[Muncle]

Kinda like Obama's qualifications to be president, the siding issue has been blown totally out of proportion, primarily for the benefit of those who actually do nothing yet complain constantly about those who do. To the best of my knowledge, there's been no rash of flying siding taking off the heads of innocent seniors or homes collapsing under the stress. Evidently almost all siding installed in the last several years was done so in a manner that did not conform to industry standards. And there were evidently a minuscule number of cases of siding being blown from homes (more on Groundhogs Day, but that's another story). Seemingly this problem worsened in building Duval, but I don't know if that's a fact or if there was just a lot louder and more coordinated screaming.

The developer is now reinspecting any home (I believe built in the last 10 years, but not sure of that) where the owner requests it and making any necessary changes, including a total residing if required. Though I'd had no problems whatsoever, I had mine done. Figured it was free and better safe etc. The inspector said that the original installer had spaced the nails too far apart so they re-nailed the whole place. I asked how serious the problem was, if it had been dangerous, and these guys said that in all likelihood nothing would have happened, that the siding was plenty solid with the fewer nails but it didn't meet specs. Meanwhile my next door neighbor has had siding issues since day one with pieces frequently coming loose. He's never been satisfied with the original builder. When his turn in the barrel came, they almost resided his entire house, taking everything off and starting from ground zero. For the first time in 3 years, he's happy with it.

I probably wouldn't worry about it too much, but if you're buying a pre-owned, you're going to get it inspected anyway. Just make sure the inspector knows what to look for and does indeed look at the siding. In today's market, any seller will have the siding refurbished to make the sale. It doesn't cost that much even if he doesn't get the developer to do it free.