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HOME of Texas does NOT have an open door policy when it comes to our Builder Membership.

If Builders don’t meet our guidelines, HOME of Texas can and does terminate memberships!

Not every Builder is able to attain Membership with HOME of Texas.

  • Potential Members are examined regularly for financial stability, customer satisfaction and technical competence.
  • HOME Builder Warranty Members must agree to comply with specific construction & technical standards in order to have their homes warranted by HOME of Texas. We understand Texas’ active soils & our requirements are more stringent accordingly.
  • This is your assurance that your home was built by a qualified professional. Yes, you could (and should) check to see if your Builder is registered with agencies like the BBB but all that will really tell you is whether or not the builder has had a complaint filed against him. And it won’t tell you whether or not that complaint was justified. Nor does it speak to his financial stability.
  • And yes, you could (and should) get references from people he has built for in the past. But realistically, the Builder is going to provide you with the “best” references he has, which may or may not give you the full picture

So what’s different about what HOME does to
screen potential Builder Warranty Members?

1. Evaluation of Financial Stability
  • HOME requires that builders provide company and/or personal financial statements annually.
  • HOME requires at least a minimum level of financial strength based on the number of homes to be enrolled.
  • HOME Membership means that a Builder has proven to us that he has an acceptable level of financial backing.
2. Evaluation of Business and Construction Practices
  • Customer service and quality construction are evaluated annually and even more frequently if Members have service issues that are brought to our attention by homeowners.
  • As Members enroll homes, they create a “running track record” of how well they are doing.
  • HOME Membership means that somebody, independent from the Builder, is reviewing his claims record at least annually.
3. Annual Re-evaluation
  • Builder Warranty Members are rescreened annually and their track record is evaluated.
  • Members must continue to meet acceptable guidelines for customer service, quality construction and financial stability in order to retain their HOME Approved Member designation.
  • HOME Membership means that the Builder is going through a review process each and every year to verify our Membership criteria are still being met.

Financial Stability

We ask the questions you can’t.

We hear people say all the time that they don’t have to worry about their builder. He’s been around “forever” and he has plenty of money based on the office in which he works and the truck he drives. The problem is… what if things aren’t as rosy as they seem on the outside? There are numerous factors to consider.

Chances are very good though that your prospective builder is not simply going to hand over his financial statement for you to review. So how do you determine if your prospective builder has prepared properly for any storms that may be lurking ahead? More importantly, what happens to you if his business goes under and you have problems in that house he just built for you?

If the Builder has committed to providing you with an extra layer of protection in the form of a HOME of Texas written and insured new home warranty as part of his customer service program, then he has provided HOME with proof of his stability. Furthermore, he agrees to update that information with us annually.

It wasn’t so long ago that the building industry suffered a substantial economic downturn… to put it mildly. Some builders weathered the storm while many others did not. Without a HOME of Texas New Home Warranty, the homeowner could be left holding the bag and paying the bill if defects arose!

However, if your Builder was a HOME Builder Warranty Member during that time but sadly his business couldn’t survive the downturn, and your home was properly enrolled with HOME, then your warranty is still in force for the entire warranty term. If your builder goes out of business or can’t take care of warranted issues for other reasons, HOME’s Insurer is obligated to do so.

Customer Service & Quality Construction

A major investment deserves a major commitment to quality.

HOME…
Successfully mediates issues that are more or less “differences of opinion” by pointing to our clearly written Standards Section with guidelines based on standard building industry practices.

Effectively deals with the occasional builder who is reluctant to perform required warranty repairs on behalf of homeowners frustrated by an apparent stalemate.

Educates homeowners on what is reasonable within the scope of industry-accepted workmanship.

Steps up when necessary to perform a builder’s obligations if, for some reason, the builder was unable to do so himself.

In our experience, administering warranties on over 3 million homes, we have learned that the root of many disputes is miscommunication. A misunderstanding develops over a specific and sometimes simple issue and before you know it, tempers escalate. HOME has an established process in place to assist both homeowners and builders in the resolution of warranty issues. Often, having that third party as a buffer is invaluable in getting issues resolved without the need for costly litigation.

Bottom line…
HOME’s Warranty Resolution Department and when necessary, our Insurer, are there – for the entire warranty term – to assist homeowners and builders alike in accordance with the warranty and standards spelled out in the book provided for the property.

Prospective Home Buyer Resources

HOME Is a Valuable Resource Tool for Prospective Buyers.

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