Pulte Homes Reviews in Oakland Alameda, CA

The house is beautiful butThe mortgage process is terrible. And there is no responses to issues after we received the house

I have noticed while living in the townhome now, that there are paint coming off, as well as materials that is the most basic. Every material, in order to obtain improvement and better material, was extra cost for upgrades. Would be better and more affordable this day, age, and time, with the cost of living in the bay area super expensive, to provide some better material. Though email and phone call helped, I also wish that the company had closer companies that we can set up in person appointments. The build took a year which meets the standard of the contract however, was hoping that the build would finish in a 8 - 10 month. From beginning, with the time not being great, interest rates high and the market not being too great either, it did not help that the sales agent was sent to another location and that I was not able to move to a different sales agent that I can see in person. Along the process, it was difficult coordinating, communicating, and wondering what is going on with the mortgage company because they are in Denver! Finally, the title company was stationed in Roseville, however they accommodated by sending a notary to our home. There was a lot of headache, a lot of limited access, and other things. Along with that, the process felt like it was not the best. Builders kept in touch and was accommodating to assist and show us the house and building process. Customer service is an important aspect of house buying and I feel it was not the best. Easier and better method was communicating with a sales agent that was actually at the Bay37 Sales office and there was more communication and assistance at that office because we can meet in person. Pulte Homes, you get a 4/10 rating. ... More

We have not moved in yet but so far I've had so many small issues that has not been resolved yet. Workmanship on the carpet installation is terrible. Cabinets and other upgrades are still missing. Communication is obviously missing.

Although I love my new home, the homebuying process was brutal - particularly with the Pulte loan service - I almost walked away from my deposit - The home is great but be prepared to be humiliated if you choose the loan incentives. I also discovered that the agent misled, not only me but most, regarding HOA dues and other aspects of the final deal. I have had to have a number of building isssues repaired immediately and it has been time consuming

Overall buying experience was good. Slightly disappointed with quality of materials used.

Overall I love my house. The process was a disaster using PULTE’s mortgage company. But the builders were less than responsive. I sent a few emails but never got responses from the builders. The updates along the way from them were non existent. And the design center was the absolute worst. I went with bare minimums due to their lack of professionalism.

The Good Throughout the entire process, Linda was kind, helpful, responsive, and did everything she could to answer questions and guide us through the process. We had a great experience with her. The home is filled with thoughtful features, a finished crawl space with lights and power, a whole house fan that can cool the entire house down in an hour, plenty of lighting, timer lights on an the outside doors, and great insulation that makes the home stay cool through the heat. The network closet has conduit to pull cable from the street, and is prewired. The electrical is well done and done with care. There are little touches that make it clear the electrician cared about their work. Our builder rep at closing, Daniel, was kind and amazing. He helped us list all our concerns and chased down issues for us. He went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction. Unfortunately, Daniel left Pulte before all of our issues could be resolved. During the design center we were rushed and our consultant was either unknowledgeable or something else. We were told that if we added anymore network to additional rooms they were required to add an additional 8 port switch beyond the included one, which they wanted 800$ more for. We opted to pull our own cable instead to the last two rooms. On close we discovered there is no switch included at all, the cat5e is just bundled with a tech loop in the cabinet. During our final walkthrough we found many issues with paint over spray, finishing damage, and issues with finish work (cracked base boards, etc ). Some of these issues were resolved before move in. Others we were told to make a list and file with customer support. Our refrigerator was not ready on close and we were told it would be here on May 10, we are now being told June 24, but only because I've been trying to chase down a rep to keep me up to date. Right now we have a cheap fridge that freezes or veggies and can't keep our frozen food cold but produces plenty of frost. We are very thankful we bought our washer and dryer ourselves. Our stove was damaged on delivery so they needed to replace it, no big deal. The replacement showed up on May 10th with no warning while we were both working and in meetings. Our landscaping on the left side was dead on close, but we were assured it would come in within a couple of weeks. Our plants are still dead and we have not heard a response on the issue yet. I dropped a can on the tile from around 2 feet and our tile chipped. The grout comes unsealed, so we spent 4 hours our first night sealing the grout Both Mike's in charge of the build site are very kind when you meet them and seem to genuinely care when you talk in person, but they do not respond to email after the fact. Overall, the home is wonderful with many great features. However, the responsiveness, and finish work is quite poor. ... More

So many things we noticed wrong about how this house was built. As if the workers got lazy towards the end and left so many mistakes. Ac broke our first month, crooked cabinets, uneven baseboards. Frustrating. Our sales rep, Eric was also not helpful at all during our process of buying. Always seemed bothered when reached out to.

I had my house done before the end of this year which supposed to be finished at the end of November 2020, I know this pandemic had effect the supposed to be completion date. The builder missed a lot of things like screens on the windows and carpets nail on the stairs still out, even my two sons got wounded bec of that. Tiles that are uneven on foyer and kitchen area, paint that was missed. I was kind of upset because I put 20% down payment and I know Pulte works even better than that, I hope they will fixed this issue pretty soon.

it was not a bad experience, communication takes longer

Sales associate didn't give correct information regarding credit from pulte. He was abrupt with his tone and demeanor. His answered were ambiguous and lacked proper communication. I would not recommend eddy skyes to a future homebuyer.

This is our second Pulte home purchase (the first in California) so we were excited since we knew what to expect with the build process and the overall builder quality. Needless to say, we where disappointed with the substandard delivery of the home. We realize that there have been many issues with supply chain in the last year and we accept delays and substitutions but when the overall quality is bad, there is not much to blame but the builder and subcontractors. We have doors that do not shut correctly(interior and exterior), breakers that trip when running built-in appliances, over 20 exterior stucco fractures in various sizes, and cabinets that have significant cracks in the wood frames. (Just to mention the most critical issues - there were many smaller ones) Not exactly what a person expects when they purchase a new home from a well-respected National builder. The issues were reported to Customer Service and here is the current status: The doors were corrected/replaced. The electrician could not find anything wrong with the circuits and the appliance repair person replace a fan. It works sporadically for a few weeks then we have to reset the breaker. The cabinets repair crew have yet to show up (2 months). A few stucco cracks were identified about 2 months ago and they were not large enough to repair. Over the weekend, we walked the entire exterior: the number has grown significantly (as has the width and length) and we sent a note to Customer Service. Response pending. Overall, we had the expectation of owning a new, well-built home but Pulte failed to deliver on that expectation. The Customer Service staff have been good to work with as have many of the subs. We chose Pulte Mortgage since they offered to match our bank and offered some incentives and are satisfied. ... More

Nice neighborhood, parking and community parks.

Many things were clearly rushed and it shows. From paint and texture to incorrectly installed cabinetry to crooked pillars, and everything in between. Trying to get someone to fix the issues is nearly impossible and if someone does show up and it's more than a one day job then forget about them coming back to finish any time soon.

when i move, no screen on the window,

I have reported several major problems since I moved-in in early march2021. Up to now, the shower room still not usable due to very low water pressure, the water leaking problem on all sinks still has no one to fix. No updated at all about the estimate fixing time. Most of the windows are still very dirty outside which is I don't know how to clean, or if it is my responsibility to clean them all by myself.

The Customer Service is terrible. They tell you what you want to hear then nothing gets fixed. I am very disappointed and let down by Pulte.

We have serious issues with the sales team. Particularly for timing of pretty much anything and the mortgage process. We were literally pushed towards using pulte mortgage where pulte wasnt even able to provide the amount that we needed to borrow.

Pulte Homes - Bay 37 is at a good location.

First when we moved in there were numbers of things to be fixed but nothing really had been taken care of and we have been experienced that not many punch items have been completed after a month.... I need your attention to fix our house so that my wife can use the kitchen and receive a new home as expected.

The selling agent ignored my messages and entered my email address in wrong so I wasn't getting any updates on my build, it was very stressful. Now after I officially purchased the house, the "customer care" person assigned to me is rude and they're ignoring my requests to be assigned the someone else. After they get their hands on your money, they just stop caring.

Compare to other new construction houses ,Pulty model house is simple design, not special at all. We found out lot of issues when we walked through the house after it built and the whoever person in charge promised he would fix the problem but which he missed multiple area not fixed at all. We are kind of disappointed. The material they used are super cheap. After we moved in not even a month , the paint on the wall started to peel off. All the material they used my professional friend said it’s the cheapest one can not last longer time. About the house pricing ... I can say the seller really good at selling. But the price is not worthy for the location it is. ... More

I have to pay $70.k above the asking price. The option that came with the house is way subpar to my opinion. The cost of the upgrade is marked up at 200% to think Pulte is getting these materials at wholesale. The selection is not enough. The person who was assigned to help me with the design was not clear on some items. Example i was never told about the cabinet can be butted up the ceiling at a cost. The layout of the chef kitchen the trash received is far from the sink. By the way the upgrades are not even good upgrades with the price being charge. Judt a lot of expectation for a new house regardless of the price of the house. ... More

I have spent over $2,000,000.00 with Pulte this year, and it has been nothing but a disappointment. After this experience I will not be spending any more money with Pulte.

The details herein are intended to present a chronological and detailed account of her professional misconduct, highlighting the specific instances and their consequences throughout the entirety of the home transaction. Timeline of Events: 1. Initial Misrepresentation Regarding Home Selection: September 2023: Early in the transaction process. Upon discovering that I was a Veteran buyer, Rania engaged in discriminatory actions by selling the initially chosen home (Plan 3) to another buyer. This occurred after verbal assurances were made (and submission of requested paperwork) regarding the availability of this home, forcing me to select a different plan to retain the desirable view. 2. Failure to Disclose VA Approval Requirements: September 2023: At the beginning of the sales process. Rania failed to inform me of the necessity for VA Condominium Approval for Beacon at Delta Coves, a critical factor for my VA loan processing. This omission came to light only after the process was initiated, causing unnecessary delays and complications. 3. Deceptive Assurance on Home Modifications: November 2023: The deadline was set for December 31, 2023, per Rania. Rania verbally assured my realtor and me that non-structural changes to the home were permissible, provided that the materials had not yet been ordered. Although it was not a normal processing procedure, “there are always exceptions” was stipulated. However, despite meeting the provided deadline, she reneged on this assurance in subsequent emails, which lacked any previous commitment detail, leading to significant financial and planning implications. 4. Inappropriate Attempts to Access Personal Information: September-October 2023: During the loan application process. Rania made several inappropriate attempts to obtain personal information from my loan file through my previous lender, actions that were ethically questionable and privacy-invasive. The lender denied access and contacted me regarding the attempts. 5. Financial Misrepresentations Concerning Delay Fees: March 2023-May 2024: Following the delays in the VA Condominium Approval process. The denial of the VA Condominium Approval was a direct result of PulteGroup's failure to provide an accurate date for the transfer of the Homeowners Association (HOA), necessitating a shift in the original closing date. Rania had assured me verbally I would not be responsible for any fees incurred due to delays caused by the denial of the VA Approval (it was out of my control). Contrary to these assurances, the fees were unjustly incorporated into the contract. After reviewing the terms, I immediately notified Pulte representatives that I was signing the agreement under duress, as Rania refused to amend or remove these clauses even after being reminded of her initial promises. This blatant disregard for verbal assurances in favor of written commitments that contradict them not only highlights a serious breach of trust but also underscores Rania’s professional misconduct and the coercive circumstances under which the contract was signed. This action calls into question the validity of the agreement and the ethical standards upheld by Pulte during the transaction process. May 2024: Subsequent Contractual Failures Despite receiving written assurances from Pulte Mortgage that the $300 per day extension fees would be covered, Addendum 8, submitted on May 1, unjustly retained the same clauses as found in Addendum 7. Rania neglected to amend the contract to reflect these assurances. Her subsequent emails further contradicted her earlier promises, compelling me to shoulder financial responsibilities that were explicitly stated to be waived. This failure to update the contractual language has continued to impose undue financial burdens on me, directly contradicting the documented commitments made by Pulte Mortgage. 6. Use of High-Pressure Tactics: September 2023-May 2024: Throughout the contract signing phases. Rania frequently used high-pressure tactics, including sending documents for urgent signature late on Fridays, thus forcing decisions without adequate time for review. This tactic was particularly noted when I was coerced into signing an addendum under duress, with Rania referencing sections of the original agreement to justify adding the unfair fees. Rania consistently employed unethical and high-pressure tactics, notably distributing documents late on Fridays that required immediate attention. This timing limited my ability to conduct thorough reviews. One particularly manipulative instance occurred when I was compelled under pressure to sign an addendum. Rania exploited sections of the original agreement to impose unjust fees, emphasizing the urgency and leaving no room for negotiation or proper consultation. It is important to note that the other divisions of Pulte, where these documents were ultimately submitted, operate only during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. This timing effectively constrained my ability to seek clarification or adjustments from these departments, further exacerbating the pressure and urgency imposed. As a result of these actions, Pulte Mortgage upheld Rania’s promise and paid the closing extension fees. I also sent email correspondence to Pulte leaders in California and Georgia (their main office) regarding the egregious behavior throughout the entirety of this purchase. Rania’s calculated actions resulted in significant financial loss, costing me nearly $30,000 after closing on the home. Although Rania was moved to a neighboring community (multiple homeowners had issues with her), she is in the same position and selling homes at the same pricing point. I requested to correspond with a different representative at Pulte and was met with a denial from area management. There are numerous issues with the home itself, such as an improper key changeover, non-functional doorbell, tape remaining on the framing of the exterior, an unresolved fixture issue, etc. ... More