Find A Desperate BuilderRobert Fanelli, President of Riverview Homes, Inc.7/13/09

One recent afternoon while searching the Internet for news and information about the modular and manufactured home industry I came across an advertisement for a program designed to help home buyer get the best price on their new home construction project. Being curious I “clicked”. The program promised to explain how to find and negotiate with “Desperate” builders who would be willing to build your home project at a distressed price. Again the advise was to find a “Desperate” builder, not a home that was built and now needs sold by a desperate owner or a desperate lender, but a builder who is desperate to build something that is not already built at a very reduced price. Now I am smart enough to know that I do not know everything about the housing industry, but a near lifetime of working in a family owned home construction business has taught me enough to know that this advise is INSANE at best when given for free and this advertisement was asking people to pay hard earned money for it. Of all the advise I would give someone about finding a home builder, “Desperate” would not be on that list of a builders must haves. I might suggest too find a builder that knows about “Value” or understands the importance of being “Honest” and “Respectful”. Find a builder that is “Respected” for their “Integrity” and “Fair Mindedness”. Let us be clear, I do understand the importance of price, but a builder who is desperate to build something at a rock bottom bargain price will not be above bending the edges a little bit to make some money, how do you think they got so desperate to begin with?? A desperate builder might not be thinking about the long term, I would guess they are thinking about making the next payroll. By the way, desperate can equate to failing. A desperate builder will not be thinking about quality of work or customer service or your satisfaction, why would they, they are desperate and probably will not survive long enough for those things to be an issue to them, but they may be an issue to you. Don’t take me wrong, I believe in the free market. If someone is willing to do a job for next to nothing, that is a business decision and as a company Riverview Homes could elect to compete or not. My only point is to say that the two old adages of “You get what you pay for” and “Let the buyer beware” are truer today than at anytime in the recent pass. You might be getting a great price, but great price and great value is not the same thing. Nothing can make the home building process more upsetting and troubling than having a builder who is not thinking long term. The home buyer is more than likely getting a 30 year mortgage and planning on living in this home for decades, why on Earth would you want to have a failing home builder to build you a new home.

Riverview Homes, Inc. is a family owned and operated builder of modular and manufactured homes. Serving Western Pennsylvania since 1970. To learn more about Riverview, visit www.riverviewhomesinc.com or visit our Blog at http://www.riverviewhomesinc.blogspot.com.

Robert Fanelli is the President of Riverview Homes, Inc. and has been employed full time by Riverview Homes since 1981. Robert became President after his Father’s retirement. You can contact Robert Fanelli at rfanelli@riverviewhomesinc.com.