Moronda Homes

I have heard that Maronda home are not built great. I have seen the and you can see that the siding looks cheap. I have alos seen some where the siding has fallen off.
The windows rattle. I wouldnot buy on they are not constructed well at all.

M.,
When we moved to the area we were shown a couple of homes from Moronda. She did tell us that they were not built with quality products and things are put up very quickly with poor workmanship. We had built a few times before so we new what we were looking at. Both my husband and I did not like the homes. After a few years here and getting to knwo people from this area they have all said that the built bigger homes but with poor quality materials and shotty workmanship. I hope this helps a bit.
L.

I have not heard of these and not sure where you are or are planning on building but a great builder we are currently using is K Hovnanian Homes. They have a website KHov.com. We are purchasing ours out of the office in Washington PA but they have others. Just as an example, the base price for the house we are purchasing which was 4 bedroom, 3 bath, split level 2124 square feet is 95,000. They are the 7th largest builder in the nation so they are reliable and so far have been great for us to work with. No matter whether you plan to build or buy, your real estate lady seems to be working for herself not you. I would find a new one. Good luck.

Hi M., Unless you signed a contract with your realtor there is no reason you have to stay with her. And if you signed a contract with a company there is again no reason to stay with that agent...you can request another agent. If she isn't meeting your needs and helping you (it is a buyers market right now) then move! Why should you employ someone that isn't working out for you...and that is what you are doing when you use an agent...employing them, remember they get paid well when you buy...the more you spend the more they get! Good luck.

M.
Personally I agree with the one poster that you CAN switch realitors,I did and it was a huge difference in terms of the homes I was being shown and the advice I was given and was a much better experience.
As far as Maronda Homes a friend of mine workes for them and he also owns a Maronda home and what you are buying is square footage the construction is with low cost materials but you get ALOT OF ROOM for your money and you live in a plan where everyones lawn is pristeen.If thats what you are looking for then give them a call and tour one of their "show" houses to satisfy your curiousity.
I hope that helps in some way...
S.

I'm no expert but have heard that that particular builder is low-end--materials, workmanship, etc. I know you cannot generalize things like building a home, but that's just what I, personally have heard. No experience myself with their services or process.

That said, the realtor is there to work for YOU. If need be, lower your price range very specifically and refuse to look at anything over $X. ###-###-#### Our realtor told us the most people end up finding their own hoe, through the internet, word of mouth, etc. x YOU should decide if there are problems with a particular home you're considering. That's what home inspectors are for! I would never buy a home without hiring a home inspection. Good luck!

***ADDED*** We used an independent home inspector, not O. recommended by an involved realtor (who really just wants the sale to close!). He saved us a LOT of money, the two largest expenses being a crack in the heat exchange of the furnace & trouble with the central air, both items were replaced at the expense of the seller--not us! If you'd like his name, please pm me & I would be glad to pass it along!

M.,
Please Google the builder and see if there are complaints out there. Secondly, get a NEW Realtor. You want a Realtor who is honest with you, and answers your questions. I would have fired her by now.
I hope this all works out for you! Having a new home built is an exciting experience, and you need the right information to succeed.

~V.~

IMO Maronda Homes are built way too fast and way too shoddy. When we were in the market we walked through the open demo home, DH (who knows his stuff, and I'm not just saying that) said he would never buy because of the quality of workmanship being so bad. Though the layouts are open and beautiful, which I love! Everyone I've spoken to who has bought one has had problems within 5 years. Repairs are costly. They just built those homes in our area and they can't even give them away. The siding on the townhomes already looks like it's peeling.

We had the same problem with our realtor, so we told her that because she didn't listen to us we'd have to go with someone else. We chose someone new and recommended and bought a house our first time out with her. Be firm and stick to your guns! Good luck!

We looked at a few when we were moving here and learned quickly that they were NOT for us. My husband has bought and sold at least 6 houses. He knew what to look at and was very unhappy about the quality of work and the quality of the products used in building. I would say to see for yourself but be cautious.

Hi,
While I donot know that name I bought my home from a builder and very often the builder does not pay the outside realtors.
I am also hearing that alot of homes are still overpriced !Then I would asume that problems houses that cannot be sold are dropping.Or just that the owners are desperate.
When I was househunting I ended in afight with my realtor because we put a bid in at a lower amount.Ultimatley we ended up with a builder the prices are better.Just check out the area andsee what else they have built .
Good Luck!
L.

I my self have had no experience with the builder you mentioned also, but when my husband and I were looking at homes, we looked at a few. Just by looking at the homes a few years later, you can tell they aren't well built homes.

I wouldn't rely on a home inspector too much either. I'm sure there are good ones out there, but anyone can be an inspector and most are Joe Smoes just trying to earn an extra buck with no prior knowledge of what they are doing.

There are a ton of homes out there for sale. Look on the internet, pick up a homes book, drive thru neighborhoods. My husband and I ended up finding our own home.

I do not have personal experience either but I have heard, from what I consider to be a reliable source, that Maronda Homes pushes the limits of building practices. For example if there is a limit to how far the studs can be apart then they push the boundaries because this saves them money and over x amount of homes it adds up. Personally I wouldn't be surprised if all the Maronda's, NVR's of the world don't follow the same protocol.

I think that the realtor is trying to save you a lot of headaches and while it may not seem like good business practice, she may have your best interest in mind and you will be thanking her down the road.

If she is only showing you homes in the high end of your budget, could it be because of the area you have specified? Realtors know the reputation of school districts, crime statistics, etc. Could you ask her to recommend another local area with low crime, good schools, etc that might fit your budget better?

Unlike Denise, I don't feel you can rely on a home inspector to save you from headaches. While mine came highly recommended by our real estate agent, there are many things that I felt they did not evaluate thoroughly, took at face value, or did not catch which of course cost me money to remedy.

I wish you all the best on selling your old home and finding your dream home!

You can always check with another realtor. I haven't had friends refer me to realtors, but I've had them refer me to dentists I thought were awful; babysitters I couldn't tolerate . . etc. I'm amazed at what some people call good.

You are not under contract to use a particular realtor just because you started out looking with that person. In the end, the realtor is working for the person who is paying them, and that is the seller. The higher the price of the home, the bigger the commission. So find another realtor.

And the Moronda homes ? Never heard of them, but DO ask the builder for some references. You are new to the area, so you don't know who is good and who will feed you a line and then do lousy work, or do good work, but not always show up to do it, etc. So get 3 references, and ask them questions. Maybe even ask to see their homes ? DO ask what was left undone when they moved in, and what corrections they had to make later. . . It's not uncommon for something to be not quite right that you only notice after moving in, but you also want to know if the builder was "johnny on the spot" and came to fix it right away, or if he was busy somewhere else and didn't care after he got paid. Also ask if they were moving somewhere else, wouldt they build again, and if so, would they build a Moronda home, or do something else. Expect some frustration. Building a home is a frustrating experience. Even when everything is going well, there are color schemes, cabinets, faucets, lighting fixtures, all kinds of details to decide upon, and it can be challenging, not just between you guys and the builder, but between the two of you as you try to make the decisions.

If you are building, get a fixed contract price, and get one BELOW what you can afford. The reason is that even with a fixed contract price for what you initially agree upon, the buyers tend to change their minds as they go thru the process and want a higher grade carpet, or classier faucets, or something like that, and those items change the contract price. The more shopping and deciding you do ahead of time, the easier the process will be. :-)

Maronda has a HORRIBLE reputation. My realtor didn't want to show me them either.

I will suggest to you to get another realtor if you aren't happy with yours. You should definitely feel you can trust your agent.

Good luck.

Hi M.,

I'm not sure why she wouldn't show you these homes, perhaps Morinda has the exclusive right to sell their own homes. Is your agent only showing you homes that she, or her company are selling? In any case, it sounds like she's not really looking out for your needs.

My husband and I are realtors with EveryHome, Inc. We work for a family run, great company that puts our client's needs first. Check out www.everyhome.com. The website is updated daily, so if you see homes listed on other websites that aren't found on ours, they are actually already under contract, or withdrawn from the market. We really care about our clients, and actually give a rebate back from our commissions as a gift to help with the closing costs. If our clients need to sell their homes, we list homes for only 4% instead of 6%.

EveryHome, Inc. was started by Katie Kennedy, who wanted to create a company that helped buyers and sellers find new homes the cheapest and easiest ways possible. If you see any homes that you like, let me know, and I'll happily show them to you.

Good luck in your search, and I would seriously consider getting a new Realtor, if I were you. When selling or buying a home, you need to be with an agent whom you trust has your interests first.

Take care,
Jenica Andic

____@____.com
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I believe she doesn't want to show those homes because they have a selling agent and therefore she won't earn her commission, or at least not nearly the same amount as she would with a buyers agent/seller agent deal.

Second, what area are you looking in? I know so many realtors who are incredible, I would love to refer someone! It really sounds like you got a bad batch and buying a home is so incredibly stressful to begin with! My sister has gotten tons of awards and many of her clients are now her good friend. We just had a baby shower for her and some of them were invited! Even if she's not in your area, she can refer someone to you and then two of them work together behind the scenes. If that doesn't work, I know people all over.

Happy Memorial Day!
M.

I hear from a lot of friends that buy Maronda homes that they get a lot of bang for their buck space wise, but that the workmanship and quality of the homes are inferior. Many of them have had to do much upgrading and spent a lot of money to get their homes "up to snuff" shortly after making that huge purchase! Hope that helps! Good luck!

why would you build new? there are plenty of homes for resale and even practically new ones. You'll see exactly what you getting, know exactly your neighbors, not deal with construction which can take several months or a year. Not all towns actually allowing new construction and now adays you'll get more for your money with a resale.