Reflections on Our Decision
Do we regret having moved to Cresswind Charlotte?
Yes...
We are extremely disappointed that Kolter has not been as honest at all nor as responsive
as we expected they would be. We are disappointed in the quality of the "fit-&-finish" of our home, but the underlyning construction seems sound. Kolter has wasted over a thousand hours of our time during the past 32 months, to say nothing of the aggravation and disruption of our lives. We found that Kolter is not honoring the promises made to us by their previous VP, Kyle. This may be the most disturbing thing about Kolter - you can not trust them!
What should have been one of the best experiences of our lives was severely tarnished.
One of the advantages of living in a high-density community such as Cresswind is an active HOA which vigorously upholds the CCRs and makes sure that the community remains a great place to live. Unfortunately, our HOA is currently managed by FirstService Residental and they do not enforce the CCRs at all. Seems the only thing they enforce is receipt of monthly HOA fees on time.
During the CoVid-19 pandemic, the HOA issued a mandate that masks must be worn at all times when at the community center, yet this is not enforced. The HOA's unresponsiveness is not limited to enforcing the CCRs. In autumn 2020, we requested permission to put up a fence in our backyard - the same type, style and black color that our neighbors have installed in their backyards - and after 6 weeks of hearing nothing, the Chair of our Residental Advisory Board called the HOA & found that the architectural review board had denied or request weeks earlier & no one from the HOA, which acts as an intermediary, ever bothered to contact us. We resubmitted with the change requested & our request was approved within a day.
Residents are already anticipating the day Kolter cedes control of the HOA to the residents, and a more responsive & responsible management company can be brought in.
and No...
Still, we are pleased with our lot and location within the community, and the neighbors we have are wonderful people. The location of the community - especially adjacent to the new Novant Medical Center - and in close proximity of shopping - 4.5 miles to downtown Mint Hill - makes the location great! The ease to get to Center City Charlotte makes it ideal for social activities. With the commercial development along Albemarle Road on either side of Interstate 485 that is now starting, commercial amenities will continue to grow. Now that the Cresswind Community Center
is completed (9-10 months after it was promised) it is a beautiful facility, albeit far too small for a community of 790 homes: indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, various meeting rooms, & a small gym. The lifestyle director is very proactive in developing all kinds of activities, and all of the staff are friendly and great to have onboard!
When you move to a new area and need a serviceman, you don't know who to call so you cold-call subcontractors. Some will be real hits, others will be misses. Over time, you learn who the good contractors are, and who to avoid. And in all fairness, a builder such as Kolter (who relies completely on local area subcontractors) new to an area experiences this same sort of thing. Some of the problems we faced with Kolter may be a function of Kolter's newness to the Charlotte area. But problems are compounded by Kolter's mismanagement, lack of sufficient staffing, and corporate attitude. We saw a real willingness and desire to complete all the work to our satisfaction by those involved. That it took over 2 years and so much aggravation is a shame, and even now (September 2020) being told that "sod will take a few years to cover patched areas. Does not need to be replaced." is disheartening - guess Kolter realizes that, with senior citizens, time is on their side, not the homeowner's.
And again, our best advice is: If there are any major issues unresolved, do NOT close until they are resolved. If you must close, have your attorney place enough funds in escrow to cover the costs of an independent contractor to complete the work. IF you do not do this, you will most likely have experiences similar to our own. You've been forewarned.