Complaint Review: Pulte Homes - Bloomington Michigan

well Susan I am very sorry to here that Pulte got you.Unfortunately any self-respecting contractor/carpenter/builder/etc. knows that Pulte does s**t work.They build homes fast and cheap,which is good for them,but bad for you and anyone else that purchases them.Every aspect of their homes is done in a subpar manner.As a custom carpenter I have walked through many of their rough-framed homes,basically shaking my head the whole way.They should be ashamed of themselves.Once again Susan,sorry about your luck:(

There are many sites. I have one that is quite extensive and documents what happened since the beginning, complete with an obscene number of photos. However every time I try to post the URL, it is deleted. Regardless you can search on Pulte, Susan and Lenexa and you will find it. There are other people who have web sites too. There are also two advocate organizations that have a lot of information on almost all of the builders. The two organizations I am speaking about is the homeowners for better building in Texas and the homeowners against deficient dwellings in Missouri. Google and you can find them too. it is disgusting how the big builders treat their consumers. The building industry is a hit and run organization, they talk a lot, but don't walk the walk. totally disgusting.

There are many sites. I have one that is quite extensive and documents what happened since the beginning, complete with an obscene number of photos. However every time I try to post the URL, it is deleted. Regardless you can search on Pulte, Susan and Lenexa and you will find it. There are other people who have web sites too. There are also two advocate organizations that have a lot of information on almost all of the builders. The two organizations I am speaking about is the homeowners for better building in Texas and the homeowners against deficient dwellings in Missouri. Google and you can find them too. it is disgusting how the big builders treat their consumers. The building industry is a hit and run organization, they talk a lot, but don't walk the walk. totally disgusting.

There are many sites. I have one that is quite extensive and documents what happened since the beginning, complete with an obscene number of photos. However every time I try to post the URL, it is deleted. Regardless you can search on Pulte, Susan and Lenexa and you will find it. There are other people who have web sites too. There are also two advocate organizations that have a lot of information on almost all of the builders. The two organizations I am speaking about is the homeowners for better building in Texas and the homeowners against deficient dwellings in Missouri. Google and you can find them too. it is disgusting how the big builders treat their consumers. The building industry is a hit and run organization, they talk a lot, but don't walk the walk. totally disgusting.

There are many sites. I have one that is quite extensive and documents what happened since the beginning, complete with an obscene number of photos. However every time I try to post the URL, it is deleted. Regardless you can search on Pulte, Susan and Lenexa and you will find it. There are other people who have web sites too. There are also two advocate organizations that have a lot of information on almost all of the builders. The two organizations I am speaking about is the homeowners for better building in Texas and the homeowners against deficient dwellings in Missouri. Google and you can find them too. it is disgusting how the big builders treat their consumers. The building industry is a hit and run organization, they talk a lot, but don't walk the walk. totally disgusting.

A fellow once bought (c2001) a NEW 25' or 26' (I forget which) Donzi sport boat. The gelcoat on this new Donzt blistered EVERYWHERE! Below the waterline AND above the waterline of the hull, across the deck, inside the cockpit, under the seats, everywhere. Donzi said the owner left the boat sit in the water without benefit of a hull barrier paint and.... so sorry, but the blistering is caused by customer neglect and therefore not covered by the new boat warranty! The boat owner set up a website with many pictures of the extensive blistering... Then the owner of the faulty Donzi visited various boating-intrest websites such as BoatUS, the Hull Truth, Trailer Boats, and so forth to plead his case. Donzi quickly labeled him as "The Blister Boy". "The Blister Boy" became the boat owner's screen name. Bad name move by Donzi. You see, many boat owners and would-be boat owners visit these boating sites to garner brand recommendations and product suggestions and experiences. And Donzi was getting a LOT of bad press nor extremely poor customer support at the various boating sites. Do youi see where this is leading? Donzi finally decided to pick up the faulty boat and fully repair it at Donzi's expense. Question: Are there websites/buellitin boards oriented toward people interesten in purchasing houses and/or selecting a retirement village?

Chris, Excellent question. From what I can understand arbitration clauses have snuck into other contracts besides housing (e.g., credit cards, cars, etc.) I can only surmise that this law has not been enforced and people are finally getting smarter. A RESPA office has been established to begin to look at these issues. You have made me think a bit more on this and I am going to pursue it further.

If the clause is illegal in the first place, then why can't you sue them?

Chris, All (or 99.9%) new builders have an arbitration clause in their sales contract. This clause states that I can only use arbitration through a company they pick and cannot sue. Needless to say they choose companies that are favorable to them and this process is very expensive. These clauses are actually against the law and in violation of RESPA (Real Estate Protection law) either section 6 or 9. This assists in allowing builders to build you a piece of junk without a care in the world. I for one have learned a lot and will never sign a contract for a new house with this clause inserted. Since it is against the law, they cannot make you allow the clause to remain. If they do, I will walk. I will also turn them into HUD, FTC and to the office that has been developed just to handle RESPA claims as I have done with this builder. I could go on about this builder and what I have learned in regard to violation of laws. If you are so inclined, visit my web site. It is quit lengthy and is a journal of what has and is happening to this house. Pulte employees and management know what is going on with this house and have denied all culpability. I don't care how many signs they post and what their ads say - actions speak louder than words and they have failed. My question to pulte employees/mgmt is: Would you live in this house? Would you subject your family to the possibility of being harmed in this house? answering honestly you would probably say no; answering the pulte way you would say (as I have been told) "I would feel safe with my family living here." What a crock. This is totally disgusting and unconscionable. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Chris, All (or 99.9%) new builders have an arbitration clause in their sales contract. This clause states that I can only use arbitration through a company they pick and cannot sue. Needless to say they choose companies that are favorable to them and this process is very expensive. These clauses are actually against the law and in violation of RESPA (Real Estate Protection law) either section 6 or 9. This assists in allowing builders to build you a piece of junk without a care in the world. I for one have learned a lot and will never sign a contract for a new house with this clause inserted. Since it is against the law, they cannot make you allow the clause to remain. If they do, I will walk. I will also turn them into HUD, FTC and to the office that has been developed just to handle RESPA claims as I have done with this builder. I could go on about this builder and what I have learned in regard to violation of laws. If you are so inclined, visit my web site. It is quit lengthy and is a journal of what has and is happening to this house. Pulte employees and management know what is going on with this house and have denied all culpability. I don't care how many signs they post and what their ads say - actions speak louder than words and they have failed. My question to pulte employees/mgmt is: Would you live in this house? Would you subject your family to the possibility of being harmed in this house? answering honestly you would probably say no; answering the pulte way you would say (as I have been told) "I would feel safe with my family living here." What a crock. This is totally disgusting and unconscionable. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Chris, All (or 99.9%) new builders have an arbitration clause in their sales contract. This clause states that I can only use arbitration through a company they pick and cannot sue. Needless to say they choose companies that are favorable to them and this process is very expensive. These clauses are actually against the law and in violation of RESPA (Real Estate Protection law) either section 6 or 9. This assists in allowing builders to build you a piece of junk without a care in the world. I for one have learned a lot and will never sign a contract for a new house with this clause inserted. Since it is against the law, they cannot make you allow the clause to remain. If they do, I will walk. I will also turn them into HUD, FTC and to the office that has been developed just to handle RESPA claims as I have done with this builder. I could go on about this builder and what I have learned in regard to violation of laws. If you are so inclined, visit my web site. It is quit lengthy and is a journal of what has and is happening to this house. Pulte employees and management know what is going on with this house and have denied all culpability. I don't care how many signs they post and what their ads say - actions speak louder than words and they have failed. My question to pulte employees/mgmt is: Would you live in this house? Would you subject your family to the possibility of being harmed in this house? answering honestly you would probably say no; answering the pulte way you would say (as I have been told) "I would feel safe with my family living here." What a crock. This is totally disgusting and unconscionable. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Chris, All (or 99.9%) new builders have an arbitration clause in their sales contract. This clause states that I can only use arbitration through a company they pick and cannot sue. Needless to say they choose companies that are favorable to them and this process is very expensive. These clauses are actually against the law and in violation of RESPA (Real Estate Protection law) either section 6 or 9. This assists in allowing builders to build you a piece of junk without a care in the world. I for one have learned a lot and will never sign a contract for a new house with this clause inserted. Since it is against the law, they cannot make you allow the clause to remain. If they do, I will walk. I will also turn them into HUD, FTC and to the office that has been developed just to handle RESPA claims as I have done with this builder. I could go on about this builder and what I have learned in regard to violation of laws. If you are so inclined, visit my web site. It is quit lengthy and is a journal of what has and is happening to this house. Pulte employees and management know what is going on with this house and have denied all culpability. I don't care how many signs they post and what their ads say - actions speak louder than words and they have failed. My question to pulte employees/mgmt is: Would you live in this house? Would you subject your family to the possibility of being harmed in this house? answering honestly you would probably say no; answering the pulte way you would say (as I have been told) "I would feel safe with my family living here." What a crock. This is totally disgusting and unconscionable. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Why don't you sue them?

This is in response to Lindsay's comments. The basement is not finished nor did I at any time try to finish the basement. I lived in this house only 28 days before I noticed problems. There were problems with the house before I moved in and it was noted by the customer rep and I was told, but I foolishly believed Pulte in that it was not a problem. I even hired my own housing inspector before closing but this type of foundation problem could not have been identified at that time. Finally after almost six months and 4 structural engineering inspections, Pulte agreed to have a geotech company pull core samples. The findings were mathematical and scientific. The results found 97-98% saturated 'fat clay' expansive soil, and this was during a 2 year drought. There was also free flowing water found one foot under the basement floor. The pressure being exerted from the clay was measured at 600 PSI (pounds per square inch). The house exerts approximately 100-125 pounds. Needless to say the house doesn't have a chance. The house is still on the move. However, since the report did not say what pulte wanted to hear, the results have been negated and they allowed their structural engineer, who is on retainer to pulte to generate a report that even refuted the mathematical findings and said what pulte wanted it to say. This report too was found full of proverbial holes, mis-statements and mistruths. Not only did the basement floor heave from the soil, the ground underneath the so-called pier pads (one 4 inch square pad and one 4 inch round "isolation" ring" was pushing upward. This caused the steel posts to push into the steel-I beams. The steel I-beams are visually bent. They are precariously hanging on to the niche in the foundation wall. This in turn pushed up the I-joists, bent, twisted and split them. None sit on the sill plates. The blue strip sill insulation strip has actually been squeezed out of the foundation. The upper living floor has damage beyond cosmetic. The stair way has been compromised, the pipes are being pushed up, etc. Take a look at my web site that documents what is happening to this house. I have lost my homeowners insurance, no other company will insure me and I have been turned down for the state owned homeowners insurance. (forced) This is severe and drastic. The band-aid fix that Pulte suggested will only give relief to them. Replacing some of the soil and putting in a new basement floor will not alleviate the pressure of the expansive soil, nor stop the flowing water and WILL NOT stop the damage that has gone from the basement to the peak of the roof. The ceiling dry wall is actually being lifted from the wall upward. This house has insurmountable damage. The warranty is only as good as the builder will allow it to be. I have been told by Pulte that the steel I-beams, the I-joists, the basement walls (which are buckling), and the basement floor are simply cosmetic. Why? I figured it out that cosmetic items only carry a warranty for one year. These items are an integral part of your house and are NOT cosmetic. Only a fool would believe that they are cosmetic. This house is a total loss and putting in a new basement floor will not allow me to reinsure this house. This house is slowly becoming dangerous to live in, but I have no where else to go. If pulte had any honor and integrity, they would buy this house back. They knew before I closed on it there were foundation problems as evidenced by the lot next to me. They could have told me the problem before hand and asked me to pick out another lot. However, they did not. I have also found out recently there are a lot of houses in this development that were built on filled in farm ponds, streams, creeks and intermittent streams. My house? - it was built over a dry creek-bed. In regard to walk-throughs - the only walk through I had was when I first moved in. The damage is so bad I have not even received the survey given at one year. I can't imagine why. - not. These surveys are sent to JD Powers and they are compiled for their bogus award. JD Powers does not take any complaints whatsoever, so their award system is very bias, slanted and needs to be severely overhauled. 10 year warranties. This was an agreement by the housing lobby and FHA and VA. Builders were tired of the stringent requirements placed on them by the FHA and VA and agreed to this 10 year warranty. This is only reason they are offered. This means there is one less pair of eyes to ensure the builder does what he is supposed to. This allows the builder to use unskilled labor to slap the house together, which is also one of the reasons so many houses are defective. (this is another story all together) If you live in a house that has no problems Lindsay that is great. However, there are others that live in a piece of junk and it doesn't matter how many great houses are out there if you live in one that is not. I also made some other discoveries in trying to get this issue resolved. I found I was a victim of mortgage fraud and predatory lending. - Read up on RESPA sections 6 and 9, information provided on the FTC, HUD and FBI site. You will find out a lot. This too will be resolved in time too. Pulte needs to do the honorable thing after in writing admitting to shoddy construction and poor workmanship and buy this house back before I am harmed. This is not an if, but a when. The structural integrity of the house has been compromised and Pulte couldn't give a d**n. Read what they are doing to 80 and 90 year olds in a pulte development in AZ. (Del-Webb -which is owned by Pulte) It is disgusting. I hope this rebuts your statement sufficiently. My question to you Lindsay after reviewing my web site is would you live in a house like this? I am going to bet not. Would you like to be treated like this? I bet not. So please attempt to stand in anothers shoes before stating the pulte creed. CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Can you say "flood plain?" If you would like to know about similar problems just search/google "amherst, ny house problems." Many folks in Amherst have similar horror stories - seems that the homes (with basements) were built on a flood plane. It's been in the news media on and off for about 4 years. Some of the homes have cracks in the foundations that are over 1 foot wide. These homeowneers were seeking help from the government and possible suing the town because the town board knowingly approved these sites for basements when the shouldn't have.

This is in response to Lindsay. The basement is not finished nor did I at any time try to finish the basement. I lived in this house only 28 days before I noticed problems. There were problems with the house before I moved in and it was noted by the customer rep and I was told, but I foolishly believed Pulte in that it was not a problem. Finally after almost six months and 4 structural engineering inspections, Pulte agreed to have a geotech company pull core samples. The findings were mathematical and scientific. The results found 97-98% saturated 'fat clay' expansive soil, and this was during a 2 year drought. There was also free flowing water found one foot under the basement floor. The pressure being exerted from the clay was measured at 600 PSI (pounds per square inch). The house exerts approximately 100-125 pounds. Needless to say the house doesn't have a chance. The house is still on the move. However, since the report did not say what pulte wanted to hear, the results have been negated and they allowed their structural engineer, who is on retainer to pulte to generate a report that even refuted the mathematical findings and said what pulte wanted it to say. This report too was found full of proverbial holes, mis-statements and mistruths. Not only did the basement floor heave from the soil, the ground underneath the so-called pier pads (one 4 inch square pad and one 4 inch round "isolation" ring" was pushing upward. This caused the steel posts to push into the steel-I beams. The steel I-beams are visually bent. They are precariously hanging on to the niche in the foundation wall. This in turn pushed up the I-joists, bent, twisted and split them. None sit on the sill plates. The blue strip sill insulation strip has actually been squeezed out of the foundation. The upper living floor has damage beyond cosmetic. The stair way has been compromised, the pipes are being pushed up, etc. Take a look at my web site that documents what is happening to this house. geocities.com/myllamas/CCFL/pulte.htm I have lost my homeowners insurance, no other company will insure me and I have been turned down for the state owned homeowners insurance. (forced) This is severe and drastic. The band-aid fix that Pulte suggested will only give relief to them. Replacing some of the soil and putting in a new basement floor will not alleviate the pressure of the expansive soil, nor stop the flowing water and WILL NOT stop the damage that has gone from the basement to the peak of the roof. The ceiling dry wall is actually being lifted from the wall upward. This house has insurmountable damage. The warranty is only as good as the builder will allow it to be. I have been told by Pulte that the steel I-beams, the I-joists, the basement walls (which are buckling), and the basement floor are simply cosmetic. Why? I figured it out that cosmetic items only carry a warranty for one year. These items are an integral part of your house and are NOT cosmetic. Only a fool would believe that they are cosmetic. This house is a total loss and putting in a new basement floor will not allow me to reinsure this house. If pulte had any honor and integrity, they would buy this house back. They knew before I closed on it there were foundation problems as evidenced by the lot next to me. They could have told me the problem before hand and asked me to pick out another lot. However, they did not. I have also found out recently there are a lot of houses in this development that were built on filled in farm ponds, streams, creeks and intermittent streams. My house? - it was built over a dry creek-bed. In regard to walk-throughs - the only walk through I had was when I first moved in. The damage is so bad I have not even received the survey given at one year. 10 year warranties. This was an agreement by the housing lobby and FHA and VA. Builders were tired of the stringent requirements placed on them by the FHA and VA and agreed to this 10 year warranty. This is only reason they are offered. This means there is one less pair of eyes to ensure the builder does what he is supposed to. This allows the builder to use unskilled labor to slap the house together, which is also one of the reasons so many houses are defective. (this is another story all together) If you live in a house that has no problems Lindsay that is great. However, there are others that live in a piece of junk and it doesn't matter how many great houses are out there if you live in one that is not. I also made some other discoveries in trying to get this issue resolved. I found I was a victim of mortgage fraud and predatory lending. - Read up on RESPA sections 6 and 9, information provided on the FTC, HUD and FBI site. You will find out a lot. This too will be resolved in time too. Pulte needs to do the honorable thing after in writing admitting to shoddy construction and poor workmanship and buy this house back before I am harmed. This is not an if, but a when. The structural integrity of the house has been compromised and Pulte couldn't give a d**n. Read what they are doing to 80 and 90 year olds in a pulte development in AZ. (Del-Webb -which is owned by Pulte) It is disgusting. My question to you Lindsay after reviewing my web site is would you live in a house like this? I am going to bet not. Would you like to be treated like this? I bet not. So please attempt to stand in anothers shoes before stating the pulte creed.

If you did your research so well, you would have found out that this would have happened with any new home you buy. That's also Pulte does not finish basements. You should wait about a year to do this because the freshly graded land does move or shift slightly which could cause cracks in drywall and such. There is nothing Pulte, or any other builder, could do to stop the Earth from moving and is why they have continuous walk-throughs for the first year of moving in. To top it off, Pulte has one of the best, if not the best, warranties on their new homes. After time, there were slight problems in my home and Pulte was always there within a day to take care of the problem. I commend Pulte for their high quality and helpfulness throughout the entire process of buying a new home!