John Cogan
Okay, the model houses are beautiful; tastefully accented, adorned, built out... You will not be buying those.The model houses are literally impossible at the price-point you see when you walk in the door. I feel like a goober that when I s…
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Okay, the model houses are beautiful; tastefully accented, adorned, built out... You will not be buying those.The model houses are literally impossible at the price-point you see when you walk in the door. I feel like a goober that when I saw those prices and toured those houses, I was ready to just move in, that I thought the Zillow price would get me the model house. I think perhaps everyone just knows this is the way and I was just the goofball that didn't. IDK. I was so naive then. Watch me as I play my tiny violin. World's tiniest.
I have looked at a lot of houses. This review is not for people who have bought in. If you're all in, you need to read a review about the customer service experience. If you're on the fence about this process, I think my words have substance. I did see more than one home that was built within the last 5 years. If you're buying a new house in SCV, it's likely Toll Bros, KB, 5 Knolls, or Pardee. It's a crazy market so I toured over 30 houses before finding mine. (It wasn't a toll bros home and this is why I walked away.) the model house I saw looked nothing like the houses built in the last 5 years.
The houses built in the last 5 years from these vendors that are already on the market had some hardwood/laminate/vinyl on the first floor and tastefully cheap carpet on the second floor, and nothing in the back yard. (At least the ones I remember seeing) The model houses I toured had built-in BBQs, square pools, step-down fire pits, glass cases in the closets... The model houses are literally impossible at the price-point you see when you walk in the door. I know, I wrote that above. I'm repeating because... Even if you pick the most expensive brand of everything... You can't get a square pool from Toll. You likely cant even get the faux brick facade that goes all the way to the top of the 20 ft ceiling.
I mean, let's be fair, there's a 20 ft ceiling. That's cool. There's a lot that's cool, but, if you're just now thinking about getting on that wait list, ask them... "How do I get that square pool? How do I get the funky cool geometric wall paneling? How do I get that step down fire pit? How do I get that [insert cool thing]?" If the answer to any of your "how-cool-is-that's" is, "Not from us, but you could probably do it," then it may not be for you.
I'm not saying this is bait and switch because I'm no lawyer. But when I worked at Sears as a teenager, once a month I had to check all the prices to make sure they were accurate. Because, if someone reports you to Weights and Measures and the price you promised with the pictures you listed isn't the same, you get fined. Now, what is eerily familiar is that the pictures you see on Zillow and the model homes you tour will likely not represent the house you live in at the price quoted to you.
If I am incorrect, when supplied with photos of price v product depicting better accuracy than what I experienced, I will attempt to list/add/update them to this review pursuant to my own timeline of personal importance.








