9 months and now what

[Annette Thomason]

Suggestions please. Sorry about the length of post. Thanks in advance.
December Land/home package from Dick Moore Housing (DM) Put down $2500.00--$2400.00 on home/$100.00 on land FHA financing Asked for vinyl skirting because I wanted to put field stone skirting under the home as finances permitted. Was told there would be no problem with that.
January Rain
February Staked where I wanted home. This was after numerous attempts to call the developer and realty company I purchased the land through for assistance for the boundaries, with no return phone calls. The person who poured the piers was present when the developer pulled up my stakes and moved them. I was not notified there was a problem with the placement. The piers were poured. I stopped the progress at this point, the home was not going to be placed where I wanted it.
March Contacted the septic inspector. Had him come out to the property. He told me that I could have put the home within 10 feet of where I originally wanted it. Had DM move the piers. Compromised with DM so as to reduce his cost.
April
May DM told Countrywide the home was ready for closing. This was not true. There was no AC installed, no front steps, no skirting, the tongue was still on, and no electricity installed. I was told then that I had to get electricity and water. Put up $500.00 to get water and meter to property (05/03/2005) and checked on getting the electricity. I was told we could not get electricity until AC was set. AC finally set. Had to tell DM 3 times to get the state inspector out to inspect it after they got the AC set.
June/July Got electricity (06/17/2005) on but they were going to turn off the electricity here in 5 days. Told DM we were going to have it turned back off until the inspection date. DM put up deposit to keep it on. Did walk through/around. Found broken windows, busted walls, crinkled siding, cock-eyed doors, sticking doors, missing closet door, a closet wall coming apart, missing trim, and the deck was curling. Told DM these things had to be repaired before we could close on the home. DM told me that the factory would fix most of this after we closed and I told them that was unacceptable. Dick Moore himself threatened legal action. I again compromised with them. They fixed the walls, the crinkled siding, the deck, most of the missing trim, and the broken windows. They replaced the back door with a door that now has no dead bolt and that will not stay shut. The closet wall is still coming apart and the closet door is still missing and most of the inside doors are rubbing/sticking/hard to open and/or shut.
August Finally, we get told we are approved for the loan. We will close around mid August. HUD inspector comes out. No water. $500.00 and no water, who'd a thought?!? HUD inspector turns it down due to no water and because it has VINYL SKIRTING, which DM sold to me for an additional $1700.00, even though this inspector has told DM that vinyl will not pass HUD inspections. Tried to call DM and was told the person handling all of this was in a meeting. Countrywide left her emails to call me and still nothing.

[rmurray]

Ouch...Sounds like no construction loan??????..You are lucky is so....Does your paperwork mention FHA finance..If your purchase agreement does..your dealer will have to retrofit the home to meet FHA specs(which cost way more than $1700)...The skirting has to be block or brick in most cases....

The problem with the water if simple...probably NO line from the meter to the house..tap fees only bring the water to the edge of the home..Of course the dealer knows this and should have run the line or advised you to do so...Will cost about $1.25 per foot from the meter to the home...

FHA also will requirer a mortgage survey.....FHA inspectors reports...All steps will have to be cemented into the ground...there will have to be a termite treatment... little late now..but some bug guys will do it after home is built...power will have to be to the house and on when the FHA inspector inspects the home...This fellow should have inspected the foundation twice when it was being built...The dealer lied when he said the factory will fix the problems you mention..all sound like dealer responsibility...Call the factory yourself and be sure they will back you up....Might be as good time to get legal help....It is hard to believe there is any dealer left so uneducated about the FHA..which is the program the largest number of folks actually use...His treats of legal action are worthless....It might help you..know judge would back up him in this type of situation..Just refuse to sign anything until all is right..you have compromised way too much...Be sure your personal payments stay up to date your lender will recheck your credit just before the close...

Good Luck...If your attorney is good..he will be able to get this dealer to pay for your added costs..such as living out of a box...This dealer will also have to acquire a 2/10 warranty...to meet FHA rules...

[Annette Thomason]

I believe you are right about the loan, DM has the loan, not me. It was supposed to be a 90 day loan, ha ha. I am not sure about the paperwork mentioning FHA but I do know it mentions 3%, which is a FHA loan, as far as I can find out.
The developer installed the water from the meter, the septic and field lines, etc., it has had the termite stuff, everything else you mentioned.
I called Southern Energy about the repairs and the person I talked to told me the same thing. Live in the home for a month, make a list of all repair items, we will fix everything at once. But if these things were fixed before I moved in, there might not be any other items???? I don't understand all that. This is a NEW double wide home, why should there be repairs needed?
Thank you.
Annette

[jgn]

Annette, It is not uncommon for any home to need repairs, it would be uncommon for them not to, and that goes for new site built or MH. I have owned thirteen homes of which two were new homes and both the builders did the same thing. They repaired the items that affect living in the home like to turn on the upstairs bathroom light you used the downstairs kitchen switch and a few other items that were just not right. We lived the houses for a month and kept a list, on day 31 we had every trade that worked on the house in and all of the items on the list were fixed. There are things you will not notice unless you live in the house so this is a good policy but it requires trust in the builder that they will show up and in your case you have a history of a non-trustworthy dealer so get everything in writing from the builder and the dealer.

[rmurray]

Land seller has not gotten his money yet..what are they saying?? If the dealer took a loan in his name..he owns the land now..not you...of course you would have had to sign a release somewhere along the line...It is true that FHA requires 3% down..often downpayment assistant programs are used...and down can be nothing...

What is the dealer saying about the underpinning...he will never close with Countrywide if he does not set the home right..they are tough...This time delay could cost you fortunes of money...rates are not locked in at this time unless you have paid Countrywide..a fee...They could well go up by closing....They will actually be whatever they are the day of closing...

[Mark]

>...All steps will have to be cemented into the ground...there will have to be a >termite treatment... little late now..but some bug guys will do it after home is >built...power will have to be to the house and on when the FHA inspector >inspects the home

Guess it depends on the inspector.
My steps aren't cemeted, they are just your standard mobile home steps that can be pulled away (and I've done so to move heavy furnishing in/out).
Home also didn't have power when inspected, foundation was open (crawlspace opening as well as huge opening around heat pump ductwork), allowing water to flow in, etc.

Without a definative list for consumers that says this IS what will be done, we are at the mercy of the dealers and inspectors.

[rmurray]

Sorry Maek...Some FHA inspectors are a little loose...I have had them tell me to put the potable steps you mention on concrete blocks..One inspector advised me to get garden step stone and put under steps to meet the requirment...FHA foundation inspector will not check for a water tightr foundation...but you do have a problem that must be fixed....FHA inspector usually require the power to be on just to sure the home is complete.....Which is a requirment of a final FHA inspection......Power does not have to be on.....

Mark the foundation must not allow water under the home...This will be in your set up manual from Horton.....If I remember right you are in GA..If so call the fire marshall's office and file a complaint....Inpsections are getting much more complicated....NOW the fire marshall makes spot checks of the set ups and local inspectors in GA...Moisture is the highest priority now with all the concern about mold.....

We even had one local guy require we do a preasure test of the sewer lines this week to make sure they were not leaking...That one was new to me....