A number of commenters here, buyers at the Roosevelt Collection, have been expressing frustration with what they view as Centrum Properties‘ inadequate communication about the status of their contracts. Their frustration is understandable: not knowing when, or whether, your real estate contract will close can wreak havoc with your life.
My efforts at getting solid information from Centrum have been no more successful. An associate at the sales office said he was only an agent of Centrum and not authorized to talk about the status of sales or closings. He suggested a call to Arthur Slaven, co-founder of Centrum at its corporate office. After hearing the nature of my call Centrum’s receptionist deemed Mr. Slaven unavailable and routed me to his assistant’s voice mail. My message went unreturned. In a follow-up call to Slaven’s assistant I was directed to call the project’s sales manager. Voice mails and e-mail to that individual have elicited no response as of this writing. In every case I clearly stated what prompted my call: dissatisfied buyers. No one with whom I spoke asked any questions or expressed any concern about their customers’ complaints.
Several sources who I’ve known for some time and who make it their business to be familiar with developments in the city market have told me that the Roosevelt Collection is going rental. At this point, that’s a rumor, not a fact. It’s a rumor, however, that’s apparently being widely circulated. And so, I’m following the admonition a Tribune editor allegedly gave to a Civil War-era reporter: “If no news, send rumors.”
If you’re a buyer whose developer is failing to communicate, let us hear about it in this discussion at New Home Notebook.