Newmark Homes

[ikonos]

Any one bought a home or built with Newmark homes? How is your experience? Are they good builders? Appreciate your response.

Thanks.

[HoustonRealtor]

Ikonos,

I PM'ed you the other day based on your previous post to let you know that I am a Realtor and a resident of Pearland. Let me tell you about my story...

I found that Newmark had sold a large number of homes to investors in one section they are building in. I backed out of a deal to build my own home with Newmark in Shadow Creek Ranch because over 25% of the homes on one of their streets were sold to investors and used as rentals. They gave all kinds of excuses - ranging from not knowing about, to flat out denying it, to blaming a former salesperson that had "connections to investors". I've done my research in MLS and I know the exact addresses that are rentals, so there is no denying what has happened. They tried to tell me that it wouldn't be happening in the section that I was building in, and then a few days later, a brand new home was for lease...before the first resident had even moved in to that section! Since then, another home was also put up for lease. Only a few homes in there are owner occupied at this time. There are several still under construction and at least two that had buyers back out (one being mine, the other being the salesman's daughter!).

I understand that not everyone can buy a home, or even wants to buy one, but I can tell you that it was not my desire to spend my hard earned money to buy a home in a "rental community". I found another builder, got a bigger/better house AND worked a better deal...without ending up as a homeowner amongst a sea of renters.

As for the quality of Newmark's homes, I can't speak to that since I haven't lived in one. However, I was willing to have them build my home based on what I saw of their inventory homes, so I don't think they are a bad builder. I just think they spend too much time watching their pocketbooks and not enough time looking out for their community and their past/present/future homeowners.

[ikonos]

Hi HoustonRealtor, Thanks for your offer. I am still in the preliminary stages and am not ready to contact a realtor yet. Any way which builder did you end up with? and when was this? Thanks.

[dalparadise]

Newmark is one of the top production builders in Houston. Their quality standards, designs and involvement in their communities are all very high. They tend toward smaller communities, where they are one of three or four builders, as opposed to Shadow Creek, where they are one of about 25. So, that may explain the case listed above.

They aren't the least expensive new builder out there -- and I believe their middle range product ($220-$280K) is a better overall value than their lower ($180-220K) or higher ($280-$400K) ranges, when it comes to floorplans, finishes, locations and square footage for the money.

To me, their closest competitor is Coventry/Plantation. For similar prices, Newmark makes a much more attractive, better designed home. Build quality and construction features are probably about equal, though Newmark really touts the energy-consciousness and special environmental features of their homes.