Your New House
Previous Updates

This page is an archive of previously posted updates to our web site.

CORRECTIONS TO THE 2nd edition:

1. On page 150, we talk about "evaluating construction on the fly." One of the items we referenced was the framing of the house---we recommended to look to make sure the exterior sheathing is flush (no gaps). A contractor in California called us to point out that lumber manufacturers recommend a small gap between the panels to accommodate for swelling from rain/moisture.

2. On the same page, the same contractor points out that fiberglass impregnated concrete (called Fibermesh) is not recommended to be used for driveways.

3. Mark Johnson, an Engineer from Ocoee, FL wrote to tell us that our reference to "concrete weight" is a little misleading. We should have referred to it as "concrete strength." Ideally concrete strength for a new home should be from 3000 (absolute minimum) to 4500 pounds per square inch (psi). This means that a 10 x10 inch square piece of concrete could support 300,000 to 450,000 pounds.

4. National Water Well Association is now called National Ground Water Association (614) 761-1711, Address: 6375 Riverside Dr., Dublin OH 43017.

5. The consumer group Homeowner's Against Deficient Dwellings (HADD) in Kansas City (mentioned on pages56, 249) has a new contact number. Call 816-781-1891. The president is now Nancy Seats.

6. Pella Windows has a new 800#--800-54-PELLA.

7. In our mortgage chapter, we mistakenly state that Veteran's Administration (VA) mortgage loans are made directly from the government. Actually, the VA guarantees the loan for the lender, who actually loans the money to the consumer.

New books give moving tips, furniture bargains

Dreading that upcoming move? The "How to Move Handbook" by Clyde And Shari Steiner may be the solution. This $12.95 paperback discusses how to save money and all those other thorny moving issues. Call 415-398-8083 or e-mail to the authors at 70703.1032@CompuServe.com.

"The Insider's Guide To Buying Home Furnishings" by Kimberly Causey teaches consumers how to buy furniture, carpeting, fabrics, wall coverings,window treatments, and other home furnishings at 50% to 80% off retail. It also has a lot of information about getting the best quality, avoiding scams and ripoffs, preventing common mistakes that waste money, etc. The author's family owned a has over 25 years experience in the furniture business. The number to order the book is (800) 829-1203. It's 8 1/2" X 11", 384 pages. The price is $24.95.

Authors, new home scams featured on ABC's 20/20 Feb. 28, 1997

Authors Denise and Alan were featured on ABC's 20/20! For the first time on national television, the country's top-rated TV news magazine focused on new home scams and rip-offs. Consumer reporter Arnold Diaz interviewed the Fields in Boulder, CO, focusing on how consumers can avoid being a victim when buying a new home. ABC crews visited Kansas City, Texas and New Jersey to investigate tales of shoddy builders, incompetent inspectors and sleazy real estate agents.