Law Would Regulate Building Contractors
Bad builders beware. A tough new law to regulate contractors was introduced in the state legislature Monday, the direct result of reports by the CBS 2 investigators...And as CBS 2's Pam Zekman has been reporting for years, all too often bad builders leave homeowners financially and emotionally devastated....Bull Valley residents Richard Garcia and his wife would have never hired John Volpentesta  to build their new home had they known about his history. It includes dozens of lawsuits filed by contractors and former clients and a conviction for bank fraud.

Buyers here a bit less happy in '05
A JD Powers study confirmed that new homebuyers encountered an average of 14 problems with new homes, representing a 7 percent increase from a year before.  Further, the normally builder  structured and influenced JD Powers survey confirmes that homebuyer customer scarification is declining.  At the bottom of the list of customer scarification in the study were KB Home, Horton, and Richmond American Homes.

Study: Mold in Homes Doubles Risk of Asthma
Exposure to mold and dampness in homes as much as doubles the risk of asthma development in children, according to a study published today in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). Researchers studied 1,984 Finnish children aged 1 to 7 years over a six-year period to see if they developed asthma. Data collection included a baseline survey administered in March 1991, as well as a follow-up survey in March 1997, asking questions about the child's health, parents' health, parent's highest education level, and details of the child's environment including exposure to environmental tobacco.

Lawmakers to hear construction grievances
Damning results from a state report released last year about negligent and sometimes dangerous workmanship on new homes throughout New Jersey could re-emerge Tuesday night during a public hearing called by a state Senate committee.Lawmakers will hear testimony from victims of shoddy construction, who will offer suggestions on what legislative initiatives would help protect homebuyers from irresponsible builders and unresponsive overseers.

Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) - September 18, 2006

Pulte named in lawsuit
Five local painters filed a wage and hour lawsuit Friday in federal court against two contractors and one of the Las Vegas Valley's biggest home builders.The class action lawsuit claims that Centennial Drywall Systems and Burnham Painting and Drywall Corp. -- both contractors that Pulte Homes retains to perform work on its local new homes -- have failed to pay the plaintiffs for overtime work performed within the past four years.

Home-building boom relies on illegal workers
When thousands of Seattle-area Latinos stayed away from their jobs May 1 to take part in a nationwide show of support for immigrants in the work force, the largest housing-construction project in all of King County became a ghost town...Using census data, the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C., estimates that nationwide about one in five illegal residents works in construction "€” five times the number working in farm jobs.

The Worst Cases of Tax Fraud in US History -- Who Built Your House? Americas Watchdog has just released the findings of a two year investigation into the practice of national, regional & local homebuilders hiring undocumented construction workers to build our nation's residential housing. The results are staggering. In many cases, the workers are undocumented & underpaid. The investigation also revealed that many homebuilders failed to abide by federal laws regarding work place conditions and or failed to pay federal or state taxes. These findings are expected to expose homebuilders to the largest cases of tax fraud and or Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations in US History because of the potential number of individuals involved.

Garlic Creek - Overview Revealed: The Unrestrained Power of Developers in Texas  Three sick people, 15 Dead Sheep, 10 More Not Expected To Live, 2 Sick Horses, radio active strontium and chemicals in Garlic Creek could make this seem worse than any civilized war. Once upon a time in the old west, if a neighbor dammed up your creek, you simply got some dynamite and blew up his damned dam! But today it's worse than the Old West. In those days we all seemed to know that right was right and wrong was wrong and bad guys had better beware.  Read more: Unrestrained Power website  See Austin's New8 Report

Buda groups to sue over Garlic Creek West
The groups' suit claims recent damming of Garlic Creek is a violation of the Clean Water Act... Braswell is angrier about the creek. She said Garlic Creek flowed until the developers built a dam...City administrator Bob Mathis said the developers are doing nothing to stop the flow of water. He claims it's a filter, not a dam.

Home buyers' refunds bounce
The settlement, approved in February, applied to people who bought newly built homes between December 1998 and July 2005 and purchased title insurance from Chicago Title Insurance Co. of Missouri, Transnation Title Insurance Co. of Arizona, First American Title Insurance Co. of California or Lawyer's Title Insurance Corp. of Virginia.

Former Swift Boat attack-ad backer takes on House Democrats
Perry's $5 million donation, made in two payments on Aug. 18 and Sept. 5, is among the largest, if not the largest, donation from an individual to any 527 group this year, although contribution records are still being filed. It exceeds the nearly $4.5 million that Perry gave the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, when he provided the seed money to help launch the group and was its biggest donor. And it's more than double the amount that billionaire Democratic donor George Soros has given to 527 groups this year, according to the Web site Political MoneyLine, which tracks campaign finances.

Mold creates nightmare at new home in Farragut
The Houses moved into their $400,000 home three months ago. They have a one-year homeowners warranty, yet they're stuck with the bill to clean up the mold. "The builder says he hired the sub but that's where his responsibility ends," Sherrie says. "He doesn't owe us anything." ...Sherrie now questions the whole point of the builder's homeowner's warranty. "This home is two-months-old. We shouldn't t have problems."

Marana to intensify inspections after allegations against builder
Homebuilders in Marana will face more scrutiny when installing tile roofs partly due to recent allegations against Richmond American Homes and a local roofing company. About 50 Continental Ranch residents last month showed their disgust at a town council meeting for the billion-dollar homebuilder and Headlee Roofing Co., which operates out of Phoenix and Tucson. One by one, the residents described leaks, rotted wood, ceiling stains and mold and fungus growing inside their homes. Some asked the town to ban Richmond American from building in Marana.

Mortgage crunch
People who finance their homes with ARMs may not realize the risks involved and often find themselves in serious financial situations as a result.

Homebuilders adding incentives
The tide began turning, and builders began posting colorful signs and advertising "Summer Blowout Sale!" "$100,000 off!" or "Save Big!" With so many new homes on the market, builders are having to become more creative as they try to stand out -- especially in areas such as East County and parts of Alameda County with a high density of new homes.