Ryan Homes (Pittsburgh: sale, mortgage, first time home buyer)

[SueJ999]

Best of luck to you! I do hope you enjoy your new home.

The only thing I know about Ryan Homes is a development they built 30-40years ago in Oakdale. They seem to look great still! Back when I was a kid and they were building all those home, they were the "upscale" homes of the area. Being in the construction business now, they seem a bit more cookie-cutter; but, of course, these are the split-level homes of the 70's I'm referring to.

[rrjackson]

I do wish you luck with your new home. Not the luck we got. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, except maybe some of Ryan’s management and NVR board members. While it would be unfair to judge a builder by only a few disastrous builds, in reality few could know what the real numbers of complaints there are. Just be assured, you have no idea how many there really are.

Ryan Homes settles its bigger problems with non-disclosure requirements if they resolve a serious dispute over defects. Court records get sealed, BBB records get closed out and are not available for public view, and resolved complaints leave customers that can be sued if they say anything derogatory about the builder, even if true. Mandatory arbitration disputes that are no doubt in your contract are also sealed.

Because you only see a few complaints, doesn’t reflect the actual numbers at all. One can say they’re a good builder or a terrible builder, and both could be telling the truth. It does depend on some variables. And that’s not just price.

It’s mostly site management, as far as construction, even though at best you still get a cookie cutter designed home. Ryan’s first priority is cutting building costs anywhere possible with a fairly uniform fast build formula.

It’s somewhat like the NASA Mars missions, faster, better, cheaper deal. One space craft missed the whole planet, and another crashed into it, both victims of the rush to make budget. For the most part the concept has worked out fairly well for both parties. But I wouldn't want to risk my entire well being on someone else's desire to make budget above all else.

[frnchful25]

We currently live in the innsbruck model in Concord, Ohio and we absolutely love it! Ryan Homes is very confindent of thier product and they are very helpful with the whole process! We only had one repair and no problem, it was with a chipped crown molding peice in the tray ceiling and it was no problem! Very nice and about incentives, you get what you get some dont get any so be thankfull for what you get! Haha! Word to the wise, definently get the morning, its not as nice w/o it! Good LucK!!!!!!!

[Pitman]

I don't know about modern Ryan Homes but those split entry Ryans of the late 70s - early 80s make me lose my lunch. How they brainwashed boomers into thinking their aluminum sided, wall to wall carpeted, vinyl floored, 1000 sq foot homes were the "good life" is beyond me. Now there are thousands (seems like millions) of them riddling the Pittsburgh area. How are those neighborhoods going to appear a couple decades from now?

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Pitman

I don't know about modern Ryan Homes but those split entry Ryans of the late 70s - early 80s make me lose my lunch. How they brainwashed boomers into thinking their aluminum sided, wall to wall carpeted, vinyl floored, 1000 sq foot homes were the "good life" is beyond me. Now there are thousands (seems like millions) of them riddling the Pittsburgh area. How are those neighborhoods going to appear a couple decades from now?

I've said it before, I'll say it again -- once upon a time, poeple thought Victorian homes were outdated eyesores. They knocked them down by the droves and put up ranch homes. Twenty years later, the Victorian was cool again..... then ranch homes were eyesores, as people built split levels..... now ranchs are cool again. Atomic Ranch - Midcentury Marvels

You wait -- in ten years someone will start singing the praises of split level living..... and people will HATE McMansions....

Everything old is new again!

[Drover]

I hated McMansions the minute they started going up 25 years ago and I'll probably hate them until I die.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Drover

I hated McMansions the minute they started going up 25 years ago and I'll probably hate them until I die.

Not my favorite either -- I love ranch houses! Especially Eichlers... but there's no way I can afford them...
Enter the World of Eichler Design

[oakmine17]

I recently had experience dealing with Ryan Homes. I saw a desirable lot and asked the sales rep about it. They claimed that the family who had the hold on it at the time were running out on their 7 days to hold it. The sales rep claimed that things weren't going to work for that family because of mortgage approval and I was welcome to put a hold on the lot once the time expired and I proceeded. I decided to then enter into a Purchase Agreement after the hold period was up.

As I signed the contract and gave the deposit, the sales rep pulled out an addendum and claimed that I needed to sign it along with my spouse stating that the house was under a Prior Purchasing Agreement. This meant that they had never told us that the other family HAD entered into a purchasing agreement, that Ryan Homes was holding their deposit check, they still had time for mortgage approval and that if they were approved, we lost out. I was told the lot was ours for the taking and here we found that it wasn't and in fact, this family could still come in and take it.

After reading up on Ryan homes, NVR mortgage issues and dealing with this, I walked. Even though my spouse greatly wanted a new home at their prices, I felt horrible about it all and knew I couldn't have any trust for them. They also pressured us into the NVR to get the $40k in incentives. Who would have known how that would have played out closer to settlement - I'm sure we would have been paying more.

[rrjackson]

[/quote]After reading up on Ryan homes, NVR mortgage issues and dealing with this, I walked. Even though my spouse greatly wanted a new home at their prices, I felt horrible about it all and knew I couldn't have any trust for them. They also pressured us into the NVR to get the $40k in incentives. Who would have known how that would have played out closer to settlement -I'm sure we would have been paying more. [/quote]

Oh how I envy you guys! Congrats on getting out! You may never know how lucky you might have been. Thanks for sharing something besides (oh I'm so happy with my wonderful Ryan Homes...blah blah; subtitled -so you victims shouldn't matter to anybody)

[NYSTYLE]

I saw a few lots for sale in Pittsburgh and thought about having a house built. Any thoughts and what the costs might be?