This blog is about one person’s experience with Mattamy Homes and the Town of Oakville. I’m not the only person that has ever had a problem with a builder, nor the municipal government and therefore you might feel this is only a complainers page. I have felt strongly about what happened and feel that some legislative changes are necessary to ensure home buyers are protected. Read the story and you will see why. Although comments made might apply to any builder, I have utilized Mattamy Homes as an example as I have personal knowledge of what a builder can do and it is based on fact. I have seen the Tarion Warranty change some to protect buyers. Let’s hope it continues. If you feel that there is a comment made that is not true or misleading, please do not hesitate to contact me. If shown to be wrong, I have no issues with changing the blog to reflect the error made. This blog is not meant to be libelous nor a personal attack on Mattamy Homes or the owner, Peter Gilgan. I am just using the FACTS to show that there requires to be changes in the law and procedures so that the homebuyer is protected. Those issues I bring up are fact and only show why my argument is a valid argument that requires some action by our elected officials.
If you wish to contact me privately, send an email to:
Oakville Homes 
I love your site. Keep it up !
Comment by readnshare — March 28, 2009 @ 7:19 am |
Have been reviewing several comments on your site. I would like to add our experiences and advice when purchasing a new home in Ontario. I have considered responding earlier, but would like to review messages. It seems that there is a general concern that we all share, LETS NOT GET RIPPED OFF.
I have been in construction for over 20 years, we purchased a new home and did have several home inspectors,( due to the fact that I was the home owner and a Home Inspector, that I was restricted not to inspect our house because sooo many problems existed ) but unfortunately, well review CBC Marketplace/ New Home Nightmare with Mike Holmes, almost 4 years later and almost $ 80,000.00 dollars later, we fight on.
My recommendation to all current and potential new home buyers, do not hire home inspectors, but hire experinced, qualified construction contractors, including P Eng. Make this a condition that your consultant will monitor the house being built during construction and prior to construction, and prior to signing your contract if purchasing new. In fact several builders that I was referred to would not make this a condition of contract, it is what it is, move on, they lose the sale. (RED FLAG)
Believe me, the investment will save you the aggrevation, sanity,stress,and the well being of your family.
In fact check out Mike Holmes web site, there is a section in regards to home inspectors.
Best Regards All!
The West Family
55 Lanza Court
Hamilton, Ont.
Comment by Joe West — May 8, 2009 @ 1:07 am |
What terrible advice. Pencil pushing engineers usually don’t know what to look for. Like everything else, there are some people that do a better job than others and I am fully aware that there are some very lame home inspectors out there.
Sure, if you are having a custom built home built, then you can hire a White Hat to keep an eye on things, but doing that during the build of most homes today will not work. During construction of a custom home, means that you own the property, that you pay the contractors, etc.
It sounds like you did not get a “good” home Inspection.
Comment by Andy Shaw — August 1, 2009 @ 5:28 pm |
Andy,
Actually, we did get great home inspections, why do you think we discovered so many problems. My comment to hire a P.Eng is based on the fact that municipal inspectors, builders, and any one else who is not a P.Eng, will be subject to no opinion. P.Eng do have the authority to over rule.
It does not matter if you build a custom home or purchase a ditto home, make this condition as part of your sales agreement, that the new homebuyer will retain their own ( as you put it , white hat ).
By retaining a qualified individual representing the new home buyer, to oversee the construction at all phases, is most certainly a benefit to the new homebuyer, do not care how you cut it. For the approx value of representation, it will save the new homebuyer possible of hundreds of thousand of dollars, believe me, we are living it.
Further to note, I was not allowed on site during construction of our home because I did point out several items that were illegal. Unfortunately, we did not make this a condition of our sales agreement to monitor construction activity. This is why I strongly recommend doing so. There have been several clients of mine that we did make this part of sales agreement, and guess what, the builder ran with his tails between his legs, I wonder why?. As it turned out, the exact builder, and a different homebuyer, with the exact house that we made our terms part of the sales agreement has now retained me to represent them with several serious issues.
All for now
Joe West
Comment by The Wests — October 27, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
There are many that support your views on Mattamy Homes and their urban sprawl subdivisions. Keep up the good work. Just to let you know I heard there is a new video coming out on the destruction one Mattamy Homes subdivision had on a provincially significant wetland in Hespeler (Cambridge) Ontario. Will send you the link
Comment by Paul Langan — June 17, 2009 @ 6:59 am |
Please Read this one.
http://www.bushywood.com/comfortable.htm
Comment by Reporter — July 12, 2009 @ 4:36 pm |
Soon, the ultimate footprint and
pattern of development will be set.
Without immediate proactive
initiatives, the result will be
sprawling disconnected subdivisions
spread from Oakville to Georgetown
that surround a few isolated
Greenbelt& Wetlands. The opportunity to build
great communities and forever
protect natural lands, open space,
and farmland, will be lost. Our
actions today, or our lack of action,
will determine the legacy we leave
for future generations in Halton
forever.
Comment by Halton Footprint will be Lost — July 14, 2009 @ 8:46 pm |
Mr.Gregoris
Why have you targeted Halton Hills Mayor and Oakville Mayor?
Asking residents to e-mail Regional Councillors?
Do you think Halton Tax-payers fell off the Mattamy Turnip Wagon?
The days of the past are gone.The Tax-payers of Halton has instructed our Elected officials.
For The People By The People of Halton
Not Mattamy.
Comment by "By The People of Halton" — July 14, 2009 @ 9:22 pm |
To the comment that was said that we probaby didn’t get a good home inspector, which planet are you from, it was the city who inspected our house.
Comment by Joanne — September 5, 2009 @ 2:23 pm |
The last people I would trust inspecting my house would be a city inspector. It was they that OK’d the illegal wiring to the furnace and allowed the sale to go through. They can be too cozy with the builders and do not inspect all homes. They will look at one home and then expect the rest to be of the same quality. City inspectors do not necessarily represent your best interest and thus you need to hire someone who will be there for you. Of course, not all house inspectors are up to snuff and that is why you need to research before hiring.
Comment by L N — September 5, 2009 @ 3:52 pm |
Just purchased my house from them (I’m from Alberta), and thought theirs are unique and quality-built houses compare to other builders. If some issues outline above are true about Mattamy, had they been brought into court for a lawsuit from any of these unhappy purchasers? Can you tell me one? Why is Mattamy receiving awards from JD Powers yearly?
Comment by arvin — October 26, 2009 @ 7:26 pm |
I’m glad you are satisfied with your house but there is evidence enough that Mattamy isn’t always fair or builds a good house. I am under a gag order from Mattamy so I can’t tell you all that was wrong with my house. Others have documented their complaints via video and this is open to viewers. It isn’t easy to sue a builder – they have all the lawyers and money and sometimes they just pay off a small amount and you take it and run.
I was physically threatened by bully boys when I complained and my complaint to the Town of Oakville was brushed aside by former Mayor Ann Mulvale who was actively pursuing Mattamy for a donation towards a very worthwhile cause. But, my children were put at physical risk while someone got the donation. The sale of my house was made easier by the illegal wiring, supported by the Town inspector but not later by his boss who said it was not legal.
So, it isn’t always cut and dry and Mattamy has a proven track record of not always building a good house. The awards – maybe it just tells you how bad the other builders are. Recent show by Mike Holmes showed just how bad a builder can be and the owners had very few avenues to follow.
Lawsuits sound fine but do you have a few hundred thousand to fight a billionaire owner? I doubt it. And, ask yourself why Mattamy hasn’t sued me for what I have printed. Hard to sue someone for telling the truth.
Comment by LN — October 26, 2009 @ 10:48 pm |
LN,
As a new home buyer who experiences problems, ultimately, you are on your own. As a new home buyer, I would like to know your opinion in regards to employees of Tarion being members of the BUILDERS ASSOCIATIONS. This is most certainly a conflict. ( lets be buddies ). It is a total disgrace that the builders associations will allow anyone to become a memeber. I guess there is no code of ethics within these organizations.
In addition, the Federal, Provincial, and municipal governments don’t care, we can demonstrate hundreds of correspondence items that fell on deaf ears, lets face it, why would the government care, if there is a law suite filed, it is taxpayers money who will defend it and pay for any judgement against them.
I have inspected hundreds of homes, challenged items when necessary, and have been very successful challenging Tarion at The License Appeal Tribunal. In fact,homeowners who I have assisted, did send me letters indicating their appreciation of my assistance.
Remember, there are several good builders, who care, but equally, there are builders who will rip you off. How many new homebuyers can indentify a problem or have the experience to identify a problem, no fault on the new homebuyer. This is what builders and Tarion prey on.You do not have to sue the builders, just have a powerful representation at LAT. We have continued our lawsuit against the city, builder, and representatives at huge expenses to make it public awareness. No new home buyer should be subject to our situation.
A great advocate group, Canadians for Properly Built Homes(CPBH), would like to hear your concerns.
Kindest Regards!
The West’s
55 Lanza Court
Hamilton, Ont
Comment by The Wests — October 27, 2009 @ 1:57 pm |
Hi,
I think it’s important to use the old “buyer be aware” whether buying a new or resale property. I highly recommend my buyers have a home inspection clause in their offer to purchase. We have bought new before and it’s important to keep on top of the progress of every building stage. It’s difficult now as you aren’t to be on site but you have the ability to have the site super walk you through. Often mistakes are caught just in time. I feel it’s not the builder’s NAME that makes a good or bad house. It’s the sub contractors doing the work. I work with building inspectors every day and yes there are some that are better than others. It’s especially important for first time buyers to have one done just so they can learn about regular home maintenance such as how and when to change a furnace filter, how to turn off the outside taps, where the main water shutoff is, how to clean the gutters,check the roof for missing shingles after the winter or severe storms, how to grade when you landscape, etc. Older homes have many different issues such as sump pumps, aluminum wiring,foundation cracks, oil tanks, etc. Buying a home is a huge investment and you don’t want any major surprises after you move in. Those “surprises” are not usually built into the budget.
Jenny Kotulak Broker
RE/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp. Brokerage
Oakville, Ontario
905-842-7000
Comment by Jenny Kotulak — November 13, 2009 @ 12:43 am |
[…] Kotulak, a broker in the Oakville area, left a very good comment with good advice in my “About and Contact Section” Hers is […]
Pingback by “BUYER BE AWARE” « Oakville Homes — November 13, 2009 @ 9:14 pm |
Are you one of the 5,000 picked for the Lottery & did you make the final draw ?
Comment by Information Dam @ Halton Region — January 28, 2011 @ 5:13 pm |
Nada on the lottery..
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Comment by fire table — September 5, 2011 @ 12:30 am |
The web site is great. I love reading it. I have learned so much. I am so very not surprised by Mattamy’s actions. I was only surprised by how long it took them to try to take action. Good luck with your road ahead. I hope you can survive the ride. Really do enjoy your blog I hope you win. Would miss you if you end up shut down.
Comment by No name — September 6, 2011 @ 10:05 pm |
have subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a great day!
Comment by wordpress plugin — November 8, 2011 @ 4:56 pm |
Came across your blog and had to laugh. I have had nothing but great luck with my Mattamy house. I do have to say that your love of Mike Homes has led you to believe that Mike could build you the perfect house. While I agree he could, you forget to mention you couldn’t afford a house built bottom to top using the specs he uses. Any builder can over construct…for a price. Whiners like you are too cheap and builders cater to you. Oh and by the way, my neighbour took a home inspectors course for an entire week. He’s now certified! I wouldn’t let him inspect my dog house.
Comment by Anexpertlikeyou — June 5, 2012 @ 9:37 pm |
Well, I certainly agree that Mike Holmes might be a bit too expensive but at least he would build to code, unlike Mattamy in my case. If you think no electricity in the house , illegal wiring, building on toxic land. Etc is the mark of a good builder, then go ahead and buy from them. Not all house inspectors are professional. Like some builders. But then, a builder who restricts house inspectors is suspicious in my book. Mattamy broke the law, as did the Town of Oakville and if you support Mattamy then you support homebuyers being shafted. I have the proof and yes, some Mattamy houses have been well built. Mike Holmes found at least one Mattamy not well built. By the way, I had Mattamy bully boys sent against me. Did you get the same service?
Comment by oakvillehomes — June 5, 2012 @ 10:26 pm |
True, Mattamy does restrict Home Inspectors, but only during the PDI process. This strange behaviour is suspect and a violation of the new home buyers rights under Tarion rules specifically noted in Bulletin 42. Having said that, the PDI is a cosmetic inspection only. It is a poor time to “inspect” the home. New Home Buyers should review Tarions Construction Performance Guidelines and focus on the Interior portion of that document to see what must be identified during the PDI. Focus on kitchens, bathrooms, hardwood floors, dents or damage to doors, etc. Anexpertlikeyou is correct in not hiring his friend who is new in the “inspection” business because years of experience, like in any trade, are required to season the freshly minted inspector. At the same time, Anextertlikeyou’s negative attitude towards an independent inspection of his home only serves to justify his own decision to save a few dollars on the biggest investment he will likely ever make. If he did have an inspection he would have likely learned much more about his home and as per usual some or many, and sometimes serious deficiencies would have been found. After all, there are thousands of deficiencies and poor workmanship issues in new home construction – including and not limited to – insulation issues, ventilation issues with many missing, electrical issues, gas venting issues, energystar features like HRV and Power Pipes not installed properly, illegal and unsafe wiring, roofing and roof venting issues, missing or incomplete roof flashing, sump problems, cold room problems, garage gas-proofing issues, loose electrical problems, HRV Intakes to close to exhaust vent issues, gas fireplace electrical and venting issues, missing primers at floor drains, etc. The bottom line is that a new home that is properly inspected is a safe home, a better home, and one that can be easier to sell.
Comment by Andy Shaw - Halton Home Inspection Service — June 10, 2012 @ 8:36 am |
[…] received an interesting comment, which you can read in full in my “About and Contact” section (No. 22). I must admit that a home built by Mike Holmes would probably be a bit […]
Pingback by Mattamy lover thinks I am whiner. What do you think Gilgan? « Oakville Homes — June 7, 2012 @ 12:00 pm |
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Comment by Anonymous — July 14, 2014 @ 12:46 am |
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