What does everyone else's grass in your area look like about now? I can tell you what mine looks like but I probably shouldn't use that kind of language on here.

Couple of thoughts. You sound like one unhappy man
and I can relate. I'd get a soil test which should
run you around $30-40 and find out exactly what the
issue is so at very least you will know that any
effort you put into the lawn from here on in is going
to address specific issues.

Secondly. You mentioned the house is newer
construction. I've seen some lawns with a lot
of construction debris buried underneath do some
funky stuff. If you've already got clay soil with
concrete overpours and goodness knows what else
just under the surface that may be an issue.

In any event get the soil test and put your mind
at ease.

Easy to answer, not so easy to accomplish. ORGANIC MATERIAL (OM). Mulch all your leaves into your grass. Topdress your lawn with compost. Make your own compost. Recylcle all your paper, kitchen scraps, Old k-mart stock certificates. Use organic fertilizers. Feed your soil microbes. Condition your lawn for summer's drought. Stop (or at least minimize )using chemicals on your lawn. Since you are re-seeding every year, use top quality elite cultivars of seed. With a good organic rich soil, you will not have to dethatch, aerate or re-seed a quality KBG lawn EVER. A good soil retains water thus reducing the need for irrigation. Check out the organic lawn forum and the soil and compost forum. If you can change your mindset, you can have a beautiful lawn by September and next spring will blow you away. Good luck with your lawn, Razzy from Nebraska.

Nope. Nope. and by the way, Nope.

I have a similar problem. If I'm lucky, my problem is slightly smaller than yours. If I'm not lucky, then I'm all alone here.

"Annual Bluegrass", also known as "poa annua".....

Crap grass, kinda light green, lots of seeds. As soon as it gets really hot, the whole darn flock of that grass dies off, leaving the whole operation looking kinda neglected.

Yep.

Do some searches here, on garden web, and on google, and tell us the differences between what you're experiencing, and poa annua. I fear that there aren't many differences.

I tend to agree with you, billhill that i need to change my mindset about my lawn care, with it being so predictable on the outcome every year. I should get a soil test...thank you, decklap for that one. would this fall after summer heat be a good time to start any changes?
Yes i do mulch, i forgot to say earlier. Dethatch, first?
or what?

I agree with Philes. Your symptoms are consistent with a poa annua infestation. Poa annua is very difficult to control. It favors wet, high nitrogen, high phosphorous soil.

Increasing OM is not the answer. You can control poa annua somewhat with pre-emergent herbicides that contain dithiopyr (Dimension). Normally, you make applications in late summer (in northern locations) into early fall (in southern locations). The idea is to prevent the germination of next year's crop.

Good Luck!

-Deerslayer

Razzy, If you have poa, then of course control it as suggested by Deerslayer. I have little personal experience with it. My response was more directed toward your statements about your newer construction and "I do not know how to amend my clay soil to help keep my grass alive" These suggestions are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. You can start soil amendment using organics at any time. Soil microbes will eventually take care of your thatch. Any mechanical dethatching should be done before application of pre-emergents.