Building official being investigated
Clement has been head of the building department and its 22 employees since 1988, when he came to work for city. The building department is responsible for inspecting architectural plans and construction sites for compliance with the building code. Clement also is a former president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21.

Builder puts $16 million into election process
Houston home builder Bob Perry poured $16 million into state and federal races during the recent election cycle, apparently making him the biggest individual political contributor in the country for 2005-06, a money-tracking group reported Tuesday... "Texas is the Wild West of money in politics. Texas needs limits," said Andrew Wheat, TPJ's research director... After contributing $3.8 million to state candidates and committees in the 2002 election, Perry was instrumental in the Legislature's creation in 2003 of the Texas Residential Construction Commission, an agency criticized by consumer advocates as a builder-protection agency.

No words, no sign of a heart from developer
Based on appearances, it would seem that Los Angeles developer Geoff Palmer is doing OK. This past summer, he bought a $17-million beachfront house in Malibu, with solid bronze doors, teak cabinets and his-and-hers bathrooms.... Given Palmer's obvious good fortune, some folks are surprised to see how vigorously he keeps fighting a city requirement that 15% of the units in the massive downtown apartment projects he builds be reserved for low-income renters, meaning for families that make up to about $40,000 a year.

He bought house that was target of code enforcement
A Chronicle examination of court and property records in August showed that code enforcement inspector Leo McFadden appeared to use inside information for personal gain by acquiring a distressed property in the Mission District. In all, McFadden has an ownership interest in seven properties in addition to his personal residence, according to his most recent public employee economic disclosure statement. Two of those properties are estimated to be worth more than $1 million and five between $100,000 and $1 million, the record shows.

Clay Robison: Cash may stand in way of changing 'builder protection agency'
Does money talk in Texas politics? No, it screams. And Perry is the gift that keeps on giving for many candidates and officeholders, mostly Republicans but some Democrats as well. Check the campaign finance reports of state leaders or conservative committees, and you will frequently see Perry's name, often followed by figures with five or six digits.

Debts piling up in Husani's wake
The pending foreclosures are the first sign of financial trouble resulting from the series of multimillion-dollar transactions by Husani and Tringali during the last two years -- Husani and Tringali inflated land values through property flips. They then used values that were way above what the market was paying to get bank loans that not only covered the original cost of the land but provided Tringali with more money to finance development...Between July 2004 and January 2006, Husani spent $42 million for about 1,900 acres of land. He then sold the property to Tringali in cashless transactions for $98 million, and Tringali used the high purchase prices and accompanying appraisals to obtain $83 million in loans from seven banks.

Marlboro builders get court go-ahead
FREEHOLD "€” A state Superior Court judge Thursday ordered Marlboro Mayor Robert Kleinberg to sign paperwork needed to start construction on a senior citizen housing project by developers Steve and Bernard Meiterman, despite continued arguments from Marlboro officials that the brothers will soon be indicted for corrupt practices. The Meitermans' office in Freehold was raided by FBI and IRS agents in March. Bayer said that in the last month alone, the FBI has requested specific documents relating to Meiterman developments "no less than seven times," and that FBI agents were in Town Hall Thursday going through records pertaining to the Meitermans.

Moore home builder sues Pinehurst over zoning regulatiions
A Moore County home builder has sued the village, saying Pinehurst's zoning regulations make it prohibitively expensive for builders to supply affordable homes. The village amended a portion of the Pinehurst Development Ordinance in September to require certain building and landscaping designs for homes. The amended ordinance requires that builders who are constructing single-family homes conduct a tree survey and plant a certain number of trees, the lawsuit says.

Do a careful walk-through inspection before closing
Almost any builder knows that the buyers should do a walk-through inspection. In today's high-tech world, I recommend a video camera or a digital camera and a tape recorder. If you do not have one or cannot find a friend with one, rent one. It will be money well spent. Rule No. 1 for any inspection - Do not be embarrassed to be too picky about minor flaws. Your builder should understand this and will hopefully not be offended. Keep in mind that this is the largest investment most family's ever make and you will be paying it off for decades to come.

Non Holder of Note - Mortgage Company Forces Foreclose on Home
At the opening of the trail, EMC stated to the court that they had made a mistake and they were NOT the Owner & Holder of my Note and therefore did not have legal standing.  This meant they had committed massive fraud upon the courts over these years by  knowingly making false statements in their pleadings, affidavits, depositions and court hearings...This gross injustice, abuse of power, ethics violations, perjury and continued fraud has absolutely stunned and dumbfounded seasoned attorneys... See letter to FBI

A little insight on the creation of the "Disposable Housing" idea
We were building houses which lasted 40 to 100 years, how many could we expect to sell to people, we should take a page from the car manufacturers, their products were designed to become obsolete withing three years so the loyal customer would come back for more... These throwaway houses are lucky to make it 10 years, any water to hit the pressed wood chips guarantees mold and mold guarantees a teardown and voilà!"€”, we have a new customer!"

Mortgage Financing: Signs Of Predatory Lending
If you're shopping for a home loan, you can save thousands of dollars by being aware of predatory lending practices, in which you're charged too much for your loan or are forced to buy services you don't really need. You can protect yourself by learning to recognize the signs of predatory lending. The Center for Responsible Lending lists seven specific warning signs that consumers should be aware of when applying for a mortgage.

The Investigators - Within These Walls
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
The ABC15 Investigators put Valley home inspectors to the test in an investigation anyone who is thinking about buying or selling a home must see. See News Report

KC home builder arrested after federal indictment
A Kansas City home builder already under indictment for fraud was arrested Thursday in connection with a new federal grand jury indictment for allegedly continuing to operate illegally while his trial is pending. F. Jeffrey Miller, 45, of Stanley, was indicted in May on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. Miller, a building contractor in Kansas, Missouri and other states, was allowed to continue doing business after agreeing that an outside court-approved consultant could monitor his activities, U.S. Attorney for Kansas Eric Melgren said in a release Thursday.