Can anyone give me some insight as to what quality of homes these are? I know they do not have the best finishing touches(can pay for upgrades) as far as detail goes but for the overall quality of the build.

Are we talking at least better than Style Craft? Any personal stories? Any info would be appreciated.

The wife and I bought our 1st home from him in '86. We lived in it for 8 years before we outgrew it. The home never had any issues while we were there. Ed builds a decent home with no frills that costs a bit less than many other builders....or at least he did when we bought ours. He's a very nice guy....and very quiet too.

You can get one with extra frills if you want - you can choose the cabinets and upgrade the finish/size if you like - and get granite table tops and make other upgrades such as crown molding - so you can still end up with a somewhat fancy home if you like, and if you get it built the way you want.

His homes are built very well. He is the best of the inexpensive builders in this area. I have one of his homes, and we bought it right after it was framed - so we got to pick how things were done. I'd buy another of his homes.

Only caveat - it takes some work at the very end to get them to finish up some of the minor details on your knock out list. When I moved in, I found it easier to go get their works from houses being finished next door to me - it takes a while going thru their office. So, I got everything done in that 1st week by doing this.

He built one for us back in the late 90's and we were very pleased. Nice starter home, well-built, and no problems down the road.

You'll pay for the upgrades because, as he told us, he builds a "modest" home that is a good value. Not many frills in the base package, but they will definitely work with you to get what you want.

I have no problem recommending them based on my own experience. A family member had one built by the other builder you mentioned and was less pleased, FWIW.

Satisfied owner for over 10 years. He builds solid, low frills homes.

If you want, he'll work with you if there are amenities you do want. When we built, we asked him if he'd do some modifications on the floor plan we wanted. We lost the entryway closet, giving us a bigger entryway and moved some bedrooms slightly. He worked with us to give us what we wanted.

We've been here 13 years and I literally have no complaints about his work. You'd think that, after all this time, SOMETHING would have come up. But, nope.

I'd buy from him again.

I have had 2 Froehling homes. The above is correctly stated.

I do highly recommend paying a little extra for Hunter ceilings fans or prepare for noisy ceilings fans 2 years down the road. This is what we did on the 2nd froehling home we bought.

It is a good starter home. Could some things be done in a higher quality way - sure. But it is a good starter home, better than some others in town that is for sure.

I am not talking about frills - You can put granite counters anywhere.

The question to ask is whether he just meets or exceeds the building code.

Do you want a builder who just does what it takes to get by or builds above standard ? Foundation ? Framing ? Sheetrock ? Roof ?

I won't start mentioning over builders by name - but we looked around a long time before we built. My parents also have a home by another builder - I think Ed does a much better house in quality than any of the other builders in that price range.

I've had two homes from Ed (in the second one now). During the building phase, I had to ride herd on the plumber he uses and the brick guys. As with any home though, you need to be out there every day watching the contractors otherwise, they'll do a half a$$ job. You get more home for your money with Ed, not so much with Style Craft. In addition, I prefer a brick home which is what Ed builds. Not a fan of the Style Craft siding.

I think they are the best home for the money around here, and they are really great to work with, although I wouldnt expect to see them posting on here anytime soon since they dont use email, internet, ect. They usually get pretty high marks from the home inspectors also. The one thing I would consider if building with them is possibly adding additional ventalation to your attic. They usually just put ridge vents in and depending on the roofline sometimes there are not enough places for the hot air to get out. (at least this is what the inspectors always say)

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[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 4/20/2010 11:11a).]

I did have an issue with Triple SSS plumbing also. Not impressed from that aspect.

Thanks for the replies. We would have to go with some upgrades. Tile for the floors, granite countertops and depending on the cost upgrading the tubs and showers. The ones they use are those plastic ones you find in apartments.

Other than that the amount of house for that price is great.

Yes, if I bought another one, I'd pick different tubs/showers too. But, I have seen a few with different ones that people picked (I tend to look at the new ones while they are being finished)

But, if I decide I want a bigger home, I'd buy another of his.

We had our first home in Shenandoah...it was a flip for us. We started to look around after being in it for two years, wanting to get out into a larger nicer home. We looked at all of the builders in our price range and the options. Finally we came right back to our own neighborhood with Froehling. For the price you couldn't get a better home. Ed and Nancy were great to work with along with their front office staff. It's definitely got a feel of a mom and pop venture as their office isn't the easiest to find, and they have no email/website etc. But one thing is certain Ed takes pride in what he does. It was really great to walk through the house before closing with both Ed and Nancy and you could see his pride in what he's able to provide to families.

His homes are very no frills, but you can do some awesome stuff with his homes. What I enjoyed, even though it was a little more leg work for us, was the fact that Ed doesnt just package up a few different upgrades and tack on more money for himself. You're able to go to the actual subcontractors and pick out exactly what you want and pay the difference...in a lot of cases just a few dollars or hundreds of dollars made a big difference. Also it seems the Froehling's son is getting involved in the business and is making some great reccomendations for front elevations and floorplans...it seemed everything I complimented about the changes, Nancy would come back with "That was our son's idea!" We truly love our home, we feel it is absolutely gorgeous, trust in the building, and got it for a fraction of what even the other inexpensive builders wanted.

He builds a very solid home and he and Nancy are a pleasure to work with. We've been in our Froehling home nearly 7 years.

If you complete one of their spec. homes it will be a no frills deal. However, you can customize and even more so if you build from scratch with them. Further they will let you do anything you want in the home as long as it passes inspection. For example build attic dormers purely for decoration, run speaker wire in the walls etc...

We just recently bought one of his homes and the above comments are right on. No frills but a solid built home. We have been happy with how quickly they came to fix whatever finish issues we had. Overall, they are the best bang for the buck.

I bought one of his homes 5 1/2 years ago and been very pleased. No problems at all. I had a several upgrades when I built and have done several more myself over the past five years. I would definately buy from Ed and Nancy again.

We lived in Shenandoah when Ed bought up the remainder of the lots and watched many homes go up. We had chosen Roger with Southwest Homes to build our home, and would do it again in a heart beat! It may be worth taking your plans to him and asking for a bid for comparison.

Use Ed and Nancy Froehling. They are good people. Yes many of their fixtures/fans/ etc. are low end. The quality of their slab construction/slab contractors are great. They use quality framing lumber and framing sub-contractors. They also use Owens Corning 30 year roofing and In my opinion you are getting a way better home than other homes in the same price range.
Ed and Nancy live a modest life. Make probably 10 times the money than other builders but you would never know.
They Pay their bills on time many times out of their own pocket.
Many of the other builders are cutting corners on the foundation/framing/roofing and making the interior of the house look better. Could end up being a nightmare for the homeowner later. You can always upgrade later the fictures etc without major remodel.

I'm glad I posted this, not just for me but for any other homebuyer looking, after talking with the front office we really like what they have to offer. We haven't finalized anything yet but are pretty sure we're gonna build a home with Ed. I appreciate the personal experiences and we're hoping to start a new build soon.

I am so happy to read this thread! We are planning to purchase a Froehling home.

fwiw, those "plastic showers" sound great to me and look good, too. Try having a tile/grout shower or a cultured marble with caulk. Huge pain to keep pristine.

Those "plastic showers (fiberglass) do look great..... when they are new. They are actually inserts and are designed to be replaced periodically.

FYI, he owns several lots in Forest Lakes (off Hardy Weedon Road, off Hwy 30). He built one of them out last year and sold it quickly. He told us several years ago that it would cost a little bit more to build on one of those lots than in Shenandoah because of the septic installation. If you are looking for a new Froehling home but want more privacy than Shenandoah, you might check out what he has in Forest Lakes. It's a great neighborhood!

(edited to fix the spelling of his name)

[This message has been edited by aggiegal99 (edited 4/22/2010 8:47p).]

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That would be underwater with the proposed Millican Reservoir.

I've had my Froehling home for ten years now and my fiberglass showers look as good as the day I bought my house. Although it did take some trial and error with cleaners to find the right one that would clean the non-skid surface on the bottom of the tub. I've raised three rowdy sons in this house and it's held up very well.

I bought one, then my sister bought one,
then my brother bought one, and finally my parents bought one.

So, it looks like we are fans.

I've since "Stepped up" but sometimes I wish I was still in the Ed home which would have been paid off long ago.

Oh, and I miss the pool, and the clubhouse and reasonable homeowner dues.

I found this thread really interesting as I have not heard positive things about Ed Froehling homes. My house in Shenandoah was not one of his, it was one of the original people and it is great. I have a friend whose Froehling house is about 3-4 years old and the carpet is already coming up and needs re-stretching. So i am glad to know that the problems I have heard about were the exception rather than the rule.

I would not think bad things about a builder because of crappy carpet - that's just crappy carpet! I take a keen interest in picking out all the finishes in a home so if I had a problem with a product like lighting or flooring, I would go to the source.

Yes, I've had to deal with a doorbell issue and a bathroom heater - but I went to Dealer's Electric and solved the problem with them.

Actually, I was happy that when the heater went out - the entire fixture didn't have to be replaced. They guys at dealer's electric explained to me how to remove that part of the fixture and replace it with a new one.

As stated above, I can't fault the builder for that.

Froehling built my first home here. The resale held. It wasn't fancy, but it was a good home all around. I'm sure the upgrades they have now are well worth it.

That was just an example. I had heard several other things and people who were not happy

Well, as much as it pains me I would have to disagree with the majority of folks who've posted. I bought a home from them in the Dove Crossing subdivision three years ago and the roof leaks like a sieve. I have water damage on my walls around the fireplace and when it rains hard my master bedroom closet fills up with water. That warranty they offer you? It is worthless. The first time I called them I talked to Nancy directly and she told me she would talk to some folks and call me back. Never did. After repeated calls I talked to a secretary who told me they would send someone over to look at the roof. Well the guy they sent over didn't speak a lick of English, had no tools of any kind but according to him, "I fix roof." Any question you ask him, "I fix roof." Alrighty. Suffice it to say the roof still leaks. To end this rant I would say resoundingly, no. Do not buy a home from them. Maybe their reputation used to mean something around here but as far as I can tell at this point they are just coasting by on it.

Nice thread necromancy. First post on the forum too.

[This message has been edited by AgResearch (edited 1/18/2014 10:58a).]