FBI, HUD investigating Fairhaven homebuilder
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Hoursing and Urban Development  are investigating whether a builder lied on HUD forms for the Fairhaven neighborhood. The agencies are looking into complaints that Pulte Homes improperly filled out builder's certification forms. There's a separate form for every house, and they're required so homebuyers can receive government-backed mortgage loans. One section of the form asks about foreseeable hazards or adverse conditions. Among the questions it asks: Does the site have inadequate surface drainage, unstable soils, excessive slopes or earth fill, and will the foundation sit on fill? What Pulte does not want the public to see

Obviously it’s not just the soil. It’s that something has seriously gone wrong here,” said Janet Ahmad with Homeowners for Better Building, a non-profit group that is seeking tougher state and local laws for home-builders.  Ahmad said the foundation problems mask a deeper problem: that Pulte built the Fairhaven subdivision on land unsuitable for homes. She is critical of Schertz city leaders for not addressing the dozens of homeowners who crowd city council meetings to complain. What Pulte does not want the public to see

Fairhaven residents ask County Commissioners for help with damaged homes
A group of homeowners from the Cibolo area is asking the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court for help. Donna Fitzgerald, a resident of the Fairhaven subdivision on the west end of the county, told county commissioners Tuesday morning that she and her neighbors are asking for help because they are frustrated with the Schertz City Council and Pulte Homes for failing to solve, or helping to solve, the issue with the foundations cracking on so many homes in their neighborhood. She says they've been dealing with damaged homes for months.

Fairhaven Homeowners Expose Severity of Foundation Failures
It is not uncommon that homes 2 years old and less in the Fairhaven subdivision are experiencing failure on 4 to 5 or even 6 foundations in a row, on just one side of the street. Then across the street the same thing is happening.

Home builder files for bankruptcy, homeowners left with few options
The dream of buying a Medallion Home is what pushed John Chadwick through college and several odd jobs. After six years of saving, that dream finally became a reality. "We knew there were issues around here,” Chadwick noted. “But, in my mind, I thought it's a Medallion Home, we're not going to have problems." John’s home was built in a new neighborhood off I-35 and FM 1103 in Cibolo. The soil it was built on is known as “black gumbo”. It's a clay make-up that expands and shrinks like a sponge when water is added. After just the first eight months inside the home John noticed doors wouldn't close and cracks started to show up in the walls.

Pulte Home Foundation Failure Epidemic
According to Money Magazine, Shertz is listed as one of the Top 100 Cities to live but things are not as advertised or cracked up to be. Homeowners in the Fairhaven are wondering why foundations in their community are failing so quickly and at such an alarming rate. It is not uncommon for houses 8 months old experiencing failure on 4 to 5 or even 6 foundations in in a row on one side of the street are failing.  Then across the street the same thing is happening.  The next street and the next street homeowners are comparing notes about the crack throughout their homes.  "We are tired of Pulte giving us one excuse after another and doing nothing," said one homeowner.  Others say Pulte has made repairs for the same thing as many as 5 times for the same problems only to return again.  My tile has been replaced 3 times and the foundation is splitting in half. Pulte Clear Cut, Pulte Foundations split in two;Pulte Walls That Fall, Pulte's Tall Walls with No Foundations at all

See alarming photos  

Countrywide Used Loan Discounts To Buy Congress, Fannie Mae Execs, Other Government Officials: Report
Some of the discounts were ordered personally by former Countrywide chief executive Angelo Mozilo. Those recipients were known as "Friends of Angelo." The Justice Department has not prosecuted any Countrywide official, but the House committee's report said documents and testimony show that Mozilo and company lobbyists "may have skirted the federal bribery statute by keeping conversations about discounts and other forms of preferential treatment internal. Rather than making quid pro quo arrangements with lawmakers and staff, Countrywide used the VIP loan program to cast a wide net of influence."...The report said Fannie assigned as many as 70 lobbyists to the Financial Services Committee while it considered legislation to reform the company from 2000 to 2005. Four reform bills were introduced in the House during the period, and none made it out of the committee.

How Countrywide Used its VIP Loan Program - To Influence Washington Policymakers
To Influence Washington PolicymakersAs the Clinton administration’s top housing official, “Cisneros loosened mortgage restrictions so first-time buyers could qualify for loans they could never get before.” Cisneros first met Mozilo when the two negotiated a pledge to use “proactive creative efforts” to extend homeownership to minorities and low-income Americans.207 Cisneros joined Countrywide’s board in 2001.