Pulte Homes Reviews

Laura ** who works for the Pulte Care group under their warranty division, dodges you, blames you for the defects, and wiggles out of repairs while making false verbal promises to fix things. Two faced **.

30. Electrical panel fire hazards

First was picking a lot. Not included in price. 28,000.00 for a lot that a quick move-in property got a better located lot for 18,000.00. Then the changes in floor plan cost more for me than the changes made in the quick move-in house. That 45,000.00 off is a sham, they make that money back real quick. Then the mortgage starts. To get the 4.99 you have to use, wait for it. PULTE MORTGAGE COMPANY, an affiliate of Pulte Homes. Gets better, I receive my proposal and it has a buy down requirement of 4500.00 to get the 4.99%. I inquire, they say it says it in the pre approval. I have to use some of the 45,000.00. I tell them it doesn’t say that and I was never told that. Mortgage company uses the term buy down points. In the initial pre approval they use the term discount charge. I was told the 2 terms mean the same. Same company using 2 different terms for the same thing. Interesting! But I’m still in the game.

Then we go to the design session. Right off the bat we’re told the basic kitchen would not be shown to us because no one picks it. Hello kitchen upgrade. Everything you pick is an upgrade. Every option you seen in the model and loved, you guessed it, no longer available. 45,000.00 off a distant memory. 70,000.00 in for floor plans and design upgrades on top of the 45,000.00 off. Then you sit with the tech guy. He lets you know that if you want to watch cable TV it will cost you 250.00 extra each room. Hang your TV on the wall, you guessed it, extra. Then the best!!!! Not a gated community. Which we were told it was. We need a security system with cameras and alarms. 700,000.00+ home and I need security. By the way Extra!!!.

Immediately after my design session they want 10% of the 20% down. Thank god I didn’t wire it. I decided to get out of the nightmare on the grounds of the buy down that was never conveyed to me before I signed the contract. Was told I would have to forfeit my 10,000.00 deposit. Mind you no contracts or foundation poured. Grass on the lot not even disturbed. But the billion dollar company wanted my measly 10 grand. After getting some help from my realtor I signed for 5 grand back. Lesson learned. They own every part of the home buying process. Mortgage company, home insurance, title company, inspection. All PULTE AFFILIATED.

We have been able to speak with higher-ups at the local level construction side, and have managed to resolve issues one by one. Even so, I simply cannot understand why customers purchasing such high-end homes are subjected to so many unpleasant experiences. I still have all of the histories and photos. I am a licensed real estate agent myself. Still some items that have not been repaired.

I questioned about a humidifier installation, because no one responds from Pulte Homes. We had installed a humidifier as part of Pulte Homes purchase contract. The cost was $2,140. Currently, only the control is from the basement. I spoked to a neighbor who had built a home in MI with Pulte Homes and he said that the humidifier can control only in the basement was around $800, and control by thermostat on the upper floor is over $2000. We have a humidifier Honeywell; HE200A1000 and the price is about less than $300 without installation in stores. I understand that there is an additional fee for the installation.

Our humidifier cost was over $2,000 in the purchase contract, but we can't adjust the humidity from the thermostat on the first floor. I would appreciate if you could tell whether the cost for this installation is appropriate, or if there may be any issue with the installation method. Also, we are left wondering where to direct our frustration regarding the unnecessary time and effort, and the accompanying stress, that we were forced to expand in our dealings with Pulte Homes.

Overall, these issues have caused significant emotional stress. I expected a much higher standard from a new home. Recommendation: If you are considering purchasing from Pulte Homes, or dealing with Centex or Austin HVAC, carefully inspect all installations, finishes, and exterior work, especially air conditioning, flooring, and concrete surfaces. Do not assume everything is fine simply because it is a new home.

What is even more frustrating is Pulte’s response. The Customer Service team stated that the wind exceeded 50 mph and therefore they would not take responsibility, and also mentioned that shingles are only covered for one year under the Pulte warranty. For a major national builder, this type of response is extremely disappointing. A roof should last many years and should not experience damage from relatively normal wind conditions.

In addition to the roof concerns, we have noticed gaps in the kitchen cabinet drawers, which reflects poor finishing and lack of attention to detail. Even more troubling, our basement leaks water during heavy rain, and this has been happening repeatedly each year. Overall, the construction quality has been far below expectations for a newly built home. When buying from a large builder like Pulte, homeowners expect durable workmanship and accountability when problems arise. Unfortunately, our experience has been the opposite. We hope Pulte takes these concerns seriously and improves both their construction standards and their response to homeowners facing legitimate issues.

The cabinet continues to move downward and I am concerned it could fall. This is a serious safety hazard, especially since I have children in the home. Although I was informed that this may be beyond the warranty period, this situation appears to be a construction/installation defect rather than normal wear. A cabinet of this size and weight should be properly secured to wall studs.