Homeowners of Texas Sitemap

Alphabetical Sitemap

• Home Page
  Homeowners of Texas is a non-profit corporation advocating the regulatory reform of residential construction for sound, safe and quality homes.
  index.html

• 9/22/08 Press Release
  Homeowners group urged lawmakers to require homebuilders and remodelers to be licensed, carry liability insurance, and face criminal penalties if found guilty of fraud.
  9-22-08-Press-Release.html
• Letter to the Editor, American-Statesman, 12/26/2008
  Letter-to-the-Editor,-American-Statesman,-12-26-2008.html
• Letter to the Editor, Austin Statesman, 12/26/2008
  Abolish the TRCC as recommended.
  Letter-to-the-Editor,-Austin-Statesman,-12-26-2008.html
• Letter to the Editor, Austin Statesman, 12/19/2008
  Construction Panel Lacks Power; Misrepresents "Licensing"
  Letter-to-the-Editor,-Austin-Statesman,-12-19-2008.html

• google341670672ae788d0
  This empty page is verification for Google Webmaster Tools.
  google341670672ae788d0.html
• Mission
  Homeowners of Texas is a non-profit corporation advocating the regulatory reform of residential construction for sound, safe and quality homes.
  Mission.html
• Licensing
  Texas does not license homebuilders, swimming pool contractors, or framing, foundation, roofing and flashing contractors.
  Licensing.html
• Reports
  A Sunset Advisory Commission Staff Report recommends abolishing a State agency, the TRCC or Texas Residential Construction Commission.
  Reports.html

• Comptroller TRCC Report Summary
  Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reviews the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) in a 50 page report.
  Comptroller-TRCC-Report-Summary.html
• TRCC Sunset Staff Report Summary
  TRCC-Sunset-Staff-Report-Summary.html

• Comments
  Comments to the Sunset Advisory Commission support the staff recommendation to abolish the TRCC, which is doing more consumer harm than good.
  Comments.html

• HOT TRCC comments
  Homeowners of Texas endorses the Sunset Advisory Commission recommendation to abolish the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) and advocates new statutes and regulations to ensure that homes and remodeling projects are properly engineered and constructed by licensed homebuilders.
  HOT-TRCC-comments.html
• McComis Comments
  Michael A. Young, President and Owner of McComis Inspections, Inc., provided comments from a licensed home inspector point of view.
  McComis-Comments.html
• Public Comments received by the Sunset Commission
  Homeowners of Texas, Inc. provides this summary of Public Comments received by the Sunset Commission regarding its staff recommendation to abolish the TRCC and repeal the TRCCA.
  Public-Comments-received-by-the-Sunset-Commission.html
• Participating in Sunset
  If the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) is to be continued, a bill must be passed by the Legislature, and the public can participate in the same way as with any other legislation. Here's how.
  Participating-in-Sunset.html

• Blueprint for TRCC Reforms
  Homeowners of Texas sent these recommendations to the Sunset Advisory Commission for legislative and regulatory options to reform or replace the TRCC.
  Blueprint-for-TRCC-Reforms.html
• News & Articles
  These featured articles pertain to homeowners, home builders, construction methods and materials, best practices, and reported problems or defects.
  News-&-Articles.html

• 12/19/08: Stacked Deck
  Texas lawmakers flush with building industry contributions vote to extend life of fatally flawed TRCC.
  12-19-08-Stacked-Deck.html
• 12/18/08: Sunset Advisory Commission says to keep TRCC
  Rather than abolish the TRCC, the Texas agency is told to be better watchdog over homebuilders.
  12-18-08-Sunset-Advisory-Commission-says-to-keep-TRCC.html
• 12/18/08: 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-Texas-economy-on-right-track,-Perry-says.html
• 12/18/08: 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.
  12-18-08-111-Notice[s]-of-Violation-issued-to-storm-chasers.html
• 12/17/08: Sunset Commission vote keeps TRCC alive
  This article provides an excellent description of the TRCC controversy and the influence of industry lobbyists and campaign contributions.
  12-17-08-Sunset-Commission-vote-keeps-TRCC-alive.html
• 12/17/08: Texas Sunset Commission votes not to abolish homebuilding agency, says it must resolve complaints faster
  The Texas Sunset Commission voted not to abolish the TRCC (Texas Residential Construction Commission), choosing to instead reform it.
  12-17-08-Texas-Sunset-Commission-votes-not-to-abolish-homebuilding-agency,-says-it-must-resolve-complaints-faster.html
• 12/17/08: 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.
  12-17-08-TX-Sunset-panel-urges-sparing-construction-commission.html
• 12/15/08: 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.
  12-15-08-If-at-first-you-don't-succeed,-try-sweetening-the-deal.html
• 11/10/08: 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-Campaign-Money-Big-donors-fuel-Texas-House-races.html
• 11/05/08: 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.
  11-05-08-Who's-to-blame-for-the-housing-bubble-The-George-Baileys-of-the-world.html
• 11/04/08: 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.
  11-04-08-The-Myth-of-George-Bush's-Tort-Reform.html
• 10/29/08: 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.
  10-29-08-Texas-Banks-Draw-On-Lessons-From-The-S&L-Crisis.html
• 10/21/08: 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.
  10-21-08-The-roots-of-the-disaster.html
• 10/19/08: 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.
  10-19-08-Henry-Cisneros-helped-build-flawed-American-dream-(Statesman).html
• 10/13/08: 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-Governor-Handout-Trashes-the-Bailout.html
• 10/13/08: 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.
  10-13-08-Nevada-Supreme-Court-ruling-goes-against-large-homebuilders.html
• 10/10/08: When homeownership joy turns into homeownership hardship
  KHOU TV: Lennar Homes in Spring, Texas are seeing shifting foundations and sagging roofs that makes them unsafe and hazardous.
  10-10-08-When-homeownership-joy-turns-into-homeownership-hardship.html
• 10/08/08: Overhaul coming for TRCC
  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.
  10-08-08-Overhaul-coming-for-TRCC.html
• 10/02/08: How to Prevent New Home Defects (Wall Street Journal)
  As costs rise, some builders cut corners. The Consumer Federation of America says construction tops its list of the five fastest-growing complaint categories. And frustrated homeowners are getting creative to get public attention and change laws.
  10-02-08-How-to-Prevent-New-Home-Defects-(Wall-Street-Journal).html
• 10/01/08: 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.
  10-01-08-Shaky-ground-Arsenic-and-old-soil.html
• 09/25/08: 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.
  09-25-08-Sun-Never-Sets-On-Politicians-Taking-Homebuilder-Money.html
• 09/24/08: Controversial Texas construction 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.
  09-24-08-Controversial-Texas-construction-commission-need-not-be-dismantled,-lawmakers-say.html
• 09/15/08: Arsenic in HuttoParke & Hutto Square
  This exceptionally detailed blog posting has lots of supporting links and photos, and alleges that the home buyers weren't told of potentially hazardous materials in the soil before they bought their homes.
  09-15-08-Arsenic-in-HuttoParke-&-Hutto-Square.html
• 08/31/08: Homeowners losing fights with builders (San Antonio Express-News)
  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.
  08-31-08-Homeowners-losing-fights-with-builders-(San-Antonio-Express-News).html
• 08/24/08: A builder, a commission and a lot of cash (HOUSTON CHRONICAL)
  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.
  08-24-08-A-builder,-a-commission-and-a-lot-of-cash-(HOUSTON-CHRONICAL).html
• 08/23/08: Shoddy design impairs agency for homeowner gripes (STATESMAN)
  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."
  08-23-08-Shoddy-design-impairs-agency-for-homeowner-gripes-(STATESMAN).html
• 08/22/08: It is time to abolish the ineffective Texas Residential Construction Commission
  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.
  08-22-08-It-is-time-to-abolish-the-ineffective-Texas-Residential-Construction-Commission.html
• 08/20/08: Sunset Commission 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-Sunset-Commission-Says-TRCC-Flawed,-Harmful.html
• 08/20/08: Texas agency urges the end of construction commission (DALLAS MORNING NEWS)
  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-Texas-agency-urges-the-end-of-construction-commission-(DALLAS-MORNING-NEWS).html
• 08/20/08: Sunset report targets homebuilder agency (STATESMAN)
  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.
  08-20-08-Sunset-report-targets-homebuilder-agency-(STATESMAN).html
• 08/19/08: Abolish Texas home dispute agency, a State group urges (HOUSTON CHRONICAL)
  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-Abolish-Texas-home-dispute-agency,-a-State-group-urges-(HOUSTON-CHRONICAL).html
• 08/19/08: Report says Texas homebuilder agency should go (STATESMAN)
  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.
  08-19-08-Report-says-Texas-homebuilder-agency-should-go-(STATESMAN).html
• 07/20/08: Bob Perry: building homes and candidacies (HOUSTON CHRONICAL)
  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).
  07-20-08-Bob-Perry-building-homes-and-candidacies-(HOUSTON-CHRONICAL).html
• 05/06/08: Donors should not tip scales of justice (STATESMAN)
  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.
  05-06-08-Donors-should-not-tip-scales-of-justice-(STATESMAN).html
• 05/02/08: Texas Supreme Court rules against Mansfield couple in battle with homebuilder (DALLAS MORNING NEWS)
  “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.
  05-02-08-Texas-Supreme-Court-rules-against-Mansfield-couple-in-battle-with-homebuilder-(DALLAS-MORNING-NEWS).html
• 04/22/08: 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-Huttoparke-Problems-Continue,-Values-Suffer.html
• 04/22/08: 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."
  04-22-08-Hutto-clay-leaves-some-homes-needing-repairs-(STATESMAN).html
• 02/17/08: Henry Cisneros on the Hot Seat (Express-News)
  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.
  02-17-08-Henry-Cisneros-on-the-Hot-Seat-(Express-News).html
• 05/01/07: 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.
  05-01-07-Incompetent-Building-Inspectors-Hurting-Homeowners.html
• 02/01/07: 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.
  02-01-07-Home-Builders-Mine-for-Green-in-Brownfields.html
• 07/27/06: Take That! Sandra Bullock personally helps knocks down her $6.5 million dream home that turned into a nightmare (PEOPLE MAGAZINE)
  Sandra Bullock personally helped knock down her 10,000 sq. ft. $6.5 million dream home that turned into a nightmare. Mold, leaks and faulty walls all contributed, Bullock said, to making the structure unsafe.
  07-27-06-Take-That!-Sandra-Bullock-personally-helps-knocks-down-her-$6.5-million-dream-home-that-turned-into-a-nightmare-(PEOPLE-MAGAZINE).html
• 01/29/06: The Texas Residential Construction Commission (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.
  01-29-06-The-Texas-Residential-Construction-Commission-(TRCC)-the-house-that-Bob-Perry-built.html
• 06/10/04: 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.
  06-10-04-Home-sweet-crooked-house.html
• ??/??/??: 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.
  Shodilly-built.html

• Case Studies
  case studies of residential contruction litigation in Texas, compiled by Homeowners of Texas
  Case-Studies.html

• Bradshaw Home Donation
  Temp housing needed for DISABLED VET w/ Agent Orange respiratory problems. It’s critical that he and his wife and granddaughter move out of their 6-year old home IMMEDIATELY due to mold-related health problems caused by construction defects. Please contact TomArcher@HomeownersOfTexas.com.
  Bradshaw-Home-Donation.html

• Consumer Info
  Consumer Home Building & Remodeling Information. This section helps you follow Clark Howard's advice, "save more; spend less; and avoid rip-offs."
  Consumer-Info.html
• Advocacy
  Consumer Advocacy. If you've had trouble with a builder, want to avoid pitfalls in the building process, or just become aware of other groups providing consumer support, check out these links.
  Advocacy.html
• Builder Trades
  Information for and about homebuilders, remodellers, inspectors, engineers, and subcontractors.
  Builder-Trades.html
• Realtors
  Realtors. This page has information for and about realtors. Reputable realtors who endorse the work of HOT and provide support can have links to their websites here, along with paid advertising that we may eventually add to our home page.
  Realtors.html
• Legal
  This page has links to Legal and Legislative information pertaining to the Texas homebuilding industry.
  Legal.html
• Our Blog
  Homeowners of Texas, Inc. provides a separate site on Ning to build to incourage social networking, community involvement, and the sharing of experiences and advice. Ning is a Web 2.0 technology that allows homeowners, builders, inspectors and others to post blog entries, comment on other entries, join discussion groups, and even upload photos and videos -- all with minimal action on our side. This is truly YOUR site, a site for Texas homeowners.
  Our-Blog.html
• Support
  You can support Homeowners of Texas by sending us your story, making a cash donation, volunteering your time, or signing up as a sponsor.
  Support.html
• Contact
  Contact Information for Homeowners of Texas, Inc., a non-profit corporation advocating regulatory reform of residential construction with builder licensing and oversight for sound, safe and quality homes.
  Contact.html
• Keeping your information safe
  Privacy Information for Homeowners of Texas, Inc., a non-profit corporation advocating regulatory reform of residential construction with builder licensing and oversight for sound, safe and quality homes.
  Keeping-your-information-safe.html
• Fair Use
  Some material on this web site is provided without permission from the copyright owner, only for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of federal copyright laws.
  Fair-Use.html
• Site Map
  sitemap-page-order.html