Jim Walter Homes - Mid State Homes Mortgage manipulators ripoff Tampa Florida
We too purchased a partial built home from Jim Walters. (I am lucky it was only a partial build and I did the bulk of the work my self.) I purchased the shell with plumbing, heating and electrical installed. (1998/1999)
After a year of deciding place, time, and construction type we placed our order. It was not a spur of the moment purchase, as we searched many options and concluded the Walters Home would fill our needs.
Then the papers were signed, and then the delays began. Not bad but they did not meet original time sets. I purchased the required street cut permits, removed the exsisting trees, fence and required space for construction equipment/delvery needs.
However, Walters continued to cut through the neighbors yard as a short cut, destroying gates, fence and vegatation. I concluded early on that I was dealing with MORONS.
At least 2 men showed up to set the frame, but it took longer than estimated. No problem. I can work with that. As they did a very good job. Slow but good.
Contractor put in electrical, contract states that I will be able to use the outlets, as everything would be operational. However, Ron, the local Walters manager, had only conduit ran and no hookups, outlets, switches or other basic hardware installed. He told me he did his part, regardless of contract as 'HE' is the manager. I was told I would have to pull a new permit and get a qualified electrican to finish.
Contractor installs gas lines, and the pressure test shows it leaks. I contact the contractor and I am told to call them before the inspector gets there so they can pressure the line up to pass inspection. I researched the line and found the improper pipe connections, and repaired it my self. I am working with MORONS I keep reminding my self. Still have a conflict with electrical. Will tackle that later.
3 weeks to complete the roof, delays, delays...delay. Yet it is done and done well, I can work with that.
Ron calls and tells me the construction is complete and all permits, inspections completed, it is ok to start insulation install, dry wall install. (I should have know he was lying again). Lying MORONS, the worst kind.
I install the insulation, set up the dry wall, install electrical outlets, switches etc. Call the county for final.
County comes in and has no records of construction. No permits, no inspections on anything.
Contact Ron, Walters manager here and it's not his problem.
I am looking for my gun, the BIG ONE. Forget the the gun, I will keep it personal and use my hands.
Telephone rings, it is Netherland Homes. They have bought out Walters Homes here and would like to know how things are going.
I tell them. Next morning, the Owner of Netherland Homes is on my door step. We speak for a while and he sets out to fire, remove, and as one Walters employee told me, to send Ron to Hell.
Netherland Homes, corrected and made right the home. Hired engineers to come and verify all construction, and fulfill permits for the County, State, City. God Bless Netherland Homes, these people saved me form a prison sentence.
This is not the problem I am complaining about though. I just wanted you to know that Walters Homes may not be the best choice for any one looking for a home. If you are handy with tools and do not mind a lot of corrective work to do.
You do not mind doing most of the construction yourself, then Walters, might be a consideration. If you need a home, try Netherland Homes instead.
Here is my beef with Walters Rip Off. Everyone going through Walters should be very careful.
Walters set me up with Midstate Homes Inc.(This is a Walters company too as far as I can tell.) A real estate contract for 30 years. I ask if I could prepay principle and I was told, YES, just submit one check for regular payments and one for extra principle. I figure that I can prepay and cut 15 years off the contract. Silly me.
Everything went ok for the first several years. I submitted the checks one for extra principle, one for mortgage, as stated. Then one day, I noticed that something was wrong. I was alway 2 or more payments ahead on my mortgage. Now I was always late?
I researched my canceled checks and found out that for many months. Mid State recieved one check after the 6th of the month and the others after the 9th day or later. Both checks were sent in the same envelope, so delivery time should not be a problem of 6 to over 9 days apart.
I also tracked and noticed that no matter how early I sent the payment in, as much as 3 weeks early, Mid State never recieved the payment unitll the day after it was due. In the past from mailing time to delivery time ranged at 3 to 5 days. Now it takes weeks. To top it off, the mortgage check is one day late, the extra principle is 3 to 6 days later.
It turns out that if your mortgage payment is late, then any extra principle is applied to interest. In other words Walters just put the extra into their pocket.
Having experience with these lying morons, I started to look into refinancing. I took under a year to find the best place.
I found that Quicken Loans is the best place to go to as they have hundreds of plans to choose from. Not like your bank or local mortgage place who has their plan at one or two to choose from. All this time, no matter what, my payments are always late.
After working with Roberto Bihar at Quicken Loans, we came up with a mortgage that was set for 15 years, less interest charges than Walters, and the pay back was only $16.00 dollars more a month. (A 10 year pay off plan if I sent in extra principle.)This knocked off a little over $100,000.00 dollars off the 30 years pay off to Walters.
I told Roberto to go ahead.
I noticed that after Quicken Loans contacted Mid State for pay off information. My next mortgage payment was not only on time, but they recieved it over a week before the 6th of the month and both checks arrived at the same time. Truley amazing is it not?
I thought it was Ron ripping me off at Walters, but reading all of the ripoffs here I see it is Walters policy.
If they can not get you for the construction, they will get you with questionable finance tricks.
If you are going through Mid State (jim walters)inc. for your contract. Check it over well. If you need to refinance, look around for the best deal for you. I recomend Quicken Loans as Roberto bent over backwards and went the extra mile.
All in all, it was a learning experience. I do not know what would have happened if I had depended on Walters for the total construction. At least people were fired, and wrongs were corrected, credit going to Netherland homes.
I can only wish the best for other Walters victims. I can see no end of the rip off untill Walters is deleted from doing business.
He tried to rip me off, then tried again, but now I am free of the Walters plague.
I hope that many will follow and those who may be considering a Walters home, to please reconsider.
Thanks for your time
Jim
Albuquerque, New Mexico
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Jim Walter Homes
9 Updates & Rebuttals
Randy
Lebanon,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Got Ripped Off Too
#10Consumer Comment
Wed, July 02, 2008
With regards to Melissa, I think there is alot more unhappy ripped-off people that have delt with JW than not. They are just not on this site. I just found out about this site yesterday. We live in Virginia and had major problems with our home. It started with the paperwork and didn't end. There was problems with the construction manager,framers, electrician/plumber/HVAC person, drywall person, roofers, finish carpenters and also the ones they sent for the punch out list.
You can see all the seams in our ceilings through the drywall and the construction manager told us that when we hung curtains on our windows and blocked out the light that we wouldn't be able to see them. Some solution. They had to send someone up to work on our shingle because they did not hang over far enough for the water to drip in the gutter. Which by the way JW does not install on a finished house. The construction manager called and told us that he had 2 guys coming over the next day to fix the roof, but not to misjudge them when we saw them. He said they had piercings and tatoos all over, but they were hard workers.
They never showed up until 3 days later when nobody was home. They broke into our house and helped themselves to something to drink and snacks and left. Two days later they came back and broke in again. This time they stole alot of things from our house. We found out later that one of the guys JW sent over there was on probation for breaking and entering already.
It goes on including disagreements on payments. It don't matter what it seems like we always are behind no matter how much we send them. If our house wasn't built on my grandfather's farm which had been in our family since the early 1900's I would have let them have the house back a long time ago.
Randy
Tom
Gahanna,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Class Act
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, February 18, 2006
Jim
my name is tom. i am a mortgage broker and own my own company in florida. i read ripoff report quite often to see inside normal consumers who get taken out by the underside of an industry that could in principal be a great thing .
It is very rare however, that i find an individual who was more class than you do . You inspire me to keep faithful to my principals. I have no doubt you will go far in life . You found SOLUTIONS to problems that were put unfairly on you. You didnt just 'whine ' about it like so many on here do.
I am inspired by your story.
cheers
Cindy
Norman,Oklahoma,
U.S.A.
Melissa, If a company has a defective product or service, they need to work to correct it
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, February 18, 2006
So, what you're saying, Melissa, is that because YOU are happy with YOUR house, the people who had problems should just shut up and go away for your benefit? It doesn't work that way. If a company has a defective product or service, they need to work to correct it, regardless if it's one customer or more, who are complaining. I seriously doubt anyone would make up a complaint for fun. Why wouldn't they rather be enjoying their new house? It could just as easily have been your house that had problems. I guess the shoe would be on the other foot then, eh?
Melissa
Little Rock,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Your Wrong
#10Consumer Comment
Fri, January 20, 2006
You say read before you write. Well I did. My point is that not all Jim Walters employees, subcontractors, etc. are not all like you have encountered. I personally had an overall good experience building my home. I love it. Yes, I see that others have written, but considering the amount of homes they build, it is but a small percentage with complaints. There is room for inprovement in every aspect of life. Bitterness should be let go.
Jim
Albuquerque,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
In response to the response to my letter
#10Consumer Comment
Thu, January 05, 2006
I just got back into the system. Came to my letter about Walters. Found the response to my complaint.
All I have to say is.
One should read and read well the letter they are responding to. I was never late, always a month to several months early. Walters held on the the payments to make them late.
As for contractors, any person you hire then represents your company and its goals.
Walters hired the contractors to do a job. So then the contractors represent and work for Walters.
I have been working in contracts, Government, State, County and City for years. As an Electronic engineer, I know my way around.
As for Walters being good, and all their help being bad, as you try to put forth. Hogwash!
Look at all the very unhappy, ripped off Walters customers writing in here.
I had Walters removed from my life, just as an ugly wort would be removed.
Read before you write.
Jim
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Melissa
Little Rock,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Not all bad
#10Consumer Suggestion
Fri, April 08, 2005
I just had a house built through Jim Walters in Little Rock, AR. In re: your construction woes, were with the contracters, which are sub contracted through a builder/electrician/plumber in the local area. I hade my house done 90% done, and I was given paperwork that stated every thing to be done. I recall with the shell stage, only the wiring was done. As far as the payments being late,did you try to have direct deposit payments through your bank? Walter Morgage financed us, and I have set up my payments this way to avoid the problems you had. My loan states that I can make payments on the principal. Since I just had the house completed, I have yet to incur any problems with the morgage payments. I think with any new construction there are ups and downs. Our foundation guys were awful, they placed it in the wrong place even though it was flagged by the main construction manager. The were fired and a new company came out and redid it. The framers were the absolute best. Two gentlemen in their 60's. They even built us a deck for just the cost of the lumbar. Roofer's were good. Electician was great, I supplied the satellite and phone wiring and they put it in, as well as wiring our doorbell. Sheet rock guys were also good. I have to say that our overall experience with Jim Walters has been very good. I had the house appraised after we painted, carpeted, and it appraised $15,000 more than what we paid. Not bad. The only complaint I have is the interest rate, and I do plan on refinancing.
I am glad you were able to work out things with the Neverland Co.
My point in this is that with Jim Walters, it is not so much them but who they contract out to build. The local Jim Walters agent told my husband and I that they pay lower than the going rate for their contractors. That is probably the reason so many people have complaints.
Melissa
Little Rock,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Not all bad
#10Consumer Suggestion
Fri, April 08, 2005
I just had a house built through Jim Walters in Little Rock, AR. In re: your construction woes, were with the contracters, which are sub contracted through a builder/electrician/plumber in the local area. I hade my house done 90% done, and I was given paperwork that stated every thing to be done. I recall with the shell stage, only the wiring was done. As far as the payments being late,did you try to have direct deposit payments through your bank? Walter Morgage financed us, and I have set up my payments this way to avoid the problems you had. My loan states that I can make payments on the principal. Since I just had the house completed, I have yet to incur any problems with the morgage payments. I think with any new construction there are ups and downs. Our foundation guys were awful, they placed it in the wrong place even though it was flagged by the main construction manager. The were fired and a new company came out and redid it. The framers were the absolute best. Two gentlemen in their 60's. They even built us a deck for just the cost of the lumbar. Roofer's were good. Electician was great, I supplied the satellite and phone wiring and they put it in, as well as wiring our doorbell. Sheet rock guys were also good. I have to say that our overall experience with Jim Walters has been very good. I had the house appraised after we painted, carpeted, and it appraised $15,000 more than what we paid. Not bad. The only complaint I have is the interest rate, and I do plan on refinancing.
I am glad you were able to work out things with the Neverland Co.
My point in this is that with Jim Walters, it is not so much them but who they contract out to build. The local Jim Walters agent told my husband and I that they pay lower than the going rate for their contractors. That is probably the reason so many people have complaints.
Melissa
Little Rock,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Not all bad
#10Consumer Suggestion
Fri, April 08, 2005
I just had a house built through Jim Walters in Little Rock, AR. In re: your construction woes, were with the contracters, which are sub contracted through a builder/electrician/plumber in the local area. I hade my house done 90% done, and I was given paperwork that stated every thing to be done. I recall with the shell stage, only the wiring was done. As far as the payments being late,did you try to have direct deposit payments through your bank? Walter Morgage financed us, and I have set up my payments this way to avoid the problems you had. My loan states that I can make payments on the principal. Since I just had the house completed, I have yet to incur any problems with the morgage payments. I think with any new construction there are ups and downs. Our foundation guys were awful, they placed it in the wrong place even though it was flagged by the main construction manager. The were fired and a new company came out and redid it. The framers were the absolute best. Two gentlemen in their 60's. They even built us a deck for just the cost of the lumbar. Roofer's were good. Electician was great, I supplied the satellite and phone wiring and they put it in, as well as wiring our doorbell. Sheet rock guys were also good. I have to say that our overall experience with Jim Walters has been very good. I had the house appraised after we painted, carpeted, and it appraised $15,000 more than what we paid. Not bad. The only complaint I have is the interest rate, and I do plan on refinancing.
I am glad you were able to work out things with the Neverland Co.
My point in this is that with Jim Walters, it is not so much them but who they contract out to build. The local Jim Walters agent told my husband and I that they pay lower than the going rate for their contractors. That is probably the reason so many people have complaints.
Melissa
Little Rock,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Not all bad
#10Consumer Suggestion
Fri, April 08, 2005
I just had a house built through Jim Walters in Little Rock, AR. In re: your construction woes, were with the contracters, which are sub contracted through a builder/electrician/plumber in the local area. I hade my house done 90% done, and I was given paperwork that stated every thing to be done. I recall with the shell stage, only the wiring was done. As far as the payments being late,did you try to have direct deposit payments through your bank? Walter Morgage financed us, and I have set up my payments this way to avoid the problems you had. My loan states that I can make payments on the principal. Since I just had the house completed, I have yet to incur any problems with the morgage payments. I think with any new construction there are ups and downs. Our foundation guys were awful, they placed it in the wrong place even though it was flagged by the main construction manager. The were fired and a new company came out and redid it. The framers were the absolute best. Two gentlemen in their 60's. They even built us a deck for just the cost of the lumbar. Roofer's were good. Electician was great, I supplied the satellite and phone wiring and they put it in, as well as wiring our doorbell. Sheet rock guys were also good. I have to say that our overall experience with Jim Walters has been very good. I had the house appraised after we painted, carpeted, and it appraised $15,000 more than what we paid. Not bad. The only complaint I have is the interest rate, and I do plan on refinancing.
I am glad you were able to work out things with the Neverland Co.
My point in this is that with Jim Walters, it is not so much them but who they contract out to build. The local Jim Walters agent told my husband and I that they pay lower than the going rate for their contractors. That is probably the reason so many people have complaints.