MAXX Condos Anyone? Help ASAP

[AlSask]

I'm talking about these: http://mymaxx.ca/

I took a look at this condo development this past weekend and after checking out about a dozen other condo's, this was my favorite so I put a $1000 deposit down.

Now I'm digging up some pretty negative reviews about the developer - BCM.

I have 10 days to get my deposit back and back out.

Does anyone have any good input on this development that can help me make a decision?

Thanks.

[DanC]

They have a checkered past with taking forever to complete projects or projects of poor quality. Maxx is one of the projects that took forever and upset alot of people who initially bought in. I believe many ended up walking away.
All that said, if you are coming into this fresh, the end result looks pretty good and I don't think anyone has expressed issues with the quality. Out of all the low rise buildings I think its one of the better looking end products, it just took for ever to get there.

[IanO]

^you are thinking ZEN, MAXX is across the street.... but either way, BCM's reputation for quality is rather checkered indeed. That said, I do agree MAXX is one of the best looking low-rises in recent memory. Location is coming around, but still not where I would want to be at the moment.

[Cal76]

I live ~2 blks from MAXX and it looks like a decent bldg although a bit pricey for what you get. The neighbourhood is up-and-coming but it's next to Oliver Square and close to MacEwan (so no problem of finding renters, if you ever need them).
Try to get an inspection done if possible and go for it.

[nnk]

I can tell you that as a person that had worked in the industry for many years and now retired . The important thing to look at and remember is that if the person you are buying from is a realtor or an in house sales person. The in house has all the information that you need to make up your mind . We can all post and trash a builder,teacher,doctor etc but importantly ask the rep you spoke to and get them to tell you how many claims have been filed against them. There are a lot of home builders that alway profess how great they are but are they really and how do they handle your complains. I have looked at the MAXX and the company has been around for over 25 years and all they have built is infill stuff. The company do have a patented process and they are very advanced in their technologies. Most new home builders build with wood and call them selve sustainable,HMMM wood rots and molds from the time it hits the ground and is processed. These guys do not build out of wood but recycled steel and have a skunk works division called I think FORTIS or FORTUS on the southside (http://www.fortis-lgs.com/) . I was in the plant a month ago. I wanted to see what they do and met a dude named Claudio who toured me through the plant and showed me how they are building their product. They are building a lot of stuff in Edmonton and are on the cutting edge of technology . They are building in the Quarters some neat affordable homes and high rises,on the fort road and a mega project that the claudio guy said will change the face of Edmontons downtown.Can I ask you a question if you speak to this dude that walks with a cane salt pepper hair has a tan. I think an italian looking guy . He is a good source of information I think his name is like nick luc . I think that guy knows his stuff and is a relative of the young sales rep there.Ask for his input

So rather then posting and trashing builders etc. I prefer to look and research my purchases first and ask lots of question. If we all posted and blogged to help boost our images of Edmonton and support or at least find out what the real story is on the Areana deal as it will be a big factor to the project.

The project is priced at the lower end of the price band compared to other downtown projects further steel concrete is the bomb right now.

[katao]

Hey I was there a week a go met one of the owners and he toured me through the building I asked him about the stuff on the site and why things took so long to build he told me that it was slow for everyone and that they were changing the way they build the building as I guess its a new way to build he mentioned that they spent lots of money on equipment and took my name so he can call me to arrange a walk through the companies factory where these lego blocks get built. It would be neat to see your home being built and you can maybe sign you name or tag the boards behing the finished panels .

These guys built lots of stuff before like the Manhatten and Luxor Chadwick. I like the Maxx project, I think it will do well from an investment point of view as it is close to the Areana and LRT . I have some frineds that are paying $1560.00 per month for a 750 sq ft rental unit across from the MAXX Im sure that there is a upside to the future of the project and is you go to the city of edmonton website and search for 105 ave revitalization there is a big documents that shows the up and coming area revitalization which the MAXX is in the middle of it all.

Is this the same company that is building the quarters project. Hey does any one know anything about edmonton apartment condo project called the edmonton or something like that.

[ChrisD]

@nnk - while I understand that BCM has been in the business for over 25 years the reality is that a number of their previous projects have encountered issues related to poor workmanship and construction. And they aren't the only developers out there that have experienced this either. But the new reality is that many consumers (buyers) turn to the internet to find out information on a project or builder. Google is their first stop before they jump onto the project website, or walk in to the sales centre or pick up the condo guide.

That being said I applaud BCM for choosing to use steel-frame versus wood. I like the MAXX and think that it's a nice looking building. But the proof will be in the pudding. They used a prefab system with their Imperial project on 112 Street and 102 Ave and that has encountered some issues. But I believe those were more mechanical related than building envelop failure. That being said it's still an issue and one that is out there online for many to read about.

BCM has to stand by their product and demonstrate to the market that they are building a better building that can stand up against the test of time, that they deliver good customer service when issues arise after possession, that they demand their contractors deliver a quality product. So what is BCM doing to spread their message? How can they make potential buyers feel comfortable about buying into their projects when there is this information (right or wrong) that is alive and out there online?

Perhaps they should read this http://brandingbuildingsbetter.ca/.

[katao]

Chris. You are so right in saying that everyone needs to stand behind their product. My point is that when I go online I go here to get unbiased information but what i find is un real miss led comments from the dis disgruntled posters and you know who you are. Over the years i have bought an sold several homes and i have bought from some of the bigger builders such as Landmark,Jayman,Rohit. What I learned is what they say is not what they always do. The customer is the one that gets it in the end and the builders still keep building etc.

I really like The MAXX project and I think it will be great place to call home in the future but what I have found is that the negative comments and blaming a builder for not starting or finishing a project on time on many occasions is not their fault as the weather,economy and regulations delay a project immensely. I had bought a place in BC that after 2 years of non communication and lack of sales and excuses I got my $15,000.00 deposit back with a one line . It is goverment regulation that we return your deposit after 2 years of no sales. Well that sucked but at least I got my deposit back and I also know that the BC goverment is hold someone to task. I beleive BCM have had a change in how they develop projects and run them and that customer service is more important to them then before. I hope them well

[Gord Lacey]

katao, so are you asking people to forget the past a company has? The past can only be undone with results, not with talk. If BCM wants to change people's opinions of them, all they have to do is work hard and produce different results.

I've mentioned this before, but my mom had to take them to court over deficiencies with her condo. They were jerks throughout the whole thing, plain and simple. Doing a shoddy job is one thing, but then work to make it right, don't d*ck around your customer. Some of my best experiences with companies have come after there's a problem, because of the way they handle the issue - that's not the case with BCM.

[deedub35]

katao,

I owned a unit in the Savoy. I was on the board of directors. There were some serious deficiencies in the building. The roof was redone at a substantial cost when the building was barely 5 years old.

I know someone that lives in Uptown that is virtually identical to the Savoy. Same deficiencies and roof repair.

I know someone that owned a unit in Monaco. Similar deficiences and extensive repairs.

It boils down to their track record and what they have done in the past to rectify the deficiences. They didn't do a damn thing and left owners to take care of their mess.

I personally would never buy anything from BCM and this is from my own personal experiences.

Maybe they have done a better job with Maxx and Zen. If you are going to invest then I hope that you don't get burned knowing what you know.

Good luck.

[FlyFlyAway]

^Compare that experience to Bosa entering the Calgary market. The first building they put up they spent some time (and fairly significant money) addressing many of the deficiencies that were raised. Some were not addressed by Bosa. Many of them were not addressed without the customer yelling instead of asking politely. I spoke up wondering if the board should begin legal proceedings to encourage more timely and more complete cooperation. They weren't perfect, and many owners wondered if the only reason they were responsive to customers was to preserve their reputation in a new market.

Then they did it again with the next properties they built in Calgary - work with customers to resolve most concerns. Over and over again. And their reputation (right or wrong) is that they work with both individual customers and the board not just in Calgary, but in Vancouver and San Diego. 10 years after their first building in Calgary, the building appears to be built well (despite dealing with all new subs in their first build) and the property fetches a premium increase in value over every other building nearby.

So when BCM has multiple issues on multiple buildings where their customers don't feel that they have a premium investment, it's reasonable to have a negative perception of the building. It's easy to get one building wrong, to rub one customer the wrong way. Much harder to annoy hundreds in multiple buildings...much harder to shake your reputation when that happens. While maybe you can't blame the roof on the builder on two buildings (same sub on both? built at the same time without benefit of hindsight and improvement?) you can blame the building on their response to the issue. That's the builder's primary commitment to the customer; when it's not you probably have the wrong builder.

Compare what a valued builder does for customers, compare with a uncertain builder does for customers. See if the shoe fits.

[jdeal]

Originally Posted by AlSask

I'm talking about these: http://mymaxx.ca/

I took a look at this condo development this past weekend and after checking out about a dozen other condo's, this was my favorite so I put a $1000 deposit down.

Now I'm digging up some pretty negative reviews about the developer - BCM.

I have 10 days to get my deposit back and back out.

Does anyone have any good input on this development that can help me make a decision?

Thanks.

So did you end up buying a unit in the building? If not what was the deciding factor?

[ChrisD]

You can also typically 'weed' out the people who are simply venting and those that have a legitimate complaint/issue.

[jp07fo]

For those of you who are considering buying a condo at The MAXX (10518 113street), I would strongly suggest against it. My boyfriend and I just bought a unit in Feb. BCM has been nothing but difficult to deal with.
We have had countless problems both with deficiencies in the suite and with the purchase deal itself.

We had 10 different upgrades in the purchase contract, which affected the purchase price. We have lived there now for 4 months and some of the upgrades and renovations are still not complete. In addition they refuse to give us a breakdown of the actual costs of the upgrades and expenses associated with the upgrades.
On top of everything else, BCM office staff have been extremely rude, and difficult to deal with. Nothing is completed in a timely mannor, and communication is very minimal.

In addition to the deficiencies, the developers themselves are extremely fishy. They gave us a rebate cheque, as a promotion when we bought the unit, and a week after we cashed the cheque they contacted us saying it was a mistake and they demand the money back. They have absolutely no explanation to why it was a mistake or how the mistake happened.
We are currently seeking legal counsel to resolve the issue.

Anyways, my suggestion is to think LONG and HARD before dealing with them!

Good Luck

[BFouge]

New here, but looking at buying my first place and came across MAXX. I was impressed with the building, but have seen page after page of bad news regarding BCM. MAXX owners, are you satisfied with your purchase? Have the upgrades been completed on time? Have you experienced issues with A/C, plumbing, etc.?