OKC Homebuilders Leave a Lot to be Desired

[Questor]

I won't list any names as I don't care to embarrass companies, but man some of OKC's home builders look like their designers must be 70 year old women. The color choices, the types of materials used... I can't believe so many new houses are being built that look like they are stuck in the 1990s. I don't understand why it is the way it is here... just turn on HGTV on practically any night and you can see what new homes look like elsewhere around the country, and so much of what is going on here is not that. Even in the really expensive neighborhoods in parts of Edmond they are sort of locked into a very stereotypical design... it's almost like you graduate into a certain price class and you move from 'ranch' to 'French cottage style with a faux Tuscan kitchen' and that's the height of society here. I just don't get it. OKC home builders need to step up their game.

There is one company here that makes really cool homes that look like they were actually built in the 21st Century, for people who are not octogenarians, and we'll probably end up getting one of his next go around. It's just surprising to me that a city of this size and there is really only about one guy who seems to be keeping up with the times. I hate to be 'that guy' that comes on a board and rants, but I honestly just hope that our home builders start seeing more comments like this one and as a result give us more of what the rest of the country already has. Please OKC home builders, challenge yourselves.

[MikeOKC]

Don't be shy about naming names. We do it with everything else. If there's a good builder you think we should be aware of - tell us who and why.

[mugofbeer]

I agree. OKC needs more quality and imaginative homebuilders that will build with new technologies and WITH BASEMENTS

[adaniel]

I understand what you are saying. We call it the "Red Dirt Chateau," one story ranch with a gable over the entrance, maybe a gable over a window, and a three car garage. If you are lucky you might get some stone work. A particular builder comes to mind and is known for these "creations". With that in mind, as someone who grew up in an area with lots of big national builders the small builders here in OKC have much better quality.

Also, saying that its somehow different everywhere else, well I will have to politely disagree with that. Every place has its general home style. Tulsa has French Country (way more than here). DFW has the "North Dallas" style with gables everywhere, Austin/SA has the Hill Country look with lots of faux limestone, Atlanta has the fake Southern/Colonial pseudo-plantation thing, Vegas/PHX/SoCal has Spanish Mediterranean with tile roofs and stucco boxes for miles and miles. Get the drift? We are a cross between Tulsa and DFW.

Its one of those things that is what it is. Cheap tract housing in the suburbs are not meant to be architectural wonders. Thats true for any city. If you want something different you will probably have to go mega-upscale custom built like something you would find in Nichols Hills. Thats probably what they were showing on HGTV. Of course you can always get an existing, unique home in the heart of the city, ya know!

[MikeOKC]

Every place has its general home style. Tulsa has French Country (way more than here). DFW has the "North Dallas" style with gables everywhere, Austin/SA has the Hill Country look with lots of faux limestone, Atlanta has the fake Southern/Colonial pseudo-plantation thing, Vegas/PHX/SoCal has Spanish Mediterranean with tile roofs and stucco boxes for miles and miles. Get the drift? We are a cross between Tulsa and DFW.

Its one of those things that is what it is. Cheap tract housing in the suburbs are not meant to be architectural wonders. Thats true for any city. If you want something different you will probably have to go mega-upscale like something you would find in Nichols Hills. Thats probably what they were showing on HGTV. Of course you can always get an existing, unique home in the heart of the city, ya know!

Very observant and very true. It's one of those things I wouldn't have thought much about, but you're absolutely right.

[khook]

Don't put all the blame on the homebuilders..... go to the majority of furniture stores in town and what style do you see predominately on their sales floor..... Dusty musty Tuscany Its what sells in this town...... Lemmings following Lemmings

[Celebrator]

I tend to agree here. My wife and I went on the parade of homes last year and were very disappointed with the interior decorating style that is popular here. Way too heavy and dark. Those aforementioned Tuscan kitchens are way over the top! People will find that those colors and lines will not "hold up" over time, stylistically...they will become dated very fast.

[oneforone]

I would like to see homebuilders go back to the basics. There are many people out there (including myself) who would love to buy a basic house. Four walls,3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, a living room, dining room, a traditional kitchen and a garage. Like they used to build until Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous took over. I Do not want to make a $1200 a month house payment. I am looking for something along the lines of $600 a month. I don't need all the frills. I can add frills on my own over time. I am aware these houses exist in older neighborhoods. I just don't want to buy a home that is going to have problems on a regular basis. Old houses become money pits at one time or another no matter how well the previous owner took care of it. I don't want to live in a neighborhood where bars on the windows and police activity are included in the standard of living. I just want a modest house in a nice area. I shouldn't have to fork over half my take home income to become a home owner.

[Snowman]

I agree. OKC needs more quality and imaginative homebuilders that will build with new technologies and WITH BASEMENTS

You do realize that basements here are often not worth the price of building here and in texas, the reasons vary. For many it is on clay or the waterline is high (both cause flooding), in my neighborhood their is a layer of rock about five feet deep. For most by the time that it was built to withstand the environment it would be not be worth it unless it is a larger than residential scale construction.

[Jon27]

I would like to see homebuilders go back to the basics. There are many people out there (including myself) who would love to buy a basic house. Four walls,3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, a living room, dining room, a traditional kitchen and a garage. Like they used to build until Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous took over. I Do not want to make a $1200 a month house payment. I am looking for something along the lines of $600 a month. I don't need all the frills. I can add frills on my own over time. I am aware these houses exist in older neighborhoods. I just don't want to buy a home that is going to have problems on a regular basis. Old houses become money pits at one time or another no matter how well the previous owner took care of it. I don't want to live in a neighborhood were bars on the windows and police activity are included in the standard of living. I just want a modest house in a nice area. I shouldn't have to fork over half my take home income to become a home owner.

Not trying to hijack the thread with a pitch. We are selling are house in Yukon that has what you mentioned. A little more than $600/month, but not a money pit. Let me know if you're interested, and I can give you more information. http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...688?source=web

[MikeOKC]

I would like to see homebuilders go back to the basics. There are many people out there (including myself) who would love to buy a basic house. Four walls,3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, a living room, dining room, a traditional kitchen and a garage. Like they used to build until Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous took over. I Do not want to make a $1200 a month house payment. I am looking for something along the lines of $600 a month. I don't need all the frills. I can add frills on my own over time. I am aware these houses exist in older neighborhoods. I just don't want to buy a home that is going to have problems on a regular basis. Old houses become money pits at one time or another no matter how well the previous owner took care of it. I don't want to live in a neighborhood were bars on the windows and police activity are included in the standard of living. I just want a modest house in a nice area. I shouldn't have to fork over half my take home income to become a home owner.

Hi, OneForOne......I just wanted to throw something out there to think about regarding the statement I bolded above. Back when I was looking around, I was absolutely shocked at the quality of the workmanship at so many brand new homes/condos. I took somebody along with me who knows a lot about quality and such and he brought things to my attention that I wouldn't have noticed. The way kitchen drawers and cabinets are built, uneven this and that, there was just so much shoddy and rushed work out there. I said something along the lines of what you said above about not wanting to buy an older house that's a money pit, etc. He told me that if you find the right house built in the '30s, '40s, '50s, that's been well cared for, your odds are actually better to have fewer troubles than if you were to buy one of these brand new "crackerbox" houses that look good from the curb, but upon closer inspection can't come close to the quality of most of the older homes.

Things are just different. People want things cheaper and quicker and the corners that are cut today, on so many of the new homes, would have been unacceptable 60+ years ago.

I understand your concerns about older homes, but that's just some food for thought - something to think about anyway.

[bluedogok]

My wife manages condos (now) and the development that they have condos in which were built 5 years ago are crap compared to the redone condos which were originally built as apartments in the early 80's. They have had to replace appliances, HVAC units and even main panel boards in units that were less than three years old and have no had such issues in the older complex. If you replace electrical, that is the majority of the issues in older homes. For the most part foundations have already settled and the house has kind of "bed in" to its surroundings. I had a friend buy a brand new home and two years after buying the house they had to have the slab foundation redone because of differential settling causing huge cracks, the repairs were on their own dime. They were wishing they had stayed in an older neighborhood like they were previously in.

At least down here where we are the mega-builders there really isn't much difference between a $150,000 house and a $1.5 million house because they are pretty much built with the same crews, the finishes in the more expensive homes are nicer but as far as quality of construction, there really is none. That is one thing the OKC market hasn't dealt with as much, there are still good home builders in the OKC area, most just aren't the bigger names and only do in a year what big builders do in a month. The large builder have done nothing more than makes house a widget like any other product and the product has suffered as a result.

[old okie]

Found a quick way around the ho-hum house: design your own and find a builder who will do it. That's what we did, got what worked for us, didn't think about "trends," just picked what we liked. Our builder was an architect and a builder. He took our actual drawings and turned them into the plans; we did our own decorating, from brick, tile, carpet, wall color, etc. Hindsight is perfect, so if we did it again, there are a few things we'd change, tweak, and add [like a safe room], but overall, we are very happy with our house. It fits us and wasn't designed w/worry about resale; we built it to live in and enjoy. When we're ready to sell, someone will come along and buy it...and may like it "as is" or do like our neighbors' home, just gut it and do their own thing. Cost was no different from the "going rate" in our addition.

[oneforone]

Hi, OneForOne......I just wanted to throw something out there to think about regarding the statement I bolded above. Back when I was looking around, I was absolutely shocked at the quality of the workmanship at so many brand new homes/condos. I took somebody along with me who knows a lot about quality and such and he brought things to my attention that I wouldn't have noticed. The way kitchen drawers and cabinets are built, uneven this and that, there was just so much shoddy and rushed work out there. I said something along the lines of what you said above about not wanting to buy an older house that's a money pit, etc. He told me that if you find the right house built in the '30s, '40s, '50s, that's been well cared for, your odds are actually better to have fewer troubles than if you were to buy one of these brand new "crackerbox" houses that look good from the curb, but upon closer inspection can't come close to the quality of most of the older homes.

Things are just different. People want things cheaper and quicker and the corners that are cut today, on so many of the new homes, would have been unacceptable 60+ years ago.

I understand your concerns about older homes, but that's just some food for thought - something to think about anyway.

Thanks for the heads up... I kind of heard a little about that from a good friend who moonlights as realtor. He told me not buy from HomeCreations as they are known as the Walmart of homebuilders.

[MadMonk]

Found a quick way around the ho-hum house: design your own and find a builder who will do it. That's what we did, got what worked for us, didn't think about "trends," just picked what we liked. Our builder was an architect and a builder. He took our actual drawings and turned them into the plans; we did our own decorating, from brick, tile, carpet, wall color, etc. Hindsight is perfect, so if we did it again, there are a few things we'd change, tweak, and add [like a safe room], but overall, we are very happy with our house. It fits us and wasn't designed w/worry about resale; we built it to live in and enjoy. When we're ready to sell, someone will come along and buy it...and may like it "as is" or do like our neighbors' home, just gut it and do their own thing. Cost was no different from the "going rate" in our addition.

Exactly. Don't like what you see? Go build the one you want and quit fretting about what other people buy. It's not like anyone is forced to buy a certain style of home.

[PokeyePierce]

We bought a home a few months ago from Mark Bonadeo. We looked long and hard before deciding on his home and like the home more and more as time goes by. This is the fifth home I've owned, but the first brand new one.

http://www.bonadeohomes.com

[Bill Robertson]

As far as design don't blame the builders. They build what sells. For instance, I used to do the electrical work for a builder who built cookie cutter houses. All pretty much alike in interior and exterior design. And just like every other builder. He got a wild hair and tried building both a line of more plain-Jane houses and a couple of much more modern designs. Both flopped. This was years ago but I'm sure it would still hold true. Also, as Snowman said earlier with the amount of OKC that's either red clay or shale just a few feet under ground basements are not economically feasible.

[Spartan]

Demanding 3 bedrooms and a 2 car garage for $600/mo is just insane, no offense to anyone who has those particular life aspirations LOL. I am morally opposed to the idea of paying that little for such a huge house that nobody needs unless they have lots of kids. People just do it blindly because it's so standard to move into an ugly ranch house in a terrible location.

I've lived in apartments that were even smaller than studio apartments, and I would rather pay $600/mo for that if it's in a good location than for a ranch house in Yukon. Give me a break...

[bluedogok]

As far as design don't blame the builders. They build what sells. For instance, I used to do the electrical work for a builder who built cookie cutter houses. All pretty much alike in interior and exterior design. And just like every other builder. He got a wild hair and tried building both a line of more plain-Jane houses and a couple of much more modern designs. Both flopped. This was years ago but I'm sure it would still hold true. Also, as Snowman said earlier with the amount of OKC that's either red clay or shale just a few feet under ground basements are not economically feasible.

Many builders are their own designers, so in many cases, yes they are to blame. The issue is spec homes and yes, they build what everybody else does because the bank financing their construction loan doesn't like anything outside the norm because they think it might be hard to sell if they end up with the property.

[SoonerDave]

Thanks for the heads up... I kind of heard a little about that from a good friend who moonlights as realtor. He told me not buy from HomeCreations as they are known as the Walmart of homebuilders.

Without getting too disparaging, I personally encourage prospective home buyers who are interested in building custom avoid ANY of the conglomerate/co-op building companies that essentially dole out builders to homes like playing cards. There was one such "builder" notorious for elcrappo construction about, oh, twenty years ago, and I steered people away from them like crazy.

Yes, it does take more time to find an individual builder, and you have to do a bit more homework in the process (and you'll be amazed at what you find), but the end is something a great deal more satisfactory. I used the same builder twice and he did a great job for me - a few issues - but you have things like that with most any building project. He built literally from the floor plan I designed and drew myself (after an architect reviewed it), loaded me up with great interior details, and we've been very happy. Sadly, he passed away years ago, and he was a bit of a curmudgeon, but he was a good builder.

Beware, too, that sometimes the highest profile areas attract the individual builders with the cheapest save-a-buck tactics, because you naturally assume the "high-rent" district houses would command the very best construction materials and details....that's often true, but it ain't necessarily so...

[RealEstateCop1]

Not trying to hijack the thread with a pitch. We are selling are house in Yukon that has what you mentioned. A little more than $600/month, but not a money pit. Let me know if you're interested, and I can give you more information. http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...688?source=web

I sold of friend of mine house on Redbud a few years ago.