I Need a Bumper Sticker: Early November 2015
It’s MOVEmber! We’ve actually started packing and Ryan has moved (pun intended) into high gear. We have dates! Cabinets go in on the 9th, granite a few days later, and built-in appliances on the 16th. And it’s time to sign an addendum to our contract that more accurately represents the price of our home. Yes, all of those little “must haves” add up to a new contract price and the lender is going to need updated paperwork. While the builder is doing your bidding, make sure your lender has your back! We’re working with a local bank, North State, and it’s really nice to email or call and get action. As a Realtor, I highly recommend working with a local lender, rather than an online lender. To take that one step further, working with a lender that your builder (in this case) or your agent is recommending, can save you time and/or money. Both are important. Relationships are valuable.
We’re in the countdown stage. It’s Tuesday, November 3 and a paperwork day – spreadsheets and contracts. Time to make all of those changes official. Ryan has been very accommodating and agreeable and we’ve been nodding “ok” with each dollar amount attached to the change. It adds up! Richard and I went over everything and there isn’t a single thing that we feel is out of line or unreasonable. When we’ve made a major change, Ryan has credited his original allowance to offset the upgrade. A few things we bought outright for his team to install. That saved us the markup on those items. Nearly all of the new expenses are in the kitchen and on the porch and there’s no surprise there!
The good news is that our interest rate actually went down a little bit! So, with all the changes and the new rate, our wonderful upgrades will cost us $1.06 a day. And it’s worth every penny.
One other change is our closing date. Instead of November 30th, it will be December 4th. We’ll use the four-day Thanksgiving weekend to finish packing. Time to call the movers!
The bathroom tile is started, the hardwood floors are in, and the interior doors have arrived and are being hung. There are now locks on the doors, which seems to be a defining moment in the process.
The lesson learned today is that once you have made a decision, move on. You can make yourself crazy re-thinking your choices. The what-ifs are a very dangerous game to play so close to finishing. Trust yourself. Trust your builder. Maybe I shouldn’t go back until it’s done.
On November 5th, I went to the house to meet Stacey and there was no place to park! There were so many people working on our house and the ones on both sides of us. Carlton Pointe is busy!
We marked the area for the 10×10 patio, which completed the list. Front porch. Screened porch. Deck. Patio. All the outdoor living spaces in one house and this makes me happy. And all of our selections are taking on a life of their own. Seeing samples and pictures is not the same as seeing them in place. It is coming together now.
Building and buying are two separate things and both can be trying. In this case, both our lender, Bill Duff with North State Bank, and our builder, Ryan Perry, have been easy to work with. We submitted an amendment to the contract to accommodate the increase in price. The appraisal has been ordered and paid for, credit has been checked (again!) and proof that we are both still working has been submitted, along with current bank statements. Now we wait for a final approval.
At lunchtime on Friday, I took four pizzas to the house. Most of the crew were on a lunch break already, but since they’re mostly guys, I’m guessing it still got eaten! They were finishing up the exterior siding and the stone will go on next week.
On Saturday, November 7th, Richard and I made a quick trip out to see the exterior and found that the cabinets have been delivered! Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are all ready to be installed on Monday, which is right on schedule! The stone work should get done this week, too. Wonder if they will do the porch fireplace at the same time? Next week is appliances!
The next day I did some shopping and bought beautiful mirrors for the master bath, so we had to go out and measure to make sure they would fit. They will! As we were looking around, I noticed a couple things that I would like to have changed in our upstairs closets, so I sent an email to Ryan. It’s seems a little petty, but the trim guys are still out there, so now is the time to tweak shelf height and depth.
We had a quick response from Ryan and they will make my requested changes. I’ve decided that GC doesn’t just stand for General Contractor, because in Ryan’s case, it also stands for Great Communicator. I need a bumper sticker that reads:
On the loan side, things are moving along as well. The appraisal has been ordered, new homeowner’s insurance is arranged, and we’re expecting an early “clear to close.” Glad that’s all going smoothly.
Long after dark on Monday night, I got a call from Marc, the trim guy, to tell me that he was headed back to “my” house and he said he’d update me on those closet revisions. About 30 minutes later, he called to confirm that the changes were made and that the family room fireplace surround is almost complete. Then he sent a picture and I love it! Not going to share the picture now. I’ll wait until it’s complete for the “wow” factor. Stay tuned!
