I met with Dan Barnett, snake oil salesman for Pulte Homes in Naples Florida, regarding a home in Orange Blossom Ranch. I explained that my family and I had moved to Naples, I was hired as a teacher and was awaiting word from the Collier County Schoolboard as to my salary. Dan convinced me to "get the ball rolling" for pre-approval of a mortgage and if I used Pulte Mortgage, I would receive a discounted price on the home.
I signed a contract to secure a home and was told that the contract would be "null and void" if I could not secure a mortgage based on my unknown income. I was told my deposit of $35,000 would be returned if denied the loan.
I voiced my concern that Pulte Mortgage could OK everyone for a loan, regardless of their income or ability to pay on the loan, therefore making it impossible to get out of the contract. I was told by Dan and Jill Hoffman, VP of sales, "that's not how we operate, we are a people-friendly company and have returned deposits to people in similiar situations, our mortgage company won't approve your loan unless you qualify financially". I was told "you need to secure your home in this development since we see an increase in the cost coming shortly, you need to get in on this price"
Obviously you can see where this is going... I got approved for a loan through their mortgage company which would have cost more per month than I made in a month. I was told that I had "been approved based on no income and no assests". I had to decline the loan, and everyone I had dealt with in the process did not remember any conversations with me.
I met with both Dan Barnett and Jil Hoffman on several subsequent occasions and was told by Ms Hoffman that "we aren't in the business of returning deposits. You've been approved for a loan and now must accept the loan and buy the home or decline the loan and relinquish your deposit".
Letters to CEOs, Presidents, Marketing, etc in the coporate level of Pulte were referred back to Ms Hoffman. As a teacher struggling to survive, I feel as though I was lied to, deceived, taken advantage of, and stolen from.
I had moved to Naples because they were in dire need of teachers and I thought I could help. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!
I now read in the Naples News that a family that had the same problem in Pulte's Ave Maria development received their deposit back. Of course, they were being followed around by a CNN newscrew doing a story on the new development around the new Catholic University.
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