[Frangyomory]

The latest go-around is the bashing of home inspectors. Apparently the developer is unhappy that owners are hiring inspectors to ensure that their home is built in accordance with specifications. Their answer is to warn home owners NOT to hire these "non-certified" inspectors who will tell you anything just to make a buck!

Shame on you developer and the Daily Sun for following this typical line of the developer family.

You must be on your guard and ensure for yourself that your home is properly built and the builder and the developer are NOT the folks to check on this.

Shame, shame, shame. If you are not in the developers' pocket you must be dishonest??????

[drdodge]

All homes in the villages are inspected by sumter county building inspectors at differant stages of construction and if you think you need to you can call an indepentant engineering firm and have them do a whole house inspection
drd

[redwitch]

I thought the developer owned the Sun? If that's correct, would it be any way but how the developer wanted things said?

[noleguy]

Say what you want about the Daily Sun, but the article in mention certainly made a good point. One should use only a certified inspector if you want to get a honest and thorough inspection.

[villages07]

I hired an inspector when my home was approaching its one year anniversary. He is a Villages resident but has extensive credentials from his "prior life". He has a good rapport with the warranty staff. I know a number of folks who have employed him. I have not heard anyone say that the warranty department balked on legitimate punch list items. The warranty dept could not have been more responsive and efficient for us.

That being said, it seems this controversy is primarily concerning the siding issue and the inspectors recommended by the POA to identify problems. If you read the last POA bulletin, one letter to the editor was from the siding inspection company and they implied that they are gaining a consensus with the warranty department on what needs to be fixed and how. It seems to me that the POA wants to keep beating this drum even though it appears progress is being made to resolve it.

This article should not dissuade anyone from hiring a competent, qualified inspector. I'm also confident that the warranty department will address and rectify legitimate issues.

[The Great Fumar]

Frangyomory , You need to take a VALIUM...
The developer probably does own the paper and if so, they would want a positive light shown on The Villages...Bottom line is BUSINESS IS BUSINESS.
They have thought of everything I can think of to make this a Senior citizens , Disney World and thats just what I was looking for when I came here. Now think a minute, Is there any other place in the World that compares to this place???
When I bought my home it was built beautifully and I could only find three mickey mouse things that I wanted addressed. they were all taken care of to my satisfaction within 10 days . This place is First Class and the Developer is going to see that it stays that way..Are there some weak spots , sure , but and area where 65,000 people live in close harmony is almost impossible but they have pulled it off...
They are going to have to drag me out of here !!!

The loving it Fumar

[Hyacinth Bucket]

We recently bought a vinyl sided home that was built in 2004.

Does anyone know when the contractors changed from stapling on the vinyl to using nails?

We had our home inspected, there are no bulges in the vinyl, but some of the vinyl has slipped slightly. The inspector did not feel this was a major problem.

I am wondering if we should get a second opinion, and where we can get a list of certified inspectors.

Thanks for the info on this site.

Hyacinth Bucket

[The Great Fumar]

HB
Nails are best, vinyl siding has elongated holes , the nails are driven through these holes but not all the way in..Its best to leave about 1/8 inch out of the wood ....that way when the temp. changes the siding can slide and not buckle...many times when staples are used they drive them to far in and the siding can't move but it still expands and so it has to buckle.
NOW having said that , you can have to same problem with nails if they are driven in to far. But its not as common with nails as they are normally nailed by hand instead of a staple gun....I hope thats clear.....I personally have never done it , BUT I DID STAY AT A HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS LAST NIGHT.

[Frangyomory]

I never once said I don't LOVE the Villages. And, if you believe the developer has our best interest in mind, let's see what happens when he leaves the area after he finishes development as planned in 2011.

Owning the newspaper should not create a conflict of interest. The bashing of home inspections was specifically to put fear into home owners who want inspections prior to the one year anniversary.

I am a frog, here until I croak but I also have my eyes wide open and I just think all residents need to do the same. One day take a trip across 441 to the "historical" side and ask some of the long-term residents what they think of the developer and the new rules here.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Hi Fumar,

Yes, I know this is off topic. :cop:

Do not mean to go into "One upsman ship" but I once won a night at the Presidential Suite at the Holiday Inn Express.

What this meant was there was a plastic plaque on the top of the door that said Presidential Suite, our friend who we travelled with, did better. He opened the cabinets and found unopened groceries and he did not stay in the Presidential Suite.

We have had many laughs over this.

Thank you for the info on the siding.

Hyacinth Bucket

[Villages Kahuna]

The forewarning in the Daily Sun article wasn't to avoid hiring home inspectors. What the article did say was to choose home inspectors who demonstrate their qualifications with training, membership in a professional organization and experience. What's wrong with that? Sounds like a solid recommendation to me.

[Hope2b]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The forewarning in the Daily Sun article wasn't to avoid hiring home inspectors. What the article did say was to choose home inspectors who demonstrate their qualifications with training, membership in a professional organization and experience. What's wrong with that? Sounds like a solid recommendation to me.

[drdodge]

As long as the houses that the developer builds and sells are inspected by the county building department and passed and a certificate of occupancy is issued he would not care what an outside inspector says. The developer is not bound by an independant inspectors report
drd

[chuckinca]

County Building Inspectors are mostly Human

[SteveFromNY]

Nothing to do with the inspectors, but regarding slanted newspaper coverage:

Any newspaper I read (NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post, USA Today) has their own slant. I read anything in them with a knowledge that their articles are somewhat slanted toward their individual leanings.

Why would I expect anything different from a newspaper owned by a local developer? They definitely seem bent on reporting mostly good news, and probably have the developers interest close to their heart all the time. That's not a bad thing, really. It's just the way it is.