Calatlantic Homes

Contracted to have a new home built, worst experience ever. While at closing they were tearing the back out the of cabinets in our master bathroom on the 2nd floor due to a major leak that would take months to resolve and only after hiring an attorney at our expense due to no response to numerous calls, emails, and certified letters sent to the corporate office.

What started out as our “Dream home” turned into the worst nightmare experience we ever encountered. When they did finally start repairs numerous builder deficiencies were uncovered such as our grading was not done properly which was allowing the pavers to slide away from the house, 8 foot sliders were taken out ,ceilings on the interior and exterior front and rear patios was opened up as well as the living room, walls were completely removed, entire cabinets replaced and 9 months of ongoing repairs that my wife was literally held hostage at home due to the incompetence of the builder. Have filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General Office due to failure to disclose the major water leak that they were aware of while we were at closing at their office in Winter Park.

Buyer beware....Pictures included were ongoing during the 9 months of construction after we closed on a newly built home..... Buyer beware..

If you would like to hear more about our nightmare feel free to email me, glad to share our experience danstockslager@***.com

My family closed on our new home Mar 16th 2018. We were not allowed to delay closing until all of the punch list was completed, of course we have had that list thrown in our face several times by the builder as they claim it was all completed.

Let me just list some of the defective items:

-A/C Unit won't cool the home, unit isn't big enough according to pros

-Cracking foundation

-Screws and nails are popping through the drywall

-upstairs walkway is bouncing when I walk on it, it is open to the floor below

-MBR tub doesn't get hot water, but the shower will scald your skin

-Irrigation was not buried and must be buried 8 inches per code

-Sod wasn't installed correctly, lost of missing holes and gaps between sod

-Sod wasn't wheeled out and is dying off

-Windows aren't sealing, dust if blowing through the seals and collecting in piles inside on the sill

-Walls aren't straight or flat, not a single one

-Stair steps all seem to be breaking on the edges, the edge of each stair bends under the carpet

-iWired installed a wall tube that isn't big enough to get an HDMI cable through

-iWired installed speaker jacks into the walls and put covers over them, even though the design I signed off on had no jacks installed

-MBR is under cooling, 78 degrees in MBR while 59 degrees downstairs in my office

-wood floor boards have gaps along the edges

-We have wall plates all over the house, for unknown reasons

-water rot damage to the frame of the sliding glass doors

-driveway has nail holes all over it where contractors shot nails into concrete

-driveway has cracks through the slab already

-front steps have cracks through them already

-windows that can't even open have dust blowing through the edges

-carpet is so thin that my kids keep getting nail cuts from the tack strips that they use along the edges

-Local code enforcement has started to get involved as it looks like these new houses weren't built to meet fire codes

-I've had to re-do all the network cables because none of them worked and I don't think they used CAT5e cable for all the cables

-tiles behind my MBR tub are broken or missing, but filled in with grout

-MBR shower has two different colors of grout

My home wasn't cheap, by my standards anyway, the purchase price was around $500k, with most houses in my neighborhood selling for more. Yet the trim is garbage mdf throughout the entire house, the furnace is almost the cheapest model offered by Bryant, the A/C isn't big enough to cool the home, the handrails are all wobbly already, the stair rail feels like it might give out if somebody ever needs to really lean on it, no garage door opener, front door has already had to be repaired, no garage door weather stripping, during a recent rain storm the gutters were useless as the water just rushed over the edge of the house and wasn't directed into the gutters at all. I can go on and on with the problems in my new home, but I also don't want my blood pressure elevated all day long either.

If I had to do it over again I simply wouldn't, and with Lennar buying CalAtlantic things have gotten even worse. Buyer beware, they are still building new houses all around me. I've started documenting the bad building items that I am seeing. They take pride in erecting a whole house in just 4 days, but you aren't going to have any quality when you erect a whole house that fast.

I wish I had kept my money in my pockets. I thought I was buying a dream home but I am so unhappy with my place.

I put a contract on this place last August. In order for me to have purchased this home I had to sale mine. During that time the sales office brought prospective homeowners to walk through as if there’s were no contract. I don’t understand why they did that.

I went to settlement last month. I had a walk through but a lot of things I didn’t see until I actually moved in. The hardwood floors are scratched and discolored in spots. There are small imperfections within the hardwood.

I don’t know if this is good hardwood they the builders used or not but because the house was used as a model the floors are horrible. It looks like drywall deposit ed on some of the hardwood. I have sent several emails and left messages. My driveway has a crack.

I was told the house is settling although this house is the only one on the street with a crack. The builders don’t want to fix anything. I have a window screen missing from a bedroom. The vanity in bathroom has a big scratch and I informed the builder during the walk through and it is still the same way.

They did a bad caulking job. I have paint on the bathroom floors. The front yard has mulch missing. These are just a few pictures that I have enclosed.

I have a lot more. I would never want anyone to experience what I am going through and I would never recommend anyone buy a home here. They make look good on the outside but wait until you move in the nightmare will begin. They have unfinished area behind me with a dirt trail don’t know what they are going to do with this area.

Please run and don’t buy over here.

Save your money for another house. I am a pissed customer.

I am beyond exhausted, buying a home should be exciting but this was an exorcism, I was in contact with at 20 people or more throughout the entire process from the first orientation to finally moving in, the loan process was ridiculous, documents were requested from several different agents, what the *** are they doing with the documents I sent them? And, the orientation, the first orientation, there were no flooring, no carpeting, I felt I was purchasing a home I couldn't see, colored tape everywhere, broken window and basically just a mess.

Second orientation, I was told all the colored tape would be gone and those items would be fixed or repaired, no they weren't, when I moved in I noticed that the colored tape was still there but the window was replaced.

When I called the New Home Consultant to complain about the colored tape, he said that I would have to submit a Request for Service Form but they may not fix it......what? The repairs are repairs that were suppose to be repaired when I had orientation.

Cheaply and very poorly made townhome! Warning to other buyers to stay clear of Cal-Atlantic homes.

Then they sold it to another builder. Basically they made their money and threw it on another builder. Numerous complaints from other residents as well. One issue after another in the house from the start in our first bought home as a couple.

Contacted customer service and the main office for help multiple times. Some people were very helpful and others not at all. Took forever to get things some things done.

I want part of my money back. Just awful experience!

Potential and current buyers of CalAtlantic: DON'T BUY A CalAtlantic HOME!!!! Learn from us, save your self money and stress, walk away before you sign any agreements with them. They will not honor the work.

We purchased my home new 18 months ago and the corbels that are holding up a small roof on our Garage is splitting and will soon fall off the side of my house. CalAtlantic also compromised our drainage when they built a home next to us last summer, I complained then and was told it would be addressed, it never was. And the rod iron fence they put in has deteriorated in 18 months,(yes rod ion fence not a wooden one). I was told that the company that put the fence knew that the fence was compromised but opted to use it anyway.

Here is CalAtlantic response:

I have received your customer service request in regards to the color and paint on the rod iron fence as well as the wooden corbels above your garage. It appears that you are outside of your 1 year workmanship warranty. The only things that are still covered would be in regards to systems (Electrical HVAC, Plumbing) which is covered up to 2 years. As well as anything structural that is covered up to 10 years. This would also exclude the drainage problem, the only exception to this would be if it was documented prior to closing (in the New Home Orientation).

We purchased a spec home from Calatlantic. They used a product for our bathroom vanities that cannot be cleaned with any bathroom products. Because I did not know that, the finish on my vanities has been ruined. Calatlantic basically said "tough luck" and that even if the vanity was refinished, there was only a 50% chance that the finish would be restored.

Who uses a product in a bathroom that can only be cleaned with soapy water? Bathrooms have germs and have to be disinfected.

I also had a problem with my sub floor. there was a gap between a seam that was an inch wide and caused a dip when you walked on it. This took over four months for them to address.

They are unwilling to help. Too bad they are now Lennar and the biggest home constructor in the US.