high quality??

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Recently, Jon Cherry, Division President for Pulte Homes Southeast Division, said: “Pulte Homes/Del Webb takes pride in our reputation in the building industry and our track record of building high quality homes.“

Construction problems with Pulte houses are well documented on this blogsite and on many websites (e.g., http://www.hadd.com/respond.php, http://www.suncityblufftonhomedefectclaims.com/index.asp, http://camplemonadestand.com/defectssuncitySC.htm, http://www.justanotherlemon.com/CCFL/pulte.htm, http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/story/3697205/, http://www.poorlybuiltbypulte.info/, etc.).

Bill Pulte, founder and Chairman of Pulte Homes, said in an interview with public radio:

“RYSSDAL: When you go to somebody's house, whether it's for dinner or for some function or an event, what's a sign to you that it's a well-built house?

PULTE: You really can't tell because all you're seeing is the cosmetic finishes, which doesn't really make a good house. That's where a lot of people go wrong. They think that the cosmetic finishes make a good house or the better house. It starts with understanding what the soil the house is going to go on. You must understand what that soil is and secondly you must build the foundation. Third is the framing structure has to be correctly built. Then the correct mechanical system, meaning plumbing and heating; they got to be in correctly, and the wiring has got to be in correctly. The roof is the next important thing, because if you have a bad roof it's going to leak. And then the least important is the cosmetic finishes that you see but it isn't really the important stuff because I could take a good shell and do a miserable job with the finish -- people won't like it as well, or I can take a lousy shell and do a good job with the finish and people love it except when they've lived in it a few years and all of a sudden you've got a lot of problems."

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/07/28/bill_pulte/

Here’s my reply to Mr. Pulte:

Ah, well, YES, Mr. Pulte, cosmetic finishes don’t make a good house. And, YES, you must understand the soil and the foundation for the house. Or else, the foundation slab may crack, or, worse yet, the house may sink. And, YES, the framing must be built correctly, including putting in bracing and hurricane clips on roof truss connections in a hurricane-prone area. And, YES, a bad roof is going to leak. I can PERSONALLY vouch for this one! This is GREAT advice! Why doesn’t your company follow it?

And, YES, Mr. Pulte, you can take a lousy shell and do a good job with the finish and people love it except when they've lived in it a few years and all of a sudden you've got a lot of problems. And, Mr. Pulte, what would you say about the quality of such a house?



Here's what a County tax examiner had to say about the quality of a Pulte house:

from http://www.justanotherlemon.com/CCFL/pulte.htm

Decision of hearing officer:

"The County valued the subject property at $138,000 for tax year 2008, taking into account $156,030 in repairs to the structure of the home. The home was built in June 2006 for $294,130. Using the cost approach, the County valued the home at $266,730. The home is a conventional ranch home with 2,244 square feet of total living area located in "Model 32 Upscale" on 10,890 square feet of land. The land was valued at $59,090. The County's comparables were located in the subject property's subdivision.

The Taxpayer refuted the County's evaluation based on the severity of problems with the home. The Taxpayer presented repair reports from 4 engineering firms indicating the home was improperly built. Robert J. Chapman, an engineer consultant who holds a B.S. and graduate work in Industrial Technology Management for Manufacturing and Construction, testified the home has experience structural demise and needs to be torn down. He asserted, in his professional opinion, it is impossible to correct the foundation and structural problems. The Tax payer did not dispute the County's valuation of the lot. Mr. Chapman asserted the value of the subject property should take into account the cost of $20,000 to $25,000 for tear down and back fill to prevent a sink hole, but he did not have a report or cost estimate documenting these expenses. Mr. Chapman estimated the value of the subject property (including land) at $30,000.

The Hearing Officer concludes the Taxpayer's testimony and evidence showed the subject property will need a full rebuild. Further, the Hearing Officer cannot use the informal estimates for tear down and back fill. Based on the weight of the evident, the Hearing Officer concludes the value should be the cost of the land only at $59,090. "
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Anthem, Nevada

Judge releases 322 homeowners from class-action plumbing lawsuit
Sun City MacDonald Ranch duplex owners settled for $11.6 million in 2007
Richard Brian

(photo) This faulty Ipex water pipe fitting was taken from a Pulte home in Anthem. The corroded fittings can cause declining water pressure and leaks.

By Jeff Pope
Mon, Dec 15, 2008 (2:33 p.m.)

A District Court judge has agreed to release 322 owners of duplexes in Sun City MacDonald Ranch from a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit regarding faulty plumbing.

The owners had been part of a separate construction defect lawsuit that settled in 2007 in which developer Del Webb Communities Inc., and its 34 subcontractors, paid more than $11.6 million.

read more and check out the photo at http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/dec/15/judge-releases-322-homeowners-class-action-plumbin/
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high quality? I don't think so.

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