Homeowners say Mission One Builders left them with unfinished homes as company acknowledges financial difficulties

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) — For several Southwest Florida families, building what they hoped would be their dream home has turned into years of frustration, unfinished work and mounting costs.

Multiple homeowners who hired Port Charlotte-based Mission One Builders told WINK Investigates they were left with unfinished construction, unresolved warranty claims and thousands of dollars in repairs they say should have been completed by the builder.

Among them is Marcia Noble, who says nearly four years after signing a contract with Mission One Builders, her home is still unfinished.

"It's been draining. It's been very draining. It's the most frustrating thing that I've ever been through. Instead of being my dream home, it was just a nightmare," Noble told WINK Investigates.

Noble says after years of delays and what she describes as defective and incomplete work, she and her husband terminated Mission One Builders' contract in January, hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit against the company.

According to Noble and records shared with WINK Investigates, Mission One Builders received nearly all of the contract price, $467,802.19, leaving about $39,000 unpaid on the final draw.

Documents shared with WINK Investigates show another company, Harbor Home Builders, estimated it will cost $95,455.20 to complete and repair the home.

"I don't want anyone else to go through the nightmare that we have here," she said.

Two other homeowners, Gary Sailor and Nikki Zimmerman, say their experience was different but no less frustrating.

Both Sailor and Zimmerman are moved in but say they are still waiting for punch-list items, warranty work and repairs they say should have been completed months ago.

Zimmerman says she repeatedly tried reaching Mission One Builders by phone, email, certified mail and text message but received little to no response.

"It just doesn't feel like home," Zimmerman said. "The stress that this has caused in our life... we bought this in good faith thinking they were going to take care of us."

Sailor says he hopes to hear from the company.

"I just wish they'd follow through," he said.

Florida law requires builders to provide homeowners with a one-year warranty against certain construction defects.

WINK Investigates reached out to Mission One Builders with the homeowners' concerns.

The company declined an on-camera interview, citing safety concerns, but provided a detailed written response.

Mission One acknowledged it is experiencing financial difficulties, has significantly reduced operations, laid off all of its employees and is no longer accepting new projects. The company says it is focused on finishing its remaining homes.

The company says all but five of its 128 projects were completed, attributing delays to COVID-19, hurricanes, labor shortages, supply-chain disruptions and rising construction costs under fixed-price contracts.

"We are proud of the 123 homes we successfully delivered and remain committed to finishing the last few with integrity," the company wrote.

Mission One says the Noble project was one of the jobs it did not complete because the homeowners terminated its services near the end of construction.

Read Mission One Builders full response to WINK Investigates here.

Mission One disputes claims that it abandoned homeowners but acknowledges communication suffered after laying off its staff. The company also says cash-flow constraints delayed payments to some subcontractors and vendors.

Mission One told WINK Investigates it has not filed for bankruptcy but is exploring options to resolve its debts. It says it remains committed to completing the last few homes still under construction and continuing to address what it calls legitimate warranty and punch-list items as its limited resources allow.

Noble's lawsuit against Mission One Builders remains pending. She says her goal is to recover some of the money she expects it will take to finish the home she and her husband planned to spend their retirement in.

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