Home Partners of America

[Thomas Kuebel]

Does anyone have any experience working with Home Partners of America? I am working with a buyer on a VA loan who may want to rent to buy. If you have advice, please help. TK

[Susie Andreano]

Home Parnters is the most unethical and incompetent company I have ever worked with. They are in no way transparent about their processes and the hidden costs the add to your contract with no explanation or verifiable paper trail. We signed with Home Partners because my fiancé and I both own businesses for just under two years and were unable to be approved for a home loan until we filed that second year tax returns. 

First, they make you sign a lease, with "estimated figures," before they purchase the house. So your purchase terms are based on estimated numbers and not the actual amount they purchase the home for after negotiations. They tell you these numbers will be adjusted, but they will not. When you explain to them that you were told they were estimates and would be adjusted with the real figures after purchase, you are told, "Well, you signed the contract."

Because I was the realtor in my own transaction, I have had access to the inspection, HUD, etc which most tenant/buyers never see as Home Partners specifically says "DO NOT SHOW THIS TO THE TENANT" on the emails they send to the realtor...SHADY. When I requested a breakdown of my purchase price (Which is their purchase price, closing costs, make ready costs, +5%) they were charging me $3,000 in additional closing costs that are not on the closing statement. They explained these are "internal closing costs" and refused to provide me a breakdown of such. I would assume since most tenants do not see a closing statement, they do not notice the hidden costs tacked on and assume that an honest company would consider title company costs to be closing costs.

They also had $11,000 in "make ready" costs on a home that is exactly the same as when I viewed it prior to purchase. Per my lease, I am entitled to a breakdown of these costs, which I have been asking for for over 4 months. They refuse to provide one. I cannot even get a returned call from the department that assists you in executing your right to purchase, which they clearly do not want me to do.

And now on top of this, we are having severe plumbing and foundation issues, which their maintenance department refuses to address, even though per the lease these are their responsibilities. We have had leaking, running water under our house for over a week now and they just take a message when I call and never call me back.

I think it is safe to assume that if there is any issue whatsoever, Home Partners will just refuse to answer your calls and questions, let you pay your PREMIUM rent, and happily take the home back from you at the end of your lease and sell it to a 3rd party unaware of the underlying issues the home has experienced, but they refused to address.

I hope the FRAUDULENT and UNETHICAL business practices of this company are brought to light so another unassuming family does not fall victim to this scam.