Sep 5, 2024
A home-building giant has its nose out of joint after Arizona home inspector Cy Porter called out construction flaws in new-build homes.
Scottsdale-based Taylor Morrison took offense when Porter turned his eagle-eyed gaze on some of their recent builds through his TikTok account, @cyfyhomeinspections.
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A David-versus-Goliath dispute followed, where Taylor Morrison filed a formal complaint against Porter with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration for posting “harassing, falsified and bullying” videos on social media. They also called for his license to be suspended.
However, upon inspection of his videos, the board, which regulates Porter’s industry and licensing, found no evidence that he “falsified” information in his posts, as Taylor Morrison had claimed.
Porter’s social media account calls attention to the importance of home inspection, especially if you’re buying a new-build home.
No ‘specific violations of conduct’
Porter publishes his videos “in the interests of transparency” and to inform homeowners of their rights under Arizona state law, he told 12News reporter Bianca Buono.
In one of his more popular clips, which has been viewed on TikTok over 4 million times, he visits the North Cooper Canyon community in Surprise, AZ.
“If you take away the minimum standards, they actually do a pretty good job,” Porter says of the builders of these homes, before highlighting a string of issues that he finds, including a wobbly wall, a damaged truss, a shower sloped away from the drain and unfinished stucco.
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Throughout the video, he interjects with witty excuses like “we’re only human” and “our homes are over-engineered anyway” on behalf of the builders he is criticizing.
Once they became the subject of one of these inspections, Taylor Morrison filed their complaint adding that Porter’s videos violated state standards.
“Taylor Morrison is asking that you control this kind of advertising, that you suspend his license until he has taken appropriate professional ethics training so that he has a much better understanding of what it means to be in this profession,” a Taylor Morrison representative said at a board hearing to discuss the complaint.
Again, the board found no “specific violations of conduct” and opted not to discipline Porter — even though one board member said he was “appalled” by what he saw in the videos.
Ultimately, the board sent Porter a letter of concern for unprofessional conduct, specifically calling out a video he posted in March about a gas leak with an audio recording that was not associated with the leak. Porter said the video was meant as a joke and was not showing a home inspection.
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Benefits of a home inspection
Porter told 12News he’s relieved this “incredibly stressful” spat with Taylor Morrison is now at an end. He added that he continues to post videos to his social media channels to educate homebuyers about the state their new-build properties may be in.
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If you’re looking for ways to save money and time when making the biggest purchase of your life, skipping the home inspection might sound like a good place to start, but it’s an important step that can help you avoid a more expensive accident down the road.
Inspectors will comb through your property to identify any health and safety problems, flaws in the property or any specialized issues in need of attention. They’ll assess structural elements like the roof, load-bearing walls, foundation, basement or crawlspace, walls, windows and insulation — as well as the electrical systems, plumbing, heating and even HVAC.
The inspector will then provide you with a comprehensive written report and if there are concerns, you may be able to negotiate a lower price or request the seller to resolve those issues before your sale closes.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a typical home inspection costs between $300 and $500, with prices varying depending on where you live. This is true for the new builds that Porter is focusing on, as well as older properties.
While that may seem expensive, especially if you’ve just dropped a five- or six-figure sum as a down payment, it may pay off by helping you avoid a costly surprise down the road.
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Bethan Moorcraft is a reporter for Moneywise with experience in news editing and business reporting across international markets.
