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Homebuilders in central Ohio are getting hammered by a downturn in the housing industry that stretches nationally. Construction in Franklin and Delaware counties combined is about half of what it was at this time in 2004, said Jim Hilz, executive director of the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio. Declines are turning out to be deeper than expected, according to economists for the National Home Builders Association. Home construction nationally is expected to fall 11.5 percent this year followed by a similar drop next year. Trend lines are even worse in central Ohio. "The layoffs in the industry among builders, suppliers and subcontractors are numerous," Hilz said. The number of building permits issued in Franklin County for single-family homes through July was 36 percent less than at the same time last year, Hilz said.
A Heber City man posing as a licensed contractor has been charged for defrauding consumers of more than $250,000.
Jack Allen Daggs, 53, was taken into custody Oct. 5 and charged with nine counts of communications fraud and one count of racketeering, according to information from the Utah Attorney General's Office. Daggs faces one to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Daggs allegedly sold himself as a log cabin builder, taking people's deposits but never following through on building the homes, the information said.
Charging documents said victims paid Daggs more than $320,000, which Daggs deposited into personal accounts. Of that amount, $244,803 was allegedly immediately withdrawn by Daggs as cash withdrawals, transferred to the personal account of his wife, Laura Daggs, or used to make payments to entities not related to the construction work.
TODAY Tour stops includes 10 homes representative of this Seattle neighborhood; registration required. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., The Wallingford Neighborhood Office (tour start), 2100 N. 45th St. Seattle; $15 (206-632-3165 or www.wallingford.org). Art deco tour TODAY Visit interior lobbies, ornate commercial buildings, including the Exchange Building and Seattle Tower, discovering to see how Northwest imagery was incorporated into downtown Seattle's early 20th-century architecture; registration required. 10 a.m.-noon, Rainier Square Atrium (tour start), 1333 Fifth Ave. (level three), Seattle; $10-$12 (206-667-9184 or www.seattlearchitecture.org). Grand Tour of Homes THROUGH OCT 15 More than 100 homes on tour represent new construction throughout King and Snohomish counties in many ranges.
People with Property Development Finance should be able to avoid cowboy builders, thanks to a new guide to the costs of building and repair work.Launched by the Building Information Service, part of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), the Property Makeover Price Guide aims to help property developers budget the cost of repairs and home improvements.Spokesman for Rics, Joe Martin, says that the guide should safeguard against being over charged for work by tradesmen."If you want to know how to employ skilled labourers to undertake work on your property safely and legally for a fair price you will not be disappointed," he says."Knowledge is power and we expect this guide to demystify construction and help drive the cowboy builders out of town."The guide was launched at the Autumn Ideal Home Show and contains the cost of over 1,300 jobs.
One of the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology's objectives is to give students hands-on experience, and for some, that means building a brick ranch house.The Building and Trades Program encompasses electricity, plumbing, carpentry and masonry. As with many programs at the center, this one incorporates real-world experience. Since 2004, students have been building a three-bedroom, brick home in Windsor, one that school officials hope to have finished and sold this month.Building/Trades Instructor John Thompson, has overseen the building of nearly 15 homes in his 20-year career with the Pruden Center. Students do not build a home every year, but do undertake some sort of construction project, such as the picnic shelter near Windsor High School.It is primarily the second-year class that works on the houses, and those students spend about two hours every day on the project, Thompson said.
Treasure Valley police and local building companies are working together to fight back against a string of construction burglaries by emphasizing that tipsters can earn cash for reporting crimes.
Area Crime Stoppers, Boise police, and Treasure Valley builders including Corey Barton Homes unveiled a new "stop sign" program Tuesday that provides building sites with large red signs that encourage anyone with information on vandalism, burglary and other crimes at construction sites to report those crimes and possibly earn a cash reward.
The signs are available to all Treasure Valley builders in return for a donation to Crime Stoppers to cover the cost of printing more signs. No dollar amount is specified for the donation. Crime Stoppers board member Ken Rhoades, advertising manager for building materials company BMC West, said Tuesday that theft, burglaries and vandalism are a growing problem.
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