Home Building &
Remodeling Information
This page helps you follow
Clark Howard's advice, "save more; spend less; and avoid rip-offs." Please send other
helpful links to .
General Consumer Information
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Angie’s
List
– Consumer reviews of homebuilders, contractors & service providers. Companies only get
listed when consumers submit recommendations or complaints, thus removing bias from this site. The
downside is it's a fee-based service.
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Better Business Bureau (512-445-2911)
– Find acredited businesses, file complaints, search resource list. BBB has a mixed
reputation because companies can pay to be listed, and BBB-facilitated mediation often favors business
over consumers.
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Texas
Residential Construction Commission – Consumers can no longer check with the TRCC
to see if contractors are "registered" with the state.
HOT convinced lawmakers to abolish the agency by showing how it served builders more than
buyers, gave buyers a false sense of security, and served to limit dispute resolution
options. See
TRCC Eulogy.
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Consumer Advocacy
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Hutto Arsenic – Documents problems with the Brownfields Act, which releases
builders from liability or duty to disclose when they develop contaminated land
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Complaint Sites
– We can't endorse homeowner complaint sites, but there are many!
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Hutto Parke – From neighbors upset with Lennar Homes and the TRCC (see Site
Map)
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Public Citizen
– Represents consumers in Congress, the executive branch and the courts
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Texas Watch – Working to restore access to courts and balance to insurance
marketplace
Buyers
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About.com
– Large collection of Home Buying Tips, Tricks and Techniques
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Angie’s
List
– Find reputable homebuilders, contractors and service providers
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Clark
Howard Show – Section on Homes & Real Estate
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CNN
Money
– Advice on Buying a Home
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FAIR - Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a watch group that follows media bias and
censorship
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Fannie Mae
– How to Buy a Fannie Mae-Owned Home
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Home Building
Pitfalls – Avoid rip offs, Save money, Save time, Avoid stress
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Home Buying For Dummies – book by Eric Tyson & Ray
Brown
- Homeowners Consumer Center offers consumer advice by Americas Watchdog, a
national consumer advocacy group.
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HUD.gov/buying
– U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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MSN
– Buying or Selling, Rent or Buy, Loans & Finance, Home & Garden
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MSN
– City Guides
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Rate Your
Builder – Consumer ratings of home builders and communities
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Real Estate
ABC – Real Estate & Mortgage Resources
- Texas Department of Housing & Community
Affairs – Assistance Programs
- Texas Department of
Insurance – Compare rates and submit
complaints
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Texas Real Estate
Commission – Licensing related to EXISTING homes
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Texas Residential
Construction Commission – Register Builders, NEW homes
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The Environmental
Protection Agency
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The Everything Homebuying Book, by Piper
Nichole – How to buy smart
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The Real
Estate Center at Texas A&M University – Real estate questions
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U.S. Department of
Energy
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U.S Department of
Justice
- Soil Issues – Expansive soils crack foundations; contaminated soil threatens
health
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Sellers & Realtors
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InMan News
– Real estate news, info, advice, research, opinion
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MSN – Buying or Selling, Rent or Buy, Loans & Finance, Home
& Garden
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Home Builders & Construction Trades
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Licensing – Regulatory oversight and licensing in
Texas.
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Soil Issues – Expansive soils crack
foundations; contaminated soil threatens health
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Home Improvement
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Home Depot
– World's largest home improvement specialty retailer
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Lowes
– World’s second-largest home improvement retailer
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True
Value – Independent member-owned hardware cooperatives
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BobVila.com
– Do-it-yourself info from This Old
House TV series
Legal & Legislative
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Lobby Watch
– See what politicians take homebuilders' money
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TexasLawyers.com Legal Directory
and Information Center Blog provides useful information on Texas Law and Texas lawyers
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Texas Residential
Construction Commission – The TRCC no longer registers Builders & NEW homes, and the
site will shut down in September 2010.
- The Construction Defects Legal Network – a
group of Trial Lawyers Protecting the Rights of Homeowners, Condominium Associations, and Other Building
Owners in FL, KS, LA, NC and SC.
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TRCC Eulogy – HOT convinced lawmakers to abolish the TRCC by
showing how it served builders more than buyers, gave buyers a false sense of security, and served
to limit dispute resolution options. Here's our celebration page and a repository of materials we
used to oppose lobbyists for the $35 Billion Texas Homebuilding industry.
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U.S. Department of
Energy
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U.S Department of
Justice
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