**Major Bump**
I'll probably be known here as the Yorba Linda guy who always posts on TI! 8)
Ironically, as I was driving home from work today, I get a call from the Preserve. Interested to see what they had to say, I let it go to voicemail. Isn't she nice? She left me a voicemail to give me a headstart and the honor to "put in an offer" on Lot 22 (Brookside Interior Lot, no view, but on a cul de sac). It's framed and they're doing electrical and ready for an October closing. She clearly didn't listen to me when I first walked in there almost 2 months ago when I said I needed a Feb 2012 or later closing date. Anyways, I digress. Here is my own personal experience with them.
When I first went in there, I didn't have a broker. I walked through the 2 models (Petaluma and Riveria). Petaluma is the better of the two but still has it's awkwardness. It's approx 2500 sq ft, 3 bd, 2.5ba.It has an option for a downstairs bedroom, but it costs $14k to add that option. The models are decked out even more so than other models at other communities (at least $120k+ in options and some of them are designer features you can't even get). So i watched and waited and then came a Petaluma View Lot. When I first inquired about the view lots, they had $50k premiums on it like "firsttimer" posted in February. For the past 2-3 months, it's been jacked up to 90k! Sooo as the economy got worse, they inflated their premium price and didn't budge on the home price and have no incentives. Doesn't make sense to me. Anyways, the lot was (and still is) going for $710k + $90k = $800k for a 2500 sq ft home with NO options. I first presented an offer at 730k. Some may say it was too low, but hey, for the record, I asked her face to face, if 730 would be an insulting offer and if so, let's not waste eachother's time. I guess she gets a bonus for every offer she submits, because their corporate office didn't even give me a counter, in fact, it took 9 days to get a no-counter response back. 9 days! Okay, so I waited a couple of weeks, got a broker and used her as the middleman to submit my subsequent offer of 750k. Still nothing. I feel like i'm playing Deal or No Deal by myself and the banker left for lunch. Remembering that this is a BUYER'S market, and they didn't want to come to the table, I walked. They seemed 110% confident that they would sell it for $800k...This was 4 weeks ago...fast forward to today? Still sitting there alongside all their other inventory homes. They have homes they've slashed because the floorplan is really inconvenient. Check out their Riveria and you'll know what I mean. It's kind of sad how they can call that "nook" a full blown dining area...
http://www.tollbrothers.com/homesearch/servlet/HomeSearch?app=model_floorplans&plan_id=52480
Here's the kicker that I didn't llke, so I'm driving home and she decides to call me trying to pitch me to Brookside. Not wanting to tell her right off the bat that I'm already in contract at Greenbrier, I ask a few more questions. After I've gotten enough info, I tell her I went to contract on a Plan 1 at Greenbrier. Man, did she ever take the MBK name and drag it through the mud. VERY unprofessional. Sure she wasn't super mean, but it was that snippy attitude that implied that MBK is no competition to Toll Brothers and that I got ripped off. That's what hit the wrong nerve. She tried to compare a 2500sq ft, 3bd 2.5 ba, zero lot line view home with my 3125sqft 4bd +loft, 3 bath, that sits on a bigger lot with side and backyards. Her home came with NO incentives. I got $20k+ of incentives and upgrades (upgraded flooring, Viking 6 burner range, and the 4th bedroom conversion for only a $9k bump vs. the standard $18k conversion cost). You don't have to be a mathematician to figure that out. The location of the two developments are RIGHT next to each other, so it's not like she can say her development has a better location than mine. She straight up bashed MBK's quality of homes. I'm team-mbk now, so i was offended not only for them, but also as an individual as she was indirectly insulting my intelligence literally saying that I made a horrible decision and that I did not get a good deal. Who says that?! Then she has the audacity to say, "if it doesn't work out over there for whatever reason, give me a call, i'd love to get you into one of our homes..." Really? I'd rather stay in my 700sq ft box condo than go back to The Preserve...
After that tense phone call, I felt compelled to call my ever so nice saleslady at Greenbrier and inform them of their trash talking. The only reason I did this was because when I first told my greenbrier rep that I went to the Preserve before, she was being all nice and had nothing but positive things to say about the company, development and salesladies, when in reality, Toll Brothers will talk sh*t about MBK to get a sale. Word out is that Greenbrier has stolen a lot of their buyers! I'm proud to say I was one of them.
Lessons Learned: Be wary of the preserve. There are decent deals out there if you can put up with their awkward floorplans, zero lot lines and stubborness/cocky-ness of a corporate office. They apparently have not read the news or are aware of the current financial situation of our country / housing industry. They have the same lots as 6 weeks ago and sales are slow, but don't take that as a cue that they will give you a great deal. Be careful. Ask lots of questions and get everything in writing. I found out from their agreement that they don't have a financial contingency clause. So you better not lose your job before you close escrow.....or else say bye bye to your deposit.
Just FYI--Not all my posts are negative reviews of communities. See my Greenbrier review.
I also do like Las Ventanas in PS; Taylor Morrison Sales team was very nice and responsive! I was waiting for a Phase 6/7, but the No Mello Roos or HOA's of Yorba Linda tipped the scales for me.
