Foreclosure Filings Exceed 100,000 for Fifth Straight Month, Up 35 Percent From December 2005
"New foreclosure filings surpassed the 100,000 level for the fifth straight month, something we've not seen since we began issuing our foreclosure market report in January 2005," said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. December 2006 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows that 109,652 properties nationwide entered some stage of foreclosure during the month, a decrease of nearly 9 percent from the previous month but an increase of 35 percent from December 2005.

Refusing to crumble in walls fight
Laverne O'Steen developed her "can-do" spirit growing up on a ranch in Oklahoma, but the limits of her tenacity were never tested until she moved to North Richland Hills about six years ago. Mrs. O'Steen's determination to get the deteriorating canal retaining walls behind her home replaced has put her at odds with city officials and some neighbors in the Emerald Lakes subdivision.

Court to decide validity of arbitration agreement
The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments this week in a negligence case that defense lawyers say could significantly affect the ability of health care providers to utilize and enforce arbitration agreements. In Miller v. Cotter, et al., SJC No. 09817, the SJC will be asked to decide whether a Superior Court judge abused his discretion by declining to enforce an arbitration provision between a nursing home and a patient's family on grounds that it was procedurally and substantively unconscionable.

Home Warranty: Trust, but verify
The boom in housing construction brought home ownership to more people, created jobs and spurred economic growth. As beneficial as that was, the longer-term good would be a bit more impressive if home buyers had greater assurances of quality work. Sen. Brian Weinstein is engaged in an important effort to provide greater consumer protections for buyers with several bills, most notably SB 5550. That measure would create a statutory warranty on new homes, greatly increasing buyers' assurance that residences in which they are frequently putting most of their assets will be free of major defects.

Builders try to demolish homeowner 'rights' bill
In Washington state, you've got more consumer-protection rights when you buy a $25 toaster than you do when buying a $500,000 home, says a former high-stakes trial lawyer who now heads the Senate consumer protection committee. Sen. Brian Weinstein, D-Mercer Island, wants to change that, but his "Homeowner Bill of Rights" proposals are facing tough opposition from builders as well as fellow Democrats. "These bills are at the top of our agenda right now -- we want them dead," said Erin Shannon, spokeswoman for the Building Industry Association of Washington.

Gattis sees water, health care, medical costs as top issues
On the homeowner front, Gattis said the Texas Residential Construction Commission, created at the behest of homebuilders, is not protecting the rights of homeowners. "It's a paper tiger," Gattis said of the state agency. The commission was created to reduce homeowners' lawsuits against builders. But the agency's critics say the commission has no authority to force builders to fix their houses even after a state inspector finds the builder at fault. "What good is the system if that is the final result?" Gattis asked. He is investigating how to give the commission more authority to rein in bad builders and protect consumers.

Discovery Home Channel
Construction and renovation expert Mike Holmes visits unlucky families who have been swindled or abandoned during their home improvement projects. Mike uncovers shoddy construction methods, improper techniques and down right rip-offs. You'll see Mike correct the problems, as well as explain how the homeowners could have safeguarded themselves from unscrupulous builders and dishonest contractors. Check for time and channel in your area.  See more...

Big Cost Homes Blown Apart
In a growing number of cases we're finding people who think the new homes they've worked a lifetime to afford are literaly being blown apart.  And it doesn't appear the building industry has thought much about the problem.  It's hard to believe a house that's only three-years-old has a cracked wall makes it look like an ancient ruin. Damage to this nearby home is so widespread, the original owners left nearly everything behind to escape the sickness spreading here. See: Call Kurtis -  Kustis Ming Reporting 02-02-07 

Why do the bad guys win? A psychiatrist looks for some answers
As a psychiatrist I can perhaps explain something about the psychology of bad people like our developer, what makes them 'tick'... This information may help you avoid the pain we endured.  Although we didn't realize what we were up against until it was too late, you may find earlier clues in the people you deal with.  Chances are you have run into this type, known in psychiatric jargon as the sociopath or "antisocial personality disorder."  A personality disorder is a pathological (not normal) `equilibrium state' in which the individual displays both occupational and interpersonal dysfunction. The antisocial personality maintains his (or her) state of equilibrium by inflicting pain on others, and feels no pain while doing so. The most extreme examples are serial murderers, rapists, and chronic child or spouse abusers.  See Lsakeside Press

Drees Homes "Warning" Website featured on Fox 8 News in Cleveland, Ohio
One couple in Medina, OH who are fed up with leaks, cracks, and poor workmanship have launched their own website against their builder, Drees Homes, that is getting noticed by people all across the United States. Rob and Laura Hixenbaugh say they have "had enough," and set up the site to show and tell potential buyers of Drees Homes the poor quality they feel they received and the customer service that they say "does nothing but fight you down the line."

Call Kurtis: Plumbing Defect Disaster
Instead of charging DR Horton for lodging, Scott and his family moved in with his in laws while they worked on the problem. But the so called quick fix dragged on for months...Scott claims the tile DR Horton wanted to put in wouldn't match what he already had throughout the house. And he says they didn't want to replace the water soaked cabinets. Scott asked if they would put in wood flooring he already bought instead of carpet and claims they said no...Very unhappy with DR Horton, Scott told them. "You're putting a lot of stress on the family… there's the holidays coming up. Then on November 11th my wife had a stroke," said Wall.

Indian River County revokes builder's license
A Sebastian home builder lost his county license Tuesday and a Stuart aluminum contractor got 30 days to save his.In an 8-0 vote, the county Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals permanently revoked Eligha Lewis Pryor Jr.'s home-building license in Indian River County after several angry customers "€” and even his onetime loyal office manager "€” lined up to accuse him of taking deposits and failing to complete contracts.

Committee backs bill to protect speakers' rights
A Senate committee on Monday endorsed legislation to protect citizens from lawsuits intended to discourage them from speaking at public hearings. Sen. Mark Herring's bill targets "strategic lawsuits against public participation"--or SLAPP suits--which typically are filed by big corporations or developers to stifle public opposition to rezonings or other plans that require a government body's approval. "Citizens across the commonwealth are becoming intimidated and scared about testifying at public hearings for fear of being dragged into a lawsuit," Herring, D-Loudoun, told the Courts of Justice Committee. "Citizen involvement is crucial to good decision-making."

Study: Texas riddled by foreclosures
The state and national foreclosure numbers are in, and they're not pretty. Texas finished 2006 with a total of 156,876 foreclosure filings -- the highest aggregate total of any state, according to a year-end report by foreclosure source RealtyTrac Inc.  Texas' total filings equates to a rate of one foreclosure filing for every 51 households -- making it the state with the fourth highest foreclosure rate... So how did San Antonio fare? It was ranked No. 12, with a foreclosure rate of one filing for every 37 households. A total of 14,754 filings were reported in the city over the course of 2006, according to the company.

Coalition: Insurance relief hasn't come 
 A coalition of consumer groups called on the Legislature on Tuesday to come to the aid of homeowners paying exorbitant insurance rates and those fighting a losing battle with their builders before a state agency that is supposed to mediate such disputes... "The TRCC is actually little more than a barrier protecting the building industry by preventing homeowners from taking legitimate legal action against incompetent and unscrupulous builders," he said, noting homeowners are forbidden to take legal action until they have completed a dispute resolution process at the agency "that is stacked decisively against the homeowner and in favor of the builder." See Photos  HOBB News Update