Hhn Homes

[AggieTailG8r]

What is the concensus on HHN Homes? Has anybody heard anything good or bad about them?

[gwilson]

I've never heard of them, but that doesn't mean anything. There are lots of small/low volume builders.

Just do a Google search and see what gives. The TRCC website is also a good place to look. (TRCC = Texas Residential Construction Commission)

[HoustonRealtor]

What is the concensus on HHN Homes? Has anybody heard anything good or bad about them?

HHN has built alot of townhomes inside the loop, particularly in the Rice Military/Washington Corridor area. I haven't heard anything bad about them. Their products are popular and finishes are what alot of buyers are looking for. They offer some good incentives, so make sure that you aren't missing out on them if you buy.

[Leon]

They bought a lot of lots in the Montrose area in the last 2 years and started building townhomes (I think previously they were focused more on Rice Military and adjacent areas). I own a house near two of their sites and I am yet to see a single one sell (admittedly most have not been finished yet). I would be concerned about their financial position considering that they paid a lot of $$ for that land and that TH market slowed down a lot in the last 12 months. So I would not buy anything from them unless it's done. Otherwise, there is always a risk to be stuck with an unfinished house and bankrupt builder. Because they are so heavily focused on areas with expensive land and slowing market, they could be very succeptible to any liquidity problem (drying up in construction financing etc). All that being said, I do not have inside knowledge about this company.

[TheNiche]

So I would not buy anything from them unless it's done. Otherwise, there is always a risk to be stuck with an unfinished house and bankrupt builder.

As a general rule, it is an exceedingly bad idea to buy an unfinished home from any builder/developer under any conceivable circumstances. Frankly, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a bank that would allow a consumer to do this.

The correct course of action is to put the unfinished home under contract. If the seller is unable to deliver the home as promised, the earnest money reverts back to the buyer.

[Scott08]

I looked at some of their townhouses in Shady Acres a couple of years ago when new. Overly neutral and granitized for me, nothing outstanding architecturally, but build quality looked decent.

[jgs1419]

I would be concerned about their financial position [ ], they could be very succeptible to any liquidity problem (drying up in construction financing etc).

-I think HHN's parent company (or large equity investor) is Redstone. You could find out the name of the LP partners from the Secretary of State.

-568 homes registered with the TRCC, no complaints to date. Since the TRCC data is about three-four years old that means they build about 150 to 200 units a year.

[ChandoJMC]

Personally, I thought HHN was one of the better townhome builders out there. Coming from a family that oddly seems to love to design and build their own homes, I think I have a fairly decent eye for build quality. I liked the quality construction (visited a few developments in framing and drywall stages) and they really seem to have good quality insulation practices, which is a plus for the Houston market. Most builders these days use Tyvek wrap, R-13 wall insulation, etc. etc., so don't let them fool you with these "outstanding" features. All in all they seemed to be a solid mid-grade build and they looked to pay attention to the right details construction-wise.

Interior finishes, however, were lacking in my point of view. Little touches like cheap cheap ceiling fans, cheesy slide-in range/cooktop combos, solid panel doors, plain 1x4 floor trim, and non name-brand plumbing hardware really bothered me. Sure all of that is replaceable, but I would expect more from their pricing. Builders like InTown and Tricon seem to get it right, but they are usually $10-20k more than HHN or others. I wouldn't go with a fly-by-night'er or a Waterhill home by any means. Good Luck!

[diggity]

I would be concerned about their financial position considering that they paid a lot of $$ for that land and that TH market slowed down a lot in the last 12 months. So I would not buy anything from them unless it's done.

They're doing just fine. They're one of the larger (and better) builders inside the loop in Houston.

[dalparadise]

I had an HHN townhouse in the West End, purchased new in 2001. My overall impression of them was mixed, in light of some issues with the home. Their customer service was excellent and the repair response after the sale was satisfactory. I also found the fixtures, trim, cabinetry and other details to be excellent -- at least in my home, which was a mid-level unit for its area.

The issues:

Six months in I discovered a slow water leak behind a wall on the third floor from the small puddle it made on the floor that finally penetrated the wall. They ripped the wall open, fixed the leak and treated it with bleach, then let it dry out for several days. The supervisor checked it out personally several times and I was satisfied the issue was resolved, but always wondered about possible mold or rotting problems that might develop from that. Needless to say, it wasn't the best first impression of the builder.

After 18 months, the compressor in the upstairs (bedrooms) AC lost its charge of coolant -- in the heat of summer. Under warranty, after four days of sleeping on the couch, HHN sent the original contractor, who installed it, over to fix it. He patched it poorly and recharged it, but worsened the damage in the process. It leaked out again after a few days and we were back on the couch to escape the 90-degree nights. This time, I called the owner of the AC shop (sub contractor for HHN) and he informed me that the no-name units they put in my home were the absolute cheapest ones made and that he didn't recommend trying to fix it, but to replace it.

At this, I raised hell with one of the principals of HHN, who had a technician out there that day to replace the key element that was damaged. He also contacted the sub contractor himself -- mostly to protect his business -- but also to satisfy me and to restart my warranty, fresh.

I balanced my disdain for the cheap AC units with the good service I got from HHN and netted out about even on that ordeal.

After a couple of years, they bought up some adjacent property and built more townhouses. My opinion of this second phase was that they put about 20% more of the three-story units than the land should allow. It made my narrow street an out-of-scale canyon, with units too close to the street, no setbacks and flat elevations. The neighborhood lost a lot of its promise of charm, which was there when we bought originally.

The good side is, that despite there still being a lot of construction in the area, I was able to sell my townhouse after only two and a half years and still make a modest profit. I wasn't dying to get out of it, I just found a great deal on a house I really wanted. I was pleased I didn't take a hit on the HHN house.

As for financials, they are backed by Redstone and are more solid than most. They do seem to build solidly and the finishes in my unit were very luxurious. The plumbing and HVAC were shoddy, in my opinion, which was not HHN, but their choice of sub contractors. And they did a good job of standing by their product before and after the sale.

Overall, I give them a C+, which is lower than I had hoped, but not as bad as I've heard others have experienced in my same price range.

[HHNpartner]

What is the concensus on HHN Homes? Has anybody heard anything good or bad about them?

[HHNpartner]

After composing a more complete post and only finding this forum today, what I thought I uploaded is lost somewhere out there.

In brief,

As a owner/partner of HHN Homes, I welcome you to call me (1-888-713-HOUSE ext "0") or email lbrastew@hhnhomes.com 7 days a week.

We are a hands on company from the top down and do not hide behind our employees and have always welcomed the oppportunity to speak or meet directly with our homeowners during and after their home buying.

We are financially strong, committed to build homes that are affordable and to carefully listen to what people say about us, in an effort to improve.

Read these posts, gather your information, and then call me directly to talk, meet at a model, and hear it directly from the horse's mouth. As I say at the end of every home closing to our buyers, "Call me, we are not going anywhere". I meant it then and I mean it now, if you have questions about HHN, want to meet with one of the owners/partners, and learn more about us...Call me.

1-888-713-HOUSE (ext "0")

lbrastew@hhnhomes.com

www.hhnhomes.com

Linda B. Stewart

Owner/Partner

[amadeuz]

After composing a more complete post and only finding this forum today, what I thought I uploaded is lost somewhere out there.

In brief,

As a owner/partner of HHN Homes, I welcome you to call me (1-888-713-HOUSE ext "0") or email lbrastew@hhnhomes.com 7 days a week.

We are a hands on company from the top down and do not hide behind our employees and have always welcomed the oppportunity to speak or meet directly with our homeowners during and after their home buying.

We are financially strong, committed to build homes that are affordable and to carefully listen to what people say about us, in an effort to improve.

Read these posts, gather your information, and then call me directly to talk, meet at a model, and hear it directly from the horse's mouth. As I say at the end of every home closing to our buyers, "Call me, we are not going anywhere". I meant it then and I mean it now, if you have questions about HHN, want to meet with one of the owners/partners, and learn more about us...Call me.

1-888-713-HOUSE (ext "0")

lbrastew@hhnhomes.com

www.hhnhomes.com

Linda B. Stewart

Owner/Partner

As I have been accused of only posting in my own thread, I've decided to take the big step of posting in other threads to enhance my "credibility." Now this post is what I am talking about. A homebuilder who appears to be committed to customer service and does not want to hide behind a legion of sales reps and attorneys. You can tell company's who care about their reputation when they check forums like these and actually post on them. Although, I've only walked through a few HHN homes, outward quality seems to be good. But more importantly, the company owners seem willing to talk face to face with potential buyers. This is always a good sign. Bravo, HHN and Linda! You've made my short list of homebuilding companies to recommend.

[linyer]

-I think HHN's parent company (or large equity investor) is Redstone. You could find out the name of the LP partners from the Secretary of State.

-568 homes registered with the TRCC, no complaints to date. Since the TRCC data is about three-four years old that means they build about 150 to 200 units a year.

This is no commentary on this builder at all-just FYI on TRCC.

Just because there are no complaints listed on the TRCC website, do not think all is well.

The Sunset Commission recently concluded that TRCC should be abolished. The Sunset has been inundated with complaints on builders that TRCC has not addressed or closed out with homes falling apart.

Sunset oversees all other commissions in Tx.

One can go to Homeowners for Better Building to see continued reports and articles referring to TRCC.

Is Redstone connected with other Redstone investments as well as the Redstone Golf Course?

[dalparadise]

Is Redstone connected with other Redstone investments as well as the Redstone Golf Course?

The Redstone Companies is the operator of The Houstonian Hotel, Trellis Spa, The Houstonian Club, The Houstonian Country Club, Shadowhawk Country Club, Blackhorse Country Club and Redstone Golf Club.

Redstone Financial Group (also part of The Redstone Companies) is an investment banking firm with interests in HHN homes, Cafe Express, fast food franchises and other businesses in the area. They typically buy interests in distressed companies, re-org them and grow them to be profitable again. Redstone and everything they touch seem to be first-rate all the way. They are truly one of the finest companies in Houston.

[linyer]

The Redstone Companies is the operator of The Houstonian Hotel, Trellis Spa, The Houstonian Club, The Houstonian Country Club, Shadowhawk Country Club, Blackhorse Country Club and Redstone Golf Club.

Redstone Financial Group (also part of The Redstone Companies) is an investment banking firm with interests in HHN homes, Cafe Express, fast food franchises and other businesses in the area. They typically buy interests in distressed companies, re-org them and grow them to be profitable again. Redstone and everything they touch seem to be first-rate all the way. They are truly one of the finest companies in Houston.

I have had the pleasure of meeting one of the heads of this company and his family through a set of funny circumstances at the Shell Open. ( I will not go into how so I do not embarass anyone). But the family is first rate and they treated my family and myself wonderfully. I still see them each year at the Open. It is not my place to endorse any company since I did not purchase their product but I can see why customer service may be so good. Again, no endorsement just exceptionally nice people.

[Phil MacNaughton]

HHN built the house I live in. I've also purchased several townhouses from HHN as rental properties and to defer gain recognition under Section 1031. Architectural work and build quality is above average and finishes are excellent. They've developed a great online warranty submission tool; the couple of times I had issues, I emailed them through their website and by about 9:00 the next morning someone would call me already working on resolving the issue. As far as I'm concerned (and after about 10 transactions), HHN is the gold standard both in product quality and service quality.