Are Sequim home builders and Port Angeles home builders all the same? What about the low ball prices listed in advertisements? Can a builder really build a home at the same prices that were being quoted a decade ago?
This raises another question. How can the average person who wants to have a home built tell if a contractor is telling him the truth about the costs associated with building a new home? And how does a person distinguish between good builders with integrity and honesty from builders who practice dishonesty and false advertising?

As a real estate attorney I saw many clients who were in nightmare scenarios with bad builders. It is much more common than people realize. I talk to people regularly who have had horrible experiences with their builder. I recently called the Washington State attorney general’s office, and they told me they don’t handle such issues, that I should call the Department of Labor & Industries. I called L&I, and they said they don’t have jurisdiction, that I should call the attorney general’s office.

No one wants to touch this issue, but where is consumer protection when you need it? Literally 100’s of innocent victims are getting hurt in the State of Washington, and the state rule is, “caveat emptor,” or “buyer beware.”

I will attempt to address this issue with public education in several ways:

  1. Writing articles about how to find and interview a builder;
  2. What questions to ask a builder;
  3. How to compare apples with apples when interviewing more than one builder; and
  4. How to research a builder today with powerful Internet tools.
We’ll start with these articles, and we’ll be adding much more, so check back from time to time. You can also email me at chuckmarunde@gmail.com.

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