New home buyers who don't bother to have a professional inspector give their new home a thorough going over could risk their largest single expenditure on a money pit. In 10 Hollister, CA housing tracts 175 homeowners are suing the developers of two subdivisions. Homeowners in three others are tangled in binding arbitration, and residents of another five neighborhoods are talking to attorneys. Homes mold grows in windows. Concrete slabs erupt.
Walls shake when doors slam.
Builders concede the recent boom in demand for new homes has created a shortage of skilled craftsmen. The cost of land in many areas could force some to otherwise cut corners. The plague of defects could become similar to that which afflicts the condo market in California where most older condo developments face some sort of construction defect litigation. Current home owners should also consider periodic check ups to catch maintenance problems before they become repair issues. And, says the American Society of Home Inspectors , an inspection can also turn up postive aspects of a home's condition and give sellers a strong negotiating position.