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The home might look Different because of angles, wall height, etc, but not built any different using more studs or different types of wood in the framing stage. Tract or national builder homes are not a "junkbox" as described by Funky Chicken. In fact I have been inside national builder homes that have had all the amenities as described by the OP ($350k+ price range). The OP wants are possible in homes that are not custom built. Custom Builders use the same contractors as national builders, that's a fact. The might have a little more oversight of the process, but many national builders that build in the $350k+ price point in the Triangle also tend to have good oversight of the contractors.
Custom Builders are called that because they build homes that are made to the specifications of the person having the home built. They are not called custom because it denotes a sturdier built home. Custom built homes allow the buyer to select layout, lot size, materials, etc. Many national builders also allow you to select a good deal of flooring, cabinet, appliance, finish options as well. Once it's sold to another buyer in 5-10 years, it is no longer custom to the new buyer. That new buyer could like the layout, lot size and finishes as much as another home that was built by a national builder. Saying a resale home is custom is fine, but its obviously not custom to the new buyer, therefore it's just a name that makes a snob feel better about their purchase.
Last edited by Waterboy526; 07-22-2014 at 11:53 AM..
Custom homes do look different than tract on the inside, while being built.
There's nothing wrong with tract homes at all, but the reality is that they are different. I've owned both types. They all put a roof over our heads, but they are definitely different.
Agree 100%. I've owned two custom homes and two tract homes in this area. I will never again own a tract home.
My custom home is 13 years old. It looks almost brand new. The house is solid. It was stick built. The builder is a local custom builder who has built in a lot of the West Cary neighborhoods. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and it shows.
My current house looks better now at 13 years old than my tract houses looked when they were 2 years old. The poor quality of both houses was evident and annoying. We had crooked doorways, shoddy paint, bad trim work, poor hardwood floor installation, nail pops, crooked half-wall, etc. One house had a gable and one of the interior walls was a full 6" higher than it's counterpoint. It was not a cheap house; it just looked like one. Quite frankly, it was an embarrassment to pay so much money for a piece of crap.
I stand by my assertion that if you could find a home that ticked every one of the OP's boxes for size, room count, and finishes, and it was priced at $450K and located in Cary, that it would be a marginally constructed home-a "junkbox" if you will.
Here is what $450K really buys you in Cary-
A 3000 SF +/- "custom" resale in an Impact Properties neighborhood on .15 acres or less-enjoy sharing a cup of sugar thru your kitchen window
An Orleans resale in Cary Park or Weldon Ridge that is slightly bigger than the Impact home above on .25 or less and approaching 10 years old, about to need HVAC replacement
A zero lot line home in Village Square at Amberly or a Pulte resale in Blackstone or 3000 SF in The Peninsula (Chatham County)
A box in Holland's Crossing or Harmony Glen
Something nearing 20 years old in Preston or Lochmere that will need serious updating
A near teardown in MacGregor Downs
A nice home in Berkeley/Wellesley, also in need of updates
Something in and around 3200 SF in Far SE Cary (West Lake Area)
OP is priced out of Cary Park Custom/Southbridge/Toll Brothers/Ashton Woods/Weycroft/Larger lots in Impact communities/any other upper end new construction by at least $100-$150K.
I interpret the OP's wishlist as implying a "grand" or "trophy" home, not any of the above options. Maybe I am wrong, but I hear Macgregor West/Copperleaf/Greyhawk Landing/Bella Casa Custom/Wrenhurst style homes, and that is the sound of $700,000 and up, my friends.
The home might look Different because of angles, wall height, etc, but not built any different using more studs or different types of wood in the framing stage. Tract or national builder homes are not a "junkbox" as described by Funky Chicken. In fact I have been inside national builder homes that have had all the amenities as described by the OP ($350k+ price range). The OP wants are possible in homes that are not custom built. Custom Builders use the same contractors as national builders, that's a fact. The might have a little more oversight of the process, but many national builders that build in the $350k+ price point in the Triangle also tend to have good oversight of the contractors.
Custom Builders are called that because they build homes that are made to the specifications of the person having the home built. They are not called custom because it denotes a sturdier built home. Custom built homes allow the buyer to select layout, lot size, materials, etc. Many national builders also allow you to select a good deal of flooring, cabinet, appliance, finish options as well. Once it's sold to another buyer in 5-10 years, it is no longer custom to the new buyer. That new buyer could like the layout, lot size and finishes as much as another home that was built by a national builder. Saying a resale home is custom is fine, but its obviously not custom to the new buyer, therefore it's just a name that makes a snob feel better about their purchase.
That's really the issue, isn't it?
You think that people who prefer to purchase the highest-quality home they can purchase with their money are snobs.
I'm not going to discuss this with you any further. My home was a spec home (was actually a builder's model home for a few months). Does that make it tract?
No. Does it make it semi-custom because the first person to purchase this home didn't customize it?
Nope.
It's a damned custom home. Stop being so nitpicky about it.
Tract and custom are absolutely not the same on the inside.
Both types of homes can be good, depending on the buyer's needs and so forth. Nobody is SLAMMING tract. I think what most people here (including myself) tend to say is that, in this market, beyond a certain price it becomes illogical to buy tract when you can buy a custom home that will tend to perform better (and age better) over time.
That's just the truth of it. Even among custom builders, some are better than others (much like tract builders).
I don't see what all the hoopla is about. The OP indicated that they wanted some level of high quality in their follow up post that lead me to believe that he/she wasn't interested in a stock home of any sort.
If I misread the OP's interests, then no biggie.
Jesus.
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Agree 100%. I've owned two custom homes and two tract homes in this area. I will never again own a tract home.
My custom home is 13 years old. It looks almost brand new. The house is solid. It was stick built. The builder is a local custom builder who has built in a lot of the West Cary neighborhoods. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and it shows.
My current house looks better now at 13 years old than my tract houses looked when they were 2 years old. The poor quality of both houses was evident and annoying. We had crooked doorways, shoddy paint, bad trim work, poor hardwood floor installation, nail pops, crooked half-wall, etc. One house had a gable and one of the interior walls was a full 6" higher than it's counterpoint. It was not a cheap house; it just looked like one. Quite frankly, it was an embarrassment to pay so much money for a piece of crap.
Yeah... our house is going on 8 years old. By the time the last tract home I had built was 5 years old, it looked more worn than this one does at 8 years.
I think it does depend on the tract builder, but to be frank, that home was Lennar, and they build pretty good homes, as tract builders go.
I'm just not a fan. Would I buy one? Yes, if my budget didn't allow for custom, absolutely I would.
If I could afford custom? That is what I'd build or buy resale.
That's all. I think everyone would want to buy the best home that fits their budget. That just seems logical.
After all, the term "McMansion" didn't come from the custom home builder community. It came from the tract community that saw the opportunity to slap together houses that looked, to the casual observer, to be of the same quality as larger custom homes, but at the end of the day, were just a money grab of a house with a mish-mash of architectural styles slapped onto a facade that really don't work together. I can tell a tract neighborhood just by driving through it, even if it's 15 years old. And some do look better than others, but it would be a rarity around here to see a neighborhood of tract homes that are the same age as a neighborhood of custom homes nearby that were same basic size and age where the tract neighborhood honestly held up better.
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This is why we did all the research for months before picking a builder for our home. Our home may be a "tract" built home but it feels custom, looks custom, and is built with quality materials and craftsmanship.
This is why we did all the research for months before picking a builder for our home. Our home may be a "tract" built home but it feels custom, looks custom, and is built with quality materials and craftsmanship.
You never said who built your home. If it looks and feels custom, it may not be tract. If it's not Lennar, MI, Drees, Toll Brothers, Beazer, Ryan Homes, DR Horton, Pulte, etc, it's probably not tract around here.
Wait... I just glanced back a few posts. You live in Brighton Forest and your home was built by Jim Thompson. That's not tract at all. No wonder it's so nice on the inside. Future Homes might be building something out there that's akin to semi-custom (though they do build custom), but it's also right on the edge between Apex and Fuquay.
We priced out a home by Jim Thompson in Copperleaf, Preston Grande, and 12 Oaks (same floor plan, exact same size, similar lot sizes) and it was 850k in Copperleaf, 800k in Preston, and 700k in 12 Oaks (Holly Springs).
That is a very good price for a home from that builder. Those same 2 builders (Future Homes and Robuck Design Build) are building Copperleaf Glenn for considerably more than what you paid (mid 600s to start, I believe).
I figure it's probably the location, but if that location works well for your family, you got a super deal!
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Thanks, yes is is Future homes by Jim Thompson. I wouldn't say Custom completely (not at that price) but I didn't think Tract built.
Did they give you a set of plans to choose from? If so, that, plus the rest you described, is what semi-custom builders do.
Jim Thompson doesn't build any tract that I'm aware of (one of the RE agents might be able to correct me if I'm wrong).
That price is partly due to the location of the property. Land is cheaper out where you live. As I said, if that area works for you, it's a pretty sweet deal because you got a great home at a low price.
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Tom, the husband speaking now haha) They gave me different home layouts to choose from, yes. Once Amanda and I found what we wanted, we then picked out the lot we wanted and went from there. They really treated us like we were their only clients which felt nice. This is our first home building (as we are only in our mid 20's). The thing that made it feel custom was the fact that we literally got to pick EVERYTHING out for the home. We had 5 different design appointments for just colors and patterns. We had appointments for wiring and electrical, who we wanted to use for that and if we wanted to hire someone for the theatre, media closet etc... it was a great experience. We looked in 12 oaks and Copperleaf but didn't have the budget, that is when our Realtor told us that Future was building in Brighton Forest.
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