The Home Company

mstlc · Post by **mstlc** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:54 am

Does anyone know much about this home builder? After extensive emailings and meetings with them, my husband and I are fairly sure we'll have them build our new home, but I'm just wondering if anyone has heard anything more "underground" about them. The President and VP are former employees of the now defunct Hearthstone Homes, and they have a "production mentality" similar to Hearthstone and Celebrity but with more custom options. I'm weary of this but my husband has been impressed with the building quality seen in their in-progress homes we've walked through. They also can build in any custom neighborhood, as opposed to in a specific community, unlike Celebrity.

It seems like a safe investment and we have lots of flexibility with the floor plan we chose (and man, are we paying for it - they've upped their prices significantly) but they've only been building for about a year and a half, and I was hoping maybe someone here might know someone who lives in a current Home Company home or any other info surrounding the company.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 12:12 pm

If it was me I'd ask the builder for a list of homes they have built, names of customers and phone numbers so I could call and ask for references, I'd contact the better business bureau and ask if there were any complaints, check with the city and ask if there were any complaints, etc. This is probably the biggest investment you'll make. Any businessperson worth his/her salt would have no problem coming up with references. I'd also suggest having your attorney (you DO have an attorney looking over any contracts, right?) do some checking to see if there are/were any lawsuits filed against the company or its owners.

But that's just me...

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:58 pm

I would have to agree with Bob. From touring TONS of homes (as I love to do) - I also work in the Real Estate Appraisal area. I have knowledge in building materials and how things work. Things I look for: 1. No flex duct (its usually crimped on or around joists - this causes a loss in efficiency). 2. I'd still stick with copper water lines. 3. Does the floor sound hollow? 4. Width of stairs (usually stair size tells you the quality of the home, wider stairs = better quality of home).

I'm not sure what type of home your looking for or price range, but here are some other options.

Boulevard Homes, http://www.boulevardhomesomaha.com/
Sierra Homes, http://www.sierrahomesomaha.com/
Widhalm Custom, http://www.widhalmcustomhomes.com/
Showcase Homes, http://showcasehomesomaha.com/
McCaul Homes, http://mccaulhomes.com/
Fireside Homes, http://www.firesideomaha.com/

The Home Company is better than Legacy Homes, which is better than Celebrity by an inch.

guitarguy · Post by **guitarguy** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:09 pm

mcarch wrote:I would have to agree with Bob. From touring TONS of homes (as I love to do) - I also work in the Real Estate Appraisal area. I have knowledge in building materials and how things work. Things I look for: 1. No flex duct (its usually crimped on or around joists - this causes a loss in efficiency). 2. I'd still stick with copper water lines. 3. Does the floor sound hollow? 4. Width of stairs (usually stair size tells you the quality of the home, wider stairs = better quality of home).

I'm not sure what type of home your looking for or price range, but here are some other options.

Boulevard Homes, http://www.boulevardhomesomaha.com/
Sierra Homes, http://www.sierrahomesomaha.com/
Widhalm Custom, http://www.widhalmcustomhomes.com/
Showcase Homes, http://showcasehomesomaha.com/
McCaul Homes, http://mccaulhomes.com/
Fireside Homes, http://www.firesideomaha.com/

The Home Company is better than Legacy Homes, which is better than Celebrity by an inch.

Gosh you must get interesting looks from people acting like that!

Votedave1 · Post by **Votedave1** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:19 am

MSTLC- We thank you very much for considering us as your builder! You are correct-our prices have gone up in the past 4 months. Just so everyone is aware, lumber prices increased 40% in the last year. That is an average of $11,000 in increased costs. Unfortunately this is affecting all builders and their pricing.

As far as quality, our third party energy rater has been amazed at our HERS ratings in the 40's and 50's. This means saving you money every month on your bills and a true testament to our quality. Also, I would be happy to put you in touch with some of our many satisfied home owners.

Dave
Owner/President
The Home Company