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    #31
    Thanks...you definitely have to do your homework when looking for a home builder...

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      #32
      Fishmansa pm sent.. If I can help let me know.

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        #33
        Thanks! I'll give them a call...

        Its been hard finding a home builder for less than $100 per sqft....pretty much mission impossible.

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          #34
          my parents home was built by tilson, first crew shot a buck fawn i was raisin so we ran em off, but other than that it was great.

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            #35
            Originally posted by fishmansa View Post
            Thanks! I'll give them a call...

            Its been hard finding a home builder for less than $100 per sqft....pretty much mission impossible.
            PM me where you are building and I will see what I can do. I have several other builders in mind aswell.

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              #36
              All that being said, if anyone runs across a good mason, I need some back porch steps made. I already have the brick.

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                #37
                Thanks rubydog...pm me any other names/builders you like...

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                  #38
                  Change orders cost money no matter what builder you choose.

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                    #39
                    Rubydog,
                    Came across this thread. It's a bit old, but hoping you might have some recommendations for builders out in the Luling area. Wife and I are looking to build in a few years and trying to shop around for some builders. I'm new to the forum so can't send you a PM. Please feel free to PM me whatever you have.
                    Thanks.

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                      #40
                      They are a track home builder, not a custom home builder....you don't get the extras without paying for them, like square walls, insulation where it is supposed to be at, inferior wood and not quality wood for framing...etc...they work on quantities not quality....

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                        #41
                        Originally posted by Extremebowman View Post
                        Going back to the original question - I have heard they do acceptable work when you stay within their product line. When you start making changes, especially ones they are not used to doing, they charge accordingly. Even a simple change such as extending a bedroom 2 feet can require plans to go back to architecture, engineer, subs for new bids etc. It's like that with everything, you make substitutions to the "menu" you get charged extra. I can't speak to whether they are out of line though, but change fees are normal.

                        A few posts above made comments to the very most important part of building a house regardless of builder or how they label themselves, the Superintendent or Project Manager. THEY are the most important piece of the homebuilding process, it doesn't matter if the builder is Choice, Hawkins or a 7 figure custom builder, the guy on the project everyday is what makes the difference. He is the one who sets the level of quality for the project. Everytime a friend asks " are ____________ homes any good?", my typical response is "who is the super? He is what makes the house, not the builder".

                        Quality should not differ from a $120K house to A $2M house. The level of ammenities will obviously, but true "sticks and bricks" shouldn't. I typically build large homes, but every now and then I get a smaller one, I hold my trades to the same level no matter the size or price point. Agreed one may have hand scraped hickory floors and Bentwood cabinets and the other tile and pre-man cabinets, but the workmanship is the same.

                        Quality for the single most expensive and long lasting purchase most of us ever make should never be a compromise.

                        I really tried not to jump on a soap box ... really, I tried
                        NAILED IT. Unless they've changed their business model, Tilson Homes superintendents work an area. Sometimes a very large area. They may not see an given home but once a week. IMO, this is not a system that lends itself to "quality". I was recruited by them many years ago, but i could not get my head around seeing a job only once a week. But - if you get the right guy...

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                          #42
                          Rubydog,

                          I have the and request. Can you send me builder info?

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                            #43
                            Originally posted by Mike Murphey View Post
                            They are a track home builder, not a custom home builder....you don't get the extras without paying for them, like square walls, insulation where it is supposed to be at, inferior wood and not quality wood for framing...etc...they work on quantities not quality....
                            Read my post at #17, they don't use inferior lumber. They use the same grade lumber everyone else is required to use, standard #2 yellow pine. Some builders in a higher price point, $1mil+ may use a higher grade of lumber, but usually not.

                            As many others have stated, if you use what they list for floor plans, the price is good, when you make a change, or "customize", the price goes up. Everyone charges for change orders, but there is more to it than that for a builder like Tilson, or David Weekly, or Pulte, or any other. I have built those houses before. The reason they are cheap is because they have takeoffs, orders, quantities, etc, all down to a science for what they have as their standard floor plans. Not only that, but they also have permits and things with the city pre approved for the plans the way they are. This allows them to have approved plans, and when it comes time to build one, they just call the city and say "we have a 182C Plan being built at lot/block/section" and it makes their permitting process much simpler and cheaper. You make a change, that now requires a structural engineer to change the drawing, an architect to change his drawing, a new takeoff for material needs to be done, and the permitting process starts back at square one. This all takes time and costs money. If you pick a "182C" plan to build straight off their available plans, they call all their vendors, tell them it's a "182C", and they know exactly how much lumber, exactly the size and amount of cabinets, exactly the amount of plumbing fixtures, exactly the size of A/C units and number of registers to climate control the house, etc, and all that stuff goes into work. Any changes makes 1 or all of those vendors have to change from their standard with Tilson, and again, costs time and money. If you build a custom home that is truly one of a kind, there is no standard takeoff for any material for your plan, so having to change it is no big deal because there was never a standard to begin with.

                            I'll use the same analogy I used before and use with anyone who asks: Ford will let you pick the color (from the color choices they offer), let you pick the interior (from the interiors they offer), but they won't put the steering wheel on the other side. If you want some wild color, it will either have to be special ordered for a large fee, or you buy it white and have it custom painted after the fact when you get it. If you buy a 4x4 Lariat F-150 with a black exterior and standard tan leather trim interior, it's the standard price. If you buy the same truck, but want them to put custom seats in it, either you pay a premium for the change and it's done at the dealership's upholstery shop, or they say they can't do it and you pay a premium to have an after market shop do it for you. Similar concepts.

                            These tract home builders took the concept of the mass produced automobile and used it for homes. They aren't inferior quality materials (unless you value engineer it to concrete brick instead of clay, or downgrade the cabinets, etc), they just have the process down to an art on how to get it done and have minimal waste, and they work on quantity guarantees with their vendors to keep raw material costs down. David Weekly in Houston could guarantee their lumber supplier they will build 1500 homes/yr, and get a much better deal than the custom guy who might be able to do 10-20/yr. he won't get the massive price break that a big builder will.

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                              #44
                              Building in Luling

                              Originally posted by jmcook1975 View Post
                              Rubydog,
                              Came across this thread. It's a bit old, but hoping you might have some recommendations for builders out in the Luling area. Wife and I are looking to build in a few years and trying to shop around for some builders. I'm new to the forum so can't send you a PM. Please feel free to PM me whatever you have.
                              Thanks.
                              I saw your post about building a house in Luling. Did y'all ever do it and, if so, who did you end up using as the builder? Thanks!

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                                #45
                                Originally posted by rubydog View Post
                                I checked into them extensively before I settled on a house design and builder. They had a house that we really liked and were building one just like it here locally. As luck may have it a man I knew became a project manager for then and gave me some insight.
                                My findings were that they have a base package of materials such as flooring, cabinets, carpet, trim, etc. etc. that they use. If you want to delete the vinyl floors and add ceramic tile they are super expensive. The cabinets they use are generally a step above Home Depot and we wanted custom all wood. Again, a major price increase. The house we liked was the San Jacinto and it did not come with a garage. When we inquired about adding one on (which would be easy) the fee again was astronomical. The house had a red brick facade in front of the house and Hardee board all around. We inquired about having 100% brick and again it was a huge fee. I monitored the work progress on the house and the workmanship was suspect. The quality was mediocre at best and generally sloppy. I put a pencil to the house with all the changes we wanted made and per square foot it would have cost me more than any of the true custom built homes we had looked at. The bottom line from what I could see is this. They have about 10 floor plans they build all the time. They have a mediocre options plan that if you can live with, OK. The cabinets we saw were flimsy, not well made factory cabinets. Middle of the road flooring etc. If you look hard enough you can build a custom home for less. The home I built is all custom. Granite and ceramic everywhere. Custom all wood cabinets. Rock all the way around. 1100 square ft of porches and 3200 square ft of living space. Wanescot inside, crown mold. Cast Iron tubs with tile shower, jacuzzi tub, free standing glass showers with tile. 2 ac/ heat units one up and one down stairs. I added 7k worth of concrete outside for driveways, sidewalks and bbq pit. the list goes on and on.
                                3200 sq ft. for 212,000. You do the math. If I can help you in any way please don't hesitate to ask me I will point you in the right direction. Best of luck.

                                This is how 99.5% of home builders operate, not limited to Tilson.

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