I am a first-time homebuyer buying an older home. I recently had a blown out motor in HVAC that cost about $500 to fix though it could have been worse.
So, I am thinking if I should buy a home warranty, since i don't have a lot of money for replacements. My coworker has recommended a Complete Care home warranty company.
Investor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2022 · 233 posts · 198 votes
4y
I'd look at a couple of options and the reviews online for different companies. The service levels tend to change and it is based on the availability and quality of subcontractors. With that said, there is sometimes a benefit in that you may actually get someone out quicker due to the relationship with the warranty company.
It's not an easy process and usually takes longer than a normal repair, however, the benefit is that your costs are somewhat controlled. Your experience won't look like what you see in commercials.
For higher ticket items like an HVAC system, unlike when a non-warranty tech comes out and wants to sell you a new system when it's a warranty call, they will find a way to bring it back to life no matter what.
Property Manager / Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2013 · 779 posts · 301 votes
4y
@Edward Simpson In my experience home warranty programs are a rip off.
They are slow to respond, send out sub par vendors, deny/decline to pay for lots of items, and take forever to fix things not to mention their communication is slow / awful /difficult and they are definitely not on your side. They are looking for the cheapest solution.
In your case of being short on $$ for repairs, maybe it can work out?
Lender · Washington DC · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
They don't have good ratings. I have used First American Warranty use promo code PROTECT to get $100 off. GET an inspection of the HVAC, roof, plumbing, - the expensive things to replace and know what you are buying. How old is the house?
Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
4y
Please just click on the magnifying glass in the upper right. This is literally asked monthly if not weekly. It’s a horrible deal. If they can’t make money charging the inspection fees you’re still responsible for they’ll delay. First it’s they need to schedule a time in the future to come out to look at it, then they need to wait on approval to cover it, then they need to order the part, then the part is on order or back order, then they need to schedule a time to come out and fix it. All the while you’re discounting the tenants rent or paying for them to stay in a hotel if it’s hot water or ac or heat until you use someone else that can fix it the same day.
Usually the yearly fee, before counting service call fees is already more than you’ll pay for repairs per year to have items repaired the same day on demand.