Ruth S. Martin, Crooked House, Crumbling Dreams, Lakeside Press, Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland civil trials, Cleveland litigation, Cleveland civil trials, Cleveland legal, Cleveland civil decisions, Cleveland bar, Cleveland Justice Center, Cleveland construction, Cleveland real estate, Cuyahoga, Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga trials, Cuyahoga legal, Cuyahoga decisions, Cuyahoga bar, Cuyahoga construction, Cuyahoga real estate,Cuyahoga Justice Center, Cuyahoga building codes, Moreland Hills, Moreland Hills real estate, Moreland Hills construction, Moreland Hills building codes, house construction, house litigation, real estate litigation, real estate practice, justice, injustice, non-tort law, real estate contract, contract cases, contract law, lawyers, attorneys, judges, contract cases, contract law, builders, building new homes, new construction, contractors, architects, architecture litigation, building litigation, construction codes, home, new home, new house, custom-design, custom construction, building codes, building violations, trials, Ohio real estate, Ohio real estate law, Ohio litigation, Ohio civil cases, Ohio civil law, Ohio decisions

And They Built A Crooked House, by Ruth S. Martin

Appendix C: Bibliography

While writing this book I came across dozens of consumer-oriented books about how to buy, build, design, inspect, contract for and otherwise acquire a new house. I found no book that explains the no-win legal position of someone who has bought a defective house from an unresponsive builder. Still, I can recommend several books to those who wish to read further. There are many ways to go about building or buying a new home, all with potential pitfalls. The books listed below are a good way to learn more of what you need to know.

Kidder, Tracy. House. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, 1985. Pulitzer prize-winning author's national bestseller about construction of a single-family home in Massachusetts. To learn something about good builders and quality construction, read this book first. Also published in paperback by Avon Books, New York.

Locke, Jim. The Well-Built House. Everything you need to know before you have a new house built or an old one remodeled. The Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, 1988. By one of the men who built the house in House.

Vila, Bob with Carl Oglesby. Bob Vila's Guide to Buying Your Dream House. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1990. Vila is the former host of Public Television's "This Old House" and an acknowledged expert.

Irwin, Robert. Tips and Traps When Buying a Home. Mc-Graw Hill Publishing Co., New York, 1990.
Robert Irwin has written widely on real estate matters. His book covers all the angles and gives some particularly good advice in the chapter "Buying a New Home from a Builder."

Kiplinger's Buying & Selling A Home. By the Staff of Changing Times Magazine. Kiplinger Books, Washington, D.C., 1990. A good resource book, covering all the aspects.

Syvanen, Bob. Tips and Tricks for Evaluating New Construction. Globe Pequot Press, Chester, CN, 1990.
An excellent paperback manual by a master carpenter. Included are numerous line drawings on what to look for, from the foundation up.

Youssef, Wasfi. Building Your Own Home. A Step-by-Step Guide. John Wiley & sons, Inc., New York, 1988.
An encyclopedic approach to the subject, by a consulting structural engineer. Chapters range from "Buying a Lot" through every aspect of construction to "Certificate of Occupancy and Tax Assessment."

Daniels, Charles J. Dream House, Real House. The Adventures of Planning and Building a Custom House. MacMillan Publishing Co., New York, 1989.
Charles Daniels is an architect who designed his own home, then hired a builder to construct it. Both this book and the one by Wasfi (above) are for those who plan to design and/or manage the construction of their home. You can save a bundle if you know how to do it.