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    I use to have some Pro's here, but the other
    homeowners have argued with me that there are no
    consistent wins with Long LakeFor some of us, a
    few things went okay but on those same things, they
    did not go well for other home buyers. My preference
    is to only put Pros here that you can definitely
    expect, and unfortunately I have none to give you.


Cons:
  • You will be bullied into closing on unfinished house.
    You might as well go ahead and expect to move into
    a home that's a mess. Read the Better Business
    Report and comments from other homeowners

  • Don't expect things to be fixed at the end of the one year warranty period. At the end (or anytime during) your one year warranty period, Long Lake offers during the sale process that they will fix your punch list of outstanding items which are broken up to a one year period. Don't count on it. I'd reckon to say that 99% of Long Lake's homeowners who turn in their one year punch list never see any of those items corrected, myself included. My pantry shelves are broken, my cabinets are broken, my electrical breakers are always tripping, and so on. None of it has yet to be fixed despite my repeated follow up with the project manager. You can expect that if anything's broken, you'll eventually be the one fixing it, because Long Lake doesn't hold up to its promise to do so.
  • The homes are too big for the lots, so expect your air conditioner if not the structures themselves to be on the utility easements. My air conditioner (and 50% of my neighbors AC units are on the utility easements). Long Lake claims that they obtained permission from the utility commissioner to do so. This is not true. I called the utility representative who's job is to oversee the construction companies and he told me that they never allow a builder to put an air conditioner unit on the utility easement. Long Lake claims that AC units are considered "temporary structures" and are therefore allowed, but come time for the utility companies to want access to that easement, it's your responsibility to move it and it won't be cheap. Furthermore, because Long Lake doesn't survey the property once they've laid the slab form down, most of the time the homes are 1, 2, or 3 inches on top of the easement. The title company that they've hired goes ahead and okays the deal, telling you that you'll get the "final" survey a few weeks after closing. This is to keep you from seeing that the house is sitting on the easement. Major scam in play here.

    Update on this issue: Long Lake was able to release the utility easement on my property with Reliant Energy. Reliant cleared that they did not need this utility easement, and it's been released back to me, as the homeowner.

    You might want to ensure that you know the easements of your property and where they are in relation to your structures and a.c. unit as well.
  • The better value on the homes might mean folks
    qualify easier into higher end neighborhoods than
    you would expect

  • Lots graded to create a river running through it. Backyards are graded away from the back fence towards the house, and then away from the house towards the back fence, resulting in a rut that runs horizontal across the backyard. This creates a river through your backyard every time it rains. You'll need to do some additional drainage work to your yard unless you just enjoy the natural pooling.


  • Door knobs and faucets break at 18 months or less. Door knobs for both intererior and exterior doors just fall off and faucets fall apart as well. Plan to replace them.


    • .
  • Very limited customizations. There are better builders
    if you want to customize the home a little. Plantation
    Builders will modify quite alot. Long Lake will modify
    very little. Be sure to spell EVERYTHING out before
    you sign on the dotted line including driveway
    placement. Leave nothing undone before signing off
    on the plan, even if the sales person tells you it can
    be added later. Additionally, you need to get the
    blueprints. Read the story about the homeowner who
    was cheated out of an entire bathroom: Homeowner
    is missing bathroom from house.
  • Cheap materials in some areas. For example, the
    wall paint is thinner than water. Be prepared to have
    to repaint your entire house. The insulation, even the
    upgraded insulation is inferior. They use recycled
    materials and blow it in for the ceiling. My husband
    and I are going to have to re-do the insulation,
    despite paying for the upgrade. The hot water
    heaters really don't do the job. They're somewhat
    undersized and every owner that I've spoken to
    agrees that we're going to have to add additional
    heaters to the home.
  • Door knobs don't match faucets that don't match
    towel bars and toilet paper holders. Everything is a
    different finish from chrome, to satin nickel, to
    bronze. Who the hell is the decorator? Decorating
    101: match finishes through out the house.
  • They don't seal the ceramic. This means that you'll
    have to do it. Otherwise, your grout will grow mold. I
    paid for upgraded ceramic throughout the entire
    living room. You would have thought that grout
    sealer was included in the $2800 extra that I paid. It
    wasn't I'm having to seal nearly 2,000 square feet of
    tile on my own.
  • The employee advantage: Employees can customize
    their homes. In my neighborhood at Villages of
    Cypress Lakes, there are alot of employees. They
    have made more spa like bathrooms than on the
    plan. They have upgraded doors not available to you
    and I. Imagine their customized home on the market
    at the same time you are trying to resell your house
    and you can see why the employee advantage hurts
    you and I, the real buyers, who are supporting the
    jobs that the employees have. It's an unfair
    advantage in my opinion.