Like most people I was very leary of who I should buy my new home in Carlsbad, CA from. I had read the reports that John Laing Homes was "Builder of the Year" I would learn later that this was a very deceptive tactic to gain the trust of my new neighbors and I. We purchased homes on a new street being built. Representations were made that the golf course lots were a premium and that these homes would cost an additional 100,000. Some people like myself spent the extra 100,000. Others decided to save the 100,000. Before I moved in I was told that all the homes in the development had been sold. This was a sales tactic designed to build urgency and make me believe that this development was in high demand. This, as my attorney would tell me is an illegal tactic. Now my neighbors and I have come to learn that not only was that house not sold but that there were several homes on the block that were not sold. Once they took my money for the extra 100,000 they lowered the price on my nieghbors house by well over 100,000.in fact two homes on our block are being drastically reduceed.
Of course the excuse used is that the market changed. This of course is an insult to all intelligent people. One of my new nieghbors purchased a Non view lot in order to save the roughly 100,000. Two weeks after he closed escrow they dropped the price of the view lots. The poor guy could have bought a better home for the same money. This has killed all of our property values. They didnt lower the price by a couple of percentage points... They slashed the prices while waiting for us to close escrow.
If this is not enough John Laing homes made illegal representations about how the home would go up in value. This is of course against CA DRE regulations. Any promise of future benifit is illegal.
Want more? They have yet to fix all of the items that were wrong with the home. They claim that they have an on-site customer care person that you can just walk over to and they will help you with any problems that you are having with your home. What a lie! They did have some people come over but mostly it has been missed appointments and poor service. Most of the items on my list have not been done.
Want more? Some of us purchased a plan that has an inadequate gate.By inadequate I mean that there is no animal this gate could possibly keep out. The model never showed this type of gate problem and the only way you knew this is what you were buying as the fact that they gave you a small piece of paper with an artist rendering of the home. If you were to be able to pick up on that small gate in the picture, would be the only way that you would know that this is what you were in fact purchasing.
Want more? I offered to pay for a gate myself if they would just put it in for me. I would even pay for labor. John Laing takes the stance that you have to sue them otherwise they are not going to help you. Hardly builder of the year.
There is so much more but I will leave you witht this:
My nieghbors are meeting soon with an attorney. This attorney tells us that this is the most outrageous actions he has seen by such a well known builder. We are going to file a class action law suit. Why? Because the builder leaves us no choice. They will do the same to you...
What ever you do... Do not buy a home from john laing homes.
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