Monday night, 2NEWS reported on several Tulsa area families and contractors who say a local builder ripped them off; they're out thousands of dollars.
Their properties are around the Battle Creek Golf Course in Broken Arrow, near Omaha and Aspen.
The experts say knowing who you're dealing with is key.
But, some property owners say that wasn't enough.
"We went through the process of finding the lot picking the lot, picking the house, customizing it, giving our 15-thousand dollar deposit," Amber Bailey says nearly 8-months later nothing's been done.
Brian Ray says he's in the same situation, "I just can't believe people are able to do this. Without even being able to give you a phone call."
Twenty-eight families say they haven't heard from Cole.
Unpaid contractors have left job sites and at least one owner has a $250-thousand mortgage coming due on an unfinished home.
"In situations like this people have to get into survival mode," Home Builders Association CEO Paul Kane says this does not happen very often in the Tulsa area.
Cole and his companies were not HBA members.
Kane's advice to future buyers is find one that's certified with insurance.
"Oklahoma is one of the few states that does not license its builders.' 'That means doing background checks is even more important than ever."
But, some residents say that didn't matter in this case.
Allyson Fuller even went as far as tracking down former clients, "I went and did a reverse look up in the white pages for these people's phone numbers and called them."
"Even the best laid plans can go wrong," Better Business Bureau CEO Rick Brinkley says up until Monday the company had a great record with his organization.
Brinkley also notes that Cole is not the original owner, "When there is a change in ownership you really need to find out who owns the company now because that may be a change in the direction of the company."
2NEWS has left several messages with Cole, none of them have been returned.
