[k2at]

I have been reading a lot lately about Chinese Sheetrock being used in Florida homes in 2005 and 2006 which causes pipes to deteriorate and electrical wiring to become defective. It was used primarily in Florida in the 2005-06 time period and makes these houses almost valueless. The insurance companies have denied all liability and have walked away from all claims being made for restitution.

Does anyone know if the Villages purchased sheetrock from China during that period. If so, there is much need to be concerned for the pipes and electrical circuits in houses built at that time. The sheetrock was probably being sold at "dirt cheap" prices which would have made it very attractive to a developer building hundreds of homes a month.

The only remedy for the problem is to remove the sheetrock from those affected houses. Good luck!

[punkpup]

Most of the Chinese Sheetrock was used in South Florida. When I asked our Villages Sales Agent if any had been used in The Villages I was assured that none had been used.

[k2at]

According to what I read, if defective sheetrock was used, the owners of the houses would smell "rotten eggs" in their houses and the electrical lines would blacken. It appears the sulpher in the sheetrock destroys the air conditioners first and all the appliances next.

Who knows what damage it is doing to the inhabitants in those homes.

I would expect anyone affiliated with the Villages to say all is well. Was just wondering if anyone has a rotten egg smell in their house.

[Cajungirl]

Why would they admit this sheetrock is being used? Do we have a way to tell before we buy? No!!! You just have to trust them. Just like you trust their agents push your pre-sale home ahead of the new construction. Our designer home priced under $2K with tons of upgrades and lots more appliances than new, No Bond, Golf cart goes with home, new pavers on driveway, wood and ceramic floors in place of carpet that the new offers, has been on the market for 2 months and has been shown once in the last 3 weeks. When we listed we were assured TV Realtors had an excess of 150 agents. I see agents in open houses in new construction 2 at a time. What's up with that? Do I believe any of them anymore? Heck no!! They make more $ selling new. I don't blame them for needing to make more $. What I don't like are the half-truths.

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by Cajungirl

Why would they admit this sheetrock is being used? Do we have a way to tell before we buy? No!!! You just have to trust them. Just like you trust their agents push your pre-sale home ahead of the new construction. Our designer home with tons of upgrades and lots more appliances than new, No Bond, Golf cart goes with home, new pavers on driveway, wood and ceramic floors in place of carpet that the new offers, has been on the market for 2 months and has been shown once in the last 3 weeks. When we listed we were assured TV Realtors had an excess of 150 agents. I see agents in open houses in new construction 2 at a time. What's up with that? Do I believe any of them anymore? Heck no!! They make more $ selling new. I don't blame them for needing to make more $. What I don't like are the half-truths.

I have heard that they DO get a higher commission when they sell new, vs. selling pre-owned, so naturally they will push the new homes. They're salespeople, and I reallly don't trust everything they say either. So many times I've heard that "this price increase" or "that price increase" is going to happen, and it doesn't. I think they inflate the sales figures as well. A year ago when sales were down nationwide they were claiming "x" amount of sales. Well I went to the county appraiser websites where they list the number of homes sold, and the numbers didn't even begin to match up with what the Villages salespeople were claiming.

Your house sounds great - best of luck with it.

[graciegirl]

I don't know if they are lying but I suspect that pricing a resale in line with what the new homes are selling for is key. Our neighbors across the street sold theirs in two days listed with The Villages.

Their house was nicely decorated as well.

People can look and do look at the pictures of the interior of the home that are shown in the listing and are either drawn to it or not. When we were looking for a home, I didn't want to look at homes where the pictures showed blinds that were closed. I thought that they were hiding a bad view.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by punkpup

When I asked our Villages Sales Agent if any had been used in The Villages I was assured that none had been used.

How would the sales agent know? They must be kidding you. The drywaller was probably the 3rd level contractor and no one has the records on who put the drywall up much less where they bought the material.

When buyers ask their sales agent "are their sinkholes in the area?", they say "I've never seen one here". (The sales office keeps the sales people away from the big holes in the street and ponds when they cave in.)

Skip

[backwbowl]

hello and happy thanksgiving:
November 25, 2009 -- Americas Watchdog's Chinese Drywall Complaint Center is urging homeowners with a specific type of imported Chinese drywall called Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin to stand up and be counted, before the federal court imposed December 2nd 2009 deadline.The group is now warning that, "A critical federal court deadline of December 2nd is almost here for homeowners in Florida, Louisiana, Southeast Texas (Houston-Austin), Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi and other US States, who have a specific type of Chinese drywall called Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin. If homeowners with this type of drywall ignore this federal court deadline on Knauf Tianjin drywall, they may be out of luck." For more information please call the Chinese Drywall Complaint Center, at 866-714-6466, or contact the group via its web site at Http://ChineseDrywallComplaintCenter.Com
Continuous falure of air conditioning coils, or HVAC units beyond anything normal. Copper coils have turned black, or a grayish black
- Oven, or stove elements, or refrigerator coils may have failed a number of times
- Failure of electrical appliances—computer, TV sets, radios, DVD players, smoke detectors microwave information display panels may have failed
- Corroded, or black electrical wiring
- High end silver jewelry, or silver plated utensils may be tarnished
- Light bulbs in homes with toxic Chinese drywall may burn out at a much faster rate than specified by the manufacturer
- Smell of rotten eggs
Maybe this info will be of somehelp. When I was down to my home in the villages there was talk of this drywall as being used in duval. however, my time was short this trip and did not have a change to look into this.
Http://ChineseDrywallComplaintCenter.Com

[graciegirl]

Being that most of us are retired and spend a lot of time chatting with neighbors and myriad friends in all of our diverse activities, and someone always knows someone who posts on TOTV, (You listenin' Talk Host?) I feel that we would have heard about it. We are America's most communicating small town.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Being that most of us are retired and spend a lot of time chatting with neighbors and myriad friends in all of our diverse activities, and someone always knows someone who posts on TOTV, (You listenin' Talk Host?) I feel that we would have heard about it. We are America's most communicating small town.

Yes, just look at the "curfew" thread.

[thistrucksforyou]

I am looking at homes in the villages...As a buyer I can tell you that I look very close at the pics on the web page...I want to see a bright sunny home...Well kept....I also want to see pics of the front and back yard....Pics of the golf cart, all this info is critical to me...I am coming down for 2 weeks in december and I already have a list of places I have checked out on the web..One other thing I look for that may or may not be advertised is age group in your neighborhood...

Thank You:

Skip & Sue
Indiana

[Russ_Boston]

Skip or Sue:

How does this relate to the drywall issue?

Of course you look at those things on the web - any buyer would. But as you know you can't tell much until you see it in person. But I guess that you do rule out some homes based just on pics.

As for the age groups you'll find that the northern end of TV is a little bit older on average and the southern (newer homes) end is closer to early retirement age. But this will change over time as the northern homes get resold to new younger buyers.

[graciegirl]

Now look. WHY would a business with the success that the Morses have had jeopardize their good reputation with allowing installation of Chinese drywall or any other inferior drywall? They have their pick of builders and if those builders want to continue they know they had better do it right and employ subs who do it right.

When we had our walk through with our builder last year, he told us that he had been with Gary Morse for more than ten years. He also laughed and said that he didn't worry about workers showing up for work.

There have been no reports on here about defective smelly drywall and we are not a bunch of dimwits.

The developers have the luxury of contracting with builders and workers, primary and sub, who only have a history of good materials and workmanship. The Villages are selling houses at a decent rate, not many independent builders are nearly that successful in this dim economy.

There were some reports of defective roofing used on some of the homes in Hadley and those people were contacted this past summer and the roofs were replaced. I personally talked to one of them who is a friend. The roofing manufacturer contacted the owners directly and claimed responsibility.It was a large roofing manufacturer in Pennsylvania with a very recognizable name and I can't think of its name. (Big name like 3M) Apparently there was a bad run of roof shingles that was losing it's sand.

I still say that we here on TOTV would very likely have heard about any problem with drywall and it would be DISCUSSED.