We filled out the official loan application papers for the construction loan on Friday. We had a brief scare when we saw the "monthly payment" We had done the calculations on our own and thought we knew what number to expect but when he told us that the number he showed us was without taxes included Jill and I both just about fainted. It took me a couple seconds to realize that the number was based on 100% of the construction loan. Once our down payment generated from our current home sale was added into the mix the number came back down to what we were expecting.
Of course we're still waiting on the assessor to come back. We're hoping it comes back Monday. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes back 5% above cost.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Front Door Example
We thought we'd share some choices that we've made already. One of these is the front door. In maintaining the craftsman style of the house, we've decided to nail this point home from the moment you see the front of the house.
This is a sample of what the front door will look like. I'm not sure of the exact shade that we will go with but I'm pretty sure it is going to be oak.
This is a sample of what the front door will look like. I'm not sure of the exact shade that we will go with but I'm pretty sure it is going to be oak.
Draft of house
Here's a picture of what the house is going to look like. Almost. Since we changed lots, the house is actually going to be flipped so the garage will be on the right and the front porch will be on the left.
The style of the house is craftsman. The house color is in question right now. There is one particular shade of green that we believe will look good but we need to finalize this decision. The trim work around most of the house will be white. The front porch will be all exposed cedar.
We are thinking about having the front porch cement colored and waxed. The fear we have of waxing it is making it too slick in the winter. It looks REALLY good though. This may be a case of form over function.
The style of the house is craftsman. The house color is in question right now. There is one particular shade of green that we believe will look good but we need to finalize this decision. The trim work around most of the house will be white. The front porch will be all exposed cedar.
We are thinking about having the front porch cement colored and waxed. The fear we have of waxing it is making it too slick in the winter. It looks REALLY good though. This may be a case of form over function.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Waiting
We were warned that there would be a lot of waiting during the house building process. That is completely true. Last week we were waiting for the subdivision's development company to approve the house plan. We were a bit worried because our house does not have a full brick or stone front and the covenant requires it. Out builder, Dave, reassured us that he had driven through the subdivision and there were a number of houses that did not have a full brick front. Sure enough, the development company came back and approved the plan.
Once that approval came back, we turned thing over to the bank. Now we are waiting for their assessment of the plan. We are hoping that they assess it at 5% above the actual cost. If it is, we won't have to put any money down for the construction loan.
I love waiting.
Once that approval came back, we turned thing over to the bank. Now we are waiting for their assessment of the plan. We are hoping that they assess it at 5% above the actual cost. If it is, we won't have to put any money down for the construction loan.
I love waiting.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Pictures up
I have put a link off to the right to the pictures that I've taken so far.
Currently, there are pictures of the floorplan and of the lot.
I'm going to try to keep these pictures updated so check there often.
Currently, there are pictures of the floorplan and of the lot.
I'm going to try to keep these pictures updated so check there often.
Friday, September 21, 2007
How many stories do you want?
The first big decision we had to make was whether we were going to build a Ranch style or a Story and a half. Our main driving force was that since this house is going to be "the last house we every buy" we wanted to make sure that the master bedroom was on the main floor. This way, when we get old and break a hip, we won't have to go up and down stairs.
We decided on the story and a half. We did this mainly so we would have some bedrooms that weren't on the main floor. This inadvertantly made it so our daughter has her own suite upstairs. She's not spoiled at all, is she?
I'm going to try and post pictures so you can see the floor plan.
We decided on the story and a half. We did this mainly so we would have some bedrooms that weren't on the main floor. This inadvertantly made it so our daughter has her own suite upstairs. She's not spoiled at all, is she?
I'm going to try and post pictures so you can see the floor plan.
Lots of Lots
In our infinite wisdom we decided to try to get ahead of the game and purchase a lot before we had a houseplan. We found a great corner lot (because we wanted a "side-load" garage) in the Millard Park South subdivision. We purchased it in April 2007 and figured we would start dumping money into it because every dime we put into it now could be used as part of the down payment on the mortgage. We purchased the lot for $30,950 which was a pretty good price for the lot, which is a little over a 1/4 acre in size.
Fast-forward to September, after we have made all the big money decisions on the house, the bank tells us that the subdivision won't support the house so they won't be able to loan us the money for the full amount.
Crud!
We have two options: 1. Change the plan for the house to decrease the amount it will cost or 2. Sell this lot and buy another.
We decided to go with option 2 because we really like the layout of the new house. This of course is not as easy as it sounds. We still want a corner lot that allows us to have a side-load garage, we want the driveway to face at least partially South-West and we want the back of the house to face as much East as possible. Tall order.
Fortunately, with the assistance of our builder Dave, we were able to locate a new lot. This one is even further West than the other lot which means an even longer drive to work for Jill. She has said that she'll cope and says it adds about 10 minutes each way to her drive.
We have put an earnest deposit on the lot and have signed a purchase agreement so once we close on the contstruction loan, the lot will be ours.
The new lot is in West Bay Springs, a lovely subdivision with several beautiful ponds scattered throughout it. The new lot was $39,000. Just a little more than the old lot but not too much.
Of course, we still have the old lot in Millard Park South that we need to sell...
If you know anyone who's looking to build, let me know we have a lot "priced to sell".
Fast-forward to September, after we have made all the big money decisions on the house, the bank tells us that the subdivision won't support the house so they won't be able to loan us the money for the full amount.
Crud!
We have two options: 1. Change the plan for the house to decrease the amount it will cost or 2. Sell this lot and buy another.
We decided to go with option 2 because we really like the layout of the new house. This of course is not as easy as it sounds. We still want a corner lot that allows us to have a side-load garage, we want the driveway to face at least partially South-West and we want the back of the house to face as much East as possible. Tall order.
Fortunately, with the assistance of our builder Dave, we were able to locate a new lot. This one is even further West than the other lot which means an even longer drive to work for Jill. She has said that she'll cope and says it adds about 10 minutes each way to her drive.
We have put an earnest deposit on the lot and have signed a purchase agreement so once we close on the contstruction loan, the lot will be ours.
The new lot is in West Bay Springs, a lovely subdivision with several beautiful ponds scattered throughout it. The new lot was $39,000. Just a little more than the old lot but not too much.
Of course, we still have the old lot in Millard Park South that we need to sell...
If you know anyone who's looking to build, let me know we have a lot "priced to sell".
Thomas David...doesn't he make hamburgers?
When we decided to build a new house we wanted to make sure that it was OUR house, meaning we wanted to have complete control over every little piece of the house. Since we don't know anything about building houses that means very little.
What we did know was that we wanted a floorplan that we chose instead of just choosing from a handful of floorplans. We looked at floorplans on dozens of web sites and went through a seemingly endless number of magazines looking for the "right" floorplan. We had seen a house with a nice open living area where the living room, breakfast nook and kitchen were open to one another but still felt like they were their own distinct rooms.
Finally, we went through the Spring Parade of Homes and came across a house that we really liked. It wasn't really the house itself, or the floorplan, it was just the way it was built and the little things about the house that said that this builder cared about what he did.
Enter Dave. We met with Dave, of Thomas David Fine Homes and instantly clicked. He seemed to understand exactly what we were looking for and drew up a floorplan based on our multiple converstations that we love. We've already run into a few snags in the pre-construction process but with Dave's advice, we've been able to deal with them relatively stress free.
What we did know was that we wanted a floorplan that we chose instead of just choosing from a handful of floorplans. We looked at floorplans on dozens of web sites and went through a seemingly endless number of magazines looking for the "right" floorplan. We had seen a house with a nice open living area where the living room, breakfast nook and kitchen were open to one another but still felt like they were their own distinct rooms.
Finally, we went through the Spring Parade of Homes and came across a house that we really liked. It wasn't really the house itself, or the floorplan, it was just the way it was built and the little things about the house that said that this builder cared about what he did.
Enter Dave. We met with Dave, of Thomas David Fine Homes and instantly clicked. He seemed to understand exactly what we were looking for and drew up a floorplan based on our multiple converstations that we love. We've already run into a few snags in the pre-construction process but with Dave's advice, we've been able to deal with them relatively stress free.
About this blog
So, Jill and I have decided to build a new house. Our current house is OK but there are too many little things wrong with it for our liking. I think the hope is that with a new house we'll have a clean slate and we'll feel compelled to keep it in good condition. Also, the thought is that this new house is going to be the one we live in for the next 30+ years.
We'll be posting comments, pictures and progress info as we go along so hopefully this will help document the house building process.
We'll be posting comments, pictures and progress info as we go along so hopefully this will help document the house building process.
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