Illegal incentives may be disguising depth of slowdown
Buyers latched on to mortgages with all kinds of exotic teaser rates to be able to afford the soaring home prices that sellers were demanding during the boom years...D.R. Horton offered buyers $120,000 in savings last month at the Tuscan Estates in the Elk Grove area near Sacramento. A Pulte development near there advertises homes valued between $456,000 and $654,000. And Beazer Homes USA Inc. offered no monthly payments for six months at Fieldstone Meadows in Folsom, Calif.

Ads slamming Hooley duck details of votes
The ads: Several mailings by the Economic Freedom Fund claim U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley voted against legislation to properly equip U.S. troops and crack down on terrorists...The truth: Hooley is endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars political action committee and has worked to make sure U.S. combat troops are adequately equipped and that military veterans receive proper care....The California-based Economic Freedom Fund, which paid for the mailings, is financed by Texas millionaire homebuilder Bob Perry, a political ally of President Bush. The organization targeted Democratic Congressional candidates in Georgia, Iowa and West Virginia with similar fliers.

The myths of watering foundation and under designed slabs
Too much rain, lack of rain, trees and other "Acts of God" exposed as a fairy tale
It has been well established that foundation failures are widespread.  Critics claim that in most cases foundation failures are the result of an unregulated industry, unskilled labor and builders cutting corners for the sake of higher profits...We have it on good authority that the excuse for foundation failures caused by too much rain, lack of rain or trees is a fairy tale, and that "Acts of God" are acts of man in order to increase builder profits.

Hazards of Hiring Unlicensed Contractors
There is a tremendous need for homeowners to secure protections, since this is what is happening all across the state of New York and nationwide.  Oh My God In Heaven what is going on?   How can we fight this?  Your Attention Please, ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS and ALL CITIZENS, we have to do something NOW! How can we have laws that support a scoundrel taking the money and running, while the taxpaying homeowner might lose his or her home, and end up living on the streets?  This is so wrong; the laws have to be changed! Congressmen, the Assembly, and other Legislators need to realize that unlicensed contractors are undermining the very fabric of the American dream.
Read: Corrupt Establishment, Binding Arbitration, Our Legal System and more… Read More

Van Buren defends his business practices
Van Buren, who operates South Forty Homes, is named as the defendant in 16 judgment dockets recorded in Licking County Common Pleas Court. The 16 judgments, from 1993 to 2006, total $267,979. Van Buren said he knows of only one judgment that has not been paid in full yet.

2 Arrested In County's Largest Mortgage Fraud Case
Two women are accused of creating a complicated scheme that's forcing several Houstonians towards bankruptcy. KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Robert Arnold finds that it is the largest case of mortgage fraud the Harris County District Attorney's Office has ever investigated. View Video

Crooked builders hit storm victims
Unlicensed contractors are preying on Gulf Coast residents whose homes were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and are in dire need of repair, state and FBI officials say...Phony contractors are collecting down payments for work and then disappearing, Marceaux says. One scam involves workmen who take down payments and even drop materials off at work sites, only to return in the night to retrieve the materials and sneak away.

Scam contractors find easy pickings in N.O.
There is easy, quick money to be made in New Orleans, and it's like a gold rush," said Chuck Marceau, executive director of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. "The majority of people doing work are doing it illegally," he said. "We go into New Orleans at 8 a.m. and by noon our investigators have eight to 10 cases. Before the storm, we would probably find 12 to 15 in a month who were unlicensed. It is just absolutely horrendous."

Moratorium hangover?
The 15-month moratorium was in place while the county discussed a more permanent way to curb a residential growth rate that has crippled the school system and has thousands of children attending class in trailers. The moratorium was lifted Oct. 3, the day after the county Board of Commissioners approved a slow-growth ordinance that makes subdivision permits dependent on school capacity.

Mortgage fraud blamed in more foreclosures
An increase in home foreclosures in the local housing market is revealing a growing number of mortgage fraud cases.

American Homeowners Resource Center
My 94 year old disabled mother and I are being sued by Indian Lakes Homeowners Association.The AHRC October 19, 2006 newsletter titled Graveyards for Justice • Judicial Corruption & Immunity • Fight Back made several homeowners relive the homeowner association litigation terrors which they endured. They recalled the losses of their life savings and homes and the judges who obstructed justice by abusing their powers.

Woman seeks licensing for home builders
Berger is on a mission. In Pennsylvania, construction contractors are not required to be licensed to do home-improvement work, leaving consumers at risk of rip off by contractors who do the work in a substandard manner, inconsistent with acceptable industry standards.

Isaac gets houses; Newberry gets horses
Contractors, developers and others involved in the home building business gave $76,800 to Isaac between May 17 and Oct. 6, which equals 26 percent of the $299,000 she collected. Those same interests gave to Newberry in lower numbers, about $47,400, or 13 percent of the $379,000 he raised.

MS. BUILDER: Do research to find a contractor
People often check with the Better Business Bureau, but this does not always provide reliable information. It is difficult to make comparisons among companies from their complaint records data because one company may have many more customers and thus more complaints. Use the BBB as a last resource...MS. BUILDER is written by a team of women for first-time home owners and inexperienced do-it-yourselfers.

Midday Business Report: Service members gain more loan protections
The law, resulting from legislation co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, a Missouri Republican, has gained widespread applause from service and consumer groups... Consumer lawyers say the anti-predatory law also contains a new prohibition against binding mandatory arbitration clauses and any other waivers of the right to seek legal recourse... "I think the prohibition on arbitration is huge," said Dale Irwin, a Kansas City consumer lawyer. "Congress has finally acknowledged the unfairness of these kinds of clauses in the consumer context." He said the law gives strength to broader efforts by consumer groups to outlaw arbitration clauses all together.