A little animosity might be an understatement. I am sorry that you had a bad experience in purchasing your house. It is unfortunate that you don't see it as a home.
The price of land is determined by the deal the builder gets from the landowner and the planning boards that control the zoning and lot size. It is a very controlled process and very risky to the developer. There is a lot of money to be made but it is more complicated than it appears. Building and bonding a road is not a simple operation and escrow money remains with the municipality for years. I have done one larger subdivision and would not do it again.
It is up to the buyer to determine if he is getting a good value. There are professional real estate people that can help him and there are inspectors to make sure the house won't fall apart.
There are government intities that review and inspect zoning, plumbing, framing, electic, fire safety and then all of these again after finishing. There are different qualities of workmanship and there are different levels of amenities that can be included or added as options.
It might be different in the Northeast but it is not easy money especially when you look at the market now. The homes I built last year sold fortunately but the ones I built this year are still for sale. I am retiring and can't wait until they are gone.
All new homes built in NJ have a warranty that is mandated by law and controlled by the Dept of Community affairs. It is triggered by the homeowner. The DCA has arbitration powers and makes findings that must be followed or you cannot build here.
I have made repairs five years later, way after warranty is over, just to keep the owner happy but I am very proud of the homes I built and I often don't get a single call back for many of them. Most of them are built and then sold. Unfortunately, I cannot force anyone to buy them.
Builders are not helpless urchins in the sea of life but neither are the buyers from hell.
I apologize to board members about this unfortunate detour. We should be talking about trapping not builders.
