"Nature meets your neighborhood," that is what homeowner Katie Rogers says she pictured when she bought her K. Hovnanian home in the City in the Hills development.
But now the homebuilder is shutting down the project and leaving behind dirt lots.
"It didn't bother me knowing that it would be temporary and eventually there would be homes. But it does bother me to think that it will stay like that because it doesn't look pretty," Rogers said.
K. Hovnanian Homes recently sent homeowners a letter stating "K. Hovnanian Homes has decided, over the next several months, to indefinitely suspend construction activity at Rosemary Arbor and Lantana's Edge."
Homeowners who already live in the community say they expected to see the project finished. Some residents we spoke to also say one of their biggest fears is what this means for the value of their homes.
But local real esate expert Gary Crabtree says this builder's construction shut down does not come as a shock to him. Crabtree says new home sales are down 63 percent from this time last year.
"Well, at this point in time there is no demand. There is a tremendous amount of foreclosures and the homeowners are opting to buy the foreclosures," Crabtree tells 17 News.
K. Hovnanian Homes would not comment on camera but Vice President Joseph Manisco did release this statement:
“Like most other homebuilders during these challenging economic times, we have been forced to reevaluate each and every one of our new home communities. As a courtesy to our customers, we have taken the proactive step of informing them that, due to current market conditions, we have decided to hold off, for the time being, on building out our Rosemary Arbor and Lantana’s Edge Communities. In the interim, we will reassess our product, the market and when we will re-open these communities. We are very optimistic about the long term prospects of these communities and the Bakersfield market.”
The homebuilder also says this project shut down will not affect any of their other projects in Kern County.
