What do I need to watch out for when buying my Ryland Home?

Question

Buying a Ryland house in Chicago, Illinois area.

Answer 1

Ryland was created when Cincinnati, OH based Ryan Homes and Crest Communities, each of which was owned by a Ryan brother merged some 25 years ago. Both brothers built essentially the same houses and they were well known to build the cheapest homes available. They accomplished this by cutting any corner they could and squeezing the last ounce of blood out of labor and subcontractors. Although they build larger homes than they did back then, their basic philosophy has not changed.

The best advice I can give you is to be extremely vigilant while your house is being built. If possible, I would visit the site at least every other day and get to know the job site superintendant. If you spot something that you think should be corrected, or is substandard, lean on him to fix the problem. Take lots of digital pictures of your house through all phases of construction in case problems crop up after you have closed and moved in. Your documentation might save the day if a dispute arises.

During construction there are things that you can do to make your life easier after you move in. One of my pet peeves is builders who leave brick, wood scraps, and other debris on the ground nest to the foundation (and other places as well) and then simply bury it when what little top soil is available is spread during final grading. You will be frustrated for years if you do any landscaping at all around your new home. You will forever be digging up this debris. If you insist, Ryland may agree to remove it prior to final grade, but if they don't, you can.

Most importantly, make sure all problems are fixed to your satisfaction before closing. You will be given the opportunity for a final inspection before closing and your concerns will be noted and Ryland will attempt to make repairs. They will likely try to stall some of the repairs since they will not want to delay closing and they will tell you about their post move-in inspections and service program. Just remember, once they have your money, you lose all leverage.

Keep copies of all paperwork and get any agreements in writing. It is easy for the job site superintendant to agree to something verbally in order to get you off his back, but a written agreement will prove valuable if he fails to follow through.

I'm sure you get the picture by now. There is no substitute for doing your homework and staying on top of your investment.

Best of luck with your new home.

Answer 2

people who seem suspicious, safety is very important there. Kepp your doors locked when you leave your house