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Dark side of the housing boom: Shoddy work
Cnn ^ | 2-14-07 | Sarah Max

Posted on 02/14/2007 9:00:35 AM PST by Hydroshock

(Money Magazine) -- Less than a year after moving into her new 2,100-square-foot house in Lenexa, Kans., Susan Sabin has strung up lemon lights in her front window.

The lemons, she says, go perfectly with the home's most prominent features: jammed doors, warped windows, bent pipes and cracked walls. "The house is essentially splitting in two," says Sabin.

Where to go for help If you're buying or fear a problem: These consumer groups post advice for buyers, news about home builders and the latest on construction materials: HomeOwners for Better Building (hobb.org) and Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings (hadd.com). If you need a pro: You can find a home inspector in your area at the American Society of Home Inspectors Web site at ashi.org. If you suspect fraud: Complain to regulators. Find out how to reach your state attorney general's office at naag.org; reach the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.

At the peak of the recent housing boom, home buyers scooped up a million newly built homes every year while homeowners poured more than $200 billion into renovations. But now stories of shifting soil, leaky roofs, damaged stucco and other construction defects abound.

Though many builders have worked to improve the quality of their houses over the past decade, says Alan Mooney, president of Criterium Engineers, a national engineering firm, the building frenzy also opened the door for unskilled labor, unscrupulous contractors and untested products.

"When everyone is out there building as fast as they can, that does result in more defects," he says.

Contractor problems rank among the most common consumer complaints, according to the Better Business Bureau, and a recent Criterium Engineers study found that 17 percent of new residential construction projects inspected by the firm in 2006 had at least two significant problems.

(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; dirtylittlesecrets; housing
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To: wizecrakker; Hydroshock

Home inspections aren't always effective.

Back in 2002, we had our 1976-built home inspected as part of the buying process (duh). The inspector found a few little things, most of which we considered cosmetic and have already fixed.

Now the foundation is so shifted, you can stand in the living room and feel one foot an inch higher than the other one. We are completely piered out, and our foundation company says nothing more can be done. (Me, I think something that can be done is calling another foundation company.)

It turns out the entire subdivision was built on fill dirt, and it's all subsiding. If we're really unlucky, our house will come loose from the foundation and slide into the empty lot across the street.

That's Houston soil for ya!


41 posted on 02/14/2007 10:02:07 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: andonte

Bingo!


42 posted on 02/14/2007 10:03:04 AM PST by It's me
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To: gas0linealley
That is exactly what I meant. You withstood the pressure and others don't. Also every builder uses and relies on subcontractors from the foundation to the roof. For each specialty there will usually be numerous crews doing the work to varying degrees of competency. For example you can have a great contractor with a 10 framing crews one of which is terrible causing serious problems in the houses they work in while the rest are very good. Without good supervision the problems are not caught. I've sub'd finish work and have seen this in action many times.
43 posted on 02/14/2007 10:04:13 AM PST by zek157
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To: Hydroshock; pabianice; andonte
I vote with all the others here saying that poor construction is endemic today. Illegal workers are only part of the problem but they represent significant savings to contractors bent on making quick bucks. Everybody is scrimping on material today. Most tract builders just want to get the job done, take the cash and run. Custom builders have a slightly higher standard; most have an upscale clientele and are dependent on good references. These new tract McMansions are built with cheap fiberboard (not even plywood) imported from Canada. Some of these materials are untreated with preservatives and subject to fungus damage.

In Oregon, there has been a lot of publicity about newly built homes rotting away from the inside. This is a major scandal. I frankly anticipate more people all over the U.S. will discover they have been taken to the cleaners. Then it becomes a highly complex matter for the courts. Expert witness swearing contests are very common and give the edge to law firms specializing in defense of builders.

God forbid that anyone would plink down good money for substandard work and materials on an over priced $ 750,000 'dream house' made of junk materials.

44 posted on 02/14/2007 10:11:23 AM PST by ex-Texan (Matthew 7: 1 - 6)
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To: jpl

Richmond American was building half-million dollar homes in the Virginia area and they were in pretty bad shape. In fact, that builder has a spotty reputation in some areas. Maybe it is the subcontractors but still, when you pay that kind of money for a home, you expect it to be of high quality.


45 posted on 02/14/2007 10:11:51 AM PST by rabidralph (Hoo-ray, Beer!)
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To: Hydroshock

Nothing funnier or more distressing to me is to drive by a former farm covered in instant ghetto and the sliding windows/doors are coming off the rails and the siding is buckling and the roof is sagging.


46 posted on 02/14/2007 10:20:11 AM PST by junta (It's Jihad stupid! It's the borders stupid! It's Political Correctness stupid!)
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To: andonte
BINGO! and the cheapo contractors that hire them.
47 posted on 02/14/2007 10:22:58 AM PST by headstamp (Nothing lasts forever, Unless it does.)
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To: Hydroshock

the biggest thing is to find a builder with integrity that will back his work. my dad had an awesome builder that backs anything he or his contractors did.
he's had a number of problems in 2 homes his builder has done, but his builder has come back and made right every problem that has come up.


48 posted on 02/14/2007 10:24:03 AM PST by absolootezer0 (stop repeat offenders - don't re-elect them!)
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To: Xenalyte

Call Hitech Foundation. They did a good job on my house. Also check out Atlas, and Oshan (SP?) Both have a good rep.


49 posted on 02/14/2007 10:49:30 AM PST by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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To: Xenalyte

Also I have heard Du West Foundation is good.


50 posted on 02/14/2007 10:59:31 AM PST by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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To: Hydroshock

We will be closing on our dream house on Friday. Last week we had 2 walk throughs, one with an inspector, who after spending 3 1/2 hours in every nook and cranny of the house, found a few cosmetic things, but nothing major. When we walked the house with the contractor the next day, he was really glad we had done it and will fix everything before we move in next week. They posted the numbers of every contractor right inside a cabinet so that we can contact any of them for any reason if we have any problems. They are on call for any problems, and will come through at 4 months and 11 months to fix anything we find.

We have walked the house every week as it has gone from hole in the ground to home, and any things we noticed, (which were very few) they welcomed and fixed. It has been a wonderful experience all the way around and we are so excited to be moving into our beautiful new home next week.

After hearing all these horror stories, I am a bit wary, but Toll Brothers has really been wonderful so far, and the home they built us is amazing and as we watched all the building, we know it is well built as well.

I will let you know how it goes.


51 posted on 02/14/2007 11:08:57 AM PST by 4BoysMom (Doing much better than I deserve by the grace of God)
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To: Hydroshock

bump


52 posted on 02/14/2007 11:09:10 AM PST by VOA
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To: andonte

"100 to 1 says it was built by "hardworking" illegal Hispanic immigrants."

I am a commercial real estate developer......try 10,000 to 1!


53 posted on 02/14/2007 11:14:52 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Reagan would vote for Hunter)
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To: Hydroshock

You are absolutely right on. (Make it 15 years with warranty)


54 posted on 02/14/2007 11:23:17 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Reagan would vote for Hunter)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

My father was a homebuilder and contractor. He taught his sons the trade. I know what to look for, but I also know who is a good inspector. We both will look.


55 posted on 02/14/2007 11:26:45 AM PST by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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To: jiggyboy
I generaled my own house construction project two years ago. The county inspector spent a total of 5 minutes on the footing, rough in, and final inspection combined. He never went into my basement to check anything (even the electric service), and he gave me a green ticket for my footing inspection before it was even excavated! I don't think he even entered the house when he handed me an ocupancy permit! I didn't have to bribe him.
If I were to build a new house using a contractor as a general, I would mke sure I visited the site every day and scrutinize their work. Some of small time guys have no problem simply declaring bankrucy if you try to sue them afterwards. Then youre just out of luck.
56 posted on 02/14/2007 11:28:28 AM PST by jaydubya2
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To: Hydroshock

I live in a 55-year-old house. Part of the housing boom when WWII veterans were starting their families, and little Levittowns sprung up around every city. Architecturally, it's unremarkable -- your basic boring thousand-square-foot brick ranch. One of thousands built en masse on the same floor plan. When I went to neighbors' houses as a kid, the layout of their homes was reassuringly familiar.

But the interior walls are plaster over metal lathe, no drywall to be found. The floors are real hardwood, and the sub-florors are real hardwood. The only particle board is in some of the newer furniture. On a cinder-block foundation grounded to bedrock. The exterior is brick -- real brick, not that silly facing brick, siding or fake stucco. This house is humble, and the wiring and plumbing need upgrades for modern use, but she's solid, and will stand longer than I will.

I wouldn't consider a new house unless I specced it out myself and supervised the construction. Houses used to be built to last a hundred years -- now, they're built to last twenty, if you're lucky. One day, when I have a family and a two-bed, one-bath won't do any more, I plan to move to a bigger house -- and an older one.


57 posted on 02/14/2007 11:31:20 AM PST by ReignOfError (`)
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To: Hydroshock

That is good to know. You are in a much better position to scruitinize a home than most people.


58 posted on 02/14/2007 11:32:59 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Reagan would vote for Hunter)
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To: jaydubya2

Yow. I'm thinking of GC-ing my own house later this year and I suddenly find myself thinking that I might have to bribe the inspector -- to do his damn job!


59 posted on 02/14/2007 1:03:21 PM PST by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: Hydroshock

I have a neighbor who is in a house less than a year old.
The house is white stucco. I walked by yesterday and there are HUGE, BLACK cracks all over the entire stucco area.
You can see the cracks from 300 feet away.


60 posted on 02/14/2007 1:06:30 PM PST by Muzzle_em (A proud warrior of the Pajamahadeen)
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