Best and Worst Tampa home builders (Riverview, Country Walk: buyer, new construction, move)

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by bentlebee

The reason you probably never got your license...

...because I never needed or applied for one. I still don't really need it. When we decide to get rid of our rentals I will make sure I will get a license to save us few bucks


To answer your questions, since it seems like a big deal for you. Yes, we have rentals which we manage and had only one problem so far without being realtors. We also were renting a bigger house while we were on the market to buy one; we built three new homes for our family within last three years and I was involved as family member (I hope it still allowed). I was involved as a translator to my friends in way more transactions including new constructions. We still have rental properties and live in our house the one we purchased last year.


I understand your frustration, you rather see people using realtors instead of going to listing agents or using cash back ones. However every single piece of information I shared here I had personal experience with and everything I did and do is legal. If my experience can help someone, I will be just happy, nothing else. At the end of the day I don't gain anything other than "+" to my posts here. Even when I was involved as family member or friend I still got nothing other than thank you. So please, give me a break!

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

...because I never needed or applied for one. I still don't really need it. When we decide to get rid of our rentals I will make sure I will get a license to save us few bucks


To answer your questions, since it seems like a big deal for you. Yes, we have rentals which we manage and had only one problem so far without being realtors. We also were renting a bigger house while we were on the market to buy one; we built three new homes for our family within last three years and I was involved as family member (I hope it still allowed). I was involved as a translator to my friends in way more transactions including new constructions. We still have rental properties and live in our house the one we purchased last year.


I understand your frustration, you rather see people using realtors instead of going to listing agents or using cash back ones. However every single piece of information I shared here I had personal experience with and everything I did and do is legal. If my experience can help someone, I will be just happy, nothing else. At the end of the day I don't gain anything other than "+" to my posts here. Even when I was involved as family member or friend I still got nothing other than thank you. So please, give me a break!

I'm so glad you have all the experience from your own "life experience".

I do remember your previous thread in which you seemed in need of help.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa...co-county.html

[upgrader]

Look at that. Once upon a time Bentlebee volunteered good information. No money in that. Let's go back to sell, SELL, S E L L !

I appreciate good information from professional realtors, and if I know of someone out of town looking to buy here, I'd recommend the good ones online.

If you can't be good here, I suggest going away. I think it's a waste of your time (and our lives).

Originally Posted by bentlebee

I'm so glad you have all the experience from your own "life experience".

I do remember your previous thread in which you seemed in need of help.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa...co-county.html

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by bentlebee

I'm so glad you have all the experience from your own "life experience".

I do remember your previous thread in which you seemed in need of help.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa...co-county.html

That was the only problem I referred to in my prev. post in regards to our rental property. It ended up without the need for eviction and we didn't lost any money. I don't understand why me asking about current time frame for eviction in Pasco has anything to do with realtor's commissions or best/worst builders, but that's fine. Since I never went through eviction process I am sure you didn't see me telling anyone how it works here. Again, I share something I have an experience with. Let it go already...

[NALEXAND]

I realize this question was asked about 2 years ago but I figure it could help someone looking to move here. I live in the Riverview or SouthShore area and the best builders out this way are Westbay and MI Homes, IMO. Westbay is #1 in my book.

Originally Posted by joefrommaryland

Can someone give me some suggestions on the better home builders in the area.

We are going to move from Maryland. We might build and do not want a lemon. Any advice?

Joe

[bentlebee]

A lot of builders have merged and became other new companies so there are some unknown names which actually is a name of 2 or more well known builders who have merged. With some builders having been sued I expect more builders to go further with new names to avoid being associated with the past as these builders have a lot of money to keep going forward.

The contracts have changed for new build homes and over time many items like upgrades have changed a lot. For example granite is for the last year's not been an upgrade anymore as a standard home gets the lowest level granite. Some builders use what once was a standard toilet now as an upgrade and call it "comfort level".

Most model homes are beautiful but loaded with upgrades so unless you have the money to get many upgrades, your house will not look much like the model home so be aware of that.

Often a builder is as good as their construction manager is which can be great or a disappointment as we have experienced.

Overall all builders advertise with going green and environment/energy saving/friendly items.
Some of the utility bills however didn't show the savings as we have seen when we checked or at least not what any person expects while paying for these more costly but so called energy saving items.

[stumble]

In a strong Sellers market I do not think you get sufficient value from a Real Estate agent unless you are clueless as to your homes current market value, in that type of situation we have gone FSBO twice, and it worked out great. Houses where we lived had buyers just waiting for one to become available, so rather than pay an agent, we stuck up a sign. In tough markets a good agent is worth every penny. To sell at a realistic price when no one is buying requires a lot of hustle and persistence. We had no qualms about using a broker in those situations.

[Logane]

Reviving this old thread. Does anybody have good or bad and recent (within in say 4 years) experience with Cardel, David Weekley, Westbay or GL homes. Please share even the not so first hand experience.

[mcharas]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

As song as "cash back" realtors exist it's all good.
Realtor's are getting paid 3% of the price and price varies from $50K to $1M - Do they have to work harder if house is more expensive considering new construction? I don't think so.


If the average new construction price is $400K, realtor is getting $12K. Sounds good for realtor, but I feel I am as a home buyer is entitle for some $$ back for such a sweet and easy deal.

Realtors who complain they work a lot and only getting paid when they close which is not so often have no respect from me. It reminds me guys by KIA in Wesley Chapel - these "poor" sales people are allowed inside only when they have clients, otherwise they are outside in horrible Florida heat... Well, people are allowed to get any job they think will work for them (including working conditions and pay).
So yes, I feel $12K in commissions is too much for realtors while their job will be limited to a max of 40 hrs total to close the deal for new construction...

Our Realtor on a new construction deal has yet to answer a question I sent her on March 21st... She has partially answered another, not given information on a third (she has been inquiring on her own end-- yeah right-- for two weeks (!!!). For the sake of my sanity at this point, my loving husband is handling it. I never in my life had a job where I kept somebody waiting. My mind is blown. The woman has made me regret using her over another Realtor we had considered... We went against our gut, now she reaps the rewards, and the other guy should've gotten the contract. If it were possible, I'd kick her off the contract and use the other guy today-- some Realtors do even less than the bare minimum, and ours right now epitomizes the term "inattentive". If I weren't a believer in karma, I'd put up a billboard with her name.

[mcharas]

Originally Posted by Logane

Reviving this old thread. Does anybody have good or bad and recent (within in say 4 years) experience with Cardel, David Weekley, Westbay or GL homes. Please share even the not so first hand experience.

Cardel is one I am curious to hear about. They have a model home in Country Walk in Wesley Chapel that they advertise but apparently don't show... We tried to get in to see it twice.