Ever purchased a Main Street home (Texas)?

[amitten]

They have them really cheap here and close to downtown. I'm-a gettin' tempted to buy one...any thoughts?

[amitten]

1. Kickin for the day crowd... n/t

[crispini]

2. Is that a particular kind of builder?

I would NEVER EVER in a million years buy a new home in this state. PM JohnCoby if you want to know the deal. He is president of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings and he knows all about the crap that new home builders get up to. Legally! New homes in this state suck enormously.

I would look for something from the 50s or before, with a pier and beam foundation. With the expansive soils we have here in North Texas, a slab can crack if you don't take very good care of it, and you never know what previous owners have done. With a pier and beam it is comparatively cheap to get under there and work on it. Also good if you have a plumbing problem. I got about 20 new piers and the place shimmed out and everything for about 3k. It would easily cost twice or three times that to fix a slab if it goes wrong.

[amitten]

4. Yeah, they're Austin-based and have won all kinds of awards

and stuff. Their homes are energy-efficient and very cheap to buy new.

I'm scared of getting into an older home that might constantly need repair/upkeep...

PS...what happened to poor JohnCoby?

[crispini]

5. I don't know if he had anything specific happen to him,

but he is an activist in this area and you should definitely drop him a PM. His DU name is actually JohnCoby2. His organization's website is here:
http://www.hadd.com/index.php

Definitely be aware of what you are signing and getting into with a new home. There are actually contracts now in Texas that homeowners are being forced to sign that bind them to ONLY arbitration with a builder -- in other words they cannot sue if something goes wrong! I would look at the HADD site very carefully before buying a new home in Texas. For example as far as those awards you mention -- are they from consumer organizations or are they from other builders' organizations? Seriously, the new home industry in Texas is really scary.

People think that if they are getting a new home they are getting less problems but the sad fact is that especially in Texas the shoddy quality of the materials and construction can mean that you are getting MORE problems! I know SO many people who have been taken to the cleaners by their builders, it is horrible. The trick to an older home is that you have to get one that has been kept up reasonably well over the years. I have been in my older home for five years now and I have not had ANY major problems as far as anything needing to be repaired, etc. except for that foundation thing which I knew going into it would be a problem. The thing is that back then they made them to last. Nowadays they just cut corners every which way they can.

[girl gone mad]

6. I've got pier and beam..

the only thing I don't like about it is that skunks got under the house and sprayed! We had an underground pipe leak and we had to leave the entrance open for a few days so that the crawlspace would dry out. The skunks got in and we couldn't get them out because it was birthing season and we dodn't want to orphan any babies.

We're considering sealing our crawlspace to improve air quality, but I don't know how much of a difference it would make.

Everyone I know who has owned slab for more than a few years has had to do major foundation repair work. The problem is that in Dallas, they only build slab these days. Resetting piers is so much less expensive. Plus, adding on rooms is cheaper.

[Dora]

3. We're selling our 1958 house in 78704 if you're interested.

1300 sf, 2 beds, 1 ba, two-car carport, laundry/hobby room off the kitchen. It's a slab foundation, solid as a rock. PM me if you want more info.

I agree with a previous poster - new homes are a crapshoot here. I've heard nothing but horror stories since I moved here in 1997. I'd much rather buy a 30 year old home that has withstood the test of time to a glossy new build of questionable quality, no trees, and the next door house just 8 feet away. We're shopping the 78722, 78723 zip codes for our next home. We're in search of more bedrooms.

[Saphire]

7. I work in the new home construction in San Antonio, and we do work

for Mainstreet homes. I hate to say it, but I agree with the posters here. New homes are crap. You wouldn't believe some of the problems I have seen. Mainstreet, Pulte and KB are on the top of the list of homes I would NOT buy. Centex and Ryland are a step up, and still good prices. If you do buy one, don't get one already built. Instead get one that is being built, and go everyday to inspect the construction. Any problems you find, have corrected immediately. Personally, I don't own a home yet, but when I do buy, I'm going for an older home.