"Ebby Has a Role In This... I will do what is right."
-Ann Steging, Office Manager, Ebby Halliday Realtors. Apparently she did what was "right" to help Ebby's bottom line.
We already have little doubt that Ebby Halliday would like this web site to go away. But we are very persistent people and we can assure you this will not happen until our problems are resolved. We welcome your comments either positive or negative in our forum section.
Our story is a sad story caused by the poor performance of our agent (Rob Cook Jr.), the poor peformance of an inspection company selected by our agent (TOL-MARK CO.) and a disclosure statement that failed to disclose much of anything. When you make a contract with a reputable real estate company, one that proudly proclaims the "'cream of the crop' in office management and staff, " you should expect their agents to be working in your best interests. They are, in fact obligated to do so.
June As young first time homebuyers we looked to Ebby Halliday to properly represent us in the most expensive investment most people make. We went to the Plano office of Ebby Halliday located on 7224 Independence Parkway and met with Rob Cook Jr. After shaking hands we entered into a contract with him as our exclusive agent. This is where our story begins.
Rob's Sales Pitch:
"I will provide you with the professional, experienced and committed Ebby Holliday Realtor team effort, that is recognized world-wide, which will serve your needs in finding a new home, or selling a current home or both! My staff and I put you first to make your move a rewarding and satisfying experience. Our teamwork approach allows us to provide excellent service and expertise. Our commitment to you, our knowledge of the real estate market and our availability in assisting you gives you service that will exceed your expectations. I am a full time professional that will work for you 24/7. I am committed in helping you every step of the way in the buying or selling process; before, during, and after the sale. From corporate executives and families relocating, to the first time home buyers and seasoned movers if you desire the very best in personalized service and if you are looking for expert advice - give me a call." Put on your boots quick! See how high this ranks on our BS Meter. Is the little calendar magnet on our refrigerator Rob's definition of "service after the sale"?
UPDATE September- October
After being in our new home for two months our tiles began to fall off the master bathroom shower rendering it useless. To view the letter from Plano Tile and Marble which was submitted to Ann Steging click here. Additionally, our water heater burst in our attic and leaked through our ceiling. The home warranty company Rob recommended (Nations Residential) would not replace it under warranty as it was pre-existing and out of code. Furthermore, Wade with Pope Plumbing (Contracted by Nations Residential) indicated it should have been caught in the inspection (Note the heavy rust on picture at left), unfortunately we were made aware of this after spending $45.00 for a trip fee. We were left with an estimate for $398.21 to restore hot water to our new home. A week later after paying and installing the water heater ourselves we had hot water restored. After speaking with Rob, and e-mailing him numerous times, regarding our problems and his answer always being "it's cosmetic" or "it comes with owning a home" we pursued the issue further with his manager, Ann Steging as he refused to pursue the seller in resolving our issues. This is in stark contrast to Rob's sales pitch regarding service after the sale. Ann agreed to meet with us at our new home to view it and its numerous problems. To her credit, she gave us the illusion that we had in fact made a wise choice in selecting Ebby Halliday regardless of the performance of our agent. She verified that Ebby did have a role in this matter, along with the seller and inspector, and she "would do what was right." She also indicated she would contact the seller's agent (Century 21) in an attempt to get some of our issues resolved. This was witnessed by everyone present at our meetings. She also indicated for us to obtain bids for the problems we were having and to submit them to her so Ebby could place a dollar amount on the responsibility. Perhaps we were finally going to get resolution on our problems.
UPDATE Novemeber- December
Per Anns request we submitted bids for fixing the master bathroom shower tile and wall, bids for the double pane arched windows with voided seals, bids for rotten carpet due to the leaking shower pan, bids for the water heater which burst, bids for the A/C condensate problem, and bids for the electrical panel which nearly burned down our new home. These bids were submitted to Ebby which in turn forwarded them to a law firm in the Dallas area.'Newsom, Terry & Newsom' did nothing other than to dance around our questions and reply with little more thought than how to redirect responsibility soley toward the seller and inspector. Keep in mind all of these problems existed prior to closing, were not caught by the inspection company Rob selected, were not repaired per our contract (Even though we were supplied with false reciepts), or were supposed to have already been repaired per the seller's disclosure. These issues could have been prevented had our agent, working in our best intrests, performed a final walkthrough 48 hours prior to close, verified all repairs had been properly performed, and provided his "professional expertise" rather than make a quick sale. To date, we have yet to get resolution on Ebby's role in our problems. We feel 5 months of asking for help is far more than sufficient. For the reasons listed on this site we are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the Texas Real Estate Commission against Rob Cook (Ebby Halliday Realtors), and TOL-MARK Home Inspection. As new things come about we will update this site.
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