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.

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.

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.

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.

Lennar Says Profit Dropped on Incentives to Buyers
Lennar Corp., the second-largest U.S. homebuilder by market value, said profit fell in the fiscal third quarter, the first decline in six years, after a slump in demand forced the company to offer buyers incentives... The builder's preliminary net new orders fell 5 percent, less than competitors KB Homes or Beazer Homes Inc., which this week reported declines of more than 40 percent. Homebuilders such as Lennar and industry leader Pulte Homes Inc. are seeing profit margins erode as they offer incentives such as stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors to lure buyers.

Wilton residents appeal well ruling
In Highland Hills, many of the well points have failed and the homeowners have no drinkable water, said Cheryl Roberts from the law office of Marc S. Gerstman. The firm represents 17 property owners in the neighborhood. The people at the houses with the worst wells must rely on bottled water; at other homes families are frustrated by a limited flow of water and worry about contamination, Roberts said...if allowed to stand, the decision will undermine the basic health and safety protections afforded to the public by section 116 of the Public Health Law.