Choice Homes is leaving San Antonio
Dallas-based Choice Homes is pulling out of San Antonio after five years and will sell its remaining lots to other builders... "We love San Antonio as a market," Couture said. "It's one of the best markets in the country, but we find ourselves in a position where we've never been able to crack into the large-volume market." The privately held Choice Homes also has built in the Austin area, but pulled out about 18 months ago.

Michigan: Almont Township building inspector under fire
There are claims by Almont Township homeowners that their building inspector dropped the ball. The three homeowners are facing thousands of dollars in repairs to their homes...They all had different builders, but blame the same building inspector, who they claim allowed them to move into homes that are clearly not livable...over 5,000 gallons a day," Pat Smylie said. "We have nowhere to put this water -- no drains, no ditches." On top of that the Smylies learned the basement windows were put in wrong.The builder never installed flashing -- metal that blocks water from coming in, and the Smylies later learned the house is sitting on a stream and should have never been built.

Basin woes still plague Blueberry Ridge, Old Forks residents
A detention basin at a 134-home development along Third Street will be examined to find out how and if anything can be done about the failure of water percolating into the ground.The detention basin at Blueberry Ridge has turned into a small lake in recent months. Water is supposed to seep into the basin's ground within 48 and 72 hours.

Cash gift loophole for Texas officials
Looking for that special something to give a Texas politician this holiday season? Don't fret: A suitcase stuffed with $100 bills is perfectly fine. The Texas Ethics Commission affirmed this week that state officials can accept unlimited gifts of cash from donors without revealing how much they got. All public officials have to do is report a gift of "currency" on a disclosure form and who the money came from.

Tottotville homeowners sue
Owners of 54 houses in the Tottotville Subdivision in Koblerville filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. and two companies for allegedly defrauding them in the construction of defective homes.  Fifty-four homeowners, including three police officers, asked the Superior Court to order defendants NMHC, SSFM International Inc., and Telesource CNMI Inc. to pay them damages.

Contractors Are Not Licensed - Buyer Beware! 
The Attorney General's Consumer Mediation Program ranks home contractors among the top three most complained about businesses every year...While some towns and cities have adopted building codes and enforced them, others have not. We recommend that you talk to your town's code officials before you begin construction. 

CBS4 Uncovers Shoddy Roofing Workmanship
(CBS4) BOSTON A CBS4 investigation uncovers important information every homeowner should know. It's about roofing contractors who are victimizing their customers with shoddy workmanship and a state agency that's failing to do its job by protecting us from these unscrupulous workers.

KB Home chief to get huge payout for retirement
Mark Fabiani, an attorney representing the KB Home board, declined to say whether the board would move to revoke Karatz's severance pay or his retirement benefits. 'The employment agreement will be the subject of discussions with the board and Mr. Karatz' representatives,'' Fabiani said. ``The board is going to enter into discussions with Mr. Karatz about that situation, and those discussions have not yet begun.''

Debate won't stop residential growth
Not so fast, say other researchers on the cost of residential development. New homes require more spending on county services, such as schools and law enforcement. According to authors of studies by Clemson University, University of Georgia and American Farmland Trust "€” which promotes farm preservation "€” most homes require more government spending than the revenue they generate. The opposite is true for businesses and industry. "The numbers clearly show the fallacy of depending on residential development as the road to a sound growth policy," Jeff Dorfman, a Georgia professor of agricultural and applied economics, wrote in a 2002 study of four counties in the Peach State.

Give Me Back My Rights!
Model State Arbitration Legislation -  What's in your new home contract?  Fair Homebuyer Contract Model

Tracey Kelly fought with K Hovnanian over home construction
...it was Tracey Kelly's unrelenting battle to hold accountable all who were responsible for the problems inherent in the construction of the homes that resulted in four Howell construction and code officials having their licenses revoked by the state as a result of their work product related to the construction of Country Meadows One...In 2002, a state Superior Court judge dismissed the defamation charges against Kelly...The judge wrote,"Certainly the public has an interest in knowing if local developers, who is one of the state's largest developers, is building homes without proper permits, etc. and possibly building homes that are unfit to live in."

Mixed mold mycotoxicosis: immunological changes in humans following exposure in water-damaged buildings
THE POTENTIAL HARMFUL EFFECTS of exposure to mixed molds in inhabited buildings were recognized in early Biblical times. In the Old Testament, (1) Leviticus put forth a detailed protocol for the remediation of mold-contaminated structures, including the destruction of dwellings and personal belongings if remediation failed. Today, it is recognized that water intrusion into buildings leads to amplification of molds, (2-7) often requiring remediation

Homeowners sue builder, contractor for bad concrete
Upset with deteriorating concrete throughout the development, the Linfield Woods Homeowners Association has filed a lawsuit against the builder and a contractor. Linfield Woods Homeowners Association represents the 75 homeowners of Linfield Knoll, a development off Linfield-Trappe Road. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the developer, Berks Homes of Mohnton, Berks County, and the contractor, VJ Concrete of Morgantown.

Developer's Dumping Forces Families From Homes
Owning your own home -- it's what millions of us work for. But the American dream is turning into more of a nightmare for dozens of Texans...Investigative reporter Amy Davis uncovers the violations that have forced families from their homes...."They get a judgment against him and they just continue letting him operate as normal. So, what was the point?" homeowner John Doty said. We found Hall operating all over Texas, building homes and violating the state's health and safety code -- in Grimes, Leon, Madison, Liberty and San Jacinto counties. "Those have little or no oversight," San Jacinto District Attorney Mark Price said.

Dream house sours
...after pouring $400,000 into the construction of the home in South Tampa, Edward J. Gollobith ended up with shoddy workmanship and an eyesore that neighbors and the city want rectified or torn down. If it's not enough that Gollobith might have to demolish the half-million dollar home he has never lived in, the city plans to fine him $100 a day if he does not either apply for permits to complete the home or bulldoze it by Dec. 27. He has put the property up for sale but is not optimistic he'll get a buyer...Building officials across Florida say consumers can run into problems no matter how careful they are because several areas of the local and state construction system are broken.