Dec 12, 2000:  Posted in Centex in the News: (Posted at 4:10 p.m. EST Saturday, December 5, 1998 )Home built over source of lethal gas By AMES ALEXANDER  Staff Writer . Deborah West, a former Centex employee who now sells new houses for Century 21, is  suing Centex Homes and The Crosland Group over the problems. In her suit, West says the buried  material has also caused the house to settle, causing cracks throughout.

Dec 12, 2000:  Posted in Centex in the News: Conservationists Target Largest US Home
Builder  By Danielle Knight  WASHINGTON, Mar 30 (IPS) - Environmental activists in more than 30 cities across the United States, are planning to protest next week against Centex Homes, the nation's largest home builder, unless the construction company details a plan to stop using wood
products from ancient forests worldwide. 

Dec 12, 2000:  Posted in Centex in the News: One of America's largest housing developers will pay a black couple $71,000 to settle a complaint accusing the firm of refusing  to sell the couple a San Francisco Bay area home, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo announced today. 

 Cuomo said that Centex Homes, a division of Centex Real Estate Corporation, agreed in an enforcement agreement with HUD to settle a  housing discrimination complaint filed with HUD in 1997 by Oakland, CA residents Sylvia Myles and Bruce Soublet. Centex admits no  wrongdoing in the settlement. 

Dec 10, 2000:  Posted in Centex in the News: Home buyers await court ruling on general vs. express warranties  By DAVID KOENIG Associated Press. "Centex says it is doing buyers a favor by requiring them to sign the express warranty. It argues that the state's so-called implied warranty, with terms such as "habitability" and "workmanship," is so vague that it leads to disputes between buyers and builders. "

Dec 8, 2000:  Posted in Centex in the News: Owners, Builder Clash Over Waived Implied Warranty "If Centex wins this case, then the buyer of a toaster oven, a VCR or a microwave will have more legal rights to seek repairs than the  uyer of a brand spanking new home," says Janet Ahmad of San Antonio, president of Homeowners for Better Builders. 

Dec 4, 2000:  Posted to Builders in the News (Centex) Texas court ponders implied  warranties for new homes By Bruce Hight American-Statesman Staff Thursday, November 30, 2000 "Substituting a contract with an "express warranty" of the builder's responsibilities and waiving any implied warranty benefits consumers as well as builders, a lawyer representing Centex Homes, Samara Kline of Dallas, told the state's high court in oral arguments Wednesday. " YEA. RIGHT. HOBB WILL POST DETAILS OF CENTEX'S WARRANTY PROGRAM, RESIDENTIAL WARRANTY PROGRAM.

Nov 23, 1999: "Court gives win to home buyers". The San Antonio Express News "When homeowners in Pembroke Forest found they were having foundation problems, they contacted the company out of Pennsylvania that warrantees their homes. According to their lawyer, Brian Woods, the insurance company covers foundation problems only when its engineer agrees coverage is warranted. In this case, he didn't."

Angry Fawn Ridge homeowners picket builder By KATHERINE SNOW SMITH St. Petersburg Times, published July 10, 1998. CITRUS PARK -- Hell hath no fury like a home buyer who's mad at his builder. A group of Fawn Ridge residents and supporters who feel they were knowingly misled by Dallas-based home builder Centex Homes are on a picket campaign targeting different Centex developments each week. 

Nov 2, 2000 San Antonio Express News agrees ith HOBB: Editorial: National Electric Code must be city's code, too. "The council should adopt the national standard. This is an area where its uniqueness makes San Antonio's leadership look dangerously complacent. " (See related story for background: AC placement fuels hot fight

Oct 26, 2000 Added to Builders in the News AC placement fuels hot fight  [San Antonio, TX] By David Anthony Richelieu Express-News Staff Writer. The City Council is expected to resolve a dispute today over whether the stacking of air conditioning units over electric hot water heaters should be allowed to continue in new homes and apartments. 

"....the city has a moral obligation to change a potentially dangerous practice, adding that it was only a matter of time before a water heater short circuit would trigger a larger fire and put people's lives at risk." Press Release HomeOwners for Better Building.

Oct 18, 2000Added to Builders in the News Group questions electrical code By David Anthony Richelieu Express-News Staff Writer.

July 26, 2000 Welcome to Outraged Homeowners Of Texas! Outraged Homeowners of Texas(OHOT)is a non-profit organization promoting change to Texas Law concerning the licensing and bonding of home contractors. OHOT has no fees or dues. The primary purpose of OHOT is to unite homeowners to lobby for a change in current Texas laws. Thank You OHOT for joining us in this battle! See their CH 13 report "Houston homeowners gang together for change"

June 20, 2000 Added to Builders in the News Head of construction board fired  By Steve Patterson  Times-Union staff writer 

June 20, 2000 Added to Builders in the News Legislature to consider licensing requirements for Ga. home builders  By Walter C. Jones  Staff Writer Online Athens. "The Home Builders Association of Georgia isn't thrilled with the  idea, but it's not opposing it either. Association officials see it as something their customers want, especially those moving from states that already license residential contractors."

May 17, 2000 Added to Builders in the News "The Dream House" by Brad Tyer of The Houston Press. You may say to yourself, this is not my beautiful house. And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? -- Talking Heads 

April 8, 2000 Added to Builders in the NewsState suit may broaden law on home contractors Friday, April 07, 2000 By SHERYL HARRIS PLAIN DEALER REPORTER "The Ohio Attorney Generalís Office yesterday filed a suit against a home improvement contractor that could change the way courts deal with contractors who have previously been sued by disgruntled customers."

Mar 19, 2000 Added to Builders in the News "Coping with Shotty Builders"  by RICH HOOD - The Kansas City Star "For years the scales have been tilted against Missourians or Kansans who were unhappy with the results of home remodeling or with shoddy work on homes they had built. A pattern of irresponsible and sleazy workmanship on new homes led to the creation of a nonprofit grass-roots organization, Homeowners Against Defective Dwellings five years ago. Even though it is underfunded, HADD has bravely dueled with homebuilders and related organizations over warranties that were sometimes virtually useless for homeowners. 

Mar 15, 2000 Added to Builders in the News a link to the Texas Residential Construction Liability Act.  A similiar act was passed in California. "This chapter applies to any action to recover damages resulting from a construction defect, except a claim for personal injury, survival, or wrongful death or for damage to goods.  To the extent of conflict between this chapter and any other law, including the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (Subchapter E, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code), this chapter prevails."

Mar 14, 2000 Added to Builders in the NewsNightmare Dream Home. In 1998, he and his family moved into a new house built by U.S. Home Corp.  in the Hunter's Green subdivision of Tampa.  According to Preslar, they had no hot water downstairs for almost three months. One bedroom had no air-conditioning ducts. The kitchen floor  molded. The foundation cracked. Wallpaper turned black. Soffits turned green. The carpet frayed. The banister fell down. Kitchen lights dropped from the ceiling. Including sidebars:

Hidden flaws By COLLINS CONNER © St. Petersburg Times, published March 12, 2000 In looking at new home construction, the St. Petersburg Times found plenty of evidence that work had deteriorated. Some defects are easy to see. But industry insiders described commonplace problems that are difficult to detect or that occur during phases of construction that are virtually unexamined. These flaws affect a home's strength, wind resistance, durability or efficiency. 

Riding on its reputation Suarez Housing sells the nuts and bolts of construction quality and, according to a Times poll of Tampa Bay area buyers, it delivers on its promises.

Industry regulation lacking. Jack and Ruth Dunn of Hernando County learn there is little recourse when a home is constructed improperly.

Home buyers say quality fell through the cracks. Buying a new home was exactly what a couple wanted to do. But when they moved into their $100,000 house, they didn't get exactly what they were looking for.

So many new homes, so few skilled workers. Ask builders about construction defects and they will point to the labor shortage as the cause. "It's the No. 1 problem across the nation," said Ron Coppenbarger of Jacksonville, who spearheads the worker recruitment effort of the Florida Home Builders Association.

U.S. Home: Survey by Times is not accurate. A U.S. Home Corp. customer-satisfaction survey proves that a scientific poll conducted by the St. Petersburg Times is inaccurate, according to Gene Lanton, president of the builder's Central Florida division.

Dec 13 1999 Lawsuits filed, homeowners wait Inspection process failed to help By CRIS BARRISH Staff reporter 12/12/99 On a frigid day in January 1998, Jesse and Luise Giambrone entered their new house in Lea Eara Farms in Summit to conduct a "walk-through,'' checking for defects before settlement. [Multiple Builders, Inspectors]

Dec 11 1999 Consumer Group Helps Citizen Control Legal Pest California Homeowner Battles Terminix Over Web Site WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A homeowner who lost thousands of dollars because of a home inspection she found shoddy has a First Amendment right to post her story -- and the complaints of other homeowners -- on the World Wide Web, Public Citizen said in court documents filed this week.

Dec 6 1999 Masonite Siding Fails on Many FB Homes Activist's Website Helps Homeowners Make Claims. Fort Bend Star.  Thousands of homes in the Houston area have Masonite hardboard siding that takes on water,  swells, molds and falls apart. Many a Fort Bend homeowner knows this but what they may not  know is "there's been a settlement on the table for two years now. If you know about it and if you  apply for it...," said John Cobarruvias.

Dec 5, 1999: MOLD: A Health Alert. USA Weekend. Included in this report:

• Stachybotrys atra
• How common are these molds
• Why new homes are moldier 
• How to protect your home from unhealthful molds 

Dec 5, 1999: Added to Builders in the News: Proposal for more work visas gaining ground with INS critic By Dave Harmon American-Statesman Staff. But the only idea that seems to be gaining momentum is an expanded guest worker program, which would let employers hire foreign workers through a temporary visa. "There's a lot of talk about that, and I think we need to look at something like that very seriously," said U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio. "I think we've got to figure out a way to deal with hat demand for labor." 

Dec 3, 1999: Added to Builders in the News: Homeowner Disgust: Mad as Hell and Not Going to Take it Any More Reality Times. "What does a group of angry homeowners do when they feel they have  received shoddily built homes for their lifetime investments? Do they picket the builders' sales offices? Take their impassioned pleas to the press? Sue the builder for repairs and damages? Sometime they do, and sometimes they do even more. "

Dec 1, 1999: Builder News with tidbits such as "Ryland Reports 3Q Gains; Moving HQ to Southern CA" (Conejo Valley in Southern California)

Nov 16, 1999: SPECIAL REPORT: It could happen here.  Although Hurricane Andrew exposed the vulnerability of gable roofs, many homes outside South Florida still don't meet wind-load standards. By COLLINS CONNER St. Petersburg Times, published June 27, 1999. (Homebuilders referenced: Ryland Homes, US Homes, Lennar, Holiday Builders, Hoyt Homes, Winward Homes, Pulte Homes, Richard Van Orden Homes, Cozy Homes Inc. , Mitch Underwood Homes.) Including sidbars or:

The Long Lonely Fight
Insurance companies will still pay
Repairs can cost thousands
What you can do about your own house
The Experts
How the Times study was done
Letter from Lennar Homes
Summary of engineer, builder responses.

Oct 07, 1999: Inspection building Inspections. Looking the other way  -- Web posted 7/26/98 In every kind of neighborhood, in fancy houses and tiny condos, homeowners are losing money because a city agency that was  supposed to protect them from poor construction failed to do its job by looking the other way. (A special by Jacksonville.com)

Oct 07, 1999: Looking the other way By John Dunbar and Steve Patterson Times-Union staff writers. Story last updated at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 1998 Charlotte Isaac is afraid her home is a ticking time bomb. When the $87,000 house was built two years ago, it failed every structural inspection required by law. Everything flunked - the concrete slab under the  house, the wood framing holding it together, the insulation wrapped around it.

Oct 07, 1999: City fails homeowners  Home inspectors missing 40%  Story last updated at 11:26 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 1998 By John Dunbar and Steve Patterson Times-Union staff writers. At least four out of 10 homes built recently in Jacksonville have not been fully inspected by city officials responsible for assuring proper construction, an analysis of records by the Times-Union shows.

Oct 07, 1999: Building inspector retires   Leaves same day review begins By John Dunbar and Steve Patterson Times-Union staff writers Story last updated at 11:16 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 1998 Claude Bagwell, Jacksonville's chief building and zoning inspector under four mayors, retired unexpectedly yesterday after 28 years of service to the city.

Oct 07, 1999: HomeOwners for Better Building was Featured in a 4 part series on KENS-TV San Antonio from Sept 20- Sept 23, 1999 concerning lack of building permits. Visit their archives.

• Part 1: ACCESS DENIED Sept 20
• Part 2:BUILDING PERMITS Sept 21
• Part 3: INSPECTION QUESTIONS Sept 22
• Part 4: PROTECTING YOURSELF Sept 23

Dec 6, 1998 Homebuyer Beware! The Charlotte Observer
A 6 part Series published Dec. 6-11, 1998 in the Charlotte Observer concerning all aspects of the building industry including results of surveys of homeowners, contact information, and much much more. A must read!

Aug 29, 1999 Read the fine print  The Herald Tribune. 
A detailed article concerning the abuse of binding arbitration by the homebuilding industry. Has links to the Homeowners for Better Building and comments from Janet Ahmad. 

July 27, 1999 Inspecting Building Inspections The Florida Times Union Special Section
"In every kind of neighborhood, in facny houses and tiny condos, homeowners are losing money because a city agency that was supposed to protect them from poor construciton failed to its job by looking the other way."

June 6, 1998 An Inspectors Obligation. The Hearld Tribune
"Sarasota Countys top building official told us that news coverage and editorials about flawed inspections have fosterd "hysteria and panic" amoun the buyers of new homes. Paul Radauskas, director of the countys construciotn and property Standads Department, linened media scrutiny of his department to a "witch hunt" He said previously that he'd defend my people to the death, expressing trust and confidecne in their performaance.

Aug 30. 1997 County Inspections: A blind eye Crusade wakes county up. the Herald Tribune
"Homeowner Earl Niemoth says his garage ceiling was ruined by water pouring from and air conditioner that was improperlay installed by a contractor who did not follow the county code."