When should buyers just say "No Thank You?' 
Waive rights; hold harmless, risk lifetime investment and health of family.  See items in Choice Home's Contract that should totally infuriate New Homebuyers. Read More

When renovations go bad
Michelle Slatter, 30, was left with a badly broken nose and her young son, Cody, narrowly escaped serious injury – or worse – when this overhead kitchen cupboard full of glass and crockery came crashing down just before dinner time.  The cupboard had been put up illegally in the northern suburbs home by unlicensed builders as part of a $12,000 kitchen renovation.

Orlando Sentinel - Money gone, home buyers try to pick up the pieces
Fifteen months ago, Jason and Heather Wells signed over their life savings to have a dream home built in a brand-new Apopka subdivision...The Orlando builder who had taken their $75,000 down payment -- and had no black marks with city officials or the local Better Business Bureau -- also withdrew about $100,000 from the couple's construction loan with a local bank. Still, nothing...The suspect: Barrington Homes Inc., a 4-year-old company whose two principals, John and Deanna Barrington, have been arrested on federal conspiracy and fraud charges... Customers briefed by federal investigators say an estimated $5 million to $10 million is missing... What the Wellses -- and the bank -- didn't know was that John Barrington was a convicted felon known as John Jakows, who had changed his last name in state court to hide his criminal past.

Give homeowners some basic rights
The homebuilding industry is plagued by such problems. Thousands of homes are built and remodeled each year. The hotter the market, the more risk there seems to be of falling prey to negligent construction. Under current Washington law, contractors do not have to pass any qualifying tests. A contractor's "license" can be bought in a day: You register with the state, post a small bond and provide insurance...To make matters worse, in today's market buyers often release all warranty rights, even the rights provided by statutes, in exchange for nearly worthless third-party home warranty companies. State law does not prevent those waivers.

New legislation benefits developers and builders at the expense of property owners First, House Bill 1089, effective as of July 1, 2006, reduced the time a developer, builder or other contractor is responsible to a property owner for latent (or hidden) construction defects from 15 years to 10 years... Section 558.001, Florida Statutes contained extensive pre-suit notice procedures and requirements that residential owners had to, and still have to, follow before they can file a claim against a contractor, builder or developer for construction defects. The procedures have various detailed time lines and procedures for certain notices, offers, counter offers and rejection of offers that all are required to happen before a construction defect suit can be filed.

Jade Homes shuts down operations
Jade Homes, a Sarasota-based builder with 75 houses in varying stages of construction in Sarasota, Charlotte and Manatee counties, has shut down its operations and closed its main office and six sales centers.

Ohio bank sues home builder
A new lawsuit and foreclosure proceedings by Ohio Savings Bank may put an end to the dreams of buyers still hoping home builder Turner-Dunn would find a way to finish as many as 200 homes left withering in the Arizona summer sun.

News 8 Investigates: Inflated appraisals threaten neighborhoods 
Documents obtained by News 8 show that in February of 2002, one McKinney home listed for $315,000.  In January of 2006, it sold for $625,000, and in the closing documents, someone walked out of the deal with $256,000 listed as a "disbursement." Records show that money did not go to the seller.

Midlothian homeowners appeal to city for help
And after years of complaints in some cases, an executive with Arlington-based Choice Homes has agreed to meet Monday with Midlothian city staff members to see what can be done to address the homeowners' concerns. Among them are faulty foundations, inadequate drainage, cracked walls, high water pressure and buckling streets... "Look at this," said Mr. Washington, picking up a piece of concrete from his original driveway. "They used chicken wire instead of rebar." ...Janet Ahmad, who heads up HomeOwners for Better Building, a San Antonio-based watchdog group, said residential taxpayers make up the bulk of the tax base and that it's time someone represented them. "Too many cities are influenced by the homebuilders because they bring in the money, but it's the people paying taxes" whose voices need to be heard, said Ms. Ahmad, who attended the council meeting last week.

Madden to introduce four bills on curbing new housing defects
Homebuyers got to speak their minds this morning at a meeting with Sen. Fred Madden and the Senate Committee on Community and Urban Affairs, on four new bills aimed at trying to stop housing defects in newly built homes in South Jersey. At 10 a.m. Thursday morning, Sen. Madden, for the fourth legislative district that covers Glassboro, Monroe Township and Pitman, joined Sen. Ronald Rice and the Senate Committee at Rowan University to talk about something that Madden calls "a pretty significant event." The committee heard testimonies from residents on four bills that are aimed at new homeowners problems.

Public comment sought on homebuyer rights
The Senate Committee on Community and Urban Affairs will hold a public meeting Thursday at Rowan University to hear testimony on a package of bills aimed at curbing the frequency of defects occuring in newly built homes...."Homebuyers purchasing a brand new home should expect that home to be in pristine condition and without structural problems. We need to empower those buying newly built homes with a definite set of rights to ensure that they don't get stuck with a 'money pit.'"

NBC2 Investigates: Who is building your home?
Every homeowner should know that unlicensed subcontractors are building homes in Southwest Florida and state law allows it to happen..."I wanted a sure thing. I went with a big company and I got nothing but trouble," said Arcuri. He signed a contract with Jim Walter Homes a year and a half ago, after Hurricane Charley destroyed his first home. Part of the reason for the delay: the foundation of the home had to be ripped up after steel rods were put in the wrong place.  "117 of those rods were misplaced, 117 out of 136 rods misplaced," said Arcuri.

Midlothian homeowners appeal to city for help
Homeowners of three subdivisions in Midlothian say their builder won't fix their homes. They want the city council to intervene. News 8's Byron Harris reports that anger has been building in Midlothian for months.... After complaining for months, disgruntled homeowners in three Midlothian subdivisions went to City Hall for help Tuesday night. They say their builder"€”Choice Homes"€”won't fix construction-related problems, including cracks in walls, shifting bricks, sagging foundations, high water pressure, and streets with washboard bumps.

When should buyers just say "No Thank You?' 
Waive rights; hold harmless, risk lifetime investment and health of family.  See items in Choice Home's Contract that should totally infuriate New Homebuyers. Read More