Texas Legislative Session should be good news for builder accountability and new homebuyers

Cyrus Dugger

Texas Legislative Session should be good news for builder accountability and new homebuyers

From Homeowners for Better Building…

Texas Legislative Session should be good news for builder accountability and new homebuyers
A message from Janet Ahmad:
This years Texas Legislative session just may become ‘ground zero’ of heated debate that highlights the magnitude of increased shoddy homebuilding since the creation of the scandalous Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC). The brainchild of homebuilder influence, and spearheaded by builders Bob Perry and David Weekley, TRCC was created to regulate homebuyers.

The Texas legislature begins in a couple of weeks and the issues of bad building, massive builder mortgage fraud, epidemic foreclosures, abusive binding arbitration clauses and the failed state ‘builder-protection-agency,’ TRCC will be priority issues this session. More than any other time, there is unity among consumer groups and media attention like never before.

The fact is that all credit for such a mess falls squarely on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) inspired by an overconfident and unregulated Texas Homebuilding Industry that has put Texas in unflattering headlines. After great success to limit liability for Texas Homebuilder’s and to incredibly regulate homebuyers, NAHB successfully worked for passage of similar abusive “Right-to-Repair” legislation in 29 other states; the first step toward regulating homebuyers in all other states. To be sure Texas Homebuilder Bob Perry and his campaign contributions influence is lurking somewhere in states politics throughout the country. His motives and questionable behavior has been the topic of national political headlines by the news media. See related articles: Homebuilder Bob Perry and his money in the news

Texas was once the playground for outrageous legislation however, this time the session appears headed for a showdown from angry families stuck with defective homes and their determination should not be underestimated.

Whether living in Texas or any other state your participation is important and will provide invaluable experience to tackle the same issues that are destroying homeownership in all states.
Janet Ahmad

Comments

Until one ends up in ownership of a "brand new" defective home you will never know what it does to your life. There is really no place a consumer can check on a builder. The one place I trusted was the Better Business Bureau and it was the biggest mistake of my life. They rated my builder well and continue to do so today, closing out numerous complaints on my particular builder. If you do not accept the offer your builder extends to you or you do not go to binding arbitration the head of the bureau will close out your complaint and make it look like you were unreasonable and the builder is ethical.
Be forewarned about some builders that have good records w/BBB, in my opinion.
(On the other hand my builder rates bottom of the barrel with J.D. Power survey, who by the way is a member of the BBB).
Let me also say I did all the right things like my own inspection, reseraching the builder etc and still ended up in the nightmare.
And yes, it can happen to you.