated. If on slab like mine they came in and removed a 4x4 area in my dining room foundation to get to pipe that had rusted and was crumbling away he used camera and made a video of all my pipes under slab he said in about 5 more years it will all be crumbling. 6000.00 for just that water line to be replaved.
My two year old Home is in the same condition. My husband and I pointed it out to our builder and nothing happened. Our home is in the State of VA but my husband is a soldier on Active Duty. Something needs to be done.
I would recommend contacting the JAG/ legal office at a military base in VA related to your husband's branch of service. You can just Google the base and locate the nbr on their website. You can also try contacting JAG/legal in the state that your living in. I would also consider contacting your congressman, 60 minutes, local TV stations and the developer. I recommend getting a notebook and with down the date, time,name of the person you're speaking to, the nbr that you called ( if you're transferred notate the nbr) and what was discussed. Do this every!!!! time!!Good luck.
SRVstiger it’s not the Latinos fault that the boss is cheap and hires cheap labor. Be mad at them, not the guys doing their job to the best of their abilities.
@@jjcruz750 actually a lot of the time it's the latinos' fault. They're simply uneducated. My tenant is a 29 year citizen of the USA. he was the foreman for the adjacent concrete company for 9 years and frankly he passed a lot of commercial and residential inspections. He finishes concrete beautifully, but the slopes, the rebar, the additives, are beyond his comprehension. When I hired him to help with the driveway, it was a mess. Left to his own devices, my driveway would have been a disaster. It's similar for the veteran manager of Teichert concrete who lives across the street. The finishing work was beautiful, but the slopes were retarded. These people are uneducated. And these are VETERANS OF INDUSTRY who are LEGAL and at least moderately familiar with English. These are PROFESSIONALS, and frankly they do a lot of things right. These are not fly by night guys. We were not immune to evolution.
Lmfao is he serious? "There's no such thing as a perfect home." Maybe so, but the sides of people's houses shouldn't MELT when the sun beats down on it🤦🏽♀️
I did. Older land is the best, and it was taken first for that reason. It’s very suspicious today to get an affordable brand new home with a billion bells and whistles, they are just looking for suckers. Every owner is one, but at least an older home has a reason for repairs and new parts and you get the location that will never go out of style and will always hold value.
If you mention the problem over & over, cause it still hasn't been fixed, then your a considered a complainer. When I bought a new condo, their was a water leak in my roof. It wasn't a problem for the 1st 2 months, cause we had no rain. The contractor said, why didn't mention that when you moved in? I said, cause I didn't know about it until it rained.😫
I own a home built in the 1830s out of brick, mortar, stone, lathe and plaster. I don't have any of these problems and I rarely have to make repairs. My husband and I work on homes. We are skilled artisan/craftsmen. My main work is restoring older homes but when I lived in Indianapolis for 4 years, we did a lot of work on newly constructed overpriced McMansions in subdivisions. You have to be out of your mind to buy one of those shit shacks. Spit and toilet paper. Working in restoration, you find out they are made out of the exact same materials with the same shoddy construction- down to the cheap fake brass light fixtures- as the newly built "Affordable housing" Section 8 style apartment complexes they stack up welfare cases in. And the reason why that lady had those thousands of nails popping out was that it was built with nails and not screws. These sheetrock walls and ceilings shouldn't be built with nails. It will fall apart. Drywall is held together with screws. Also, these companies need to stop hiring illegal aliens and drug addicted morons. Hire an independent craftsman. Small business all the way. Get referrals and read reviews.
This highlights a problem in our culture too. People feel like the must buy a house or else they’re not living the American dream, even if they can’t afford it. In the old days, people built houses only if they could afford it and therefore, great care and attention to detail was made. Nowadays these houses are like ‘fast fashion.’ - make it affordable, but poorly made.
I paid for a full day home inspection before I wrote the final check for my new construction home. Well spent money. I’d like to see arbitration clauses made illegal everywhere.
This is why I will NEVER ever buy a home in a "community" built by these builders. If you want to own a house buy a good old brick home built before this mass manufactured home stuff.
@@Commentator541 Becoming an "owner/builder" is no light task, and most folks don't have the time to oversee projects like a home, nor do they have the know how....who to call, when to call...when to schedule/reschedule...delivery of product, etc...
I live north of Pittsburgh and when my husband and i came to look at our house for the first time; first place we went was the basement,we were looking at the walls, foundation, roof, and u name it, it took us a month to finally sign papers,and for those it took us a couple hours, they realtor seem very drained and ready to run 😂,my home prior owner was 89 years old, he built this house in 1965 and I love how strong and well build is, with original hardwood floors,windows customized,I just love it
National Association of homebuilders the CEO was lying on national television?? Why would anyone in South Carolina buy a newly built home? No laws to protect them!
I am an electrician and I can tell just by looking at these homes they showed us that they aren’t built as life time homes. They are built as a selling home .
My house was built in the early 1900s and it's solid as a rock. I need some new windows and want to refinish the hardwood floors, but other than that it's really sturdy. I'll never buy one of these prefabricated pieces of overpriced junk.
And it does not stop. My wife and I recently cancelling our contracts due to construction issue. Several hairline crack on the slab (being the major one)... Guess who's the builder. Ding! Ding! Ding! You guessed it. DR Horton. Do not buy 9904 Timberwolf Lane in McKinney, TX. Unless you have some money to shell out for major repairs. #DoNotBuyDRHorton
Although I'm glad you got out, hairline cracks in concrete are normal and unavoidable. It's important to have robust waterproofing and drainage so it doesn't become an issue.
Wow! Dr. Horton offered to buy that house back. I wonder if the homeowner accepted? That house must have had so many problems. Dr. Horton didn't want to be exposed more than this video had already exposed
Be very diligent when buying these new homes. Drive thru some of these places, pay attention to what materials are used, how long they sit outside in the rain, take a day to watch one being built. I do work for a very large home builder (I dont have anything to do with how the homes are built) I've watched what happens, personally I wouldnt buy a house built within the last 30 years.
Never use corporate builders. They care about profits and shareholders, not you. Just buy the land and hire a good contractor. Corporate builders also overcharge for everything. My first home was a new construction from a corporate builder. I chose all base fixtures because for a fancy kitchen faucet, they wanted like $800. They're under $200 at Home Depot. For a fancy dining room light, they wanted $400. The same light I found at Home Depot for $70.
I know someone who discovered serious structural issues after moving in that the builder tried to conceal with drywall. It didn't even take a keen eye to discover something was seriously off with the framing.
There may not be a perfect home and sure everyone expects things to wear out, etc. BUT not be built with inferior supplies and just plain built shoddy. There should be an agency that jerks the licenses to do anymore building or anymore construction from these type companies and keep them from building or constructing anything else at all. I do NOT understand how these people live with themselves knowing they are doing this to people and the home of their dreams turning into the home of their nightmares.
Wait!!!, inspectors approved the jobs? Isn't the city inspectors suppose to approve the work beginning with the foundation?....and every step of the process/codes? Hhmmm.
I just bought my first home. A brand new house in a brand new subdivision. Had a private home inspector check the place out before I bought, but videos like this make me worry. What will happen in the next 1-5 years?
Make sure you hire an inspector. Even for new construction. As a Realtor, I see a lot of first time buyers not wanting to spend a few hundred on an inspection, even when it may find and prevent these problems.
I would like to know why the housing inspector did not see this while on the site? This sounds like someone did not do their jobs before this became an major issue!