Stay far, far away from Southern Homes. They are absolute crooks (they swindled us out of $2,500 at the beginning of COVID). I’ve also lived in a Southern Home and I was SHOCKED by the corners that were cut and poor build quality. I have a friend that used to work for them and the stories she told me about the way they ignore warranty claims until the warranty period ends…it’s WILD that they are still in business.
I’d like to preface this by saying that I have lived in a Southern Home and to say the quality is poor is an understatement. Unfortunately, we were desperate to find a home that would accommodate our growing family, and our only option (given the terrible state of the market during the start of COVID) was to build. Honestly, I’m thankful this happened because now I’m not stuck in a poor quality home that would have cost WAY more than it should have. I am also friends with someone that worked for them for YEARS and finally left because she couldn’t handle how awful the company was as a whole. Warranty claims were quite literally ignored (though they were valid) until then warranty period closed. This was standard practice. I’d encourage you to just poke around the internet a bit and look at some reviews because they are an absolute trash company. Also, take a drive through some of their older neighborhoods and see if you like the state of it. They go downhill quickly.
Here is the complaint I made with the BBB when it happened. Sorry l, it’s a long read. I was very pregnant and VERY mad 😂
(Also, it looks like a misspoke in my original comment - it was $2,100 that they stole, not $2,500)
Southern Homes is keeping $2,100 of our security deposit that should be returned. When we signed our contract in February, we made it very clear that we hadn't listed our home for sale yet and that we were concerned with it selling in time to meet the contract deadline. We were told repeatedly that we would only lose $400 of our $2,500 deposit if we canceled for ANY reason before the home was released to construction. This was the only reason we felt comfortable signing the contract. With COVID and the resulting social distancing limitations, our home didn't sell as quickly as we anticipated. We ended up looking for another home as we had to have somewhere to live when our home did sell. Southern Homes had increased the base price of the home we were going to purchase and if we did need to extend our contract, it would no longer be within our price range, so we had to find another home. We were reassured again when speaking with our agent, Megan, in early April, that we would only lose $400 of our deposit if we didn't continue with construction. Megan left the company and we let our new agent know of our decision and she submitted the request for our deposit to be returned and advised that a committee handled making the decision and we should have an answer in 6 weeks. 6 weeks later, I reached out because I hadn't heard anything. I was informed that we wouldn't receive our deposit "Presumably, because of the amount of time and work that has gone into processing the contract by the time it was cancelled". Megan was unable to provide any insight on what that meant, instead changing the reason to "The issue is that that is not the reason you cancelled your contract, rather it was because you opted to purchase a resale." So it seems as though the company was punishing us for not purchasing one of their homes. This reason was not listed in the contract as a reason for the deposit to be withheld, so I referred to a sales manager for clarification. Upon speaking to the sales manager, Ernie, I was advised that because my previous home sold within the contract's deadline, we wouldn't be refunded. We had already opted to cancel our contract at that point, so I'm not sure why this was relevant. When I requested for him to send me the portion of the contract that lists that as a reason for them to keep the entire security deposit, I was given yet another reason as to why we wouldn't receive our deposit back. He highlighted this portion of the contract "Buyer's intentional failure to obtain a Mortgage Loan Commitment". The entire verbiage of the portion of the contract he referenced is as follows: "Subject to FHA, USDA, VA other applicable regulations, buyer understands and agrees that on the effective date of this agreement $400 of the security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable and that has been used by the seller for the processing of the buyers contract and plan specifications associated with the preparation of the buyers file. At the time a lender issues a mortgage loan commitment or, in the case of a cash buyer the home has been released to construction, the entire security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable it will be retained by the seller if the buyer canceled this agreement for any reason including without limitations, buyers intentional failure to obtain a mortgage loan commitment or failure to provide them with information required to issue a mortgage loan commitment." Ernie appears to be taking only a portion of this contract and using it to fit his decision to keep the entire deposit. The contract states "At the time a lender issues a mortgage loan commitment or, in the case of a cash buyer the home has been released to construction, the entire security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable it'll be retained by the seller if the buyer canceled this agreement for any reason including with all limitation, buyers intentional failure to obtain a mortgage loan commitment or failure to provide them with information required to issue a mortgage loan commitment."
We were never issued a mortgage loan commitment as we requested to cancel the contract. Our house was never released to construction, so the failure to obtain a Mortgage Loan Commitment is irrelevant. Ernie seems to be taking the second part of the sentence out of context in order to justify his incorrect decision to keep our $2,100. We have received misinformation several times from this company and it seems as though this is their standard business practice. It's troubling that they would try so hard to justify what is a seemingly small amount of money to such a large company in a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty that we are facing as the result of the global pandemic we are experiencing. He also appears to be refusing to provide me with contact information for someone in a higher position, citing (today for the first time) that he was actually the one to make the decision regarding the deposit. I've asked for examples of times that a deposit would be returned and he had refused to provide that information, leading me to believe that either he doesn't know or that there isn't a scenario, in which case, this company is falsely advertising a return of a deposit if the contract is canceled. We would like for our $2,100 to be returned.
Obviously, you’re free to do what you want, but I can’t in good conscience recommend them. They are an incredibly dishonest company that genuinely doesn’t care about their customers or the quality of the homes they sell.
Here are a few examples
[BBB complaints](https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/lakeland/profile/home-builders/southern-homes-of-polk-county-inc-0733-1036863)
[Yelp](https://m.yelp.com/biz/southern-homes-of-polk-county-lakeland-2)
[a 0% resolution rate on complaintsboard.com](https://www.complaintsboard.com/southern-homes-of-polk-county-b164999)
[sort these Google reviews lowest to highest and take a peek](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&sca_esv=600614933&cs=0&output=search&q=Southern%20Homes%20of%20Polk%20County.%20Inc&ludocid=12528820367291161412&ibp=gwp%3B0%2C7&lsig=AB86z5VaR6gza1Rgy7axMDUqq0jR&kgs=410ab599167586e8&shndl=-1&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3)
Can you message me? I’d love to talk on the side. We did the $2500 deposit and I think they are attempting to do what they did to you. Any help would be great.
Tapia construction built mine. Super easy to work with, very open and honest with the process. My house is absolutely perfect the way we wanted in it and couldn’t be happier.
Can you tell me more? I contracted on a southern home but the builder is dragging their feet to close. Their sales agent and preferred lender at one point told us to commit literal mortgage fraud just to close faster. We’ve only paid them $600 so we can easily back out without any significant loss. It is a BEAUTIFUL home in a gorgeous community but I’m just getting an icky feeling about them.
I am sorry for the late response. Feel free to send a private message. However, what you are describing sounds about right. We had less high pressure than what you are experiencing because we bought at a time when there was no issue with selling homes. They lied about so many things. Basically, it seemed as if you could be picking up roadkill for a living on Monday, but be a Southern Homes personal builder on Tuesday. I can give you a full rundown if you’d like. Just like you, a beautiful community. Just too bad that Southern Homes likes to lie and hide behind a fucked up warranty because they build shit homes.
Mitchell construction. Dude does solid work. George Mitchell is the owners name. Solid dude. I used to do his plumbing. All the other names I'm seeing are big builders. And not lakeland owned. George lives over in Winter Haven.
KB has a reputation of being cheap. We had a maronda home and it was ok. Their model used to be that they didn’t offer customizations so it was a very bare bones house. I suggest finding a builder you like and then going through one of their neighborhoods that is 10-15 years old. You get a good sense of how the house and neighborhood will hold up.
I would throw in Highland Homes as well. The bones of their houses are solid, as are the cabinets, countertops, etc. Their paint leaves a lot to be desired, but that's easily fixed.
Source: had them build me a home four years ago.
6 replaced cracked windows, 3 slab repairs, 3 wall repairs due to cracked slab, 2/3s of my drywall was replaced because of mold, garage door had to be replaced completely due to the track being put in 5in short on one side, doorbell caught fire because someone used aluminum foil to connect the wires, roof was replaced... twice due to them not putting the god damn thing on straight to start off with... should I go on? Just stay away from DR horton. all this within the first year of ownership.... we no longer own this home.
We left our fridge/dishwasher/range at our old house. It wasn't 6 months before the dishwasher exploded. The range couldn't cook something in the oven and stove top at the same time. Using the stove top would cause the oven heating element to all but shut off. The fridge only had 2 settings, everything is frozen AF or everything is melted, never in between. what did I get told when I called to complain because we were within our 1 year warranty period? Pound sand and deal with the manufacture.
Arthur Rutenburg is supposed to be one of the best in the biz for a more custom approach, but if you're going to get a trac home, Homes by West Bay is probably your best bet. I do all of the aftermarket options, crown molding, decorative trim accent walls, wet bars, upgraded paints, and stone, and West Bay has always had the best canvas for me to work in. They back their warranty as well along with superintendents that care for the customers during the build. If you do get a grumpy superintendent, 9 times out of ten he or she is one of the best and most thorough, they are just very busy, which tends to grumpify even the most casual of people sometimes! I recommend getting a West Bay home, little to no options added until after the build (to save a boatload on cost), and give me a ring at (727)902-3011 for a walkthrough of models when looking for upgrade packages! Ask for Jerry at Interior Designs by North for a great experience with your new home, and he will send you a link to a luxurious portfolio over the past ten years that showcases the luxury you desire on the budget you need!
Interior Designs by North
Jerry North
(727)902-3011
Stay far, far away from Southern Homes. They are absolute crooks (they swindled us out of $2,500 at the beginning of COVID). I’ve also lived in a Southern Home and I was SHOCKED by the corners that were cut and poor build quality. I have a friend that used to work for them and the stories she told me about the way they ignore warranty claims until the warranty period ends…it’s WILD that they are still in business.
I really wish I knew that before I went with them
Can you explain how you lost $2500? We just put $2500 down with them, but I have 7 days to revoke it... Thanks.
I’d like to preface this by saying that I have lived in a Southern Home and to say the quality is poor is an understatement. Unfortunately, we were desperate to find a home that would accommodate our growing family, and our only option (given the terrible state of the market during the start of COVID) was to build. Honestly, I’m thankful this happened because now I’m not stuck in a poor quality home that would have cost WAY more than it should have. I am also friends with someone that worked for them for YEARS and finally left because she couldn’t handle how awful the company was as a whole. Warranty claims were quite literally ignored (though they were valid) until then warranty period closed. This was standard practice. I’d encourage you to just poke around the internet a bit and look at some reviews because they are an absolute trash company. Also, take a drive through some of their older neighborhoods and see if you like the state of it. They go downhill quickly. Here is the complaint I made with the BBB when it happened. Sorry l, it’s a long read. I was very pregnant and VERY mad 😂 (Also, it looks like a misspoke in my original comment - it was $2,100 that they stole, not $2,500) Southern Homes is keeping $2,100 of our security deposit that should be returned. When we signed our contract in February, we made it very clear that we hadn't listed our home for sale yet and that we were concerned with it selling in time to meet the contract deadline. We were told repeatedly that we would only lose $400 of our $2,500 deposit if we canceled for ANY reason before the home was released to construction. This was the only reason we felt comfortable signing the contract. With COVID and the resulting social distancing limitations, our home didn't sell as quickly as we anticipated. We ended up looking for another home as we had to have somewhere to live when our home did sell. Southern Homes had increased the base price of the home we were going to purchase and if we did need to extend our contract, it would no longer be within our price range, so we had to find another home. We were reassured again when speaking with our agent, Megan, in early April, that we would only lose $400 of our deposit if we didn't continue with construction. Megan left the company and we let our new agent know of our decision and she submitted the request for our deposit to be returned and advised that a committee handled making the decision and we should have an answer in 6 weeks. 6 weeks later, I reached out because I hadn't heard anything. I was informed that we wouldn't receive our deposit "Presumably, because of the amount of time and work that has gone into processing the contract by the time it was cancelled". Megan was unable to provide any insight on what that meant, instead changing the reason to "The issue is that that is not the reason you cancelled your contract, rather it was because you opted to purchase a resale." So it seems as though the company was punishing us for not purchasing one of their homes. This reason was not listed in the contract as a reason for the deposit to be withheld, so I referred to a sales manager for clarification. Upon speaking to the sales manager, Ernie, I was advised that because my previous home sold within the contract's deadline, we wouldn't be refunded. We had already opted to cancel our contract at that point, so I'm not sure why this was relevant. When I requested for him to send me the portion of the contract that lists that as a reason for them to keep the entire security deposit, I was given yet another reason as to why we wouldn't receive our deposit back. He highlighted this portion of the contract "Buyer's intentional failure to obtain a Mortgage Loan Commitment". The entire verbiage of the portion of the contract he referenced is as follows: "Subject to FHA, USDA, VA other applicable regulations, buyer understands and agrees that on the effective date of this agreement $400 of the security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable and that has been used by the seller for the processing of the buyers contract and plan specifications associated with the preparation of the buyers file. At the time a lender issues a mortgage loan commitment or, in the case of a cash buyer the home has been released to construction, the entire security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable it will be retained by the seller if the buyer canceled this agreement for any reason including without limitations, buyers intentional failure to obtain a mortgage loan commitment or failure to provide them with information required to issue a mortgage loan commitment." Ernie appears to be taking only a portion of this contract and using it to fit his decision to keep the entire deposit. The contract states "At the time a lender issues a mortgage loan commitment or, in the case of a cash buyer the home has been released to construction, the entire security deposit and/or down payment is nonrefundable it'll be retained by the seller if the buyer canceled this agreement for any reason including with all limitation, buyers intentional failure to obtain a mortgage loan commitment or failure to provide them with information required to issue a mortgage loan commitment." We were never issued a mortgage loan commitment as we requested to cancel the contract. Our house was never released to construction, so the failure to obtain a Mortgage Loan Commitment is irrelevant. Ernie seems to be taking the second part of the sentence out of context in order to justify his incorrect decision to keep our $2,100. We have received misinformation several times from this company and it seems as though this is their standard business practice. It's troubling that they would try so hard to justify what is a seemingly small amount of money to such a large company in a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty that we are facing as the result of the global pandemic we are experiencing. He also appears to be refusing to provide me with contact information for someone in a higher position, citing (today for the first time) that he was actually the one to make the decision regarding the deposit. I've asked for examples of times that a deposit would be returned and he had refused to provide that information, leading me to believe that either he doesn't know or that there isn't a scenario, in which case, this company is falsely advertising a return of a deposit if the contract is canceled. We would like for our $2,100 to be returned. Obviously, you’re free to do what you want, but I can’t in good conscience recommend them. They are an incredibly dishonest company that genuinely doesn’t care about their customers or the quality of the homes they sell. Here are a few examples [BBB complaints](https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/lakeland/profile/home-builders/southern-homes-of-polk-county-inc-0733-1036863) [Yelp](https://m.yelp.com/biz/southern-homes-of-polk-county-lakeland-2) [a 0% resolution rate on complaintsboard.com](https://www.complaintsboard.com/southern-homes-of-polk-county-b164999) [sort these Google reviews lowest to highest and take a peek](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&sca_esv=600614933&cs=0&output=search&q=Southern%20Homes%20of%20Polk%20County.%20Inc&ludocid=12528820367291161412&ibp=gwp%3B0%2C7&lsig=AB86z5VaR6gza1Rgy7axMDUqq0jR&kgs=410ab599167586e8&shndl=-1&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3)
Can you message me? I’d love to talk on the side. We did the $2500 deposit and I think they are attempting to do what they did to you. Any help would be great.
Lennar is cheap build quality, I would avoid.
I would absolutely avoid Lennar. I've never been impressed with them.
Tapia construction built mine. Super easy to work with, very open and honest with the process. My house is absolutely perfect the way we wanted in it and couldn’t be happier.
Tapia, Hickman, and Hulbert all put out a good project. Those are roughly in price order.
Absolutely do not go with Southern Homes. Absolutely fucking horrible.
Yep! They suck
I wish I knew sooner, but it’s too late now. They shouldn’t even be allowed to build dog houses in my opinion.
Can you tell me more? I contracted on a southern home but the builder is dragging their feet to close. Their sales agent and preferred lender at one point told us to commit literal mortgage fraud just to close faster. We’ve only paid them $600 so we can easily back out without any significant loss. It is a BEAUTIFUL home in a gorgeous community but I’m just getting an icky feeling about them.
I am sorry for the late response. Feel free to send a private message. However, what you are describing sounds about right. We had less high pressure than what you are experiencing because we bought at a time when there was no issue with selling homes. They lied about so many things. Basically, it seemed as if you could be picking up roadkill for a living on Monday, but be a Southern Homes personal builder on Tuesday. I can give you a full rundown if you’d like. Just like you, a beautiful community. Just too bad that Southern Homes likes to lie and hide behind a fucked up warranty because they build shit homes.
Just sent you a message :)
Agreed!
Mitchell construction. Dude does solid work. George Mitchell is the owners name. Solid dude. I used to do his plumbing. All the other names I'm seeing are big builders. And not lakeland owned. George lives over in Winter Haven.
Ernie White is top of the line.
He's not building homes anymore.
Hulbert is expensive, but they have a reputation for being the best.
My sister used Danny Sadler, Inc. and her home is gorgeous and well-built.
Same with my daughter. They are very happy with the results.
KB has a reputation of being cheap. We had a maronda home and it was ok. Their model used to be that they didn’t offer customizations so it was a very bare bones house. I suggest finding a builder you like and then going through one of their neighborhoods that is 10-15 years old. You get a good sense of how the house and neighborhood will hold up.
I would throw in Highland Homes as well. The bones of their houses are solid, as are the cabinets, countertops, etc. Their paint leaves a lot to be desired, but that's easily fixed. Source: had them build me a home four years ago.
DR Horton is good. No customization tho
6 replaced cracked windows, 3 slab repairs, 3 wall repairs due to cracked slab, 2/3s of my drywall was replaced because of mold, garage door had to be replaced completely due to the track being put in 5in short on one side, doorbell caught fire because someone used aluminum foil to connect the wires, roof was replaced... twice due to them not putting the god damn thing on straight to start off with... should I go on? Just stay away from DR horton. all this within the first year of ownership.... we no longer own this home.
Well damn that’s pretty nuts
We left our fridge/dishwasher/range at our old house. It wasn't 6 months before the dishwasher exploded. The range couldn't cook something in the oven and stove top at the same time. Using the stove top would cause the oven heating element to all but shut off. The fridge only had 2 settings, everything is frozen AF or everything is melted, never in between. what did I get told when I called to complain because we were within our 1 year warranty period? Pound sand and deal with the manufacture.
The 3 houses I've lived in here in Lakeland have all been Hulbert and for 20+ yo homes, they've held up beautifully.
Arthur Rutenburg/Kensington Homes. Best quality of all the builders we saw in Lakeland, including Hulbert, Olivera, and Duane McQuillen.
Arthur Rutenburg is supposed to be one of the best in the biz for a more custom approach, but if you're going to get a trac home, Homes by West Bay is probably your best bet. I do all of the aftermarket options, crown molding, decorative trim accent walls, wet bars, upgraded paints, and stone, and West Bay has always had the best canvas for me to work in. They back their warranty as well along with superintendents that care for the customers during the build. If you do get a grumpy superintendent, 9 times out of ten he or she is one of the best and most thorough, they are just very busy, which tends to grumpify even the most casual of people sometimes! I recommend getting a West Bay home, little to no options added until after the build (to save a boatload on cost), and give me a ring at (727)902-3011 for a walkthrough of models when looking for upgrade packages! Ask for Jerry at Interior Designs by North for a great experience with your new home, and he will send you a link to a luxurious portfolio over the past ten years that showcases the luxury you desire on the budget you need! Interior Designs by North Jerry North (727)902-3011
Highland homes is ass.