From: massengi@cloves.unx.sas.com (Darrell Massengill)
Subject: Re: PULTE homes
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 15:37:08 GMT
Distribution: triangle
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

In article <1992Sep12.213321.16367@rti.rti.org> jbp@rti.rti.org writes:
>In article <1992Sep12.203027.12071@samba.oit.unc.edu> Eli.Mantel@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Eli Mantel) writes:
>>Here's what I learned from the experience:
>>  1.  The various HOW-type programs are worthless, except perhaps
>>      for problems reported during the first year IF the builder
>>      has gone bankrupt.
>>  2.  Get your complaints to the builder in during that first year...
>>      the only problem with this is that their "repairs" are so shoddy.
>>      I don't know whether it helps to file a lawsuit during that first
>>      year, but it is definitely necessary to be assertive.
>>  3.  Using the home inspection services prior to purchasing a home from
>>      the builder aren't much help.
>
>As to point no. 3, you must have gotten a poor inspection service.
>Get the right person to do this properly before signing anything.  As
>before, I recommend George Birmingham (in the Durham phone book). 
>The unscrupulous builders and *all* the real estate agents hate him
>because he torpedoes so many deals by exposing shoddy workmanship
>and code violations on houses.  He is perfect if you are buying, but
>don't let him on your property if you are selling!   :-)
>-- 
>John Posthill  jbp@rti.rti.org

I'll put my 2 cents in about Birmingham.  I had experience with him
several years back when selling a home and I was not impressed.  I
would not use him when buying a home as a result.  He has been built
up as the "great knowledgable defender of home buyers" but I didn't
see evidence of this.  I should mention that my father is a builder in
another area (actually I have my license also, but that isn't my profession)
so I grew up around construction and do know something about the
building code.  The experience that I had with him was that he was
basically an "alarmist" - calling everything he say a "building code
violation" - including the tops of doors not having paint, galvanized
nails that rusted because the "galvanization" had cracked when the
nails were installed and other such silly things.  He also grabbed
the gas line of the air condition and announced that the gas was low
in the air conditioner (Since it had been checked a few weeks prior
I knew this wasn't true).  I have no problems with the inspector
making a list of things he notices - but he is incorrect in calling
everthing a "building code violation" because this frightens the
buyers.  I felt he spent too much time with the trivial and not
enough time on important structural issues.

I have had experience with other inspectors and I felt that their
detailed checking of water heaters, heat and air condition units
and real structural issues was better than what I witnessed in this
case.

There was one change that Birmingham "demanded" that we make to
our house that he insisted was structural.  The Durham and Raleigh
inspection departments and a building contractor said that he
was wrong.  I read the building code and agree that he was mistaken.
It simply didn't make logical sense.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience with him.  I don't think
that there is any guarantee that you will avoid future problems
by having an inspection by any inspector.  Your best bet is to pick
a builder with a good reputation.  A good builder will try to work
with you on problems because he wants to keep his reputation.
In case you don't know, the Building Code is really a minimim standard
for building.  It isn't all inclusive and cannot possibly cover everything.
Some builders build to the minimum and others go beyond that.


Disclaimer:  Opinions are mine, mine, mine...

-- 
Darrell Massengill    Manager of Image Processing   SAS Institute Inc.
massengi@unx.sas.com  (919) 677-8000 x7658          SAS Campus Dr, Cary, NC
Newsgroups: triangle.general