SITTERLE HOMES FILES FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT AGAINST ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIER STUCK WITH DEFECTIVE HOME
In this unprecedented move of revenge, Sitterle’s has done the unthinkable by filing a suit to oppress the free speech of a US Army Colonel who continues to serve his country, which creates a scandal that even the building industry must find outrageous. According to the Colonel in a written statement, this experience with the TRCC and the Sitterle Corporation has been more stressful than his combat tours in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and Pakistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) combined.

Local builder sues customer: Dispute over basement leaking escalated into Web site complaint
Sitterle filed a libel suit against the homeowner this week, accusing him of writing defamatory statements on a consumer advocacy Web site about the company's alleged refusal to fix leak problems in the hillside home...Last month, Jay Hirata posted complaints about the builder on the discussion board of a San Antonio-based consumer advocacy group's Web site, Home Owners for Better Building.  See posted complaint

Legislators want to make public the names of those linked to loans
Trying to halt record numbers of home foreclosures, legislators want to make public the names of mortgage brokers, appraisers and other professionals connected to each mortgage loan. N.C. Commissioner of Banks Joseph Smith told a special legislative committee on Tuesday that his office needs the names of mortgage brokers and other loan originators to investigate mortgage fraud and resulting home loan foreclosure.

Homeowners pay thousands to fix mistakes by code official
One woman had to take a wrecking ball to $30,000 worth of construction on a two-story garage and start building from scratch.

Local Victims of Alleged Mortgage Fraud
The number of Americans who are finding their homes in foreclosure, is rising at a staggering rate... up 24 percent between July and August of this year alone! Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky are all among the 25 states with the highest foreclosure rates.  And some of those families may be losing their homes as the result of mortgage fraud. There are two ways that mortgage fraud happens.

Creekside Homes May Violate Deed Restrictions, FEMA Floodplain
A temporary injunction has been issued against a housing developer after three creekside homes in Pleasant Retreat Acres were built in possible violation of the property's deed restrictions, prompting legal action from the homeowners association. The homes were also built improperly...As of last week, the homes were estimated to be between 75 and 90 percent complete. A concrete slab and some dirt work signals the suggested locations of a fourth or perhaps fifth structure.

Caulk Is Cheap
“Caulk is for lazy people. Caulk is what you use when you screw something up. Before caulk existed, people actually had to build things right the first time. I have renovated at least five Victorian-era homes. None had any caulk on them. Those houses are still standing and I’m pretty sure will continue to do so for many years. I’m not so sure many of the new houses I’ve seen will be around in 20 years.

Residents say the developer's homes have defects ranging from cracked concrete to faulty plumbing
The owners of 29 houses in the Las Flores area near Rancho Santa Margarita are suing developer Lennar Corp. for $2.9 million, claiming the residences have defects because of faulty design and construction.

State yanks licenses of Newark construction official
The state has revoked the professional licenses of the recently suspended head of Newark's building inspections office and has referred the investigation of his predecessor to state criminal investigators, the commissioner for the state Department of Community Affairs said.

Home buyers face long battle to recoup money from shuttered Turner-Dunn The Phoenix-based builder walked away from hundreds of home lots in Pinal County last spring, leaving in its wake millions of dollars owed to banks and subcontractors, lawsuits, an ongoing Arizona Department of Real Estate investigation, unfinished homes and home buyers who paid thousands of dollars each in hopes of finally getting their big dream home.

Advocacy Group Expands Consumer Mortgage Protection Services For All Homeowners Americas Watchdog, in partnership with it's National Mortgage Complaint Center has increased the services it offers to individual homeowners with problems and or prospective homeowners on the verge of financing a home. Sixty million American homeowners were either over- charged/cheated, or will be taken advantage of when they finance or refinance their home.

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.