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See theTexas Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Arbitration Hearing, Video of Homeowners Testimony Advance to 1:55

Billions for Home Builder Corporate Welfare from Washington 
 New York Times, by Gretchen Morgenson
 
Read and Post Remarks in The Huffington Post 
American Banking News: Tax Breaks Worth Billions to Big Business
Related Articles:  NY Times: Building Flawed American Dreams 
Rise and Fall of Predatory Lending and Housing
Builders rake in refunds

Contact Congress: Arbitration Fairness Now!
SEN. FEINGOLD, REP. JOHNSON INTRODUCE MEASURE TO PRESERVE CONSUMER JUSTICE (See photos)
News Reports: Senate Passes Frankin Binding Arbitration Amendment  
   Public Citizen Report - Home Court Advantage
Become involved - Sign Petition: Fair Arbitration Now.com plus, Arbitration Resorces & Latest News

Welcome to HOBB
Homeowners say they are weary after two months of stress and uncertainty
Saturday, 20 March 2010

Centex releases new wall design
Centex Homes is hoping the third time's the charm. This week it produced a preliminary design concept for a new retaining wall to replace one that collapsed in January in a Northwest Side neighborhood — which in 2007 replaced one that was not “performing to expectations.” But homeowners say they are weary after two months of stress and uncertainty and are still on the fence about whether to trust that this latest fix will last.  Becker said. “It's not the house and the wall I'm worried about. It's the land that they built it on. What if 10 or 20 years from now something happens? What's to keep the land from moving again?” Residents expect to have a meeting with city officials and Centex on Tuesday.Karen Maxwell, who lives across the street from 20 of the evacuated houses, isn't convinced a new wall is the solution. “This is going to be the third wall, and we're supposed to believe them again?”

Read more...
 
Big Builders Billions in Tax Refunds More Profitable than Real Homebuilding Business
Saturday, 20 March 2010

Builder rake in refunds
Several publicly traded companies, including Lennar Corp., Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. and Pulte Homes Inc., expect to rake in roughly $2.5 billion in federal tax refunds combined, according to company filings. Lawmakers amended the tax code last fall to help struggling companies stay in business by essentially giving them a greater opportunity to recoup previously paid taxes. The move has helped some of the biggest builders turn a profit for the first time in years. But some small builders say the souped-up tax break is primarily giving their large rivals yet another competitive edge. That's because the latest windfall looks less like a lifeline and more like a war chest. Several large builders are now sitting on more than $1 billion in cash and are snapping up tracts of land to be ready for the next building boom.

Read more...
 
City & Pulte-Centex - Still No Meetings with Residents
Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Rivermist hillside fix to begin

Read more...
 
Pulte-Centex and City Meet Without Homeowners Again
Wednesday, 17 March 2010

City OK's plan to stabilze Rivermist retaining wall
Centex has met with city officials to present a plan to stabilize the failing retaining wall in San Antonio's Hills of Rivermist subdivision.The company released information that described the sort of work needed to make the area secure from future landslides.They say the first stop included drilling and inserting several stabilizing piers in a pattern across the landslide area of the slope. According to Centex, the piers will stabilize the area so that soil and damaged portions of the wall can be removed.They will utilize 100 piers, or pins, which are 30 feet long and between 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Each of the pins has a nine-inch steel tube embedded with 4,000 psi concrete. Additional KENS 5 News Reports

Read more...
 
San Antonio Building Inspectors Revealed
Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Building inspectors in bribery investigation revealed
We've now uncovered the names of two City of San Antonio building inspectors who are the target of an on-going bribery investigation.  One of the inspectors in trouble is Ernest A. Martinez, a building inspection supervisor and a ten year veteran of the city's planning and development department.  The other is George Moreno, a senior electrical inspector.  Both resigned last November after the city took steps to fire them after investigating a complaint they accepted bribes from contractors in exchange for approving work they did not inspect.

Read more...
 
Grand Home Busted - Illegal Real Estate Settlement and Referra/kick-backs Charges
Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Grand Homes in Trouble
Law enforcement officials have just confirmed that a HUD/RESPA complaint filed by certain Richardson Residents involving locally-based Grand Texas Homes, Inc. (GRAND) and its captive builder-controlled title company, Grand Title Company, LLC (GTC) involving illegal real estate settlement-related practices was successful. The complaint and ensuing investigation focused on selling, marketing, affiliated business disclosures, required title service provider practices and sales agreement provisions, and related business referral/kick-backs involving federally-related mortgage transactions associated with the Enclave of Breckinridge development in northeast Richardson. As the lead HUD/RESPA investigator in Washington, D.C. remarked when critical additional documents were provided by the two lead complainants, “YOU’VE MADE OUR CASE.”

Read more...
 
United Home Owners of Rivermist Weekly Update, March 16th, 2010
Tuesday, 16 March 2010

United Home Owners of Rivermist
Feeling the heat from Rivermist residents, Pulte / Centex agrees to buy back 27 homes.  But is that enough?On Wednesday, March 10th, over 80 Rivermist residents, community leaders, and State Rep. David Leibowitz rallied and spoke with reporters to demand that Centex Homes and its parent company Pulte take full responsibility for the harm inflicted on the Rivermist community. Afraid of the negative publicity, Pulte /Centex released a statement to the press simultaneously announcing that they would offer to buy back the 27 homes that had their certificate of occupancy removed by city inspectors

Read more...
 
HOBB Update Message
Sunday, 14 March 2010

A message from Janet Ahmad: Nations 7th Largest City and Largest Homebuilder Pulte-Centex Take Lots of Heat as Builder Buys Back Houses

Read more...
 
Rivermist Photos
Sunday, 14 March 2010

AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN
See the latest on the Rivermist Community  See Photos

 
Rivermist Picnic a Great Success
Sunday, 14 March 2010

Rivermist Fun and Food
Rivermist Families held activities, ate together, and all had fun Saturday.  The community event was held in honor of the all displaced families. Little ones enjoyed the many activities and played with their friends.

Read more...
 
Express News: Too Many Years Ignoring Retaining Walls and Failed City Public Policy
Sunday, 14 March 2010

Rancher fights city's own wall collapse
In the summer of the epically wet 2007, a city-owned retaining wall that sits between Pearsall Park and Ruiz's South Side ranch collapsed during a rainstorm, sending dirt and debris onto his property and into Leon Creek... While San Antonio rebuilt the damaged portions of the retaining wall and cleaned up its property, Ruiz said the city has done nothing to clean up his property, and he's still trying to recover. He lost between 40 and 50 large, old trees, including pecan, elm, hackberry, black walnut and mulberry. The pileup of dirt and debris also damaged fences, cut off access to 30 acres of grazing pasture and caused water to back up on his property, he said..."Here they have an ordinance about trees," Ruiz said. Former Mayor Phil "Hardberger is out there hugging trees, and they're here kicking me in the butt."

Read more...
 
Express Neww: Tedesco on City Failed Wall
Sunday, 14 March 2010

City owned a faulty retaining wall
After a tall retaining wall buckled in a San Antonio neighborhood, threatening dozens of homes, rancher Ernest Ruiz called us with a tip about another faulty retaining wall. Ruiz�s story had an interesting twist: The collapsed wall near his rural property hadn�t been constructed by Centex Homes or other homebuilders. This wall was owned by the city: From a mostly quiet tract of land surrounded by the hubbub of urban life, Ernest Ruiz has waged a nearly three-year fight against the city of San Antonio over the failure of a retaining wall.

Read more...
 
Univision 41: Rivermist and Rep. Leiborwitz at City Council
Saturday, 13 March 2010

Constructora comprara casas afectadas
Veintisiete propietarios recuperarn parte de su inversion en Rivermist   Video Report

 
Texas Rep. Tells City of San Antonio to Get Tough with Developers
Saturday, 13 March 2010

Texas Representative David Leibowitz Calls on San Antonio City Members for Transparency and to Stop Issuing Permits
Rep. Leibowitz paid an official visit to City Leaders telling them It is a slap in the face to the resident who are displaced to see new homes being constructed in the very neighborhood from which they are displaced. Stop the building and the issuing of permits until this matter is thoroughly investigated...As elected officials, we have to establish, and enforce, regulations to the extent necessary to protect the citizenry.  Unfortunately, the city has not been as strict historically, with the regulation of developers as many San Antonio residents would like...This incident, and the indecision which has followed, will irreparably damage their ability to sell their homes.
Read Letter to San Antonio City Council          

 
Texas Politics: Rivermist and Binding Arbitration Serious Subjects at Texas Capitol
Saturday, 13 March 2010

Homeowners: Too late to start over 
Homeowners from San Antonio's Northwest Side neighborhood that underwent a landslide had a few minutes apiece before a House committee today. The committee is considering the issue of consumers being required to agree that they'll take any claims to arbitration in deals such as home-purchase contracts. Janet Ahmad of HomeOwners for Better Building said the San Antonio homeowners' contracts had such clauses for all disputes. Cervantes said he used Centex's in-house mortgage and title services when he bought his home. Now, he said he must go to an arbitrator with his concerns and "I'm going to be at their mercy."Cervantes said it's too late for him, but he'd like to see the law changed to protect his children and grandchildren.

Read more...
 
Texas Rep. Leibowitz Asks City to Get Tough
Friday, 12 March 2010

State Representative says City should toughen up on developers
State Representative David Leibowitz, D-District 117, is going to bat for dozens of homeowners living in limbo in the Northwest side subdivision. He is asking the Council take action to protect the family’s living near a cracked retaining wall.  “Stop the building and the issuing of permits until this matter is thoroughly investigated,” Leibowitz suggested to the Council. The Representative told Council members the saga in the subdivision could have been avoided had the City fully investigated concerns he and others raised three years ago about the quality of fill material used to develop the area. Leibowitz is also suggesting the city toughen up on the developers.

Read more...
 
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