DR Horton Homes

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

Can I get Surly’s opinions on this home builder? Yes it’s cookie cutter and etc but actual detailed thoughts about them and their communities? I found there is an Express version which are more economic friendly but we’re looking into their higher end version. 

[Guest]

Lived in one for 14 years. Cheap AF. Was glad to get it sold.  It felt borderline miraculous after the inspection. Maybe the higher end ones are better, but we left not wanting one of their products again.   Houses in that neighborhood are in the $200k to $280k range. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by slorch

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

4 minutes ago, slorch said:

Lived in one for 14 years. Cheap AF. Was glad to get it sold.  It felt borderline miraculous after the inspection. Maybe the higher end ones are better, but we left not wanting one of their products again.   Houses in that neighborhood are in the $200k to $280k range. 

The ones we’re looking in are $300-600k range. 
 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

Homes built from Legos and Lincoln Logs are probably better built. 

[baboso 6054]

4 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

The ones we’re looking in are $300-600k range. 
 

Bigger, better locations, still shoddily built.

[LebongJames 1791]

It’s kind of a mixed bag. Over the last few years they have used their size to force  manufacturers to give them rebates which allow them to put better products in their homes. They are mostly using the same contractors as nicer builder because there  just aren’t that many. We do Horton, Pulte, Kb but we also do custom, Perry, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison and other move up builders.

But they are the largest builder in the US, although with all of Lennars acquisitions they are giving them a run for their money, so they cut a lot of corners to same money.

HVAC will be the cheapest Carrier system they can put in. Windows will have the lowest rating that they can get away with. The house will have T Ply as sheathing, so Hardie-TPly-your homes insulation. They will have a very low spec with Moen, Kohler, tile, cabinets and countertops that will run a good amount to upgrade. Express series has no options.

They use very few plans and exterior claddings so you have to be ok for the neighborhood to look the exact same. They have gone mostly to 35 ft lots but in the $600k range I hope I am incorrect about that.

The final thing is their builder in the field, they hire entry level kids right out of A&M, TxState and Tech’s construction science programs and incentivize them by low salaries and bonuses for how quick they can build the house. This is where most issues come in.

If you go this route you need to be at your house at least once a week being a PITA. They may not like it but the house will be much better off because of this.

[Guest]

^^^^^
key point- follow up visits during construction.

they were going to put our gate to enter the backyard on the same side of the house as the AC unit, leaving a good 4 to 6 inches between the fence and the AC unit for access to the backyard. I literally asked the builder what freaking Aggie was in charge of this bullshit. 

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

1 hour ago, LebongJames said:

It’s kind of a mixed bag. Over the last few years they have used their size to force  manufacturers to give them rebates which allow them to put better products in their homes. They are mostly using the same contractors as nicer builder because there  just aren’t that many. We do Horton, Pulte, Kb but we also do custom, Perry, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison and other move up builders.

But they are the largest builder in the US, although with all of Lennars acquisitions they are giving them a run for their money, so they cut a lot of corners to same money.

HVAC will be the cheapest Carrier system they can put in. Windows will have the lowest rating that they can get away with. The house will have T Ply as sheathing, so Hardie-TPly-your homes insulation. They will have a very low spec with Moen, Kohler, tile, cabinets and countertops that will run a good amount to upgrade. Express series has no options.

They use very few plans and exterior claddings so you have to be ok for the neighborhood to look the exact same. They have gone mostly to 35 ft lots but in the $600k range I hope I am incorrect about that.

The final thing is their builder in the field, they hire entry level kids right out of A&M, TxState and Tech’s construction science programs and incentivize them by low salaries and bonuses for how quick they can build the house. This is where most issues come in.

If you go this route you need to be at your house at least once a week being a PITA. They may not like it but the house will be much better off because of this.

The ones were looking at come with their tier 2/3 cabinets, granite counter tops in kitchen, tier 2/3 flooring, and marble counter tops in the bathrooms if I was reading correctly. Also it would be a 40ft width but there is a 35ft width we liked as well. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by BurntOrange&White

[Incredulity 11654]

I would stay far away from DRH Express builds.  Only way I would consider is if you knew it was short term housing. Less than 4 years.  They are definitely lowest common denominator.

[Gene Parmesan 4002]

I live in one (not express build).  It sucks but the housing prices in the area are only going 1 way right now.  The neighborhood will probably look like shit in 20 years, but we won't be in it much longer.  I wouldn't go crazy on the upgrades because they will be cheap as well and cost you a lot.  You probably better off just going base level on a bunch of stuff and upgrading yourself later on.  Their higher grade fixture packages were nothing that you couldn't get a Lowes or HD for fractions of the costs.  Countertops, cabinets, and multiple AC units were the only things we went with higher tier on.  We've replaced most of the cheap carpet and fixtures with aftermarket stuff.

 

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

8 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

I would stay far away from DRH Express builds.  Only way I would consider is if you knew it was short term housing. Less than 4 years.  They are definitely lowest common denominator.

Yeah these aren’t express and I’ve read similar about the express. 

[LebongJames 1791]

What market? In Texas DFW West and San Antonio are the best run divisions?

 

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

10 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

What market? In Texas DFW West and San Antonio are the best run divisions?

 

San Antonio. 
 

here is a list of features from their brochure:

 

 

[fattyflattie 4639]

3 hours ago, LebongJames said:

The final thing is their builder in the field, they hire entry level kids right out of A&M, TxState and Tech’s construction science programs and incentivize them by low salaries and bonuses for how quick they can build the house. This is where most issues come in.

My roommate did this (UTSA constr mgt) and went straight to them out of college.  I remember they offered him 28k.  I remember it explicitly because my first offer back in Houston O&G was double to the penny.  Anyhow he did of for 5-7 years and with the bonus’ made pretty good money.  He started his own custom outfit and builds 7 figure custom homes.  The bad with it is yeah the guy is pretty green outside of school learning.  The good is most work really hard at that age trying to build their career etc.  

[Serak The Preparer 3431]

For fuck's sake - keep this shit in the cloak room where it belongs!

[LebongJames 1791]

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

San Antonio. 
 

here is a list of features from their brochure:

 

 

This is definitely a higher end spec than a lot of their communities.

[Post Oak 20208]

My realtor refused to even show us DRH. 

FWIW

[Assman 1830]

They're on the higher end of the lower tier builders.  With my wife being a realtor and me going with her on a lot of showings, I've gotten to know the builders pretty well.  DRH does a few small touches that some of the bargain basement builders don't do, which sets them apart a bit.  That being said, I can't imagine spending $600K on a DRH. 

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

1 hour ago, Assman said:

They're on the higher end of the lower tier builders.  With my wife being a realtor and me going with her on a lot of showings, I've gotten to know the builders pretty well.  DRH does a few small touches that some of the bargain basement builders don't do, which sets them apart a bit.  That being said, I can't imagine spending $600K on a DRH. 

Yeah we're not spending that much. The home we chose was about 320k and it was a perfect size for us for the next 5-10 years. Good thing we kind of pulled the trigger because the prices jumped another $3-5k today for the same house. The home should be completed about mid September to mid October and our realtor expects us to walk into 10-20k in equity upon completion of the home. We got $7k off closing cost and they're covering the title cost thing(can't recall the specific term they used) which is like $2-3k. In addition to that they won't require us to pay a few of the other fees associated with closing because we went with their preferred mortgage company. All in all, the process was super easy and we got a good starter home for our future family which is exactly what we were looking for. Talking to lebong and him overlooking the material contract of the home he says the materials used are mid-middle high tier, the plumbing and HVAC companies being used are good as well for our area. 

Edited May 16, 2021 by BurntOrange&White

[Rynosauri 23]

I would definitely recommend to get a home inspector to check it out with you on your final walk through, and maybe even have one do a walk through before the drywall goes up. If the prices keep going up they may push back on some of the fixes.

[Gil Bang 25920]

Just now, Rynosauri said:

I would definitely recommend to get a home inspector to check it out with you on your final walk through, and maybe even have one do a walk through before the drywall goes up. If the prices keep going up they may push back on some of the fixes.

IMO, prior to drywall is much more critical than the final.  The layman can see if shit's wrong on the final, but likely won't know shit about framing and rough-ins.  

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

37 minutes ago, Rynosauri said:

I would definitely recommend to get a home inspector to check it out with you on your final walk through, and maybe even have one do a walk through before the drywall goes up. If the prices keep going up they may push back on some of the fixes.

 

36 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

IMO, prior to drywall is much more critical than the final.  The layman can see if shit's wrong on the final, but likely won't know shit about framing and rough-ins.  

My father-in-law is a high ranking field guy for a national GC. Everytime he's in town we will take him out there to get his eyes on the project.

[DonkeyCigars 144]

On 5/12/2021 at 8:45 AM, LebongJames said:

It’s kind of a mixed bag. Over the last few years they have used their size to force  manufacturers to give them rebates which allow them to put better products in their homes. They are mostly using the same contractors as nicer builder because there  just aren’t that many. We do Horton, Pulte, Kb but we also do custom, Perry, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison and other move up builders.

But they are the largest builder in the US, although with all of Lennars acquisitions they are giving them a run for their money, so they cut a lot of corners to same money.

HVAC will be the cheapest Carrier system they can put in. Windows will have the lowest rating that they can get away with. The house will have T Ply as sheathing, so Hardie-TPly-your homes insulation. They will have a very low spec with Moen, Kohler, tile, cabinets and countertops that will run a good amount to upgrade. Express series has no options.

They use very few plans and exterior claddings so you have to be ok for the neighborhood to look the exact same. They have gone mostly to 35 ft lots but in the $600k range I hope I am incorrect about that.

The final thing is their builder in the field, they hire entry level kids right out of A&M, TxState and Tech’s construction science programs and incentivize them by low salaries and bonuses for how quick they can build the house. This is where most issues come in.

If you go this route you need to be at your house at least once a week being a PITA. They may not like it but the house will be much better off because of this.

As a pro can you give me a back of the napkin, just between us, review of these builders we were looking at: Bloomfield Homes, David Weekly, and Highland Homes?

[deadshank 24652]

On 5/12/2021 at 12:16 PM, fattyflattie said:

My roommate did this (UTSA constr mgt) and went straight to them out of college.  I remember they offered him 28k.  I remember it explicitly because my first offer back in Houston O&G was double to the penny.  Anyhow he did of for 5-7 years and with the bonus’ made pretty good money.  He started his own custom outfit and builds 7 figure custom homes.  The bad with it is yeah the guy is pretty green outside of school learning.  The good is most work really hard at that age trying to build their career etc.  

Working for a production builder (Perry, Weekley, DR Horton) to get you feet wet in the home construction industry is a great way to start a career.  Simply learning how to properly schedule builds and run multiple jobs is golden.  Any superintendent that is worth anything will use the job to get the training he / shee needs and, couple that with a sense of proprietorship, he / she will move on and hang out their own shingle.  I've known plenty that have done it and have ratcheted things up to become very good builders.

The builders I stay away from are the ones that have financial backing and venture into the industry but have nary a clue how to build but try to model a business venture, hire the cheapest superintendent they can find and generally screw up things from the git go.  Those types are radioactive to subcontractors, suppliers and home buyers.

[LebongJames 1791]

23 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

As a pro can you give me a back of the napkin, just between us, review of these builders we were looking at: Bloomfield Homes, David Weekly, and Highland Homes?

I live in Austin and don’t know much about Bloomfield. We do plumbing, HVAC and electrical for both Weekley and and Highland. Both of them have a good reputation and build a nice move up home.

[Murfdogg21 4412]

Our last house in Austin was David Weekley and was a very solid house with good included features, good warranty and follow up. We just moved into a new Toll Brothers and the finishes seem higher end than David Weekley, very nice. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

On 5/20/2021 at 8:14 AM, deadshank said:

Working for a production builder (Perry, Weekley, DR Horton) to get you feet wet in the home construction industry is a great way to start a career.  Simply learning how to properly schedule builds and run multiple jobs is golden.  Any superintendent that is worth anything will use the job to get the training he / shee needs and, couple that with a sense of proprietorship, he / she will move on and hang out their own shingle.  I've known plenty that have done it and have ratcheted things up to become very good builders.

The builders I stay away from are the ones that have financial backing and venture into the industry but have nary a clue how to build but try to model a business venture, hire the cheapest superintendent they can find and generally screw up things from the git go.  Those types are radioactive to subcontractors, suppliers and home buyers.

I actually spoke with him earlier this week for the first time in a spell.  He's got 4 on the books right now, which is pretty huge for him (think he's been doing about 2/yr).  But you can tell the price of materials has him a bit stressed right now, thinking folks might postpone etc.  But yeah, pretty jelly.  Dudes doing his thing.

[TKthunder2 4985]

Congrats on the purchase, but FYI to any future buyer, Sitterle (if you’re in Austin or San Antonio) was a pretty good builder for us and their prices aren’t that much more expensive.  Our feeling was they were a grade between DR Horton and David Weekly.  They just don’t have a ton of open projects so the locations might be too limiting. https://sitterlehomes.com

 

[closetohumping 17435]

17 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

Congrats on the purchase, but FYI to any future buyer, Sitterle (if you’re in Austin or San Antonio) was a pretty good builder for us and their prices aren’t that much more expensive.  Our feeling was they were a grade between DR Horton and David Weekly.  They just don’t have a ton of open projects so the locations might be too limiting. https://sitterlehomes.com

 

Look sharp.

 

Any thoughts on Lennar or KB homes?

[Updawg 2266]

I think kb are below dr Horton

[TKthunder2 4985]

2 hours ago, closetohumping said:

Look sharp.

 

Any thoughts on Lennar or KB homes?

We had KB in the lower tier with DR Horton but admittedly that was when we went through this process back in 2013.

I don’t remember anything about Lennar.

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

3 hours ago, closetohumping said:

Look sharp.

 

Any thoughts on Lennar or KB homes?

We viewed both new home areas around SA for Lennar and KB. The interior quality, flooring and etc was just not as good as DR Horton. We found Pulte to be about on par as far these types of builder are concerned. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by BurntOrange&White