is that once you give your deposit money to the builder, you essentially hand over almost all negotiating power. The contracts are designed to heavily favor the seller and have been drafted many times over and over as various things come up. I still feel your best bet is to let them know that you will NOT refer them to friends and family. This seems to have an impact on the builder I am with, due to the fact that they are sensitive about their image.

That said, builders realize that there will just be a % of buyers that they can't find a way to please. Not saying this is the case with you, but it's so subjective where something you might not like they might like. Getting other subs to look at the job and critique the satisfaction might not work simply due to the fact that they are either already working for the builder or are trying to get their business.

Good Luck. I deal with this stuff everyday. Believe if the realtor that represents the builder is any good, she is hopefully trying to state your case with the builder as well, but her hands might be tied as well.