Southgate Homes

The Southgate home we purchased had its structure already designed, colors, tiles etc.already established, and we were not allowed to make any modifications whatsoever. Which we were fine with. The problems we faced were numerous once the house was “ready” and we had our first walk through. We noticed that the builders had been cutting corners - items listed were not exactly as were presented to us according to the plans we signed up for: lighting fixtures were different from ones on the plans and subpar with exposed wires. We found at least 7 glass window panes with hair cracks that they refused to at first acknowledge and fix. Hanging rods in the closets were painted blue and failed to meet the stress test. Interior paint left much to be desired as there were blotches here, there and everywhere; roof tiles were missing… And that is not even the last of it…It was like pulling teeth trying to get them to fix the numerous very obvious issues before closing. A year and a half later we are still waiting for them to fix our driveway which had huge yellow stains all over. They finally sent a crew to repair and now we have a grey color driveway that looks really, really ugly! The understanding was that they would pour the cement to match the color and the salt finish of the original driveway, which was part of the charm and what made us fall in love with the house in the first place. The “solution” they are now offering is to redo the rest of the front of the house, namely the walkway and steps, to match the ugly grey of the driveway! Which is not acceptable! The saga continues… Our overall experience with this builder throughout the home building process has been and continues to be frustrating to say the least. Southgate claims to have an extraordinary team who are professional, attentive, and expeditious in all areas that need to be addressed. Don’t be fooled! While we love our home, we are still working on getting items fixed that should have been done prior to move in. DFW first time home buyers - think twice before committing or find another builder so you can avoid what we continue to experience.

Within a few months of contract execution what should have been an exciting, life-affirming project has been engulfed by an evolving nightmare. The sales process was rife with miscommunication and misinformation, requiring third-party intervention to resolve a simple error made prior to framing. Escalating a problem to the corporate level was next to impossible without it. The build is on constant hiatus. We have entertained three different building/construction managers; two have left the company for undisclosed reasons with the current failing to oversee construction with any meaningful authority. The result is relevant information to our build being either mishandled, lost, or ignored, which ends in the omission of or improper installation of components throughout each phase. Oversight is non-existent with scheduled labor. Labor shows up when it wants and that work which has been done is performed with almost no attention to detail: misaligned lighting, incorrect electrical installation, wrong paints being applied, improper pre-fab, etc. Moreover, homes are being constructed out of schedule, meaning homes started after ours are enjoying a quicker completion rate. 100% of design improvements are due upon ratifying selections. None of the items paid for are purchased until labor is “scheduled” to provide installation. This has resulted in products purportedly going out of stock and/or being discontinued, which further delays the process. Communication is extremely poor as to why materials are not being acquired in a timely manner and resolution is slow to materialize if ever – equatable to being Ponzi-esque in execution. Materials that have been reported as unavailable have proven otherwise when contacting a vendor directly. This is indicative of deceptive practice for reasons known only to Southgate. This review could be entertained over dozens of pages. For brevity, however, our experience can be summarized as one of deception, misrepresentation, poor logistics, and ineptitude. The result is an indefinite timeline with respect to closing, costing us time and money throughout. As there is no escalation clause within our contract (the builder absorbs inflation), it is our suspicion that delays are strategically employed to entertain a state of default, by which the home may be completed on a budget and sold at a premium to another buyer. With that breath Southgate is under the umbrella of Green Brick Partners, a multi-firm entity enjoying its own mortgage lender. With escalating mortgage rates, Southgate suspiciously remains idle, floating the build and thus prohibiting our ability to lock in the best rate. What began as shining optimism in 2020 has regressed into the bowels of legal despair in 2022. If choosing a new build, I strongly suggest looking elsewhere. If unavoidable, I recommend hiring a legal firm versed in construction law to walk you hand-in-hand through the Southgate experience.

While we love our home, getting it complete was not the easy, in our home for nearly 4 months and still working on getting items fixed that should have been done prior to move in.

DFW first time home buyers run away from them as fast as you can, find another builder you can avoid what we have experienced. Southgate Homes terminated our contract for no reason, they wasted months of our time and we were in the step of waiting for a pre-construction meeting, they even CASHED our checks. They are the most unethical business I've ever seen and there are so many victims like us.

Covert + Associates has worked with Southgate Homes and Jay Hankla for many years. Jay and his team are great to work with, and they build a great home. We would highly recommend Southgate Homes to anyone looking for a new home in DFW.

We partner with Southgate Homes for their low voltage wiring needs. Blake and her team always take care of their clients, and their homes are high quality and customized to each family. Highly recommend this builder.

Blake is a very talented and caring sales professional. Blake's knowledge in new construction homes makes her a top standout in the industry.

We purchased a beautiful Southgate home this year. The structure designed for the lot we chose was already established, however we were able to make a few modifications that we can't imagine the house without. We are continually impressed with the quality of materials and the level of design elements that are standard in our house. Our overall experience with this builder throughout the home building process has been exceptional. Southgate has an extraordinary team who are professional, attentive, and expeditious in all areas that need to be addressed. We are truly happy with our home and would highly recommend Southgate.