HOBB Community

I'm personally finding a lot more horror stories on city data about my builder than here. But I think that is going to change. I ask people who write or call me to post here, but they won't write or post anywhere. They just want answers on how to get their home right. I have to guess that's true with most defect victims, although they don't seem to realize they are victims in part because they will not help expose this business has some big problems for consumers.

Whereas, we loudly hear the home building business shouting fears that accountability would be too costly for everyone. I guess buyers feel it's like they're gambling with hundreds of thousands of dollars, which they can't do, and they're naturally afraid.

Anyway, I had been hammering away at some of what I suspect were Ryan Homes stooges, claiming they bought a home and magically know entire subdivisions around them are completely trouble free from construction defects. Could be true, but a lack of any evidence doesn't qualify a blanket statement of quality assurance like that. Anyway, someone with moderator authority wrapped up a forum topic with praises to Ryan Homes, and closed the forum to block any new contrary posts.

Not anything like what KB is trying to do to Janet, but all the same theme. Homebuilders find the truth is too expensive, and will use any resource to get free speech shut down. Defeating the constitution may serve certain people's bottom line for a while, but it's really what has made us great as a nation, if you really study it. It's the freedoms and individual rights assured. Taking civil liberties away to protect the free market system will actually break it over time. The cracks are very obvious already.

Ron,  What do you mean by “city data” (first line, 10th & 11th words)?

As far as people not posting here, I’ve thought about that too. Here are some of the reasons that I’ve come up with:

APATHY – people just don’t give a damn - even if it’s their own house. They figure that when the hurricane blows it away, or it otherwise falls down around them because of poor materials, poor workmanship, etc., that they’ll deal with it then. They stupidly think that warranties, guarantees, insurance, or “something unknown” will make them “whole”.

FEAR – they’re afraid of the builder - the builder will sue them, etc., etc., etc.

PEER PRESSURE (in reverse) – this is a subset of FEAR – they’re afraid that their family, friends, neighbors, or just plain folks will consider them “kooks”, so they do nothing.

MORALLY BANKRUPT – they know “deep down inside”, either consciously or subconsciously, that if they were the builder, then they would have cut corners themselves (a sad commentary).

STUPIDITY – see all of the above.

I don’t know if there are more, and I don’t know how to rank them in order of relevance; but, that’s my list.

city-data.om is a state by state forum. There is much written on builders but when complaints come in one would have to be blind not to realize employees get on and tell how great that builder is and how happy they are in their new home. Why, one person said their home is defect free. Once I started   to put my 2 cents in on a particular  builder  the thread  was closed out. I got into it with a moderator who allows people to promote their companies websites and all-against written rules . If you write negative comments almost surely they will be deleted.
You can look state by state or look under housing.
I received a "demerit" (would you believe this), for opposing the fact that someone was allowed to break the rules.
I have told people  numerous times to go to hadd and hobb (the hadd board is back).
I do not believe any of them have done that.
Why complain on a board that does not have a purpose of support or help?
You are correct Ray in your reasoning.

marc covered it. City-data-sux.com.  Like "Rate your builder" is becoming a promo site, not a real information site where open exchange of information is not the real goal but rather promotions, though the illusions of it being just a public exchange forum remain intact. I was posting a lot in what must have been Mayberry North Carolina, or so the happy posters made it sound. In other words describing a fictional town, as an idealized region was the forum’s intent. My (technical) in-law bought a disastrous house in that same area. It was never repaired completely.

Damn sure no Andy Griffith’s there, as cops once searched me and my car for no reason whatsoever, (found nothing, no charges) and also walked into her house on a separate occasion, got her out of bed, and illegally searched her house without permission, warrant or any valid cause. Both cases it was just a matter that police needed to prove you innocent, or you must be guilty otherwise. Kind of a ripple effect of the “Patriot Act”  I think.

I put in my two cents about the builder of my house and was 'kicked' off the board. I was told that only positive things could be posted. What a crock.   Janet and I were posting on a specific thread and we were both 'politely' told to take it elsewhere, so she brought it here.  ;D

People need to know what is going on. What they do with that information is their own business.  I think some people just like to whine and hope that someone will do all the work for them. 

sure would be nice to hear from some of those "million visitors a month" that appears on the home page--even the whiners. (By the way, the numbers don't add up if you look at the number of "reads" on forum topics in a month.)

I agree!  That IS a crock.  In other words, they're functioning as free advertising for companies, because they only allow nice things to be said about them. 

City-Data.com is a joke. So many people and so much bad information.

There is a newer relocation forum called Talkstates at www.talkstates.com.
They allow you to post whatever you like, as long as it is not spamming the place. But, the admin is a pretty decent guy and may be able to set up a "Rate a Builder" or "Builder Complaint" section that would allow everyone to post info there. Just a thought.....