Pick builder carefully, prevent nightmare

Reprinted from the Washington Times.

August 8, 2003
Section: FRIDAY HOME GUIDE

COVER STORY
Page: F01
Cary Lee Hanes, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

When their builder walked out on them, David and Kathy Afzali watched their dream of building a custom home turn into a costly nightmare. The Afzalis broke ground on the house in Middletown, Md., on July 3, 2001. The builder departed in May 2002, leaving the couple with an unfinished house and thousands of dollars worth of outstanding debts to subcontractors.

"It was a terrible miscalculation, and we lost a lot of money," Mrs. Afzali says. "The builder just disappeared three quarters of the way through the project, and then the people he didn't pay started suing us."

Last month, a Frederick County judge ruled in the Afzalis' favor, dismissing the last outstanding mechanic's lien against their home, for a plumbing company bill of $6,350.

After spending more than a year and almost $100,000 out of pocket - including legal fees - to complete the work and get clear title to their home, Mrs. Afzali says she learned the hard way that selecting a custom builder requires thorough research and verification. A reference from a friend, she says, is not enough.

 A friend, indeed, recommended the builder the Afzalis chose. The couple also was tempted by the price he quoted. He justified his low estimate, saying he was a smaller builder and wanted new projects, Mrs. Afzali says. He told the couple he wanted to create a presence in the community.

 If the Afzalis had investigated, they would have been stunned to learn that the builder didn't have a proper license and that a number of judgments already had been filed against him.

 "It makes us sound like we're fools - but we're intelligent people," Mrs Afzali says. She believes what happened to her can happen to anyone, and she urges others shopping for a custom home builder to request a number of references, visit other homes the builder has constructed and get a copy of the company's financial statement.

 Most important, she says, ask a lot of questions and don't be persuaded solely by a lower price.

"There are no cheap deals," Mrs. Afzali says. "If you want a home with the quality you want, you need the best builder who hires the best people. The best defense is to be thorough."

Larry Schaffert, president of Frederick County Builder's Association and Schaffert Construction, points out a number of credentials and requirements to check for when researching a custom home builder's history.

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