For the window clean the inside and outside of the window to make sure you are not seeing external moisture. If you still see it and it is between the panes of glass on your window then it has failed. It is probably just dew as it goes away but no harm in checking. If your lawn was not leveled properly it may have to be done again. If there are just some uneven low areas top dressing with top soil may address the problem. I am not a pro just basing my comments on my experiences. You may want to get a house inspector to make sure all problems are detected and resolved correctly. I would ask their level of expertise in your areas of concern.

Thanks, Charles. I guess I am still looking for feedback from builders on their experience with these items, and what I can reasonably expect from my builder. Charles, I will purchase the guide you mentioned, but would love some feedback, as well.

Our windows in our bedroom started fogging and then this winter the moisture inside froze and caused one of the panes to crack. These are "new" windows but the previous owners installed very low quality ones. We will have to replace this spring, unfortunately.

That cracked motar is a HUGE problem as it compromises the integrity of your foundation. You need to research your contractor as he could be one of these fly-by night guys who changes his business name every couple of years so avoid lawsuits. My husband works with a girl whose father is like that, and every time we get talking about new homes, he brings up what a flake that guy is. I hope your contractor is reputable and will make all this right.

You might want to see an attorney, and if nothing else, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT AND DOCUMENT EVERYTHING so you'll have it should you need to pursue legal action to get this resolved.

Good luck!

The image you posted, looks like the crack travels in a step pattern following mortar joints which could indicate a stress crack... Foundation walls like block, concrete etc can crack easily by minor movement or settlement. Most common settlement cracks are usually Horizontal, Vertical or in a step pattern following mortar joints as I think what you have. The picture is very small so it's hard to tell.
It looks like you have a step pattern there which could indicate excessive lateral soil pressure, which is pushing inward on your foundation wall, and I can see this happening, as you indicated the lot is not graded properly, so the soil could be saturated with water.
Foundation cracks can also indicate footing settlement or stress crack could be the cause of it.
If you have a structural crack in the foundation wall larger then 1/4", in most cases you will see cracks in drywall near that location, some doors could not close properly, etc.
Some Horizontal or Step stress crack could be caused by, when they back-filled the foundation, they could have placed to much dirt against the wall at one time, causing slight wall movement, which can easily cause the crack that you see.
If the crack travels Vertically, splitting the block in half, that indicates footing settlement, which happens from settlement due to unstable bearing soil, and when footing settles it creates a vertical split in the block or concrete wall.

By the size of the crack you have, it doesn't mean you have a structural issue there, the crack should be cleaned out and filled with hydro cement and keep an eye on it to make sure it will not open up again or get larger in size.

I don't know what the rest of the wall looks like, and by the sound of it, there is allot of other issues in your house which were done in the sub-standard manner, and like Charles said, you can contact your New Homeowner warranty Rep to come out and see if that is within the warranty guidelines, in any case Home Builder will have to fix that, being this a newly purchased home.
If you feel there is something to be concerned about, you can also contact local engineer and have him evaluate the issue and determine if this is serious or not and if repair work is warranted.
Good luck with your Home.

Hi,

Well, before turning the lawyers loose, consider that diagnosing home construction issues is best done by an experienced professional(s) visiting the site in order to make a full range of observations. It's not easily done from photos even with some text to supplement them.

What constitutes a warrantable condition would be defined either in your home builder's warranty or the applicable law in your state, if any. The document I referred you to published by the National Association of Home Builders is a guide that helps identify whether what you consider a defect is something that should be corrected or not. Further it defines what an acceptable fix is. The document was the result of a lengthy collaboration of builders, remodelers, trade professionals, major manufacturers, etc. so there was a lot of input in its development. We find it's useful and fair to all parties; we incorporate it in our written warranty.

Best wishes.