Senior citizens living in 'deplorable' conditions
Our senior citizens: You would hope they would be treated with dignity and respect- especially during a time of need. However, an 11 News investigation has found thousands of them may be living in what some call "deplorable" and even dangerous conditions all across Houston.

Despite arbitrator's ruling woman still fighting contractor
Patricia Dicorte alleges that contractor David Landrieu was supposed to fix flooding damage to her Lakeview home. Instead, she says he has caused more damage and that she is out about $89,000... Lisa Mitchell of the Better Business Bureau said the arbitrator found in favor of Dicorte. "To the tune of, I believe, $219,000."...The case went to Judge Yada Magee, the colleague of another cousin of David Landrieu's, Judge Madeline Landrieu. Judge Magee threw out the arbitrator's decision... Dicorte said it's just like every other avenue she has pursued as she tries to resolve her complaints against David Landrieu. "Everything just disappears," she complained. "I have to think because his last name is Landrieu."

Binding Arbitration is a Circus - A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
A chance to win tickets for you and four of your friends to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, playing at Madison Square Garden this Spring could end in Binding Arbitration.

Despite $92,000 income, couple got federal aid to build 5,300-square-foot house
The money came from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program to build low-cost homes for low-income tribal members... This enormous house was one of 18 built for Tulalip-reservation residents under the HUD program. Most of them are large enough to blend into any upscale suburban subdivision. Although none of the others is as big as the Gobin-Alva house, several are over 2,000 square feet and as big as 3,000 square feet, and three have three-car garages...If they had had it built, like any other middle-income couple, they would have paid upward of $400,000,...The deal with Leslie ensures they won't pay more than $214,000. Read More...

City of Kyle headed to court over zoning ordinance
In 2003 the city made some zoning changes and the city increased the minimum size of a home by 200 square feet.  They also set a minimum garage size and added masonry requirements.  "We attempted to encourage diversity in the housing product that was being built in Kyle at that time," Tom Mattis, Kyle City Manager said. Robert Notzon, an NAACP attorney said that the Hispanic population would be affected the most.  "The City of Kyle has about 50 percent Hispanic population. This effect would then start reversing that trend from having a well integrated community."

Freddie Mac lifts lid on reinsurance arrangements
A seemingly arcane policy change by mortgage investor Freddie Mac sheds new light on issues of much broader concern for consumers: Do you really understand where the money is flowing -- all the nooks and crannies -- when you take out a mortgage and pay thousands of dollars in fees at settlement?  Is anyone required to explain to you what's really going on inside your home loan -- how it works and whether it could morph into something very different? Freddie Mac's policy change announced Feb. 14 affected a dark corner of the mortgage business -- splits of mortgage insurance premiums between lenders and insurers. What? My lender is getting a cut of the premium, you ask -- just as builders and realty brokers are pocketing chunks of my title insurance premiums behind my back?  See Related Article:Six Builders to Pay $1.4 Million in HUD Settlement

Bills before the Legislature would add time to file claims of faulty construction and force builders to pay successful plaintiffs' legal fees The five bills would close loopholes used by builders and their insurers to defeat claims of shoddy construction under the state's Home Warranty Law, bill sponsors and consumer advocates told the Labor and Consumer Protection Committee in a hearing. A builders group called the changes unwise, and some legislators expressed concerns about some language, but the committee advanced the five as a package to the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

NAACP, Home Buiders' Lawsuit Against City of Kyle Heads to Trial
A lawsuit alleging violation of the federal Fair Housing Act by the City of Kyle heads to trial in federal district court in Austin, Texas on Monday, February 11. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches, the Austin Branch of the NAACP, the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) filed the suit in 2005 contesting the city's new development regulations and building codes that were enacted in 2003.

HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros Modifications to Deregulate Lending in '93 and '94
"Henry Cisneros on the hot seat"...he blamed the national housing and mortgage crisis on a variety of villains...The trouble is Cisneros failed to include his own name as one of the masterminds of predatory lending practices under his direction at HUD.  A predatory lending scheme that many experts predict could eventually lead to the worst recession to hit this county, and possibly the entire financial world...which ultimately compensated him generously... after leaving HUD Cisneros became a KB Home board member as well as a Countrywide board member.  He created American City Vista, an affordable housing joint venture with KB Home, as KB Home began construction on the disastrous Mirasol project that cost taxpayers millions, of which $5M is still missing. See Express-News article: Henry Cisneros on the hot seat  Plus Related articles...HUD's Broken System

EXPRESS-NEWS: Henry Cisneros on the hot seat
When Henry Cisneros joined the board of directors of Countrywide Financial Corp. in 2001, the real estate industry was poised for a spectacular ride... Cisneros' financial fortunes would soar, too. He was granted "€” and sold "€” more than $5 million in company stock as prices climbed from around $10 per share in 2001 to more than $40 per share in late 2006 and early 2007... Yet Countrywide's business began unraveling during the watch of Cisneros and his fellow directors. While the company's executives are considered primarily responsible, the case of Countrywide illustrates how quickly a director can find himself accused of having divided loyalties and poorly representing shareholders' interests...  He resigned from the board in October,... just days before Countrywide reported a $1.2 billion quarterly loss. Talk Back: How much do you think Henry Cisneros is responsible for the plight of Countrywide Financial, its shareholders and its customers?  Plus Related articles...HUD's Broken System

Prostitutes Reaching Out To Home Builder's Show Attendees
Orange County deputies are going undercover to bust prostitutes trying to cash in on a huge crowd in town for the home builder's convention. Escorts typically place ads on websites like Craigslist.org in the 'females seeking men' section, promising things like "mysterious and sexy" as one ad said. Another escort service advertised a "guaranteed good time for your time and money".

Home Buyers Warranty Corporation (HBW) Scam
After HBW accepted homes for enrollment in the warranty program, HBW issued warranty booklets to the homeowners. The HBW warranty booklet provided, "Any and all claims, disputes and controversies by or between the Homeowner, the Builder, the Warranty Insurer and/or HBW, or any combination of the foregoing, arising from or related to this Warranty, to the subject Home, to any defect in or to the subject Home or the real property on which the subject Home is situated, or the sale of the subject Home by the Builder, including without limitation, any claim of breach of contract, negligent or intentional misrepresentation or nondisclosure in the inducement, execution or performance of any contract, including this arbitration agreement, and breach of any alleged duty of good faith and fair dealing, shall be submitted to arbitration.  Read more...

Home Builders Halt Campaign Funds After Setback
The National Association of Home Builders, one of the top 10 corporate donors to politicians, has stopped contributing to congressional candidates after it failed to get what it wanted in recent anti-recession legislation. "Lobbies like to pretend that congressional action and their donations aren't tied, " said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "But the home builders just confirmed that they are." Ethics lawyers routinely warn interest groups to avoid saying or implying that the money they provide to candidates compensates them for taking a position on a particular piece of legislation. Such quid pro quos could be considered illegal gratuities or bribes.  See Reader Comments...

 Homebuilder Freeze all PAC (Money) to Elected Officials
Should builders get money from the government for the housing crisis? See Poll results after 24 hours
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