DR Horton Homes

We I attempted to plead my case to a representative of DR Horton, by email I was told that there was nothing they could do, because the warranty had expired. I once again reached out the a DR representative that is based in the community here I live. She seem to have some compassion and empathy for my situation, but at the same time said there was nothing they could do. She indicated that this March had unusually heavy winds, and it was out of the builder's control.

However, at the same time, she indicated that the builders purchase materials based on quantity and not quality, so the shingles on the roof that were purchased were meant to sustain winds of 50 MPH and no more, because of the geographical location. I was really surprised that she shared that with me. After all when one purchases a new roof there is a 10 warranty which comes with it and for any builder constructing news home gives only one year on a warranty, is absolutely egregious!

Well, weather conditions have changed and continue to change every day, weather has become so unpredictable, we barely know what season we are in anymore.I believe it is unfair for me to have to be responsible for the shingle repair, when clearly the install of the shingle on the portion of my roof was shoddy job, which is no fault of mine. If the builder would be considerate enough to assess, each homeowner on a case by case basis, and to give some kind of assistance, would be more than fair. Going forward, my recommendation would be to change state law to require home builders, to extend the roof warranty up to 5 years. After all, they receive huge tax rebates and write offs to build these homes in our communities. One year is just not enough time! Don't know if anyone out there is been dealing with anything similar, but if you have please post?

Today he still have not returned my call. However, I did receive a call from an employee of Dr. Horton. I explained to her my situation. She made it seem like it was my fault Dr. Horton hired a shady pipe company and allowed them to put cheap pipes throughout my home. (My house is just 8 years old.) She claimed was going to call me so he can come out and assess the damages to see if I was liable for this disaster. She was quick to say she was helping me out with this problem. I still have not been contacted as of yet not by the plumber nor Jerry **!!! I AM STILL WAITING!!!

This past Saturday, April 7, 2018, I stopped by the house & noticed the heat pump copper tubing was running from the rear of the house outside the master bedroom through the entire attic, an incredible distance. All homes in the neighborhood have the heat pump on the garage side near the third bedroom. This is the most efficient location. On Monday, I explained to Paul & Jimmy, my displeasure. Jimmy said there was nothing they could do about it that the City of Bradenton made the change. I told Jimmy I would be calling the city to get a waiver. Jimmy told me I better hurry because he was ready to insulate & drywall, meaning it would be too late to do anything. Paul ** said he was upset about what was happening but there was nothing he could do.

I called your Manatee county supervisor, Brad ** & left him a text message. This is his preferred means of communicating. When Brad called me back, I told him the location of the heat pump on the outside wall of the master bedroom would be too noisy for the bedroom & the outside planned patio. I also told him the efficiency of the heat pump would be affected. I said being located on the south side of my house would have the Florida sun all day, everyday. I told him the distance for the coolant to run would adversely affect the unit. He disagreed & said the distance would be similar to a two story house. I told him I would help pay for relocating the heat pump to the garage side of the house. I would also pay for treated lumber to build a platform. Brad said the county made the change & he could not do anything about plus he could not slow done is production. What a customer advocate he is.

Yesterday morning I talked to a City of Bradenton Permit Specialist. She said the city did not make the change. Last night, I received an email from the city's Planning & Development coordinator, Myra **. Myra stated, "Things like heat pumps, a/c units, and the like for a single family home are not regulated by zoning. However, they may not be placed within an easement." The information Brad ** gave me is false. Someone from D.R. Horton made the location change because of water drainage problems in the community. Back on Monday, Paul **said Jimmy had put a STOP work order in. Much to my surprise, I stopped by yesterday afternoon to see a crew putting up the final pieces of insulation. So, this morning, I assume the drywall has begun meaning it will be too late to relocate the copper piping.

So what do I do now. I can contact someone at the corporate level, contact the Florida Attorney General, contact investigative reporters from various news stations. So, you can either be an advocate for me to see that the location of the heat pump is changed or reimburse 100% of my deposit. Please let me know how you want to proceed. Best Wishes for a quick resolution."

After closing over three months later than expected, they rushed through preparing our Villa for closing during the last couple weeks. It was an awful experience. Obviously, causing us 'the buyers' frustration, confusion, disruption and $$. Since closing on 3/20/18, much time has been wasted waiting on contractors after DR Horton had received our money in full (and refused to place $$ into an escrow account) even though the Villa was not completed properly on closing day. As of today, we still continue to have electricians, granite, cabinet contractors coming in.

Thank goodness, there has been one NEW SUPERINTENDENT assigned to our Villa since we closed. His name is Norm. He has been the ONLY DR Horton person who has worked with us and the incompetent contractors to correct/resolve the many issues/problems with our Villa due to POOR DR Horton PROJECT MANAGEMENT and cost savings.

This is only one example: The tilers work in the dark prior to electric and do not even use a portable light - hard to imagine. They had put dark tile on our white bath tiles. Then tried to grout over it. After we insisted the tile be removed and replaced, they removed the tile into our bathtub without covering the tub. Next, the bathtub had to be resurfaced due to stupidity. The painters, grouters, cleaners poor acid wash and chemicals directly onto the lawn to clean their buckets, so we now have hay instead of grass. Perhaps because DR Horton had the landscapers show up weeks before the pavers, tilers, cementers were finished. Again, very poor management by the crew who worked on our Villa prior to our closing on 3/20/18. Glad we now have Norm to help us out.

Next, they started framing using steel nails in pressure treated material. This material is corrosive to any kind of steel and they will just Rot away. I was told this is the way they build It. Not for me I told them, got out of my contract, hopefully, I will get my money back. Beware. They really don't care if it's done right as long as it's inspected and approved. So you know I went directly to the building department and asked him what was going on with photographs I have a complaint in and I will do follow up. They have not heard the last from me. And if you're smart, stay away from them.

Needless to say our tile which was to be FULLY replaced was glued in pieces, our closet rods were not even screwed in, there are big raised areas under our carpet which have gone down probably construction trash. (Our neighbor with 4 small children had TONS of nails under hers.) It has not been a good first year in the house starting like this and to top it off we had a HORRIBLE smell coming from our sink. In the trap was some meat probably from construction which we smelled and thought was sewer gas. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE OR RECOMMEND A DR HORTON TO ANYONE. And to top it off I have an so called "Engineer" for them that works from home when I worked as one I had to leave my house and he does shady things not to be done on business time. It's five o'clock somewhere.

I sent her an email telling asking her (Darla) why is she barely requesting all these documents in such short notice when she had whole time to request these things a long time ago with less stress on me?? I told her I didn't appreciate that because the things she was requesting take time to get together and I'm a single guy with a job with only two days off a week and I can only do so much to achieve getting all these documents on a timely manner "on her terms". I didn't get back an apology of any sort from her and proceeded to ask for more redundant documents that I had already provided. Never once did she ever called me on the phone to introduce herself nor would answer my calls. After submitting all documents required over and over, I had to literally explain to her that the answers to her writings were right under her nose if she only looked closer.

Ali then calls me and asks for my 2016 and 2017 taxes. I told him I hadn't done my 2017 taxes yet. He said he can use my 2015 and 2016 taxes but would have to do a rush appraisal on my rental property in Belton, Tx. I told him if I use my 2015 and 2016 tax returns, it won't show I'm making that much income to be approved for this loan but if I went to go do my taxes for 2017, I can go to the IRS tax office, do my taxes, get it stamped and fax him over the acceptable tax returns for 2016 and 2017. These taxes show me making much more income. He calls me later and says it'll be ok with just the 2015 and 2016 but he would request a rush appraisal for my property for 600.00 that "I" would have to pay and he would just need for my house to show I have 25% equity which I believe I have. We proceeded with this and now we are down to 10 days before closing and according to them...we are on track and doing fine to close.

Well I make arrangements with movers, bought new furniture, scheduled furniture delivery for the 29th and all other things... Well... 6 days to closing, while I'm literally walking the property for the pre-walkthrough, Ali calls me and tells me "there's a slight hiccup buddy" your appraisal came back less than 25% equity and we can't proceed with the loan unless I get someone to co sign! 6 days to closing he tells me this!!! What a ** bomb drop, incompassionate, unorganized joke is this!?? I had EVERYTHING ready to move in and 6 days to closing they tell me this?? I am beside myself. I spoke to my sales coordinator Melinda and asked her why they did this to me? She says she's trying to help. I sent an email to her that night telling her this is unprofessional and unacceptable and to please help find a solution for the inconvenience and stress they have caused me and carelessness, unorganized process of the whole thing.

I have asked to reduce the price to make up for the inconvenience since I have complied with everything they have asked from me in their terms at their time and convenience and not me the buyer. I have been calling Melinda and texting her and she didn't reply once. I have the opportunity to DR Horton to step up to the plate and help me with another solution but I guess they don't care the stress they have put my family and I through. I don't even know if this merits legal action for the stress and inconvenience but it would be nice to get a little justice for their careless actions and waiting for the last 6 days to take it all away. This leaves a bitter taste in my mouth about DR Horton. I will definitely not recommend this company to any of my friends and family.

Finally our realtor was able to confirm they indeed cancelled our agreement. This put a sour taste in my mouth for them. I will NEVER buy a home built by them and I'll be sure to let all of my family and close relatives know as well. I will go out of my way to make sure people know how unprofessional they are. Also, when we had our walk thru, it was awful. I couldn't believe all of the mess ups they had. They should embarrassed to let anyone walk through with it looking like that!

So it appears to me that they just make it up as they go along since she was open to listen to my request for reimbursement, told me that she took it to her team to decide, and then got back to me with "No Refund". Was that because I am old and on disability that they figured they could push me around? Dona ** refused to answer my texts to her inquiring about this topic, so I filed a small claims court complaint for $80 requesting my earnest money back as well as my filing cost. As soon as their lawyer found out and could, they contacted me and offered me $2,500 right off the bat. She wanted a non-disclosure agreement and made a bunch of threats, but I figure if she offered me that much right away that they know they are in the wrong. I told her no deal and that I want all of my earnest money.

I countered her threats by pointing out that I still believed in my complaint and pointed out that I could make my claim for $80 and it wouldn't cost me anything more except gas money. How much will it cost DR Horton to defend themselves? I don't like fighting dirty like that, but when provoked we all have our limits. The bottom line is if you were denied all of your earnest money or are having second thoughts about buying a DR Horton, you may decide to take the route I have. Given the situation, I feel I should point out that I am not a lawyer, my suppositions and logic are all my own, and I strongly suggest you speak with a licensed attorney before taking the steps I have. I will keep you posted on the results of my claim. I can't comment on the quality or value of their work or follow up service policies as I didn't buy a DR Horton home. To those of you who feel you have a nice home as built by DR Horton, congratulations.

I have submitted no fewer than five online service requests ranging from toilets that back up to bowed walls to gaps in drywall. Not once, have I ever received a confirmation or call notifying me that a contractor would come out and fix any of these problems. Here it is 3/15/2018 and the only noticeable fix was the window. The drywall remains gapped, the paint in the carpet was never removed and all I have gotten was the run around to the point where I felt compelled to write this review. All I can say is to any homeowner looking to buy a DR Horton home, (DON'T)!

So I am almost 4 years into this house and here are the problems that still exist: my daughter's chandelier blew every bulb including her closet but yet we are reassured that there are no electrical issues. My stairway light fixture blew all three bulbs this week and have to be replaced. No electrical problems based on the builders comments... Recently had to replace some valve to our hot water to the master bath. Variety of plugs that do not work throughout the house. The dishwasher they put in place are a joke.

Window calk in the shower rather than waterproof. Spent several hours diagnosing the problem to be sure it was done correctly... THE FIRST TIME. So basically I'm complaining as this is the absolute worst home that I have ever had built. I have lived in three different houses and the problems seem to compound exponentially year over year. I realize that this will likely not help me or anyone else but I feel better expressing how poor of a job DR Horton has done in this community.

We are now in our house and upon returning in January received 2 HOA bills. One for the agreed price of $195.00 and then another for $422.00 per quarter. We were in total shock... we called NORMAN immediately upon receipt of this invoice and he reassured us that there was only one HOA and it had gone up to $205.00. Well yesterday we met with the COO of Titan Management and a HOA representative of DR Horton who apparently only came to the meeting to discuss what was covered under out HOA agreement. We were told by NORMAN and the HOA Coordinator JESSE ** that this meeting would give us a remedy to the HOA problem (there are 6 residents in our area to date and every one of them were given different amounts).

When we questioned Jesse at the meeting he denied ever saying it was a meeting with an HOA resolution. The COO (Laurie) of Titan was of no help whatsoever as she said, "We cant help what your representative said but this is what you have to pay". Melissa from DR Horton HOA coordinator could only answer us with one statement over and over again... "You signed for both HOA's in your closing." Well in our closing papers it did say there was another HOA but it said "if applicable." In addition there were never ever any reference to another HOA fee in the final closing settlement statements. (An acknowledge that was signed by us and a DR Horton representative.) We therefore thought that one had nothing to do with us. Boy were we wrong. Do we have any recourse??? HELP!

Then I spoke to Megan the sales manager & she didn't help either. She was very nice the first day we talked saying she will do whatever she can to help but then the next day she sends an offer and says, "That's the best I can do." This is not my first time buying a house. I've always had a great experience but this time was different. I was anger & hurt. I would never consider a DR Horton house again. I don't know why they are the number 1 builder. I disagree!

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Warranty took care of many of the problems such as a broken truss, a warped wall, cracked tiles, electrical connections, carpet repairs, and others too numerous to list here. There were a total of 5 warranty representatives that visited the house so there was hardly a continuation of information on the warranty issues. The last few months of the warranty period, a new warranty representative finally took charge and got the items repaired or replaced. There will be items that are cosmetic that will never be repaired such as a crooked closet frame and door; the trim carpenter said that it was the variation of the wood that nothing could be done. I recall that I was told that engineered wood products that are used are chosen to prevent variations of the wood.

There were incomplete or poorly constructed items starting from the brick mailbox on the curb, throughout the house, and to the ruts and drainage in the backyard, as well as the broken irrigation plumbing. I know that DR Horton has a record of all these issues and can be verified. I even received a call from DR Horton Corporate office to ask why I gave such a poor evaluation. As an everlasting optimist, I am hoping that there will not be any other problems. There are some good points: The house is well insulated and the repaired items are stronger. The utilities are gas furnace and gas water heater. I do have a receipt to submit and achieve the label of Verified Buyer and the image of my house does not set properly in the field provided.

This is my 5th new house and I had never done this before, but we’re so glad we did and I’d encourage all to go this route before making such a huge financial commitment (and I’d recommend this with any builder)- This was a 340k+ house. During the framing/pre-drywall inspection, our inspector found a wall that was wasn’t straight. We also noticed the butler’s pantry hadn’t been framed-out as contracted and was going to be built as a closet in the other side. These issues were fixed immediately.

After the drywall was put up, our inspector noted one of the ceiling joists in the dining room was lower, which caused a visible defect. This too was fixed. Folks, this sort of “stuff” happens all the time regardless of the builder. You can’t wait until the final walk-thru and if you think you’re going to know how good the “bones” of a house are without an inspection, you’re kidding yourself- Best $950 we ever spent! We were also assured by this independent person working for us, that the roof, slab, plumbing, ductwork, electrical, the outside grading, the size of the A/C unit, etc were all GOOD. Yes, some of the subs were sloppy and there was a large punch list, but the inspector helped with this too. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do this yourself, as many (negative) reviewers seem to have done.

I must say that I have been thoroughly impressed by DR Horton’s warranty division as all items still outstanding were addressed promptly by their Orlando division. You need to also keep in mind that there are bugs to be worked out in all new homes. Keep in mind also that the AC filter in your brand new home is a temporary one, meant to be replaced by either a new frame with spare disposable filters or with disposable filers from your local grocery or home improvement store.

Examples of the bugs: Shortly after moving in on Dec 21, we were stunned that the plumbing on one side of the house backed-up. This had happened to me once before, so I knew what it was- Construction debris in the main line that no amount of plunging is going to take care of. Given we were having company for Christmas, we sent a panicked text at 6 am to the construction supervisor and sales rep. They had a plumber out within HOURS who cleaned the line out. That’s impressive. The last time this happened, I had to fight another builder to be reimbursed as I was made to call a plumber and get it taken care of. Another example was the lanai floor- It was two finishes, Flat and Gloss and it looked ridiculous. They’ve already repainted the entire floor and it looks great.

Do yourselves another favor and get your granite counters sealed and the grout painted. Over two grand, yes, however when my wife accidentally spilled an entire bottle of red wine on our light grey tile last night, it came up easily with no stain to the tile or grout lines. DR Horton closed when they said we would close, they’ve kept every promise made and I can’t help but think it all started with the use of an independent inspector. I feel bad for all the other reviewers who have had negative experiences, but I have read many reviews for other builders and it’s the same story- Relying on their own experience or the local building department to catch what are bound to be numerous issues throughout the process.

Please, please, please spend the money on the front end and I’m convinced you’ll have a much better experience. You also have to be able to “roll with the punches” and not get too caught up with emotion before you start with the negativity. Example: The other day our garage door wouldn’t work. I was convinced it was a misalignment in the track or the motor was out of adjustment and was pretty angry. Made a warranty claim, called the door company and was set to have someone from there come the next day. I happened to see our construction supervisor driving by and he pulled up asking me how things were with the new house. I mentioned the garage door, he checks it and there was a ruler my wife had placed by the garage that was blocking the eye- Duh!!

Felt pretty foolish but again, at least in central Florida, these folks practically fall over themselves trying to make you happy. Was this a fluke? I don’t think so. You know why? Because all of the negative reviews I’ve read of this (or any other builder) never have an independent inspector from the beginning. Never. Don’t leave it to chance and I hope this will save at least one person from some serious heartache. Thanks for reading and I’d say good luck, but you don’t need it. You need a qualified inspector.