What Our Buyers Say

After living in Pacific Beach for 16 years, Marcia and Rusty Tassinari decided to look for a new home over the summer. Early in their house hunting, they discovered Brookfield’s Rockrose community and have recently moved in with their two kids and three pets.

“We weren’t looking for a long time at all,” says Marcia. “We simply loved Carlsbad and knew ‘this was it’ when visiting Rockrose.”

For the Tassinaris, the combination of community, design and nearby schools played a big role when purchasing their home. “At Rockrose, thoughtful home design inspires family and friend gatherings. This is something we were hoping for,” says Marcia.

“We really appreciate the new technology at Rockrose, and agree with Brookfield’s eco-savvy mission. We love the house, and how it was designed: the layout, size, and flow. We’re also excited that the community pool is so close to our home.”

Quality counts with the Tassinaris. “Our friends in the real estate/construction industry have commented on the outstanding quality of our new home.”

According to Marcia, the customer service was excellent. “The people at Brookfield were supportive from the first day. They did a great job with the walk-thru. So far, we are very happy!”




Eric and Ryan moved to San Diego in 2002, but didn’t find a house they wanted to buy until 2007. They were settling on a different home in the area when they made a wrong turn and ended up at Mahogany at Old Creek Ranch.

“We loved what we saw at Mahogany and realized for the same price we would have a much better house,” Ryan said.

Both agree it was the layout of the home that sold them.

“We felt Mahogany had the best-planned homes of any we had seen over the past five years. When we walked in we had a feeling of a well-planned, very large living space. We never felt cramped. The layout of the home gave us the feeling of a multi-million dollar home in the budget range we were looking at. Some of the million dollar homes we’ve seen don’t even feel as good as Mahogany. The way it is laid out made it much more grand.”

The sales experience was very pleasant, according to both Eric and Ryan.

“At no time did we feel pressured. Bonnie was very knowledgeable and she gave us a lot of information and educated us about the home’s structure and materials and what Brookfield does that other builders don’t do. She was very helpful. She even recommended the lot that we bought and she was right about it. We are very happy.”

In terms of customer service, Eric and Ryan were pleasantly surprised to find someone even more detail-oriented than them.

“Dan has been extremely helpful, starting with the initial walk through and then ever since. All of our issues have been resolved within an extremely timely fashion. We are extremely picky. And even still, Dan found things we didn’t notice. He was very detail-oriented.”

“For the walk-though we had a list of questions prepared, a list we researched online from sites with walk-through horror stories. We found that Brookfield’s list of questions was much more comprehensive. I thought I was going to have to fight to get things right, but it was Brookfield Homes who was conscientious about making things right for us. Customer service was looking out for us to make sure the product was as perfect as it could be before it was handed over to us.”




Bill and Farlee Matteson aren’t your typical homebuyers. Over the past 40 years, they’ve purchased eight homes, all of them brand new.

Primarily looking this time for a single-level home in the Poway area, the couple found their search challenging. They looked at existing homes, but felt there would be too many maintenance issues. In the new-home market they liked the idea that there would be no major maintenance problems for 10 to 20 years, but they couldn’t find any single-level homes.

It was at Calabria at The Estates at Stonebridge by Brookfield Homes that the Mattesons found a single-level home they wanted to buy and a sales experience that was very positive.

“Our floor plan at Calabria is unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere,” Bill said. “The interior courtyard is the highlight of the home, giving us a completely private outdoor area, adding a lot of light to the dining room, living room and office, and giving the whole house an open feel.”

When it came to the purchase process, the Mattesons were very pleased with the entire experience.

“We found the sales people at Calabria to be very nice and extremely helpful,” Bill said. “Buying a new home is typically stressful, but our experience with Brookfield Homes has been very positive. Unlike sales representatives we’ve dealt with in the past, the Calabria sales professionals never passed the buck. They took care of things for us as they came up, and they did a lot of the legwork for us. Whenever they could, Allison and Jane made phone calls and handled details for us.”

The Mattesons also appreciated the reputation of Brookfield Homes.

“It’s reassuring to us to know that Brookfield Homes has been here in San Diego for many years and will be here if we need them down the road.”




“We were looking for a new home for a while, and since Stonebridge Estates was a new area, we looked at all the model homes there,” Rola said. “The minute we walked in at Serenity and as the sales representative was walking us through the functions of the house, we knew. And what sealed the deal for us was the low pricing for the value. You are getting good value for your money.”

“We were also impressed with the size of the lots at Serenity,” Rola continued. “They are all absolutely gorgeous. And large.  Plus the use of the space in the house is very intelligent. Nothing is wasted. It is designed exactly to fit a large family. It is the best-designed home that I have ever seen. The guest room is downstairs and private, the formal areas are at the front of the house, and the family room and kitchen are in the back, which is optimum for daily use.”

The construction of the home also impressed the Abushabon family.

“Brookfield cares abut how thick the wood is and how strong the materials are. This really impressed us,” Rola said.

The customer service aspect of the home buying experience was very professional, according to Rola.

“Signing the contract is a long process, but they made it fun the whole way,” she said. “What impressed me most about the contract with that it specified every single thing. That helped me a lot. And it was written in a way that I could easily understand. Everything was clear, nicely explained.”




Roderick Medina and his wife took a careful approach to finding the right new home, and it was a combination of quality product and service that helped them decide to buy at Trellis at Windingwalk by Brookfield Homes.

“The very first thing my wife and I did after our first visit to Trellis was investigate the neighborhood. We discovered more positives than negatives and so we proceeded with the paperwork. The financial incentives; the upgraded paint in the common living areas; and a security system were difficult for us to pass up!”

Quality construction impressed the Medinas immediately.

“From the moment we entered the Trellis homes, we knew we had entered a well-built home. We were impressed with the overall quality of the homes. The exterior was impressive, and we were even more pleased with what the interior had to offer. The quality of craftsmanship is apparent in every area of the house.  Kudos to the builders and the designers! These homes are well designed and constructed.”

After some negative new-home shopping experiences, the Medinas were thankful for the professionals at Trellis.

“Purchasing a home is always a stressful event; however, Mr. Tony Vargas, Mr. Paul Smith and the rest of the Trellis at Windingwalk associates made the process less tense.”

“When my wife and I were in the initial stage of looking to buy a home, we were stunned with the number of sales people who were ill trained and unprofessional. Needless to say, our experiences with other sales representatives were negative. With much disappointment, we were ready to give up, put everything on hold and begin to look elsewhere.  Thankfully, our agent convinced us to continue to look in the area and we ended up at the Windingwalk community.  Walking into Trellis’ office, we immediately realized the difference. We were greeted by a sales person who was very straightforward and very courteous.”

“Customer service went above and beyond our expectations, which I think made our home purchase that much easier. I would unreservedly work or deal with the same people and same company if given the opportunity in the near future again!”




Herb Nance and Eddie Yankajtis lived in Mission Valley before buying a Brookfield home at Cordova at Windingwalk in Chula Vista. The apartment dwellers looked for months and anticipated buying a foreclosure or short-sell until they found out about Windingwalk from their broker.

“When we started looking, we had a friend tell us to look at newer homes, but we didn’t think it was a possibility,” Herb said. “When we came to Chula Vista and had a chance to talk to Brookfield, we began to realize we could afford it. We looked at Cordova’s Plan 3 and liked it so much and the price was so right and so reasonable. We ended up getting a Plan 5 home for more space.”

A Texas native, Herb was concerned about the quality of the home he was going to buy, especially in the event of an earthquake.

“I am from Texas and was worried about earthquakes,” Herb said. “It was nice that Brookfield explained what types of materials they use when building a home and answered all of my questions and addressed my concerns. We were delivered a quality home.”

Beyond getting questions answered about the construction of the home, Herb and Eddie looked to Brookfield for guidance on the home-buying process.

“Vince at Brookfield went above and beyond assisting us up to and through escrow, which is what we wanted being first-time homebuyers. The staff has been very professional, timely and service oriented, and not just from the sales side.”

Now a Windingwalk resident, Herb has joined the HOA board, and stays active in the community.




Ed and Liz Miller weren’t even looking to buy a home when they decided to make an offer on the Plan 5 at Ironwood at Morningstar Ranch by Brookfield Homes.

“My wife and I fell into it, really. We’ve lived in the area about 10 years and like looking at model homes to get decorating ideas so we knew what was out there.”

“When we went to Ironwood, the quality really sold us. Within two weeks of seeing the house, we made an offer, even though we weren’t even in the market.”

“The quality is so superior: from the size of the baseboards, windows and the height of the ceilings, to the finish details and the woodwork. Small details like extra light switches, finished garages, and the size of the water heater stood out. As move up homebuyers, all these things were big selling points. Even in a down market we felt the house was a great value for what all that we were buying.  Every person that sees our home just falls in love with the quality and well thought out floorplan.”

In addition, the Millers enjoyed working with the Brookfield Homes sales representatives.

“The sales representatives were great to work with, warm and inviting. They were pleasant and relaxed, never pressuring us.  In the end we got everything we wanted, and more.”




John’s dream of owning a home at Veranda® at Morningstar Ranch took two years to fulfill, but he knew as soon as he saw the neighborhood that he would live there.

“When I drove by after fishing at Diamond Valley Lake and saw what Brookfield Homes was building at Veranda®, I was utterly amazed,” John said. “The neighborhood looked like it incorporated little bits of luxury design from high-end homes I’ve seen on the coast and rolled them all into one neighborhood. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to live in a neighborhood like this.”

So even when he couldn’t sell his existing home right away, John didn’t give up. He kept coming back to Veranda, knowing it would be his future home.

“Kudos to everyone at Brookfield Homes,” John said. “The price was right, the location ideal, the design inspired and the team from Brookfield Homes fantastic. Our sales representative, Julie, had so much patience, she stuck with us and helped make it happen. And Robert from customer service is very responsive. When I send in my service requests, he takes care of them.”

“I have complete trust in the construction of this home, but what I feel is more important is that what you are going to find in a Brookfield home is warmth and style,” John concluded. “Instead of buying a house you are buying a home.”




Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 15 years, the Hagerty family is familiar with the benefits of technology and green environments. That’s why they felt so comfortable with their choice of a home at Rockrose.

“We took for granted that we’d find a home that incorporated energy saving technologies and sustainable practices,” said Diana Haggerty. “We were thrilled that Rockrose had just gone on the market.”

After about a yearlong search, the Hagerty’s fell in love with their Rockrose Plan 3 Tuscan home. “When I saw the kitchen and walk in pantry, I was sold,” said Diana. “I have experience with selling appliances, too. To see that Brookfield installs Whirlpool and KitchenAid said something. Other builders were using brands of less quality.”

In addition to the kitchen being a hit, the Hagerty’s enjoy having multiple suites including a master suite, front upstairs suite, and downstairs suite.

“One of the things we’re considering is a potential parent moving in or one of the kids coming back home,” said Diana. “This home accommodates life changes and decisions.”

Beyond the floor plan, the Hagerty’s researched Brookfield’s reputation, too. “I used a connection who speaks regularly with inspection folks. They told me Brookfield was a top quality builder, and that’s what I needed to know. I can’t say I found a similar builder with as many good results.”

“Being at Rockrose is awesome,” said Diana. The sales team, too, is extremely high-end and skilled. There was never hard pressure, and information was never withheld. My husband makes cookies for them still!”

Finally, the Hagerty’s remarked on the community. “There is a solid municipal government here in Carlsbad, and being new residents at Rockrose, we have the opportunity to create an amazing community.”