Celebrity Homes

[Hearthstone Buyer]

Quick note to "Omaha Blight"...

I've driven through Hearthstone neighborhoods that have homes built 5-6 years ago and they look really nice. Actually a lot nicer than the new ones because of the bigger trees. I hope our Hearthstone neighborhood looks just as nice in 5 years.

Next time, do a little research before posting.

P.S. We love our Hearthstone home!

[SKA]

Which is the best home builder in the grester Omaha area. We are moving and are looking into buying a new house. Any input is appreciated. thanks

[Realtor with Integrity]

CHEAP HOMES wrote:

Celebrity homes/townhomes has to be the biggest joke! Cheap homes, cookie cutter designs, and their agents! Talk about bottom of the barrel! DO NOT buy a Celebrity home! You will just have to pay for a new garage door, appliances, and just about everything! You're better off going with Hearthstone or DesignOne! These companies actually tell you the truth and have ethics!

So we can assume you work for Hearthstone Homes?

[Realtor with Integrity]

SKA wrote:

Which is the best home builder in the grester Omaha area. We are moving and are looking into buying a new house. Any input is appreciated. thanks

That will depend on your budget. Building codes assure a minimum standard by which homes must be built. "Building to code" costs a certain amount of money, usually figured by $ per sqft. Most homes costing two to four times the sqft cost of code, are "built to code" but with ammenities not
coveed by codes added. Exceeding code in the areas of HVAC, insulation, electrical is common now, for a price.
So bottom line is, you get what you pay for. Materials and labor cost pretty much the same for
all builders except the large volume ones.
Materials and ammenities have nothing to do with the quality of construction.
http://omaharealestatelink.com

[Repeat Customers]

We are about to purchase our 2nd Celebrity Home. Our first one was 18 years ago and it was a split level. We have since built twice with custom builders and are now looking to build a ranch as our children have left the nest.
After comparing custom builders prices and options with the new options Celebrity has (solid surface counter tops, wood and tile floors) it was obvious this made the most financial sense. The building quality is good or they would not have lasted 30 years and the prices are reasonable due to volume.
Even though our last two homes were "custom", there were seveal of them in our neighborhood anyway.

[exasperated]

Does anyone know the name or the phone number to the Owners of Celebrity Homes? We recently bought a townhome and keep getting the run around from the service warrenty contacts of celebrity homes. I would really like to know someone else whom we can contact because this is getting too frustrating.

[Omaha 68116]

We bought our Celebrity VILLA in Westin last June 2008.
We have a half tree that I have asked to be replaced on 4 occasions noone has ever told me if they are planning on replacing this. I get a generated email.
*The concrete drive and garage floor make sure to seal it they do check!!! Ours was sealed real good and we got a crack. They came over and patched it and I didnt even know this was done until one day I looked down and seen smeared concret. Before they did this water seeps through the concret. They will not replace the concrete unless there is a wide crack, which will eventually occur over time
*The bedroom over the garage is cold in the winter and hot in the summer I wonder if they insulated the garage and ceiling in the garage-unlikely.
* The windows are not top of the line. If you want quite it wont happen we can hear cars, kids playing etc......
*The basement is very cold in the winter. DONT intend on using the fireplace in the winter if you want to be in the basement, the heater wont turn on and anyone in the basement will freeze --heat rises as you know.
* The deck is small will fit a small patio table and small BBQ but you wont have alot of room to walk.
* The stainless steel is nice to look at but we both work Full time and it is a pain to keep shiny and new - and we dont have kids.
* The kitchen cabinets the stain is rubbing off. But you get what you pay for.
*I would suggest upgrading the carpets and cabinets in the house. And if you can get better counter tops DO!
And Lastly If Celebrity pays your first year taxes- BIG DEAL- There is none really since they wont be assessed for a year and you first year of Insurance can be about 500.00 the assc. fees is the big amount over 120 depending on where you live a month. But remeber you will be paying for this in the future so make sure you can afford the extra 100-400 a month after your first year is over and Celebrity quites paying the taxes, insurance and assc. fees. OUCH!!! and if you did not add to your escrow the first year be prepared to pay your taxes this could be 1000 - 3000 approx out of pocket. Sometimes deals are not deals. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT on any new home!!!!

[Lisa]

Our family moved in a Celebrity home in Brook Park - Sedona Model -in September 2008. It has been a wonderful experience. We worked with Deb Davis during the purchasing process. Since we moved in, we have had some minor issues come up with the settling of the house such as drywall tape in the bathroom, a crack in the porch and separation of the vanity in the bathroom, but when we emailed the Celebrity, they came right out and fixed them.

We did have a major issue with loose fitting electrical outlets, but Wolf Electric came out immediately and fixed it.

We have wonderful, friendly neighbors in Brook Park. For us, we would definitely purchase another Celebrity home.

[David]

We signed with Celebrity on April 27th. It is now July 14th, almost 3 months later, and NOTHING has been done on our lot. NOTHING. People that signed as little as 2 weeks ago allready have their basement poured. And here we sit with our thumbs in our bums.

We are getting the Tempe model which is over 200,000.00. You'd think they'd care about losing the sale. But the salesman told us that Celebrity has no sense of urgency since it's going to be sold whether I take it or not.

That's a real piss poor attitude on their part. Wish I hadn't signed with them. DO YOUR HOME WORK AND ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU SIGN!!!!

[Cedrick Perkins]

Hearthstone isn't any better...
I purchased my brand new Hearthstone Home in late 2002. To say I regret buying the house is about the biggest understatement of my life. I was lured in by the "you get a lot of square footage for what you pay". But trust me, IT IS NOT WORTH IT! If you are thinking of buying a Hearthstone, run away! You will notice that any average to positive reviews of their homes are from people who have just bought the house, or suspect reviews that are probably written by employees or owners of the company. Actually the process of getting the house is fine, but it will surely start falling apart within a few years. Just to name a few problems I have:
1) My shingles fall off about 3 or 4 times a year - I need a new roof (once again, my house was built in 2002)
2) Giant sink holes - they fixed them while the house was under warranty - now that the house is under warranty, they won't even talk to you - my front porch is caving in.
3) Ridiculously high utility bills, due to horrible insullation
4) Deck is falling apart, siding has come off, etc.
5) I had the basement finished about 3 years ago, and the person finishing it said the basement was "unstable", and said it was like looking at a house that was almost 100 years old.
6) Furnace goes out at least twice a winter, guaranteed.
7) I know other people that have them, and they build these houses so quick, and the builders are of such poor quality (i.e. purposely left open beer bottles in the wall behind a closet = smell that won't go away unless you tear out the closet)

My advice - talk to someone that has been in a Hearthstone for more than 3 years, and they will tell you the "real deal" - AVOID AT ALL COSTS - IT ISN'T WORTH IT!!!!!

[Been There Done That]

DO NOT BUY FROM CELEBRITY HOMES. THEY HAVE UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. Example: Quail Run Townhomes, the Celebrity Sales prices had a range of $122,000 - $132,000. This is a $10,000 discrepency and all the townhomes were the same and the same square footage. Celebrity will discount home prices to close out a community, so if you bought first you probably paid the most. Also, Celebrity has a high foreclosure rate for a new home builder. Buyer Beware and always use an agent..... you will need representation...

[Say No to Celebrity]

Celebrity has destroyed the landscape of Omaha with their cookie cutter homes. I would not purchase a Celebrity to save my life. The customer service sucks and they build a cheap product with no very few options. Also, I know someone who had a bad experience with Gary P. Don't use him as your agent...he works for Celebrity. Do your research. Buy Hearthstone. More options and more value, also you will feel like you live in a home.

[Celebrity Bad]

Celebrity offers the bare minimum for what you get. The profit margin is high, and the benefit minimal. If you really want a Celebrity, but don't want to pay the Celebrity price, look for a slightly used foreclosure. There are quite a few out there. Since Celebrity will sell to anyone who signs a sales contract in the first 5 minutes of seeing a model home. Also, have you ever noticed the model homes do not have the same problems as the home you buy. Wonder why that is?

[New Celebrity Home Owners]

We were so proud when we bought are Celebrity and then the unthinkable happened. The foundation had settling issues. The nails popped at every seam. Celebrity would not respond to phone calls and did not address the issues in a timely fashion. I would not buy Celebrity again. Go with Homes By Design One or another builder. Celebrity does not build communities they destory them. The homes are built cheap and fall into disrepair. Often the communities decrease the value of neighboring homes which are not Celebrity. I wish the City would pass ordinances prohibiting builders like Celebrity from causing a decrease the property values by building in areas where home values are solid.

[Agree With Been There]

Celebrity does have unethical business practices. Check with the better business bureau and see how may complaints they have. I am sure quite a few. The Sales team is an embarrassement. They try every trick in the book to get people to buy.

[tom]

I see a trend with Celebrity sales agents being pushy or not responding after you call them. Little bit of knowledge for you all. Celebrity sales agents pay monthly fee to sit in there models and get a % of the sales price when a home is sold. Hearthstone sales agents just get a salary no bonus on each unit sold, they do get a profit sharing bonus at the end of the year. So if I were in sales and could get more by selling more I would work for Celebrity and if I wanted a steady pay check with a possiblity of a bonus if the company as whole did good then I would work for Hearthstone. Might be a reason for the pushy attitude at Celebrity. I know this b/c i thought about working for both and decided against both in the end. I think both are good homes for first time home buyers, just do not expect perfection unless you give perfection on everything you do in life.

[nanna pecoli]

Celebrity is to home building ethics what Wal-Mart is to ethical business practices.

[2nd Time Hearthstone]

We built our Hearthstone home in 1999 and have been living in this house for over 10 years. We love the house and are now in the process of starting to build a larger Hearthstone. The vinyl siding is great and we've never had any electrical problems like some have complained about. I think the sales reps at Hearthstone are very nice and we don't feel pressured at all. Our new home that we will be building has 4 bed with a finished basement with 3300 sq ft for $195k and that is with a ton of upgrades like 42 inch maple cabinets. You can't beat the price and the neighborhoods are great.

I'm not too familiar with Celebrity,we've looked at a few of the Celebrity homes in the past but it's just not my personal taste and I really have loved having the vinyl siding. We are glad we built a hearthstone and looking forward to building #2.

[Candlewick]

I am lost

[Max Power]

Say No to Celebrity wrote:

Celebrity has destroyed the landscape of Omaha with their cookie cutter homes.... Do your research. Buy Hearthstone. More options and more value, also you will feel like you live in a home.

Total contradiction, Hearthstone does the exact same thing by building cookie cutter neighborhoods.