Last year we went to Repo mart and gave a deposit for a house. Steve Sr. wrote the contract, and encouraged us to use his mortgage person who he said would be able to help us. His mortgage person talked to me once, said she would work on things and call me back. She never did, and I lost her phone number. I figured she was working on our loan and would call when she needed more info.
After a month or two, she still hadn't called, and I had begun working with my previous mortgage broker on the deal. We called and went by Repo mart to ask some questions on several occasions, but Steve Sr. was never there. Finally we found him there and my husband went inside to talk to him while I stayed in the car with our children. Steve told my husband that he sold the house to someone else, because he thought we weren't interested anymore. Our deposit should have told him otherwise, and he never made any attempt to call us about the deal.
We gave him the benefit of the doubt, because their homes are big and the price is much lower than we would find a brand new home. We found another house we liked and were told by Steve Jr. (his son) that it wasn't sold, but that he wouldn't take a deposit. We were curious as to why any other time they take deposits, but wouldn't take one now. A few days later, we were looking at the house (on a Sunday), and Steve Sr. was there. He told us that the house was available and that he could take a deposit. We told him we would be in on Tuesday.
When we arrived on Tuesday, Steve met my husband at the door and said the house was sold and he didn't know it on Sunday when we talked. He also confided that he didn't think the deal would go through. We checked back everyone once in a while, and found out that the deal did fall through. By then, we had put a deposit on a different house. My husband went in immediately to ask to change to the original house we wanted. Steve Jr. was there, but Steve Sr. was not. Steve Jr. wrote a note stating that our deposit was to be transferred to the house we wanted, and said he would give it to his father. Fortunately, my husband kept this note.
After a week went by, we had not heard from Steve Sr., so I called to make sure everything was moving along for the new house. Steve Sr. acted like he didn't know what I was talking about, and indicated that our contract was still for the first house. I told him that his son had written it up to change to the larger house, and Steve Sr. told me the house was sold to someone else when the contract fell through.
I feel like we have been getting the runaround with both Steve's since the beginning. We believe that they write several contracts on the same house and sell it to the first person that comes up with the financing. All the while, they are taking deposits and making people think they have a contract on the house. We also had a concern because Steve Sr. never rewrote the paperwork from last year. He told us he would just change the house information, but he did not give us a copy.
After reading the other reviews from people who went through the same thing, I am very wary that Repo Mart will do the same thing to us and bring in the wrong house.
We also found out from someone in our community that Repo Mart brought in a house to their land, and allegedly set it up wrong. There is a 12-24 inch difference in the center where the two sides connect causing a drop off from one side to the other. Also, the septic system was destroyed in the installation process. Steve Jr. claims this was as result of defective manufacturing, and they are replacing the home with a new one. However, it has been at least 6 months since the house was put in place, so these people are having to live in substandard conditions while they wait for Repo mart to replace their home. Not to mention the expense they will have to go through to move out again when it is time for the house to come in.
Anyone reading this, beware of Repo mart, because, their houses may appear nice for the price, but in the end they are nothing but a Ripoff!!! We have determined that we will find a way to come up with the extra money to buy from a reputable dealer, even if it means waiting another 6-12 months to get our new house.
Lisa
Wesley Chapel, Florida
U.S.A.