Home builder recommendations

[Anonymous]

Meridian home builders.

[Anonymous]

I don't believe you can get an excellent, reliable contractor for a reasonable price... They are expensive because they are excellent and reliable! I was a GC for 20 years and one day a prospective client saw my BMW and told me; "My name....You must be very expensive because you drive a BMW", my response to them was... Ma'am/Sir, you are spending $380k on this project, as a GC for so many years, if I was not driving a good and reliable car, you should not sign a contract with me! What I was trying to tell them is this... A good car or a good watch... was a reflection as to how well I was doing as a contractor! To make a long story short, they signed a contract with me!

Another thing that I still find amazing... Is that some people still ask for three references when they can easily check the contractor through the State, and if that contractor has been in business for more than 10 years, most likely he or she is doing something right.... Crooks will give a friend as a reference... have you ever heard a contractor give a bad reference to someone?

I would suggest, to hire a contractor that has been in business for at least 8 years and make sure you verify insurance by calling the insurance company and speaking with his/her agent and not calling the number you see on the Insurance Certificate... Meaning... if the insurance company is called XYZ in Orlando, Florida, Google that company and call the phone number you see on that website and ask to speak with the agent... Just like "three good references" crook contractors will put down a fake phone number and agent's name.

If you really want to go far, you can visit a few of his/her job site, that is valid and a more reliable way to hire a contractor than just references!

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

^I've thought about going to neighborhoods that have houses built by that builder and walking around and briefly chatting with people outside in the neighborhood to ask about how happy they are with the house and the process of using that builder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe you can get an excellent, reliable contractor for a reasonable price... They are expensive because they are excellent and reliable! I was a GC for 20 years and one day a prospective client saw my BMW and told me; "My name....You must be very expensive because you drive a BMW", my response to them was... Ma'am/Sir, you are spending $380k on this project, as a GC for so many years, if I was not driving a good and reliable car, you should not sign a contract with me! What I was trying to tell them is this... A good car or a good watch... was a reflection as to how well I was doing as a contractor! To make a long story short, they signed a contract with me!

Another thing that I still find amazing... Is that some people still ask for three references when they can easily check the contractor through the State, and if that contractor has been in business for more than 10 years, most likely he or she is doing something right.... Crooks will give a friend as a reference... have you ever heard a contractor give a bad reference to someone?

I would suggest, to hire a contractor that has been in business for at least 8 years and make sure you verify insurance by calling the insurance company and speaking with his/her agent and not calling the number you see on the Insurance Certificate... Meaning... if the insurance company is called XYZ in Orlando, Florida, Google that company and call the phone number you see on that website and ask to speak with the agent... Just like "three good references" crook contractors will put down a fake phone number and agent's name.

If you really want to go far, you can visit a few of his/her job site, that is valid and a more reliable way to hire a contractor than just references!

Good Luck!

A BMW is not a good reliable car, a honda civic is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^I've thought about going to neighborhoods that have houses built by that builder and walking around and briefly chatting with people outside in the neighborhood to ask about how happy they are with the house and the process of using that builder.

Definitely do this (get addresses so that you can look at elevation plans) and definitely don't rely on their references. Make sure they can provide 10-15 addresses. If you can talk to that many people and you get good reports then you should be fine. If you are lucky, the homeowner will let you come in and take a quick tour. Also - check the BBB. If you see even one complaint - stay away. We were not happy with our VA based builder. Their name comes up on these threads a few times with predominantly poor reviews. We are contemplating a lawsuit against them since they are not honoring the terms of the warranty. Is it worth it? - probably not, but we want to get them to at least correct some of the bigger problems. Wont post names because of this but I can tell you it starts with the letter R.

Also - go to the job sites of houses currently being built - look at the materials being used - pay attention to the project manager on site and ask what their experience is. The builder we used has managers with no contsruction background. Look closely at the quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^I've thought about going to neighborhoods that have houses built by that builder and walking around and briefly chatting with people outside in the neighborhood to ask about how happy they are with the house and the process of using that builder.

Definitely do this (get addresses so that you can look at elevation plans) and definitely don't rely on their references. Make sure they can provide 10-15 addresses. If you can talk to that many people and you get good reports then you should be fine. If you are lucky, the homeowner will let you come in and take a quick tour. Also - check the BBB. If you see even one complaint - stay away. We were not happy with our VA based builder. Their name comes up on these threads a few times with predominantly poor reviews. We are contemplating a lawsuit against them since they are not honoring the terms of the warranty. Is it worth it? - probably not, but we want to get them to at least correct some of the bigger problems. Wont post names because of this but I can tell you it starts with the letter R.

Also - go to the job sites of houses currently being built - look at the materials being used - pay attention to the project manager on site and ask what their experience is. The builder we used has managers with no contsruction background. Look closely at the quality.

This is good advice, but as someone who has no construction knowledge, how am I supposed to judge quality? My fear is that I don't know enough to tell good from bad, especially when it comes to things that happen behind the walls. I can spot bad surface level finishing, but I don't know what the "guts" are supposed to look like. Any tips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the reputation of New Dimensions? Our lot could fit their Penrose House nicely.

You are going to get some negatives on this board because it is dominated by people who pay 1 million to build a custom home that they and the builder believe are unqiue and amazing when in fact the builder just took 700k of profit on their job.

When pricing out the NDI homes remember to add about 50K for site work / land prep / utilities and permits, the unfinished basement are 8 feet and there is no landscaping work. You will also need to add money for upgrades like hardwood floors, non oak cabinets, crown molding etc...

I give them a solid B.

If you want to see what their base model house looks like without any upgrades (the ones you see on their website are all upgraded), you can check this one out. Note that the plan didn't include a garage which is standard on most. It is a very nice house but you can see what to expect from the website pricing.

http://thinkum.com/houseblog/

I would also recommend ANV homes and Evergreene and stanley martin
Here are some of the evergreene homes that are in the more affordable price range which can probably be built for about 450k
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/7400-Paxton-Rd-22043/home/57128994
http://www.cbmove.com/property/details/895675/MLS-FX7986212/1818-Pimmit-Drive-Falls-Church-VA-22043.aspx

NDI builds cheap homes with contractor-grade materials. They are about the same quality of middle-grade tract homes built by the likes of Centex, Ryan homes, and etc. They are fine if you are on a limited budget and can't afford anything better. But then again, if you are on that tight of a budget, perhaps a teardown and rebuild isn't a great choice for you. IMO, the home should be worth at least as much as the lot it sits on, which means about $300-$400k for a NDI home.

Word around the campfire is that ANV is imploding. I don't know what's going on with those guys. They are better than NDI for sure, but lack design capability. They do build a solid house.

I don't have any experience with Evergreene.

Stanley Martin will build a above-average home, like some of the better tract homes. But the cost is higher for comparable size, materials, and features. They will likely be a smoother experience than the other smaller independent builders.

Another builder to consider is Classic Homes. They've been doing some good work. They used to focus more on some of the smaller homes, but recently have begun to do some bigger projects. I believe Classic Homes in VA is different from Classic Homes in MD; releated, but different.

Me? I am going to do it hard core next time, be my own GC. Hunting for that perfect lot now...

[Anonymous]

Did you try Sekas and JDA? Expensive but very good reputation.

[Anonymous]

Evergreene

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the reputation of New Dimensions? Our lot could fit their Penrose House nicely.

You are going to get some negatives on this board because it is dominated by people who pay 1 million to build a custom home that they and the builder believe are unqiue and amazing when in fact the builder just took 700k of profit on their job.

When pricing out the NDI homes remember to add about 50K for site work / land prep / utilities and permits, the unfinished basement are 8 feet and there is no landscaping work. You will also need to add money for upgrades like hardwood floors, non oak cabinets, crown molding etc...

I give them a solid B.

If you want to see what their base model house looks like without any upgrades (the ones you see on their website are all upgraded), you can check this one out. Note that the plan didn't include a garage which is standard on most. It is a very nice house but you can see what to expect from the website pricing.

http://thinkum.com/houseblog/

I would also recommend ANV homes and Evergreene and stanley martin
Here are some of the evergreene homes that are in the more affordable price range which can probably be built for about 450k
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/7400-Paxton-Rd-22043/home/57128994
http://www.cbmove.com/property/details/895675/MLS-FX7986212/1818-Pimmit-Drive-Falls-Church-VA-22043.aspx

NDI builds cheap homes with contractor-grade materials. They are about the same quality of middle-grade tract homes built by the likes of Centex, Ryan homes, and etc. They are fine if you are on a limited budget and can't afford anything better. But then again, if you are on that tight of a budget, perhaps a teardown and rebuild isn't a great choice for you. IMO, the home should be worth at least as much as the lot it sits on, which means about $300-$400k for a NDI home.

Word around the campfire is that ANV is imploding. I don't know what's going on with those guys. They are better than NDI for sure, but lack design capability. They do build a solid house.

I don't have any experience with Evergreene.

Stanley Martin will build a above-average home, like some of the better tract homes. But the cost is higher for comparable size, materials, and features. They will likely be a smoother experience than the other smaller independent builders.

Another builder to consider is Classic Homes. They've been doing some good work. They used to focus more on some of the smaller homes, but recently have begun to do some bigger projects. I believe Classic Homes in VA is different from Classic Homes in MD; releated, but different.

Me? I am going to do it hard core next time, be my own GC. Hunting for that perfect lot now...

What's wrong w/ ANV?

I also see that focal point homes builds a lower cost decent home. http://www.focalpointhomes.net/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Evergreene

Do you have any pricing

[Anonymous]

I'd be talking to the builders who've been purchasing teardown lots nearby in the Town of Vienna, like Sekas, JDA, Wetherburne, Madison Homes, Jefferson Homes, etc. I'd think they'd pay more for the property and/or have a better feel for what the market will bear than someone like NDI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I also see that focal point homes builds a lower cost decent home. http://www.focalpointhomes.net/

Another good recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be talking to the builders who've been purchasing teardown lots nearby in the Town of Vienna, like Sekas, JDA, Wetherburne, Madison Homes, Jefferson Homes, etc. I'd think they'd pay more for the property and/or have a better feel for what the market will bear than someone like NDI.

Those premium priced homes sit for a lot longer, sometimes years. If you are looking for the best value find someone who can build for around 4-500k everything complete + lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be talking to the builders who've been purchasing teardown lots nearby in the Town of Vienna, like Sekas, JDA, Wetherburne, Madison Homes, Jefferson Homes, etc. I'd think they'd pay more for the property and/or have a better feel for what the market will bear than someone like NDI.

+1