[Hydroshock]

I would not buy a house made in the last 10 years.

[kinoxi]

I would not buy a house made in the last 10 years.

This is intimately related to the influx and perpetuation of the large illegal workforce. I've had numerous first hand experiences with this sort of thing.

[jiggyboy]

I saw horror stories a couple of years ago already about how the builders were so hot to build that they used 2x4’s that were far too green to be suitable. Within weeks of the house being built, the studs would twist so far that they’d break through the drywall, all over the house. Etc.

[Always Right]

I would not buy a house made in the last 10 years.

Anecdotal evidence can prove anything, and is usually the tool of choice of fear-mongers. Certainly there are fly-by-night builders who make a quick buck and leave town, but this is not representative of 99.99% of the building industry.

[mikeybaby]

I’ve heard stories like the following;
Developer builds 200 (pick a number)houses and sells them, most to people who use a 2/28 to buy them.
Many of these buyers later find themselves trapped and vacate, or worse, squat on the property.
Some buyers leave, but not before stripping the property (appliances, primarily).
Now you have a development where 1/3 of the properties are vacant or for sale, an indeterminant number of properties are vacant AND damaged, and the rest of the people are freaked out.
Oh, and loans are kind of tough to get.
Ugly.

This reminds me of the Condo boom of the late 80’s.

[sweet_diane]

"and 100 gallons of water came crashing through the ceiling downstairs because the plumbing drains were not connected."

Didn't a plumbing inspector check out the house? Was there a final inspection? Isn't this the reason a Building Inspection dept even exists?

[goldstategop]

My home was built in the last two years... some contractors take shortcuts with materials and labor to save on costs. That's why one should get an home inspector's report BEFORE doing a purchase and if the report checks out, to insist on a one year home warranty for peace of mind.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Oratam]

If I remember correctly, this same thing happened during the last building boom in the late ‘80s. Developers were in a hurry to throw up cheap condos. For a while, “townhouse” was a dirty word.

[zencat]

I’ve built two custom homes in the last 8 years. Used the same builder on both, and they were of near perfect quality. You have to know you builder though. He’s a small builder, and only builds 8-10 homes a year. He’s dedicated to quality and craftsmanship and every home he builds is sold before he ever breaks ground.

[woodbutcher1963]

This happens EVERY time there is a building boom. People build houses and become contractors/developers without much if any experience. When the boom becomes a bust they get out of the industry.

Same thing happens with real estate agents.

That is why in many markets prefabricated homes (ie built in a factory with quality control measures) are now in alot of cases better quality than homes built on the jobsite.

The Lumber Broker

[LoneStarGI]

‘Horror stories’ like these are common throughout the entire building market. I don’t deny that things like this happen, and I sympathize with anyone who has to go through the headache of a badly built house. However, most of the time when I come across a story like this, I constantly ask myself, “how often did these people visit their property while it was being built?” “Once, twice, never?” It’s not a guarantee of anything, but I think that alot of these things can be avoided if the buyer takes a little time and goes to look at their home as it’s being built and make sure that they don’t miss anything, and if they do, document it, photograph it, and report it to the home seller immediately. That kind of info arms you for later if they try to make you close on the house when problems exist.

My first house was built about 3 years ago, and I was out there looking at it and taking pics two to three times a week from the time they cleared the land till they put up the last brick. There was one issue that concerned me and I reported it and it got fixed the next day. I haven’t had a single problem with the house since moving in.

[4yearlurker]

I worked construction in the mid 80s and I can honestly say that I saw more bad construction than good. I subbed trim and kitchen cabinets. I can’t tell how many times I heard:”hurry up! But make it look good” I used to ask the contractor (my boss) which do you want? Quick work or good work?”

[NavyCanDo]

The stuff I see going up is all particle board construction. Here I am in Washington the Evergreen State, where lumber was once King, and their gluing wood chips together to build homes. Sure, slap on the siding, trim and some paint and they may look nice from the street – but I guarantee you that in 40 years they will not be nearly as structurally sound as my 1968 home, which will be a ripe 80 years old by then.

[cinives]

You need to pick and choose wisely if you do. If you buy a house in good shape after 5 or so years, and get a good builder/plumber/electrician to inspect your home before purchase, you will do fine.

I bought a 7 yo house which was designed, built, owned and lived in by the builder, and it’s outstanding in its construction. 2x6s and extra insulation frame the walls, the exterior is double brick, windows are all top-notch Marvin, and there’s lots of steel supports and joists in the basement. If you jump on a floor anywhere in the house, nothing moves.

I couldn’t buy a 100 yo house in better shape than this one.

[Tribune7]

ping

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Meddling kids who pay visits to the construction site to pour boxes of nails down drains and other crap also contribute to these problems, I’m sure...

[art_rocks]

I have had 2 new houses in the last 8 years. We, wife and I, have been fortunate to not have any major problems. Homeowners need to learn how to look for things, especially if you make any changes to your house. We put some plastic coverings over our window wells so the kids wont fall into the wells. Problem was this caused rainwater to collect on one well which caused a crack in our foundation and water leaked into the basement when it rained. We fixed the leak and will watch the site for any future problems and I expect I will be waterproofing that section every year.

Our problem has been in items put into our house. Our carpet needs to be restrecthed again since it is bunching up. Talked to the carpet guy who first came out and he said that carpets are now made more enviromentally friendly. These new carpets all have be restretched more often than a carpet that was made in the 80s.

[BurbankKarl]

My buddy has a problem home in Arizona....first it was mold in the bathroom, then the PVC water main broke. There were some other things.

He gets mad when I say he had illegal alien workers etc.

[rrrod]

“I would not buy a house made in the last 10 years.” I couldnt agree more. The developers have been putting up some real shi’ite across the country. Including all price points.

By chance I waltzed into a very good deal on a foreclosure...house needed a lot of up grades but was sound.
My advice...find an older existing home...fix it up and enjoy.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I used to live accross the street from a retired plumber. He told me that years ago, like 30 years ago, a kid working for him roughed in some work and went to lunch, without soldering the joints. When he came back he forgot all about that little detail and went happily on his way. When pressure was restored, the pipes obviously leaked profusely. He "made it right". Still kinda funny.

There is nothing new here, if you're buying a new house, buy from a reputable builder. If he makes a mistake he'll fix it.

[DCPatriot]

You do realize that your attitude was prevalent since at least the 70's. And probably back to the pyramids.

They used to frame walls 16 inches on center. They used to brace floor joists to one another.

Hardwood floors? You used to be able to play a game of marbles on them. Now, the beveled edges make them dirt catchers and uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet.