The true cost of a “Dream Home” in Virginia.
What began as a personal story about a dream home turned disaster has grown into something much bigger.
After over a year of pleading with our builder to fix and complete our home, our ceiling collapsed. We turned to the state for help and were introduced to Virginia’s only contractor oversight agency: the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
We uncovered deep, systemic flaws in Virginia’s regulatory system, especially around construction oversight. Our experience was far from unique. After sifting through FOIA documents, talking with reporters, and meeting other families with similar stories, we created The Rabbit Whole Podcast.
We hope to document what happened to us in Virginia, raise awareness, and help anyone struggling through mold exposure. Nearly half of all American homes have water damage whether you see it or not. We are committed to telling the whole story—the one that doesn’t disappear in search engine results (looking at you, google) or get buried in redacted regulatory files.
In the interest of transparency, we’ve made some of our DPOR complaint, court filings and related documentation available for public review. DPOR found “no violation” in our case which it turns out is not uncommon. The JLARC (Judicial Legislative Audit and Review Commission) had done a DPOR audit in 2018 alerting the Governor and the General Assembly to DPOR’s failure to report misdemeanors and fraud. JLARC also outlined several instances where DPOR cases are closed with “no violation” findings even when there is awareness that violations occurred. I think reading the report, not just the summary, will educate the public about the current regulatory environment in Virginia. Read more on why Virginia is for Renters.
The company that built our home is a DBA of the Gregoire Development Corporation registered as Covenant Building and Design. A local RVA builder. You can read the lawsuit filing for an overview of the alleged deficiencies in our home. We are still pending litigation. We have never been to arbitration as of April 14th, 2025. We closed in November of 2020. Lawsuit 1 and 2 filed in 2022. Again, more on that later.
The “dream home” the Gregoire’s built for our family exposed us to lab verified mold contamination. As a result, our daughter developed asthma and neurological tics, along with diagnoses of PANS—a serious autoimmune condition that has permanently impacted her daily life. Our other daughters have their own health impacts, but we believe since our youngest was so young when we moved in almost 5 years ago, her development was impacted the most. My husband and I both tested positive for the exact mold that was found in our home as well. My husband tested two times the permissible limit, I was nearly 4 times higher. More on that later.
This isn’t just a story about construction defects. This is a story about a family that was harmed and not protected by the state of Virginia because the existing regulations were not enforced.
We are sharing our experience to help prevent others from suffering life-altering harm. Particularly important to know these things in a state where builders are under regulated and class action lawsuits are not permitted thanks to Governor Younkin’s Veto. When families are forced to carry the burden of systemic failure alone, public awareness becomes the only path to change.
We left a Google review to alert people, but that was removed, so we thought hosting our own site was important. We do it for the kids who grow up in these spaces. No one deserves to lose their health to toxic mold, especially when it is preventable. And in case you are wondering, I have posted the removed google review in a video. The language is appropriate, but I believe mentioning my legal case is what made google remove it from searches. I’ll never know since they don’t have customer service to ask.
All information we share is based on public records, court filings, FOIA responses, and first-hand experience. We encourage you to verify information independently.
Where you can find this and other information about this our story and construction in Virginia:
Submit a FOIA request to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR):
https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/About_DPOR/FOIA
Search civil case records via the Virginia Court Case Information System:
https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/captchaVerification.do
View BBB reviews for Covenant Building and Design:
https://www.bbb.org/us/va/n-chesterfld/profile/home-builders/covenant-building-design-0603-20001897/customer-reviews
Read BBB complaints for Covenant Building and Design:
https://www.bbb.org/us/va/n-chesterfld/profile/home-builders/covenant-building-design-0603-20001897/complaints
Read Google Reviews for Covenant Building and Design
📰 Visit Virginia Consumer to stay informed, empowered, and connected to a growing community committed to accountability and public awareness.
Follow us on X, Bluesky, and anywhere politicians make interns hang out.
Listen to our new home construction experience with a custom home builder.
We are sharing our experience to help prevent others from suffering life-altering harm. Particularly important to know these things in a state where builders are under regulated and class action lawsuits are not permitted thanks to Governor Younkin’s Veto. When families are forced to carry the burden of systemic failure alone, public awareness becomes the only path to change.
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