Meritage is the WORST HOME BUILDER ever!!!!! They suck they suck they suck they suck. I should have known when I had a bunch of prospective home buyers drive by and ask us if we've had any problems because that's what they'd been hearing. I had only lived here at this time, a week. It didn't take but a few days after that to realize all of the problems.
Let's go down the list, shall we?
1. It took them 4 months for them to even start our punch list. (One of the items, mind you, was an exterior door that seeped water all over the tile and grout and stained the base molding.)
2.We have MASSIVE dead trees in our yard (it was winter when we first moved in). Every time it rains or there is high winds, giant limbs break and fall all over our yard. The main customer service supervisor told me "the trees must be sick" or "well we can cut them down." Did you forget about the damn 5 feet wide stumps you'd leave behind or the fact that I paid more for the property because of "the large, beautiful, mature trees"? Or maybe you forgot about the ferns and 6 dif. species of plants that are growing from the dry, rotted trunks that fall off in clusters. When you lay a foundation to a home, there is a correct way to relocate roots to avoid this but obviously after reading all these reviews, they are cheap and take every shortcut possible. They have been avoiding further phone calls so this situation will most likely end in the courtroom.
3. NO ONE ANSWERS THEIR f- PHONES. Terrible customer service.
4. Bob the builder/contractor in DFW is a total moron I cannot believe someone actually gave him a college degree. He avoids us at all costs and tried to pawn us off to various people in the company to finish his jobs. He must of made fake business cards for them because they don't answer either. You know Meritage is cheap when they've got the builder driving a 1992 F150 that is conveniently parked at the model all day. DO YOU ACTUALLY SUPERVISE YOUR JOBS BOB because it might spare your company and homeowners the hassle. It might help people sleep better at night knowing they won't wake up to a leak, a tree falling through the roof, a foul smell, a broken hvac unit, toilet, etc.
4. The model home has been broken into 3 times in a month but spending 260k on a new home doesn't constitute a damn community gate?
5. I see several roofs in the neighborhood that have bubbles in the roof because they didn't ventilate the attic properly.
6. Every few days a strong AWFUL SMELL takes up the entire upstairs. They sent a plumber out and he found nothing. Guess that's a job well done guys. Way to put your problem solving skills to work!
7. Everytime it rains, my mailbox leaks so all of my mail is bled together. Netflix keeps wondering why all of the DVDs I send back are water damaged. Hm. Let's ask the US post office what happens when mail is tampered with. Let's also ask the mailman how annoyed he is with the flag that won't go down because the brick wasn't layed correctly.
8. I still have a leaking toilet that has turned the tile behind it a "2000 flushes" blue color.
9. Do I really need to go on here? I'm tired of wasting my time with these people. PLEASE DON't WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THEM or purchase one of their homes. It's very disappointing for us especially being that we are first time homebuyers. We love our home, don't get me wrong, but all the hassle makes me wonder if it is all worth it because we havn't been able to enjoy ourselves. If you are going to spend this much money on a home, make sure you're getting better quality. These houses go up in a week by people fresh over the border.
P of Fort Worth, TX May 7, 2009
The home that was purchased this year so far only has one complaint. The light fixture in the dining area is off center, so therefore we are going to have to put a anchor hook in the ceiling and move it over that way. I doubt Meritage will come and fix it correctly after reading all these complaints. So far everything else is up to par but we will see as time goes on. Putting another hole in the ceiling to fix the problem. It looks stupid with the dining room table where it's supposed to be and the light so far off from where it should be. Something's got to be done.
B. of Vallejo, CA March 23, 2009
My family purchased a home from Meritage Homes about 14 months ago. I recently graduated from University and decided to move back home. I was devastated to discover that we were unable to make our house payments. After extensive research I believe we have been subjected to unethical business practices by Meritage Homes. In December 2005, my parents purchased a house from Meritage Homes with a completion date of April 2006. However it was pushed back repeatedly and not completed until August 2006. During this time, house prices began to take a turn for the worse. Before actual completion less than one-third of the homes were sold in the 71-home community and the sales office had dramatically dropped prices.
Unfortunately, our house was appraised for 81,000 less than the 813,162 sales price. We were assured that the 2232 sq/ft home was worth the price. The sales office then processed a home equity line from our 80,000 down payment to cover the difference between the appraisal and the sale price. During construction, my parents had established a strong relationship with the sales office and trusted their recommendations without the fear of deception. However, in retrospect we believe that our trust was misguided. At one point we rejected a recommendation to forge rental documents to inflate our income.
Attempting to understand the business practices of the region office, I uncovered unfair political contributions in efforts to secure development locations. Additionally, these contributions were unreported and in violation of the fair political practices commission. These violations are clear indicators of unethical business practices by the Concord, CA region office, and Meritage Homes as a whole. After two years, the development has not been completed. More than half of the lots still remain empty, except for stacks of wood and cement frames.
Attempts to sell our home have been unsuccessful due to the price drops by the sales office and the unattractive aesthetics of an incomplete development. At this time we are no longer able to make our payments and have recently discovered that we owe another 80,000 equity line of credit used towards the house price; which was never disclosed by the sales office. I hope you will be able to shed some light on this situation. Foreclosure.
Jigar of Beaumont, TX March 5, 2009
My wife and I were looking at purchasing a house in the new subdivision of Telfair in Sugarland, Texas. We love the area and subdivision. We heard great things about Meritage homes so we decided to look at their plans and inventory that is available. We looked at one house that we were very interested in. We spoke to the representative for Meritage homes and our real estate agent worked on the price. We wrote a contract on Sunday afternoon. The Meritage home representative gave us the new home booklet to read and review. We also provided a 5000 earnest money check. On Monday morning, we received news that our offer was not accepted. There was no counter offer. We were quite distraught and my real estate agent went back to the representative to work on the price.
The representative, A. Fisher, was quite rude to our agent. Our real estate agent wanted to work on the price with A., but she wouldn't provide a dollar amount to work with. After the deal went sour, our real estate agent asked for our earnest money check back. A. told him that the new home booklet would have to be returned before she would release out earnest check. We live in Beaumont, which is almost 2 hours away from Sugarland. We cannot drop everything to come back to Houston to drop off the booklet. At no time, was this information relayed to us that if we do not return the book, we won't get our check back. A. said that we wasted her time. What about our time?
As a consumer, this was not a piece of cake that we were buying. We were trying to get the best deal on a 300,000 dollars house. I understand with the economy the way it is, every business is trying to make ends meet. However, customer service should not be compromised for a sale. A. hung up on my agent and demanded the book stating that she told about the book being returned. My wife and I do not recall her telling us this. We have no use for the book if the deal was not going to go through. However, but to use the book as bartering tool to get our check back is absurd. We value her time, but we do not feel she valued our time.
We did return the book to get our check back. We feel that we should be get an apology and compensated on our time and gas for driving back and forth to Houston to get our check. We contacted Meritage Homes Customer service on Feb 10, 2009 but to no avail. We haven't received a single response.
Ron of Keller, TX February 24, 2009
Our homes first off had mold building in the upper ceieling of the garage. now our window,ceielings and walls have crack all through them. they have sent a engineer or so they say he is but even he states the house has excessive cracks. So you think that the follow up would be simple. I have called and called our contact person. No return calls. the home next door to me had to have the floor taken and an completely relay concret when they laid the rebar incorrectly and cause water damage on his home. It is a mess that they are moving slow own taken care and the house is just two years old.
Bricks on the front of the house by garage is seperated, windows are cracked...doors will not closed had to have the alarm system realigned just because the door would not close all the way
Jon of Pearland, TX December 2, 2008
My wife and I spend the last 6 months pouring our time, money, and energy into the construction of a new 2 story home and covered all the details. We settled on Meritage as a builder thinking they were reputable company. Turns out they will skimp on quality to increase their profits. I was ensured from the beginning that they would install and dual zone AC system with 2 compressors. 1 for the top floor and 1 for the down stairs.
After all this, they installed a HVAC system that under powered. They installed one 5 ton unit for the entire 3400 square foot house. They've explained that this it their NEW system, but my house is the first to get it. The damper is where the majic happins I'm told. Unexplained and unexpected . This is their Fredrickberg design and every house until mine has a double unit system. My exact identical house on the other side of the neighborhood that was built in the same time frame as mine got
2. A house that is 1 month behind mine is currently set to receive 2. My house and 2 other homes they built for inventory received their NEW IMPROVED smaller system. This stands out as a cost cutting method that in the heat of Texas is more then criminal. To skimp on of all things AC. Now I'm being told that there's nothing they can do and I have to live with it. They don't act to concerned, but of course this isn't one of their personal homes.
Of all the homes they building across southern Houston I get lucky enough to be the 1st to get this NEW smaller system. I've walked their other neighborhood and all other new biuls in a house my size is set for 2! Beyond angry and now homeless having sold our old house a months ago. All the waiting and detail now tarnished. So much for our beautiful new home. They think I'm a sucker... are you?
Completely destroyed any confidenance I had in the quality of the home and the intentions of Meritage as a quality builder. I am now hiring a professional inspector to go over it with a fine tooth comb. I have zero faith in the AC system installed on that house that we planned to be in for a long time. What a filthy way to cut cost in the heat of TEXAS! So much for everythings bigger in Texas.
Rosalind of Fort Worth, TX October 23, 2008
I had my home built in September 2005 and have had problem every since I moved in. The first problems I was having the mirror in the master bedroom was rust and loss of color. From there everything started to happen. My upstairs restroom tile kept popping up. I have tile on the entire bottom floor of my home and it is coming up. I have had four different companies out to tell me that it wasn't install properly. Meritage planted dead grass.
I'm still trying to work and better yet try to get someone out to get these problem resolve. I have also receive a letter stating that it was nothing else they can do. I willn't stop until the problem is fixed. I've notice that a lot of complaints have been filed on Meritage in the TEXAS AREA.
My bottom floor is ugle and cracking. I'm now having to spend 1000.00 to get repairs to my bottom floor
Rose of Roseville, CA October 14, 2008
I am not here to make a complaint, total opposite. I feel for the others that have had issues with their new homes by Meritage. We have had nothing but success with Sherri in Roseville and the rest of the staff including the superintendants. They worked with us with complete patience and respect.
If they are able to open build the next Phase, I would encourage others in the market to look at their product here in California :)
Diamantina of Sahuarita, AZ August 19, 2008
I feel bad for the consumers who had a bad experience with Meritage. It seems that most of the complaints are in states other than Arizona. The Arizona complaints seem frivolous and somewhat non factual. When you are in the market for a home you should expect varied prices on homes.
Anyway we had a great experience with Meritage Homes. Their customer service is top notch. Any little matter that we were not happy with they fixed right away. Even when I changed my mind about an island at the last minute. They gave me no grief for not wanting it anymore. All of the people associated with this company were very professional and friendly. Plus the extra gifts in the mail after closing was very thoughtful of them. Once a consumer makes the purchase there is really no need to offer gifts, but they did. We got great incentives and our home is beautiful. Thank you Meritage
Pearlie of Spring, TX August 19, 2008
cracks in the wall
unleveled second floor
bedroom door that will not close
concrete in drive way has a hole
garage door has too much gap
closet bars are still not holding.
bricks are coming apart at door.
they came out once to fix the carpet on the step, and to fix the closets bars, one fell again. the floor upstairs they never came back to address the issue. also the cracks in the ceiling and cornors. also the hole around the pipe in the half bath.
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