Press Releases & Letters to Editor

• 09/01/2009 - PRESS RELEASE: Homeowners Group to “bury” Abolished Agency, Unveil Next steps for helping Frustrated Texans 
• 05/28/2009 - PRESS RELEASE: Homeowners group succeeds against all odds in its campaign to abolish the TRCC  
• 05/08/2009 - PRESS RELEASE: Homeowners Group Helps Reform State Agency  
• 12/26/2008 - LETTER: Can't fix flawed agency  
• 12/19/2008 - LETTER: Construction panel lacks power; misrepresents "Licensing"  
• 09/22/2008 - PRESS RELEASE: Homeowners Group Urges New Laws Targeting Unscrupulous Builders 

Articles about Texas Homeowners & Home Building

We come across many articles about homeowners and home building, and when appropriate we republish them here, subject to Fair Use restrictions that allow nonprofits to use copyrighted material. If you find other articles that you feel are appropriate, please tell us about them at .    Subscribe to HoT Articles rather than the entire site      

• 08/24/10: MARKET: Home sales fall to record lows
  
  Existing home sales drop 27% in July and New home sales drop 12.4% as Economic Recovery slows (*Videos need Broadband*)
• 08/18/10: Homeowners' Rebellion: Could 62 Million Homes Be Foreclosure-Proof?
  
  The financial juggling that helped cause the 2008 crisis may be coming back to haunt banks—and help homeowners.
• 08/18/10: MARKET: Is the Housing Bounce a Stimulus Reaction or Sustainable Growth
  
  Market research results vary depending on the sponsor's motivations. Although some economists say strong sales mean the worst is over, we advise caution, especially if buying a new home in Texas.
• 08/09/10: CLASS ACTIONS: Will the Supreme Court Issue a Wildly Activist Decision in AT&T Mobile v. Concepcion?
  
  AT&T wants the high court to rule that the Federal Arbitration Act trumps state laws against contractual bans against class actions.
• 08/05/10: ARBITRATION: mandatory, binding, unfair and everywhere
  
  This collection of articles summarizes recent pressures on binding arbitration and pending federal legislation.
• 08/05/10: RIVERMIST: San Antonio's The Hills of Rivermist wall collapse gets national attention
  
  Updated Often -- Thanks to horrendously shoddy construction and the lack of building permits or city inspections, homes compete in a “Race to the Bottom” as falling values affect the entire subdivision. This news repository has >75 photos, >75 videos, >35 print articles, and official info sources. City inspectors are under criminal investigation for taking bribes from homebuilders. And now, due to public pressure and media attention, the Centex has extended offers to buy back 27 houses.
• 08/03/10: BUILDING CODES: 23 people injured after deck collapses
  
  New deck collapses in south Austin during a party at condo
• 07/31/10: DRYWALL: HUD & CPSC issue guidance on repairing homes with problem drywall
  
  Government studies connect problem drywall with corrosion in homes and long term health and safety issues. Most of the toxic drywall is from China, but some has come from Mexico and National Gypsum in the U.S.
• 07/30/10: WORKERS: Construction jobs laced with low pay, injustice, hazards & death
  
  HOT applauds and endorses efforts to protect construction workers from abuse and believes it is systemic across the state due to the lack of accountability and regulatory oversight of homebuilding.
• 07/26/10: TRUTH?: What LIES behind the truth in the ongoing foreclosure and mortgage crisis?
  
  There's no compelling reason for big corporations, banks, credit bureaus, debt collection agencies, [or builders] to TELL THE TRUTH.
• 07/25/10: POLITICS: Gov. Rick Perry's land deals smell of Political Favors
  
  Texas Gov. Rick Perry's ethics are questioned in Horseshe Bay deal that netted him about $500,000 and appears to involve political favors and agency appointments.
• 07/16/10: POLITICS: What Financial Reform Means to You
  
  Consumer advocates and the media start criticizing the "Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act"
• 07/09/10: POLITICS: $200 Million GOP Campaign Avalanche Planned
  
  Corporate contributions to political campains are growing to historic proportions, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and the role of front groups that hide motives.
• 07/06/10: BUILDER: Homebuilder Lennar uses federal taxpayer funds to balance its books
  
  Lennar Homes turns to Congress, the tax code, bank regulators and high-risk debt for financial salvation.
• 07/05/10: SECURITY: 10 Things Home-Security Firms Won't Tell You
  
  You don't need to spend a lot of money to protect your home from burglars.
• 07/04/10: SPRINKLERS: Builders Oppose Fire Sprinkler Requirements
  
  Sprinklers are required in apartments, condos and commercial office buildings. They'll soon be required in homes, except possibly in Texas. This is a story about government preventing localities from adopting building codes that save lives.
• 07/04/10: HOA: Some states ban private transfer fees
  
  Builders who add a covenant to the deed find a new type of recurring revenue, one that can last for 99 years.
• 07/02/10: ECONOMY: Cloudy Outlook for Economic Recovery
  
  Two articles from Associated Press show concerns over Job Growth and Economic Recovery, warning we lack the Tools to prevent a Double-Dip recession
• 06/30/10: ECONOMY: Unjust Spoils and The Right Prescription for an Ailing Economy
  
  Two articles from "The Nation" blame the housing bubble and widening income gap for this economic crisis.
• 06/29/10: BUILDER: Centex built couple's home on former pond. Now it's plagued with water problems.
  
  After 3 years, the home also lacks an occupancy certificate after builder failed to get required paperwork.
• 06/29/10: HOA: Not So Neighborly Associations Foreclosing On Homes
  
  Wade Goodwyn's NPR report on HOA foreclosures struck a nerve and outraged his listeners. He said the story is ranked #3 of all time in number of listener/reader comments (over 175 in one day).
• 06/26/10: POLITICS: Congress Finalizes Financial Overhaul Bill
  
  This collection of articles describes the details & effects of this new legislation.
• 06/24/10: HOUSE HUNT: 17 Secrets Real-Estate Insiders Won’t Tell You
  
  Here's what professionals in the real-estate and residential services businesses preferred you didn’t know.
• 06/22/10: ENERGY: Energy Star and Home Star programs for energy-efficient homes
  
  As US government promotes a Green Capitals initiative to promote sustainability and HOME STAR retrofit program to create jobs & weatherize existing homes, Texas leads the nation in the number of ENERGY STAR certified homes. But watch out for GREEN-WASHING.
• 06/22/10: HOA: Soldier in Iraq Loses Home Over $800 HOA Debt
  
  Capt. Michael Clauer's homeowners' association foreclosed on his family's $300,000 house and sold it for $3,500.
• 06/17/10: MORTGAGE: Operation Stolen Dreams
  
  Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Announces Results of Broadest Mortgage Fraud Sweep in History
• 06/14/10: POLITICS: Fannie-Freddie Fix at $160 Billion With $1 Trillion Worst Case
  
  Fixing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be the biggest bailout in American history.
• 06/13/10: POLITICS: HUD looks at builder rebate programs tied to affiliated loans
  
  The Obama administration examines the legality of builder incentives promoting their own mortgage company.
• 06/11/10: MARKET: Is there a Global War between Financial Theocracy and Democracy?
  
  Congress is about to reconcile a financial reform bill that is virtually designed to institutionalize "too big to fail."
• 06/10/10: EMPLOYERS: It Pays to Help Workers Buy a Home
  
  A slew of new programs offer employees the chance to purchase a house with company assistance. It's more than a nice gesture—it's a cost-saver, too.
• 06/10/10: MARKET: Artificial Stimulus Causes Market Failures
  
  HOT responds to WSJ article, "Mortgage Reform Can't Ignore Sacred Cows," which discussed the large tax subsidies for housing.
• 06/09/10: RIVERMIST: Photo Slide Show
  
  60 photos tell the story of the Retaining Wall Collapse at The Hills of Rivermist, a Centex community in San Antonio
• 06/07/10: MARKET: A real estate recovery in 2013
  
  Supply overhand will prolong the slump, say economists
• 06/01/10: POLITICS: America's Housing Fraud
  
  American Homeowners Resource Center writes to President Obama, complaining that government is not responding to millions of homeowner complaints
• 06/01/10: POLITICS: More Than 170 Former Lawmakers Ply The Corridors Of Power As Lobbyists in a SHADOW CONGRESS
  
  View the interactive graphic to learn about former Texas lawmakers turned lobbyists.
• 05/28/10: TORT REFORM: Frivolous lawsuits still costing us too much
  
  This article, designed to inflame the unaware reader, is typical of what we see from Tort Reformers. It uses shallow and misleading arguments and examples to paint a picture of deadbeats who file frivolous lawsuits rather than accept personal responsibility for their own actions.
• 05/27/10: REGULATION: Relying on mess-makers to fix mess
  
  Of top-hats, top-kills, and bottom-feeders [HOT shows similarities with Texas homebuilding]
• 05/26/10: COUNTIES: Can Bexar County get Ventura Heights out Of Lien times?
  
  County Judge says, "The Legislature is a Patsy for Homebuilders!"
• 05/26/10: ECONOMY: Recession Recovery - Easy Money, Hard Truths
  
  Our generation - not our grandchildren - will have to deal with the consequences of Easy Money government policies.
• 05/24/10: POLITICS: Housing Stimulus and FHA Loan Guarantees put Taxpayers at Risk
  
  The FHA is in financial trouble and may need a bailout; Fannie Mae asks for another $15 billion in government aid; and builders get Congress to pass their poorly conceived homebuyer tax credit. Congress is finally debating financial reforms. (ARTICLE COLLECTION)
• 05/13/10: HOA: Home & Property Owner Associations have Too Much Power and often Abuse it
  
  The public is outraged that Texas gives HOAs more power than counties, including the ability to set fees and fines, force foreclosure, and charge transfer fees each time the homes sell - for 100 years! (ARTICLE COLLECTION)
• 05/12/10: BUILDERS: Homebuilders learn of law changes (see comments)
  
  Speaker claims end of TRCC leaves no protections; gives insight into legislative agenda of homebuilders
• 05/09/10: APPRAISALS: Home appraisals still fraught with uncertainty despite new code of conduct
  
  The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was supposed to result in better, more honest appraisals, but complaints continue
• 05/06/10: BUILDERS: Bailed out homebuilders collect fat paychecks
  
  No one rode the U.S. housing bubble higher than the company that calls itself "America's Builder, D.R.Horton Inc. But so did Pulte, Lennar, KB Homes, and the other biggies.
• 05/02/10: LICENSING: Unlicensed Builders Blamed For Shoddy Construction
  
  New Hampshire homeowners call on State to institute Licensing requirement for Building Contractors
• 05/02/10: MARKET: Should You Buy or Rent? Consider the Hidden costs.
  
  Renting may be smarter if home prices in your area will fall further. Consider maintenance and other hidden costs.
• 04/26/10: BOOK: The Mysterious Adventures of Marshal Yeager, Professional Engineer - Book 1
  
  The book begins with the deadly Texas A&M Bondfire collapse in 1999 and describes widespread government corruption under Governor Rick Perry as giant interstate homebuilding corporations deny homebuyers and professional engineers their First and Seventh Amendment rights, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the worldwide economy.
• 04/17/10: FOUNDATIONS: San Angelo case study shows the problem with expansive soil: cracked foundations
  
  Expansive clay soil cracked the foundation of Scott and Diane Montgomerie's home and left them with $664,000 in unrecoverable losses on a home that's un-inhabitable and un-insurable.
• 04/16/10: BUILDER: Homeowners File Complaints Against Pete Stucky
  
  According to ABC News affiliate in Waco, homes built by Williamson Country homebuilder Pete Stucky are falling off their foundations.
• 04/16/10: TORT REFORM: Subsidizing bad behavior: the injustice of tort reform
  
  The tort system was established to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm, and while tort reformers villianize "greedy trial lawyers" and blame them for large jury awards, this article shows that attorneys play an important role as a victim's advocate against powerful corporate special interests.
• 04/16/10: MORTGAGE: Treasury Refutes Anti-Reform Rhetoric. Outlines Housing Finance Proposals
  
  "Reform is coming" to prevent another catastrophe caused by "private risk-taking" unconstrained by either market discipline or government oversight.
• 04/15/10: BUILDER: HOT honors America's Best Builder
  
  Homeowners of Texas is happy to recognize Helen Dragas as America’s Best Builder and hopes a Texas builder can win next time.
• 04/15/10: MORTGAGE: Bank Chiefs Take Heat on Capitol Hill Over Foreclosure Crisis
  
  PBS Video: Foreclosures beget more foreclosures in a downward spiral that's like a "50-state Katrina." Here's two views of the problem and the fix.
• 04/11/10: MARKET: Starving the bears of Wall Street
  
  Wall Street giants knew that their risky activities would benefit their shareholders, while all the costs would be borne by society.
• 04/07/10: TAXES: Overtaxed homeowners start to fight back
  
  Up to 60% of the nation's taxable property may be now overassessed due to taxing authorities not keeping up with falling prices, so consider appealing your property tax appraisal.
• 04/06/10: POLITICS: Consumer Credit (credit cards & mortgage lending) gets a Makeover
  
  Consumer Credit, including credit cards & mortgage lending, gets a Makeover
• 04/06/10: MORTGAGE: 8 convicted in Dallas mortgage fraud case
  
  A federal jury convicted Eric R. Farrington Jr. and seven others Monday of operating a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme
• 03/31/10: MARKET: Time to Rebalance
  
  America’s economy is set to shift away from consumption and debt and towards exports and saving. It will be its biggest transformation in decades.
• 03/28/10: DRYWALL: Homeowners sue over Chinese (and any non-US) Drywall
  
  Sulfur gases given off by the non-US drywall has been blamed for foul smells, health problems, corroded copper pipes and wires, and depreciated home values. And if it can corrode metals, what might it do to your lungs? (COLLECTION of videos, presentations & articles)
• 03/26/10: MARKET: White House expands housing aid program
  
  HAMP to help unemployed and underwater homeowners (Plus ABC News report, "Bank whistle blower says banks f#@k over homeowners on purpose")
• 03/10/10: BUILDING CODES: Code violation letters rain down on South Austin neighborhood
  
  Dozens of homeowners are harassed as city issues building code violations and threatens long-time residents with criminal procecution and large fines.
• 03/09/10: LEGAL: Contractor sent to prison for elder fraud
  
  We salute Judge Angelini for taking a hard line on builder fraud and treating it as a crime.
• 03/08/10: WORKERS: Homebuilders fail to pay some $100 Billion in taxes on undocumented workers
  
  America's Watchdog investigation reveals homebuilders failed to pay taxes on undocumented workers; Local, State & Federal Governments may be owed over one hundred billion dollars
• 03/07/10: MARKET: Obama Program Will Pay Homeowners to Sell at a Loss, a Short Sale
  
  In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration is trying a new approach: encouraging banks to accept short sales and paying homeowners to leave.
• 03/06/10: RETAINING WALL: Shifting Soils causing Retaining Wall and Foundation Failures elsewhere in Texas and the U.S.
  
  This article collection expands on the one specific to Hills of Rivermist in San Antonio
• 03/03/10: POLITICS: Radnofsky Calls on Texas Attorney General to Return Perry Donations
  
  Barbara Ann Radnofsky, the Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General, commented on the incestuous relationship between Attorney General Greg Abbott and Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, calling for Abbott to return over $1 million in campaign contributions.
• 03/02/10: BOB PERRY: Verdict in Bob Perry case was a message about court system
  
  Homeowners Bob and Jane Cull win $58 million decision in 10 year old case against Bob Perry, the Godfather of Texas homebuilding and politics
• 03/01/10: CONTRACTORS: Good Semaritan Contractors Help Scammed Woman
  
  Jackie Salinas paid $30,000 for work never completed.
• 02/26/10: BUILDER: Roof falls in on Greg Mikesell, a once promising builder
  
  How even good builders can get themselves in trouble and turn bad
• 02/24/10: ENGINEERS: Has the Texas Board of Professional Engineers Gone Corrupt?
  
  Engineers are harassed for writing critical reports of builders.
• 02/10/10: BOB PERRY: Couple's fight with homebuilder Bob Perry back in court
  
  Bob & Jane Cull's house in Texas was built by Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, one of the most powerful and politically connected homebuilders in the country. It was defective and they won their case against Perry Homes, only to have Texas Supreme Court overturn the case.
• 02/03/10: MORTGAGES: Market Reports Vary as Another Foreclosure Occurs every 7 Seconds
  
  While the National Association of Realtors says housing is recovering, Deutsche Bank says that's artificial because of the $8,000 tax credit and predicts that 48% of mortgages will be upside down by 2011, up from 26% in March. Mortgage loan servicers accused of broad abuses.
• 01/21/10: LEGAL: Supreme Court cites 1st Amendment as it rejects limits on corporate spending on political campaigns
  
  HOT reacts strongly to this ruling, because our Constitution is under attack by monied special interests and there are implications for both Texas homeowners and National Security.
• 01/20/10: FHA: Federal mortgage insurer to tighten lending standards
  
  Based on an FHA press release, they will raise fees and tighten standards to avoid a taxpayer bailout.
• 01/19/10: MARKET: Big Builders break from smaller ones
  
  Homebuilding's biggest CEOs skip the International Builder's Show, sponsored by NAHB, and start their own trade association, the Leading Builders of America
• 01/18/10: ECONOMY: Banks aren't to blame for economic crisis, consumers are
  
  McKinsey Global Institute claims consumers are to blame for the economic crisis and the banks and government are blameless. That's absurd, and we add comments to show why.
• 01/17/10: MARKET: US housing bust slows job growth, puts brakes on worker mobility
  
  The depressed US housing market has kept many Americans from moving to accept job offers, because they can't sell their homes.
• 01/15/10: BUILDING CODES: States Adopt 2009 I-Codes Creating Greener, Safer Communities
  
  Safer and more energy-efficient building codes are being adopted across the nation [But NOT in Texas!]
• 01/04/10: BUILDERS: USDA offers Free Money but puts taxpayers at risk
  
  DR Horton article promotes an $8,000 homebuyer tax credit (free money) and a USDA Home Loan Program (zero-down) that’s aimed at low and very-low income families needing affordable housing. It is designed to sucker them into buying homes built on some of the most expansive soil in the country - Branyon clay.
• 11/29/09: REGULATION: State gives counties little power over permits
  
  Unlike cities, Texas counties have no authority to create or enforce building codes in unincorporated areas, nor to require inspections.
• 11/16/09: HOMEOWNERSHIP: Rethink the cult of homeownership
  
  Homebuyer tax credits, artificially low interest interest rates, and other policies that promote homeownership risk creating an echo-bubble that could extend and worsen the economic crisis.
• 11/13/09: APPRAISAL: Lawsuit charges national price-inflation scheme to defraud consumers
  
  Class action suit accuses Texas builder of conspiring to rig appraisals and housing prices. (This may apply to you if you financed your KB Home through Countrywide?)
• 11/04/09: VOTERS: Constitutional Amendments Approved
  
  HOT endorses propositions 2, 3, 5, 9 and 11 in the November 3rd election. They relate to Property Taxes and Property Rights.
• 11/04/09: SCAMS: Stop enabling scammers!
  
  How the Feds enable scam artists (and how frustrated victims react)
• 10/29/09: TRCC Began Sunset September 1, Homeowners Group Unveils Next Steps, Sunset Committee Gets New Chairman
  
  Consolidated news coverage (4 articles) about the TRCC Sunset, our mock TRCC funeral and future plans, and the appointment of Senator Glenn Hegar as Sunset Commission Chairman.
• 10/28/09: EMINENT DOMAIN: Shrink to Survive? Rust Belt City Downsizes
  
  Proposal to Bulldoze Vacant Homes in Flint, Mich., Faces Pushback as city plans to demolish 6,000 homes
• 10/25/09: IMPROPRIETY: Perry often turns to own staff for appointments
  
  Appointments of insiders to key posts raise questions about governor's influence.
• 10/22/09: HOMEOWNERSHIP: Is Washington doubling down on the wrong housing policy?
  
  What's wrong with renting? Some Americans just can't afford to own a home.
• 10/19/09: WALL STREET: Safety Nets for the Rich
  
  The same clowns who did so much to bring the economy down in the first place, are lobbying against regulations aimed at curbing unscrupulous and risky behavior and preventing another economic meltdown.
• 10/12/09: TAXES: Property Taxes and Appraisals
  
  The state is complicit in a statewide land grab that forces homeowners out of their homes through unaffordably high property taxes.
• 10/09/09: REGULATION: How Would A Consumer Financial Protection Agency Affect You?
  
  Consumers' Union support of Obama's Consumer Protection Agency includes the fight against mandatory binding arbitration.
• 10/07/09: PROPERTY RIGHTS: I-35 tollway twin dies
  
  TxDOT says the toll road twin to Interstate 35, once the centerpiece of Gov. Rick Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor plan, is officially dead. Celebrate but be skeptical.
• 10/06/09: REGULATION: PUC protects industry more than public
  
  The PUC is accused of protecting industry more than the public. It licenses utility operators but lacks enforcement authority and makes a mockery of licensing. We add comments to show similarities to the TRCC.
• 09/30/09: REGULATION: Financial crisis casts scrutiny on number of bank regulators
  
  While Congress ponders the meltdown and wonders if there are too many bank regulators, HOT wonders if they're ignoring the builder-owned mortgage and finance companies and the vertical integration that allowed them to resell risky loans to third party investors.
• 09/29/09: ENERGY: County poised to add 'green' mandates to building code
  
  Texas will "eventually" catch up to other states who are leading the way with stricter building codes and laws governing homebuilding.
• 09/23/09: UNINCORPORATED AREAS: Colonias not near the border struggle with basic needs
  
  Super-Conservative pro-growth policies have prevented Counties from regulating land use in unincorporated areas (colonias), and housing developers have benefited at homeowners expense.
• 09/03/09: CONTRACTS: By reading this, you agree that ... oh, never mind
  
  What Fine Print? An entire generation has been trained to mindlessly "agree" to terms of non-negotiable agreements.
• 08/19/09: NPR: Interpreting the American Dream of Home Ownership
  
  There's a dark side to the American Dream of homeownership, according to John Wasik, author "The Cul de Sac Syndrome."
• 08/14/09: EDUCATION helps with homebuilder success and home buyer satisfaction
  
  Beaumont, Texas is producing model education programs for construction trades, offering a Bachelor of Science degree at Lamar University and an Associate of Applied Science degree at Lamar Institute of Technology. Read both stories.
• 08/11/09: WSJ: 10 Things Builders Will Not Tell You
  
  Builder warnings that every home buyer should be aware of
• 08/03/09: MEDIA: Fox's "7 on Your Side" team let go
  
  Who’s watching out for the watchdogs? Investigative journalism is a casualty of media consolidation. Citizen journalism and consumer nonprofits like HOT will try to fill the void, but they lack the credibility and reach of broadcast television.
• 07/31/09: TRCC: Eulogy for the TRCC
  
  A real estate inspector blogs about the loss of the TRCC, and HOT responds
• 07/27/09: MARKET: Where this economic crisis came from
  
  Lax regulation of a "shadow banking industry" is cited. HOT contends that that includes vertically integrated home builders with their mortgage, title and insurance services.
• 07/24/09: FOUNDATIONS: Drought wreaks havoc on Central Texas foundations
  
  Foundation problems arise during extreme drought conditions when builders avoid the cost of engineering the foundation for soil conditions.
• 07/20/09: TRCC: Oversight of dentists lacks strength (just like oversight of builders)
  
  Here's what happens if an industry is allowed to regulate itself.
• 07/19/09: LEGAL: Do I need a real estate attorney to close on a home?
  
  How do you know if you need a real estate attorney? Is your real estate agent and title company enough?
• 07/15/09: FOUNDATIONS: Home Buyers Beware
  
  KYTX (CBS-19 TV) reports on problems with Hutto homes built on contaminated and expansive soil (with 3:14 min video)
• 07/12/09: TRCC: Texas Senate votes to disband homebuilding agency
  
  Consolidated coverage of this important news is collected here.
• 07/09/09: CONTRACTORS: Contract-work woes cost resident
  
  Beware of contractors who agree to do your remodeling project but don't obtain the building permits. Many take your money and run.
• 07/05/09: TAXES: Hutto seeks to hold first bond election
  
  Hutto, once the fastest growing small town in America, has suffered growing pains. It encouraged urban sprawl and the development of rich farm land without concern for soil conditions, including expansive soil and arsenic contamination from decades of cotton farming.
• 07/01/09: DEFECTS: Cracked Houses: What the Boom Built
  
  Wall Street Journal reports that hundreds of thousands of people from California to Georgia say their almost-new homes need costly repairs because of construction defects.
• 06/30/09: FOUNDATIONS: Dry Conditions may lead to Foundation Problems
  
  During recent drought conditions and a record heat wave, Central Texas homeowners should worry more about protecting their foundation than keeping their lawn green.
• 06/29/09: MARKET: Where will Housing be in 2012?
  
  Business Week reports that home prices are likely to fall for the next year, then stabilize, with a rebound in 2012 as the overall economy takes off again
• 06/23/09: MARKET: Home sales continue upward trend, says NAR
  
  HOT disagrees with this assessment by National Association of Realtors (NAR), and we think it’s dangerous to argue that current appraisals are too low. (More on this opinion follows the article.)
• 06/16/09: POLITICS: Does Governor have too much control over universities, industry?
  
  This collection of articles questions the politics behind the departure of Texas A&M's president.
• 06/09/09: LEGAL: Supreme Court backs judges' recusals in big donors' cases
  
  This decision could help homeowners with construction lawsuits if their trial judge received builder money
• 06/09/09: NPR: Arbitration debate highlighted by rape case
  
  Mandatory Binding Arbitration (MBA) also effects buyers of new homes since almost all sales contracts and warranty agreements require arbitration. By signing, you give up your Constitutional right to a jury trial if disputes occur.
• 06/01/09: REPAIRS: Five home repairs you shouldn't ignore
  
  Consumer Reports gives expert advice to stop trouble in its tracks
• 05/30/09: TRCC: Consumer groups claim undeserved credit for Timely Demise
  
  Legislature decides to let ‘builder protection agency’ die.
• 05/20/09: POLITICS: Capitol dining done on lobbyists' dime
  
  Lobbying builds trusted relationships that help influence public policy. The problem comes when elected officials are overly influenced by industries affected by their regulatory decisions or when bills defining regulatory policy are written by those industry lobbyists.
• 05/19/09: WSJ: 10 Things Contractors Won't Tell You
  
  Contractor warnings that every homeowner should be aware of
• 05/17/09: TRCC: TIme to let the sun set on Bob Perry's Builder Commission
  
  Two state reports and overwhelming public outcry calls for the abolishing the TRCC, but a builder-sponsored sunset bill would extend it 6 more years.
• 05/16/09: WARRANTIES: who is responsible for the warranty on your home?
  
  House Bill 2295, if passed, extends the TRCC for 6 more years, removes warranty obligations from builders, and makes life much worse for homeowners.
• 05/15/09: POLITICS: Government losses are big in Home market
  
  Most of the homes came into federal hands when borrowers defaulted on government-backed mortgages.
• 05/15/09: NEIGHBORHOODS: HuttoParke is in a spiraling decline
  
  HuttoParke homeowners can't sell. Due to undisclosed arsenic contamination, expansive soil and construction defects, and an increase in the number of rental units, vacancies and crime; their neighborhood is in serious decline.
• 05/14/09: BUSINESS: How the Mighty Fall
  
  This Business Week book excerpt pinpoints the insidious (and often invisible) problems that send great companies, industries and nations crashing to earth.
• 05/14/09: FOUNDATIONS: Why so many failures in Texas?
  
  Some builders blame it on Texas Soils, but guality builders don't seem to have a problem. We blame it on shoddy construction.
• 05/09/09: TRCC: Open records advocates busy playing defense
  
  Attacks on open records increasing; prompt call for statewide review. Homeowner and home builder information is similarly effected, preventing legislators and consumer advocates from monitoring the TRCC or surveying home buyers.
• 05/07/09: TRCC: House passed TRCC Sunset bill (News SUMMARY)
  
  Includes articles from the Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle.
• 04/20/09: LEGAL: Should Texas judges be appointed instead of elected?
  
  Watchdog groups are appalled that Texas judges accept campaign contributions from lawyers and businesses that appear in their courts. But political hurdles impede efforts to end judicial elections. Homebuilder Bob Perry contributed to all 9 Texas Supreme Court justices and got a favorable ruling from them.
• 04/16/09: CONTRACTORS: City sounds warning against unscrupulous contractors
  
  Storm Chasers: Not long after Hurricane Ike moved on, contractors began moving in. More than six months and stacks of complaints later, some unfortunate citizens found themselves the victims of scams and faulty work.
• 04/06/09: POLITICS: 2006 governor's race lawsuit back in court
  
  Houston homebuilder Bob Perry reacts to a report from Texas Computroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn that condemned his builder-protection agency, the TRCC. He managed to launder his $1 million campaign contribution to Rick Perry's race for Governor - all under the nose of the Texas Ethics Commission.
• 04/02/09: TRCC: State Rep: Empower or abolish TRCC
  
  State Rep. Dan Gattis (R-Georgetown) has filed bills designed to give the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) more power. If those bills fail, Gattis will push for the agencies abolition.
• 04/02/09: LEGAL: Court rules City of Kyle did not violate Fair Housing Act
  
  The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin complains that city zoning ordinances unfairly raise home prices and force minority buyers out of the market.
• 04/01/09: LEGAL: Barry Homes Completes Supreme Court Purchase
  
  Austin Bar Association pokes fun at the fact that Texas Supreme Court Justices are elected instead of being appointed.
• 03/31/09: TRCC: Homeowners denounce Bob Perry-created housing agency
  
  Homeowners convey horror stories and criticize the agency for frustrating those with defective houses.
• 03/29/09: NPR: Critics say Texas Agency Favors Builders Over Buyers
  
  The TRCC, a controversial and highly-criticized builder-protection agency is fighting for survival, but Bob Perry and other powerful builders plan to use their political connections to keep it. Out of 181 legislators,only six who don't take money from the Texas Association of Builders.
• 03/28/09: NPR: Did Houston Builder Bob Perry's Clout Trap Couple In Dream Home?
  
  Bob and Jane Cull bought the home of their dreams in Texas. It was built by Perry Homes, one of the most powerful and politically connected homebuilders in the country, and it was defective. They won their case in court and in binding arbitration, but the Texas Supreme Court overturned the decision in favor of Perry Homes. The case prompted the creation of the TRCC, a builder-protection agency unique to Texas, and generated national attention.
• 03/28/09: SUBCONTRACTORS: Troubles build up for housing contractors
  
  When subcontractors aren't paid, they're often forced to file liens on properties they worked on, thus leaving homeowners holding the tab. The lesson: Do no buy a newly constructed home.
• 03/27/09: POLITICS: Panel didn't vet Perry's fund transfer to A&M
  
  Texas Governor Rick Perry transfers funds without approval in what appears as a pay-to-play scheme similar to the political influence of texas homebuilders.
• 03/25/09: BOB PERRY: Homebuilder who backs TRCC donated thousands to lawmakers deciding agency's fate
  
  Texas Homebuilder Bob Perry has donated $388,000 to 10 of 11 members of the House Business and Industry Committee and $365,500 to members of the Senate committee due to take up the TRCC bill.
• 03/22/09: BOB PERRY: Political donor clout may extend TRCC life
  
  Texas Homebuilder Bob Perry has donated $324,500 to 10 of 11 members of the House Business and Industry Committee, which is considering the fate of the controversial TRCC.
• 03/09/09: BANKS: Job One: Build a Floor Under Housing
  
  Only when home prices have been stabilized can banking and credit markets recover. But we ask, “Does housing depend on credit or credit depend on housing; and what about jobs?”
• 03/08/09: MARKET: Homebuyers finding bargains as market thaws
  
  "Low rates, tax credit may boost spring sales," but this long article gets plenty of reader critiques.
• 03/06/09: MARKET: Housing crisis is getting worse
  
  New report shows that nearly 12 percent of U.S. homeowners are behind in mortgages or in foreclosure
• 03/01/09: TRCC: Is it really the time to grant a pay raise?
  
  Executive Director of ineffective TRCC wants 26% raise for failing to protect consumers and instead doing the builders bidding.
• 02/26/09: MARKET: Portrait of a Broke Town
  
  Substandard homes with construstion defects, and risky subprime loans with resulting foreclosures, have caused a drop in sales and property tax revenues in cities across the nation. The result includes cuts in public services and a dangerous downward spiral that is being felt in Texas communities just as in California.
• 02/23/09: BANKS: How Banks Are Worsening the Foreclosure Crisis
  
  BusinessWeek article on How the banking industry is undermining efforts to kehp people in their houses
• 02/18/09: TRCC: Williamson County homebuilder indicted by grand jury
  
  TRCC takes credit for shutting down Peter Stucky, a Williamson County homebuilder who agreed to a lifetime ban on building homes or working in the homebuilding industry.
• 02/09/09: MARKET: New Homes are Harder to Sell
  
  Five times more new homes are vacant than older homes. They're built on cheap land in distant exurbs requiring long commutes. It's even worse with shoddy construction from builders who cut corners.
• 02/04/09: BANKS: Modify those toxic mortgages
  
  U.S. Bankruptcy Court can facilitate new financial terms on cars, boats and vacation homes but not on a primary home, meaning judges can't help prevent home foreclosures. That's absurd.
• 01/24/09: POLITICS: Lobbyists run $12.8 million tab for lawmakers
  
  Lobbyists have spent at least $12.8 million in the last four years wining and dining Texas lawmakers and other state workers and "buying" influence.
• 01/18/09: POLITICS: Revolving door at Texas environmental agency?
  
  The revolving door between state agencies and lobby is legal but unseemly. Texas regulatory and legislative officials regularly leave for high-paying work as lobbyists, working for the same companies they once regulated.
• 01/07/09: POLITICS: State of Neglect
  
  How Texas Politics Caters to Business while Neglecting Texans
• 01/07/09: MARKET: Austin home starts and prices expected to fall in 2009
  
  An Austin economic housing forecast by Metrostudy concludes that Things will probably get tougher before they get better. Home starts will plunge by another 25% in 2009, down 63% from the peak in 2006.
• 01/03/09: POLITICS: Business bills fill state Legislature
  
  Protections for homeowners and insurance regulation top the list of bills filed with the Texas House and Senate.
• 01/02 09: TRCC: Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon
  
  Apparently a little flattery and a lot of cash goes a long way in Texas politics. Texas Builder magazine interviews the sponsor of their bill to protect the TRCC.
• 01/01/09: CONTRACTORS: Extra research critical before hiring builder
  
  Follow this advice, check builder ratings on Angie’s List, and get help from a real estate attorney BEFORE signing anything.
• 12/19/08: TRCC: Stacked Deck
  
  Texas lawmakers flush with building industry contributions vote to extend life of fatally flawed TRCC.
• 12/18/08: TRCC: Sunset Advisory Commission says to keep agency
  
  Rather than abolish the TRCC, the Texas agency is told to be better watchdog over homebuilders.
• 12/18/08: MARKET: Texas economy on right track, Perry says
  
  At least in the homebuilding industry, Perry's policies promote business at the expense of protecting the public. Under Perry, Texas has become the Mecca for unscrupulous builders who cut corners and then hide behind the State when serious construction defects cause homeowner disputes.
• 12/18/08: TRCC: 111 Notice[s] of Violation issued to storm chasers
  
  Hurricane Ike victums are encouraged to contact the TRCC to check registration status before contracting for repairs, and we recommend additional cautions.
• 12/17/08: TRCC: Sunset Commission vote keeps agency alive
  
  This article provides an excellent description of the TRCC controversy and the influence of industry lobbyists and campaign contributions.
• 12/17/08: TRCC: Texas Sunset Commission votes not to abolish homebuilding agency
  
  The Texas Sunset Commission voted not to abolish the TRCC (Texas Residential Construction Commission), choosing to instead reform it.
• 12/17/08: TRCC: TX Sunset panel urges sparing construction commission
  
  The Sunset Advisory Commission went against recommendations of its own staff and overwhelming public testimony to instead recommend keeping the TRCC (Texas Residential Construction Commission) for at least another 4 years.
• 12/15/08: TRCC: If at first you don't succeed, try sweetening the deal
  
  The TRCC was created in 2003 with the strong support of home builders, including mega-political donor Bob Perry of Houston, to offer builders more protection against lawsuits from unhappy customers.
• 11/10/08: POLITICS: Campaign Money: Big donors fuel Texas House races
  
  Most states have some form of campaign contribution limits, but not so in Texas. Despite calls for caps, the issue hasn't been put up to vote.
• 11/10/08: MARKET: A Town Drowns in Debt as Home Values Plunge
  
  Texas is ranked #3 in homes under water (i.e. where market value is less than the mortgage owed).
• 11/05/08: MARKET: Who's to blame for the housing bubble? The George Baileys of the world
  
  George Bailey, played by Jimmy Steward, was the most popular man in Bedford Falls because of his vision of helping downscale families get out of Mr. Potter's tenements and into homes of their own. But then a financial crisis occured, and a run on the bank, and he was on the brink of suicide until a gardian angel helped him see his value, and the customers supported him.
• 11/04/08: POLITICS: The Myth of George Bush's Tort Reform
  
  The Texas homebuilding industry is a huge contributor to the President and a good indication what to expect when tort reform is applied to corporations in America, limiting their liability and accountability.
• 10/29/08: BANKS: Texas Banks Draw On Lessons From The S&L Crisis
  
  The wreckless loan practices of 20 years ago brought us the S&L Crisis, and many Texas banks learned important lessons the hard way. But others apparently did not learn, given our current financial collapse. We question the role of Texas builder-owned mortgage companies, which also provide Title and Insurance services to homebuyers at closing.
• 10/21/08: MARKET: The roots of the disaster
  
  Government good intensions to promote homeownership, and a “perfect storm” of regulatory and external conditions, are often cited as primary causes of the global financial collapse. These include: • Relaxed lending practices, • Capital gains tax credits for homeownership, • Federal Reserve lowering of interest rates, and • Mortgage innovation to comply with the CRA.
• 10/19/08: MARKET: Henry Cisneros helped build flawed American dream (Statesman)
  
  Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary under Clinton, played a pivotal role in the housing implosion while making millions on the boards of KB Homes and Countrywide Financial and from his own development company.
• 10/13/08: POLITICS: Governor Handout Trashes the Bailout
  
  Does the hefty campaign contributions Texas Governor Rick Perry got from Finance and Homebuilding industries constitute a serious conflict of interest? We think so, but read this and decide for yourself.
• 10/13/08: LEGAL: Nevada Supreme Court ruling goes against large homebuilders
  
  Nevada homeowners don't have to be the original purchasers to be protected under the state's construction defect laws. We applaud this ruling and would like to see it repeated here in Texas.
• 10/10/08: DEFECTS: When homeownership joy turns into homeownership hardship
  
  KHOU TV: Lennar Homes in Spring, Texans are seeing shifting foundations and sagging roofs that makes them unsafe and hazardous.
• 10/08/08: TRCC: Overhaul coming for agency
  
  After a Sunset Advisory Commission staff report recommended the complete abolition of the Texas Residential Housing Commission (TRCC), the Sunset Commissioners asked their staff to revise its recommendations and instead suggest how the TRCC can be overhauled without being abolished.
• 10/01/08: ARSENIC: Shaky ground: Arsenic and old soil
  
  As if unstable foundations and questionable construction didn’t make owning a home in the Huttoparke neighborhood complicated enough, questions about the quality and safety of the rich, dark soil are also concerning residents of the beleaguered area of north Hutto. The pesticides that farmers used in cotton fields has left behing dangerously high levels of arsenic that can be absorbed through skin contact or inhaled as dust.
• 09/25/08: POLITICS: Sun Never Sets On Politicians Taking Homebuilder Money
  
  Did the Texas home building industry, which brings in some $35 Billion per year, buy its way into favorable regulation (or lack thereof) at the expense of consumers? That's the impression one gets from this damning report. The top builder contributor was Houston builder Perry Homes, and the top recipient was Texas Governor Rick Perry.
• 09/24/08: TRCC: Controversial commission need not be dismantled, lawmakers say
  
  Lawmakers on the Sunset Advisory Commission said they want the Texas Residential Construction Commission to be rebuilt, not abolished, as was recommended by the Sunset staff and consumer groups.
• 09/17/08: CONTRACTORS: Investigate companies before you hire them for repairs
  
  After disasters, homeowners desperate to get their lives back to normal are often preyed upon by problem repair companies. So be sure to check out any company you hire to do repairs.
• 08/31/08: TRCC: Homeowners losing fights with builders
  
  The TRCC agreed that the builder was responsible for Jonathan Steiner's plumbing fiasco, but the agency couldn't force the company to fix it. That disconnect is one reason the Sunset Advisory Commission staff this month recommended abolishing the agency.
• 08/24/08: BOB PERRY: A builder, a commission and a lot of cash
  
  Bob Perry (Perry Homes) was a prime mover behind the creation of the TRCC in 2003, viewing it as a way of protecting builders from being sued by unhappy customers by allegedly weeding out bad actors. The Sunset staff concluded that the TRCC is doing homeowners more harm than good.
• 08/23/08: DEFECTS: Shoddy design impairs agency for homeowner gripes
  
  According to the Sunset staff, the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) and the law it operates under are so badly designed, so ineffective that it is "easy for even problem builders to stay in business."
• 08/22/08: TRCC: It is time to abolish the ineffective agency
  
  The Texas Residential Construction Commission must be reauthorized by the Legislature next year as part of the state’s sunset review process. Otherwise the TRCC will be abolished. That is what should happen.
• 08/20/08: TRCC: Sunset Commission staff says TRCC Flawed, Harmful
  
  ATexas Sunset Advisory Commission staff report minces no words in recommending that the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) be abolished. “Current regulation of the residential construction industry is fundamentally flawed and does more harm than good.”
• 08/20/08: TRCC: Texas agency urges the end of construction commission
  
  The TRCC was created in 2003 with legislation backed by Houston homebuilder Bob Perry and touted as a way to weed out shoddy outfits by providing a way to resolve disputes without resorting to lawsuits. But the commission does more to hamstring homeowners than help them.
• 08/20/08: TRCC: Sunset report targets homebuilder agency
  
  The TRCC was flawed from the start and lacks the authority to force builders to correct shoddy work. Consumer groups have argued that the agency did more to protect builders than consumers and limited homeowners' legal recourse in disputes. Other states have more rigorous licensing systems.
• 08/19/08: TRCC: Abolish Texas home dispute agency, a State group urges
  
  An agency created to resolve disputes between homeowners and builders is "fundamentally flawed" and should be abolished, according to Sunset staff. But home builders, a powerful source of campaign donations to legislative candidates, are likely to fight to retain the agency. The TRCC registers builders, but does not require them to be licensed as 28 other states do, "and so does not work to prevent problems from occurring. Homeowners must complete a lengthy TRCC process prior to filing a lawsuit, and only 12% of cases where the state has sent in inspectors to review alleged defects have resulted in a "satisfactory offer or repair or compensation" over the life of the program.
• 08/19/08: TRCC: Report says Texas homebuilder agency should go
  
  The Texas Residential Construction Commission should be abolished because it is ineffective and frustrates homeowners trying to get builders to address defects in their homes. Created in 2003, the TRCC does not have the trust of the consumers to protect them from unqualified builders.
• 07/20/08: BOB PERRY: building homes and candidacies
  
  Nationally, Houston home builder Bob Perry is best known for contributing almost $4.5 million to the swift boat ad campaign that helped sink Democrat John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid. In Texas, he's a major contributor to numerous state officeholders, candidates and political committees, buying plenty of influence (including in the TRCC).
• 05/06/08: BOB PERRY: Donors should not tip scales of justice
  
  When thousands of dollars are flowing to judicial candidates, their fairness and impartiality are in doubt. Even if the system hasn’t bred actual corruption, it has fed the appearance of it, and that’s just as damaging to the reputation of our judiciary. Homebuilder Bob Perry has given millions of dollars to state and national political campaigns and candidates, including all nine members of the Texas Supreme Court.
• 05/02/08: BOB PERRY: Texas Supreme Court rules against Mansfield couple in battle with homebuilder
  
  “After years of forcing consumers into a lopsided binding arbitration process, the court today carved out a special decision for the man who gives the court more campaign cash than any other individual in the state," Critics say the Bob and Jane Cull case underscores the difficulty for homeowners to get relief in the Texas court. Houston builder Bob Perry gave millions of dollars to state and federal candidates, and members of his family contributed more than $260,000 to all nine members of the Supreme Court.
• 04/22/08: FOUNDATIONS: Huttoparke Problems Continue, Values Suffer
  
  Soil problems might affect all 787 homes in the HuttoParke neighborhood and several homes in Legends of Hutto. At issue is the black clay soil that expands and contracts with moisture and requires extra precautions by builders or homes will shift more than usual. If not designed to handle that movement, the stress can cause cracks, popped nails and separation between walls and ceiling trusses. Federal investigators say the soil is "very limited for building," with weaknesses that "generally cannot be overcome without major soil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures."
• 04/22/08: FOUNDATIONS: Hutto clay leaves some homes needing repairs (STATESMAN)
  
  Soil problems might affect all 787 homes in the HuttoParke neighborhood and several homes in Legends of Hutto. At issue is the black clay soil that expands and contracts with moisture and requires extra precautions by builders or homes will shift more than usual. If not designed to handle that movement, the stress can cause cracks, popped nails and separation between walls and ceiling trusses. Federal investigators say the soil is "very limited for building," with weaknesses that "generally cannot be overcome without major soil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures."
• 03/03/08: INSURANCE: Insurance tips for Texas homeowners
  
  Insurance is complicated and getting information that makes sense can be difficult. And in Texas, which has the highest average homeowner insurance premiums in the country, such information can affect your bottom line. So how can you get more information before you purchase a policy? And what can you do if you have a problem? A good starting place is the Texas Department of Insurance Web site.
• 02/17/08: POLITICS: Henry Cisneros on the Hot Seat
  
  Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary under Clinton, was also a homebuilder with board positions at KB Homes and Countryside Financial. This seems like a HUGE conflict of interest that screams for the checks & balances of regulatory oversight and strong enforcement authority.
• 12/19/07: BANKS: It's a Wonderful Mess
  
  Nowadays, it's impossible to watch the 1946 holiday movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and not feel a twinge of respect for Henry F. Potter, the villainous banker...
• 05/01/07: INSPECTIONS: Incompetent Building Inspectors Hurting Homeowners
  
  A recent "Good Morning America" investigation finds that government building inspectors are often overworked and sometimes lazy, incompetent or corrupt.
• 04/01/07: BOB PERRY: He needs a Hug
  
  Reclusive Houston homebuilder Bob Perry is the biggest campaign contributor in the country and often blamed for dragging American politics into the gutter. This article presents a balanced profile of this interesting character.
• 02/01/07: ARSENIC: Home Builders Mine for Green in Brownfields
  
  This detailed article helps builders understand the Brownfields Law and offers good advice on how to properly remediate contaminated soils and assess and manage risks.
• 01/29/06: TRCC: The house that Bob Perry built
  
  Trusting the homebuilding industry to fix the TRCC is like trusting a fox to fix hen house security. The TRCC was created due to an outpouring of complaints by angry homebuyers with construction defects, yet not one single consumer advocate was consulted.
• 07/27/06: DEFECTS: Sandra Bullock helps knocks down her $6.5 million dream home
  
  Mold, leaks and faulty walls helped turn a 10,000 sq. ft. $6.5 million dream home into a nightmarishly unsafe structure.
• 11/22/05: STUCCO: What to know about synthetic stucco
  
  Exterior insulated finish systems (EIFS) are susceptable to water intrusion that can make afflicted homes virtually unsalable
• 11/01/05: LEGAL: Hurt? Injured? Need a Lawyer? Too Bad!
  
  Before tort reform, powerful Texans said lawsuits were ruining the state’s economy and needed to be fairer. Today they are fairer - for business. Ordinary people are out of luck.
• 08/2005: TRCC: Home Buyer Beware
  
  How the TRCC, a new state agency of the builders, by the builders, and for the builders, makes it harder for you to sue, yes, your builder.
• 02/01/05: LEGAL: Home, bittersweet home
  
  Powerful builders have caused legislatures and courts to become more hostile toward homeowners seeking restitution for defective construction.
• 06/10/04: TRCC: Home sweet crooked house
  
  Homebuilders, at least in Texas, operate with little supervision, regulation or legislative oversight, and the one agency put in place to protect consumers (the TRCC) does more to protect the builders - from law suits.
• 01/15/04: DEFECTS: Housewrecked
  
  CONSUMER REPORTS: Serious hidden defects plague many newer homes. Here’s how to avoid trouble.
• ??/??/??: TRCC Shodilly built
  
  The advisory panel that reviews how well state agencies perform and whether they have outlived their usefulness has determined that the body set up to settle disputes between builders and homeowners is "fundamentally flawed" and should be abolished. Homeowners have complained of a dispute resolution deck stacked against them ever since the Legislature created the TRCC in 2003 at the behest of construction industry lobbyists.