hydepark

the more i look at this building the less i like what i see. i feel underwhelmed, if thats a word. its just so neutral and conservative, for me thats just not montrose blvd. it could of been so much more. beige blight?

i noticed a big for sale or rent by owner banner up on a balcony today, that also adds to the bad vibe im starting to get from this new construction.

dream

I saw the sign hanging over the balconey too.... Sort of like the lemons painted on a condo window not far from there. Look at it now. I hope this banner is no indication of things to come. I woud love to talk to the owner so I could know the real story.

danax...

I think I know which ones you are talking about. I used to live in some beige stucco townhomes on Nolda between TC Jester and Durham.... if these are the same I'm thinking of, the builder isn't really a builder.. it was a lady who appeared to have bought the lot and her dad was helping her out on subcontracting it all... the project has gone on forever and still aren't done... I've noticed several improper things there in the past year...

:ph34r:

The TRCC is no help. We can no longer get help form Deceptive Trade Practices Act either.

Even though the TRCC laws are retroactive back to 1993 and my contract was fraud, it doesn't matter because if the arbitration clause is in the contract...which it is in all new homes in Texas. The arbitration contract can not be voided. You can not sue. You no longer have any seventh amendment rights.

I have been trying to sue for fraud for 2 years. You have no recourse agasinst a builder, no matter what he does to you. even if you house is so bad you can't live in it. No one in this state will help you and attorneys can't help, except cost you more money. The laws of Texas are against you. Sadly more and more people are finding this out the hard way.

No one believes you in the beginng until they have a major problem and then the vortex of buck passing is endless, until you exhaust yourself and funds. Texas is not the home of the American Dream.

The builder won't sue me for slander because I am telling the truth and he is afraid to go to court because all that he has done would be made public knowledge.

Yes, unfortunately, I believe the equally inept David "I know nooooothing about hiring the Abramoff associated lobbyist for Texas, it was all Perry" Dewhurst is unopposed this go round.

After I watched Slick Perry kick off his campaign at the Greater Houston Homebuilder Ass,

and smiley Ken DeLay walk in to show his support, I realized....I would rather stand in the street and scream for Carol or Kinky. They sure couldn't do a worse job. Homebuilders willl take care of Perry and his campagin and he knows it. Unfortunantley, all you need in this state is the builders' backing and you win. That is to all our detriment. See the websight Clean up Texas Politics and you can see just who the builders want elected.

One thing about Strayhorn if you go to Austin and ask for help, she is one of the FEW there that will make time for you and really listen and try........

Then lets look at Orlando Sanchez. FOR TREASURER??? He shared office with Jorge Casimiro... go to houston snitch .com. Anyone that votes for him has a short memory. Yea, howdy will he take care of things. Does the guy have a real job? Did he ever? Thank the Lord people in this city saw to it, he was never elected mayor.

Sanchez is looking for a job. A job as our TREASURER! What doees he do for a living? Where does he work? Who does he share office space with now? Who did he before? He has run for governor in 2001 and 2003.

Read Houstonsnitch.com...

Cato is running and says he is there to make sure nobody steals.

He has the right attitude for the job.

50% of all foreclosures result from staggering medical bills related to illness. Others result from an extended period of joblessness. I have found that in some of the well known suburbs, poor finances related to buying too much house, trading in vehicles that are worth less than is owed, and misuse of credit cards has accounted for a substantial number of bankruptcies. After TS Allison, I handled some bankruptcies related to flooding, where the homeowner did not have flood insurance. I have NEVER handled a bankruptcy related to builder problems or mold.

The builder's job is to sell houses, not ensure that the buyer is qualified. The builder is not even privy to the buyer's financial situation. A mortgage company is in the business of selling mortgages. If they loan to someone who may not be qualified, they assume the risk if the loan goes bad.

And mortgage rates have increased from 5.5% last January to 5.875% this January. That is not even a 10% increase, much less a doubling of rates. A simple Google search would have shown this. One must wonder if all of your posts are this poorly researched.

You are correct Imisquoted. Mortgage rates have not doubled ,foreclosure rates have. I meant to say that. Because that I did research.

Bad builder in Court

See if you have any seventh amendment rights or any rights at all.

Be in 80th District, Judge Kent Sullivan's Court tomorrow 2/24/06 at 2:30 pm...16th floor,1019 Congress avenue.

While purchasing our home in Midtown and going through the home inspections I became very frustrated with the shoddy construction. According to this Consumer Reports article it's very common nationwide: http://www.consumerreports.org/main/conten...3East_id=333143 and Criterium Engineers estimates that as many as 15% of new homes are seriously defective (foundations or framing): http://www.criterium-engineers.com/residen...nstruction.html

I am fairly certain my home is adequately built, but after we closed realized I shouldn't have agreed to binding arbitration: http://www.hobb.org/arbitration.shtml

Then today I saw this discouraging article about new, low, building standards in Houston... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3009677

It's not a Midtown-specific problem at all, and my builder has given me confidence, but I wish Houston would buck up to the builder lobbyists. There was a home lemon law proposed a while back that the builders managed to shoot down.

Want to see for yourself what happens to a homeowner that complains about bad builders... be in Judge Kent Sullivans' 80th District Court, 16th floor, 1019 Congress Ave. at 2:30 tomorrow, Friday the 24th of February. We will see if justice prevails...or might over right.

While purchasing our home in Midtown and going through the home inspections I became very frustrated with the shoddy construction. According to this Consumer Reports article it's very common nationwide: http://www.consumerreports.org/main/conten...3East_id=333143 and Criterium Engineers estimates that as many as 15% of new homes are seriously defective (foundations or framing): http://www.criterium-engineers.com/residen...nstruction.html

I am fairly certain my home is adequately built, but after we closed realized I shouldn't have agreed to binding arbitration: http://www.hobb.org/arbitration.shtml

Then today I saw this discouraging article about new, low, building standards in Houston... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3009677

It's not a Midtown-specific problem at all, and my builder has given me confidence, but I wish Houston would buck up to the builder lobbyists. There was a home lemon law proposed a while back that the builders managed to shoot down.

Thank you! You are so right ! I hope you got a great house. With an arbitration clause most people do not understand what it means or how it works against them or that they most probably can't afford it. Many won't be able to come up with the filing fees and if they do they have got to search long and hard for an attorney that will go with them. It can be a 10 thousand dollar retianer and some of those I have talked to spent 100,000 dollars on legal fees alone.

The little guy does not come out. He does not have the slick lawyers that make a living protecting bad builders and have it down pat... how to get you in and out of arbitration, send you out the other side: broke, disheartened, in a state of shock... and for many under a secrecy agreement.(gag Order)

We had this brought in on us by stealth bomber. It's after effects are just now coming to light and as we realize we have a town filled with defective homes and no where to turn. Unfortunatly, more and more homebuyers are coming to this reallization the hard way. The others don't believe you or I yet.

While purchasing our home in Midtown and going through the home inspections I became very frustrated with the shoddy construction. According to this Consumer Reports article it's very common nationwide: http://www.consumerreports.org/main/conten...3East_id=333143 and Criterium Engineers estimates that as many as 15% of new homes are seriously defective (foundations or framing): http://www.criterium-engineers.com/residen...nstruction.html

I am fairly certain my home is adequately built, but after we closed realized I shouldn't have agreed to binding arbitration: http://www.hobb.org/arbitration.shtml

Then today I saw this discouraging article about new, low, building standards in Houston... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3009677

It's not a Midtown-specific problem at all, and my builder has given me confidence, but I wish Houston would buck up to the builder lobbyists. There was a home lemon law proposed a while back that the builders managed to shoot down.

Have you used GHBA as a resource?

Find a GHBA Registered Builder

flipper

Go into the neighborhoods that are over 2 or 3years old and talk to the owners. See how many are for sale in the neighborhood and check HCAD to see if their houses have gone up or down in value. Good Luck!

It sounds like the building industry has set up a true "let the buyer beware" system. These kinds of laws are how Texas gets such a bad reputation, which will really ripen if these thousands of townhomes and condos end up being junk in a short time.

I'm wondering what possible indicators a potential buyer might be able to see that would tip them off to shoddy construction. Walk throughs, inspections......is nothing found to be awry?

There's a group of townhomes that have gone up directly across from my parking garage near Shepherd and I-10. They're finishing the interiors now and, at prices starting at $314.9K, I'm a little surprised that the windows don't line up perfectly. As the sides and backs are Hardi-planked, I can count planks to see where the window sills align with each other, and they're off a little. One bottom trim piece is crooked and doesn't align with the siding.

Maybe I don't understand construction practices and my old Victorian has carpenter imperfections too but if I were walking around one of these units and noticed such obvious signs of lack of attention to detail and care, I would walk away. You can tell me that this stuff is normal and doesn't matter but if the visible is not carefully done, then one must assume that the invisible is too. It doesn't seem to me that it takes much more than a little patience and caring to have windows in symmetry and alignment with one another.

All they are missing is the "A".

Before Katrina, in all the areas I fuss about ... in the loop around Montrose they were tagged with yar

I saw that one from montrose down to allen parkway and down on yes ...Tremont Tower and there is more now behind wendys and one the back corner of Tremont towers since they got it all off the westhiemer side. I have seen more, but Yar seems to not be around anymore?

Some of them are really talented, I just wish they could find a construcitve use for it.

And I think I'll go with the gold...cream washes me out.

"Oh my God Almighty! Someone has sent me a bowel movement!" (Divine, as Babs Johnson in Pink Flamingos)

Bridget, Victoria and Tammy Fay give God a bad name ...or is that give love a bad name? Sickos to the right of me sickos to the left. They are great actresses..Divas in their own minds...give your money to these people and their ministry take a good look they are wearing a lot of it...l

Just proves there is enough greed to go around and it doesn't stop at the church doors. It makes good christian, hard working people look sad and dumb for surporting these money grubbers...These people hurt good people trying to do the right thing .....in a world where not much value is placed on it.

I'm usually pretty familiar with projects going on around town, but I just today came across this gem, which I had no idea about, and had a laugh because it looks a bit foolish...and come to find out its an Irving Phillips. Anyone know any additional info on this one (who's developing it?, etc.)? Construction is 'supposed' to begin sometime soon. I do remember seeing a marketing sign a while back in that area for a mid-rise called The Point, but never heard anything else about that one.

The following is what I found from Prime Texas Properties...

"Sophisticated,contemporary (22unit) Mid-Rise approx. 1mile North of downtown. Designed by Irving Phillips. On a hilltop park setting looking over White Oak Bayou w/spectacular skyline views! Bike&hike trials along the waters' banks. All Steele&Concrete construction to beging Feb'06. Square Ft includes 404ft balcony. This is front unit w/views spectacular views of downtown to the south. Estimated time of completion for the building should be first quarter of 2007. Building's pool area w/views of downtown"

Here's the rendering...

You know old Irving, he did Tremont towers and is surpose to do the Repairian on Montrose. That one owned byStauffer River Cafe... that is under the company name 3615 Montrose Inc. It has a post office box for an address...

The law firm I work for now and the law firm I worked for previously = bankruptcy, foreclosure, litigation, sequestration, loss mitigation.

We work a few months a head of time, for example, tomorrow is our February sale.

All of the properties up for the February sale tomorrow were prepped and pretty much ready since December.

I have heard of co-workers being asked to give out lists of properties that will be forclosed on in exchange for a "bird-dog" fee. I am assuming that they give out a list of names of people that have filed bankruptcy to protect their homesteads and give the Debtor an opportunity to make payment arrangements in the hopes of avoiding foreclosure and call it a "pre-foreclosure" list. If the Debtor then defaults (usually the BKY plan filed permits three notice of default, if the debtor fails to cure them then a notice of termination is sent to the debtor, debtor's atty, etc. and a certificate of default is filed w/ the court. The Debtor's file is then in foreclosure. Again, I am assuming that is one way of getting the pre-forclosure listings)

From MY experience, the properties usually do not have anything terribly wrong with them at all. The main reason we see all of the bankruptcies/forclosures in our firm = people living outside of their means.

The people in my neighborhood weren't living out of their means they just couldn't afford new houses and 40 to 100 thousand to repair them. The foreclosure numbers are not accurate either, bottom feeder investors contact you and they will keep you out of foreclosure if you sign a power of attorney so they can negoiciate with your mortgage company for a lower price on your house. You don't get a dime. I had a mailbox full of such offers as soon as my house was posted.

Also some mortgage companies and builders put people in houses they know they not only can't qualify for, but they know ....and do not care if the mortgage company gets stuck they got their money. The mortgage rates have doubled in the last year in Houston.

The people in my neighborhood weren't living out of their means they just couldn't afford new houses and 40 to 100 thousand to repair them. The foreclosure numbers are not accurate either, bottom feeder investors contact you and they will keep you out of foreclosure if you sign a power of attorney so they can negoiciate with your mortgage company for a lower price on your house. You don't get a dime. I had a mailbox full of such offers as soon as my house was posted.

Also some mortgage companies and builders put people in houses they know they not only can't qualify for, but they know ....and do not care if the mortgage company gets stuck they got their money. PMI insurance takes a hit too. The foreclosure rates have doubled in the last year in Houston.

Just as RedScare and TJones mentioned, you can easily get the info yourself. These so-called "in-the-know" hot list web companies that promise you all sorts of secret foreclosure lists are full of it. They get their info the same way everyone else does...so if you don't want to deal with going to the various courthouses, they are a good way to go, but just know what you're dealing with.

The best thing to have when checking out a foreclosure is a good INSPECTOR.

If the bad people tear out sheetrock and repaint how would your inspector know that mold was all in there and the studds were rottied . I really want to know.

It was not exactly a convent but a couple of friars and a charitable foundation.

This is an excerpt from the Press article I posted earlier:

http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/1997-08...ature_full.html

Dose anyone know what company acquired Hydepark orginally when it was going to be developed..or anything about how the deal wentdown?

Nuns don't curse people. It's not part of their religion. Nice attempt at spreading anti-Tremont FUD, though. Maybe it will turn into an urban legend. We all know you have an axe to grind against Tremont. You don't have to make stuff up to support it.

You are correct there are enough open public records to support without fiction. Nuns surely did not, and woud not say that.. the surrounding neighbors said it but I did repeated it.

I wish they had saved the old building and a few of the trees.

: ] [be careful with these foreclosures. The sellers do not have to give any disclosure in Texas on them. My house has been empty for over a year..... and they are over there right now covering up and patching. There is black toxic mold, and I have the reports: in the A/C ducks under the carpet and in the walls. There is even a suit in Judge McCorkel's court... open records where the builder filed suit on the roofer and sub contractor telling about all the defects in my house and all the water in the walls. They have removed a truck load of wet insulation and they have put new insulation in, but the wood is still rotted and molded.

A baby or puppy is at great risk or if you have any allergies at all. This house was apprasied at $408,000 the day I bought it, and century 21 excel has it listed in the low $290,000 but would probably take less to dump it. It was at auction at the family law center back in June... BUT NO ONE WAS DUMB enough to bid on it.

But it looks really good from the outside, the holes from the water testing have been covered up and the shower put back in and I guess they covered up the mold on the walls, ceiling and pantry. Probably has new carpet in the bedroom where the mold was growing out of the floor. The windows that were installed upside down, still seem to be. You would have to know to look at the top ones, to see the weep holes are upside down.

It is on the clue list with State farm, listed as not coverd, because of builder defects and substandard constuction, so you may have a problem getting insurance on it. However my plants are gorgous, I did the yard myself and the trees and flowers are unbelivable. My mother was a landscaper and some of the plants were hers. It makes me sad to see them left there, but they were to big to afford to move again. It makes me sad to drive and see how much money we lost. It makes me sad to see the unbeilvable mess my neighbors are in... or the new owners that these properties were dumped on. It should have been torn down. All the fianancial heartbreak and emotional pain this builder caused is not civil it is criminal.a

Buyer Beware is an understatement .

quote name='RedScare' date='Sunday, July 10th, 2005 @ 2:58pm' post='33899']

I can't say for sure, since I've never looked at the foreclosures much closer than noticing the notices posted on the board at the Family Law Center (where the auctions are held). However, I do have some knowledge of other "lists" that are created from public records, and many are in fact created by people with laptops.

For instance, when someone is arrested, they are deluged with letters from bail bondsman and lawyers. The arrest is public record. Numerous clerks for companies that provide the letter sending service will sit at public terminals and type the info into laptops to create the mailing list.

The District Clerk has several lists that they can print off for a fee. Almost anything on the computer can be accessed for a price.

However, foreclosures require a lawyer hired by the mortgage company to post the notice. Unless something has changed recently, I am unaware of a requirement to file the notice of foreclosure with the Clerk. It merely is posted at the courthouse.

Since any lawyer can post the foreclosure, there would be no central database. This suggests that to compile the list, someone indeed types it into a laptop and sells that info to anyone who will pay for it.

I guess this means it is better off to wait to purchase a home where constuction begins after June 1.

If you are going to wait for the TRCC to do something... plan a long wait. We have been waiting for the ruling on the investigation of Tremont/stature for over a year.They are by the builder. for the builder.of the builder, so don'tt hold your breathe.

I have been to Austin one Director already resigned. If he did his job Perry would have him fired from "his agency," and if he did't all he did was get called on the carpet from the rest of Texas for not protecting the homeowners. It is a joke. As Carol Strayhorn said it should be blown up . Rep. Garnet Coleman said." only in Texas can you buy your own agency and regulate yoruself." They have made millions off the homeowners just since Perry bought it.

Somebody said a convent was there and Tremont owners threw the nuns out and that was why it went to hell it was cursed.

HOA fees are a huge turnoff for me. Most of the "apartment style" or highrise condos have exorbitant fees that really take away the own vs. rent advantage that exists in the market right now.

Have the roof inspected that is the most important thing 76% of leaks are caused by the roofing problems.

Get an inspector to go over it completely, know him well.

Read your arbitration clause and get a lawyer to explain it. You are giving up your seventh amendment rights. If you find defects, or if there is something out of order run!

It depends on what markets you would like to work. Karen Derr is big in Montrose and Heights, John Daughtery and Martha Turner are strong in the very high end stuff. Karpas is strong in Bellaire. A lot of people are going to Keller-Williams because of the commission split program, which is a little more generous. Allison-Spear was just bought out by Prudential Gary Greene to try and improve their (Prudential's) presence in the inner-loop. Greenwood-King does a lot of high end product out of their Kirby office and also does a lot in the Heights with their office there. I am not as familiar with who the heavy hitters are in the suburbs.

Some agencies try to do the right thing,,some agents aren't told, then they can say they were not aware of any defects. If anyone shows you something at Hydepark or Tremont Towers, or Ccandlelight estates or knox street or [u]any foreclosures you might want to look for someone you know and trust.

Know one thing, if the deal is too good to be true, it is. Houses listed from foreclsures do not have to tell you the defects in the house! Not in Texas anyway ..SO please get a really good inspector and make sure he is an expert at roofs,flashing, water intrusions and mold. Protect yourself, hire your own inspector not one your seller suggests to you. Buyer Beware....

Detroit

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359 km

I'm curious which builders left the BBB, and who told you that the reason was arbitration. I just looked at the Houston BBB website, and every single large builder I could think of was listed.

Tremont, was thrown out and others followed. I have to be absoutly correct before I answer. I will get the names and get back with you..