Complaint Review: Forecast Homes (Lancaster) - Rancho Cucamonga California

Following is shortened formal report sent to the CA Dept. of Real Estate for investigation, Nov 2001.

Active-duty military wife and I (retired USAF) were moving to CA from IL sometime in Dec 2001 and decided on the Lancaster-Palmdale CA area to live. In Sept and Nov 2001 I flew from IL to the Forecast Homes sales office in Lancaster CA to purchase a home. During the Sept 2001 visit I scoped out the lots and available spec homes available for immediate occupancy and gathered up my info to take back home for wife's input.

Prior to leaving the sales office, the sales mgr. literally tried to shove a house nearing completion down my throat for a late Oct 2001 closing. I advised her we weren't going to entertain anything closing prior to late Dec 2001. When I came back in Nov 2001, ready to purchase, I had done my homework and was prepared to put down a $10-20K deposit if required. We both had stellar credit histories and I had wife's POA to sign her name on all documents. Most importantly, I (we) were already preapproved and prequalified with a lender, USAA. On this trip I had along my brother-in-law, Jeff, and his wife, Jeannine.

While I was in their two-story model with Jeff, Jeannine approached me looking upset. She stated that while she had stayed behind in the sales office she overheard our sales rep and the sales mgr. arguing loudly, not knowing Jeannine was in a corner of the lobby, about how "he (me) was not to be contracted on a home because they (we) were military, were from out of state, and were already with a lender."

Upon hearing this I was dumbfounded and believed Jeannine mainly because she doesn't joke around! Minutes later our sales rep entered the model home and looked ashen-faced. When I querried her she admitted to what I'd been told. Her manager had instructed her not to allow us to purchase a home. She went on to say she needed her job badly and was afraid of her supervisor in that the mgr. had a track record of complaints lodged against her (mgr) and that she feared she'd lose her job if she confronted the mgr. in supporting me.

I walked over to the sales office with Jeff, Jeannine and sales rep. in tow and confronted the mgr. She made no bones about being unhappy with us already having a lender and being from out of state, making derogatory comments about how "outside lenders always f*** up the paperwork" and how "being from out of state hinders the buying process." I assured her neither issue was of her concern and to just allow the sales rep. to do her job in contracting us on the homesite I had selected earlier, a two-story on lot #10. I had even photographed the interior/exterior extensively to show my wife the house.

The mgr. steadfastly refused to let any paperwork occur. Jeff and Jeannine were within earshot of all this and later were in total disbelief. I left for the evening instructing the mgr. to contact the home office in Rancho Cucamonga (RC) and secure a "dispensation" prior to my return the next day as I fully intended to purchase the home on lot #10 prior to my return to IL.

The next day I returned alone and met with the sales rep. and her mgr. to no avail. The manager stated she had "just gotten off the phone with her district manager in Rancho Cucamonga" as I was walking from the parking lot and that "he instructed her not to allow me to purchase a home for the same reasons; military, out of state and approved with another lender.

I'm a retired military policeman and a former state corrections officer and educated so I'm more than capable of handling unlawful, stressful dealings when needed. When I advised the sales mgr. that she had violated CA real estate law(s) and federal housing guideline(s) she stated she didn't care and for me to leave the premises. Prior to boarding my flight at LAX I phoned the Forecast Homes district office in RC and spoke with the district supervisor. He stated he'd call me the next day at my IL residence.

The next day I told him about my two prior trips, the cost associated with them, and how my wife had made her own trip out there (Forecast Homes-Lancaster) months prior in July 2001 (total of three separate trips to CA for the prurpose of buying a home from Forecast Homes) and was pleased with their homes. He was very belligerant from the start of the call and stated he had a solution.

He related (ordered/commanded, not suggested) I would close on the house via mail 5 Dec 01 after starting & completing THEIR lengthy paperwork package and could move in late December when we arrived in CA. When I left CA the house wasn't anywhere near completion (in fact I'd been told Jan 2002 would be a "miracle"). I iterated that I, as the purchaser, had some input as to when the house would close, that I wouldn't purchase a home through the mail, and that the house was not anywhere near completion so, therefore, I would not close on an unfinished home. Then I querried him about why I was refused a purchase of that home days ago but I was force-fed a home back in September. He then became very nasty and said that was his offer and that I could take it or leave it. Realizing this conversation was not a genuine, binding offer or an attempt to gain my trust and patronage, I hung up.

Days later, back in IL, I filed a lengthy formal grievance with the CA Dept. of Real Estate. In the 14 MONTHS it took for them to FINALLY investigate the incident the following occurred: 1) My sales rep had been fired (a day or two after I left CA in Nov 2001), 2) The sales mgr. had been promoted, 3) My witnesses became unable to recall exact, irrelevant details, 4) The house on lot #10 was sold and occupied. AND, most injuriously, the CA DRE closed the complaint as "Unfounded" despite my witnesses having verified the cruxt of my allegations & despite Forecast Homes having an "Unsatisfactory" rating with this area's BBB.

In the process I'd had to notify the governor's office (CA) and the CA State's Attorney General about the CA DRE's refusal to investigate the allegation in any similance of a timely manner. My letters to their office ALL went ignored as did my threat to initiate litigation if it came to that.

I've now lived here in CA since Dec 23, 2001, and everytime I pass "my house on lot #10" I get sick to my stomach over how my family and I were robbed via ignorance, discrimination and malfeasance.

I pass this complaint on in an ongoing effort to spread the word about Forecast Home's unethical business practices and to somehow have "closure" in an incident that still haunts me to this day!

Edward

Anonymous, California
U.S.A.

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