Foundation

I got a video text from the SR showing me the concrete truck pouring my foundation this morning!  Woo hoo!!

I didn't get over there until the afternoon but I like going over later in the day to be sure I get to see it as the day is almost done.  When I showed up, the house foundation was complete and they were pouring the garage, front patio and back patio.

This pic is from the next cul de sac up, looking at the back of my house.

I visited with a few new neighbors and spent the afternoon at the pool with one. As I walked back up I took some pics once the crew was gone.

Soooo happy we paid to have this extended to the end of the house (10x19 instead of 10x12)

And as I was getting ready to leave, my day got even better when I saw this...

Yessssss!!!  I talked to the guy who delivered it for a minute, then I had to leave because my car was blocking him from dropping it off.

Exciting!!!  I will be out of town most of next week but you better believe my husband is going to be making trips by to take pics for me!!!  Sooo excited to see it start framing up!

In other news my community is no longer advertising the Florence.  It can be special requested but they took it off the site.  I guess they are trying to promote some of the one story plans.  Nonetheless my house is truly one of a kind in the community and I love that!

PM update

Got my weekly update.  Should be seeing foundation poured tomorrow, and framing by the middle of next week!  woooo hooooo!!!

prepping for footers

I went by our lot today and was so excited to see they have it prepped for footers!  Hopefully we will have the foundation by the end of the week?  Still waiting to hear from the PM.  Once the foundation is in, it goes crazy fast!  A house down the block had a foundation Thursday, and was almost fully framed up by today!

 It looks so small when it's just the forms!

 This is our formal living room, then powder room, then family room with fireplace at back right.  Then garage, laundry, kitchen, morning room on left.

 Garage

 Here is a panoramic view of the cul de sac from the lot directly across from ours.  You can see ours rounding the cul de sac first, then the white house, then an empty lot, then our neighbors with the 3 year old little girl.  Nothing else on the street is built except the corner lots at the start of the street.

 Looking down the street toward the cul de sac

Super exciting stuff!  Every day we are one day closer to finally being SETTLED!

Forms and plumbing!

Wahoo!  I got to see the size of my house (well the first floor anyway)!  Love the size of the morning room and my view!  This pic is from the back corner of the house/morning room.

Hoping for a foundation by Tuesday if the weather keeps up!

making progress!

Our lot is clear!!  It definitely looks different but I still think we have the best lot they had available for the price.  That house back there is at the end of the cul de sac so there will be a house that rounds the cul de sac which will be to the right of that one.  

The sun is going to shine into our morning room!  And master bedroom!  Can't wait!

Standing at the top of our lot looking toward the street.  Both houses on the end of the cul de sac so far are Romes.  We are the very first Florence in the whole community!

I sent an email to the PM regarding the back right corner.  He said it would be cut in to give us as much flat space as possible but it actually isn't very cut in at all, and more sloped.  We are hoping he can cut it in just a tad more to give us a little more flat space to put a swing set.  He's going to go look at it today but all the heavy equipment was gone so I am really hoping they didn't leave and go off to another job.  

moving along!

The weather held up today and I woke up to a text from my neighbor: "They are working on your lot!"

So, I made an excuse to go over there (it's about 20 min away), and decided to take the stroller, the dog and my son's swim stuff over and I parked up at our lot.  All the trees were gone except the massive big one that was right where our morning room will be.  It looked really good!  I'm happy with our view still, even without them.

We then walked about 10 min or so down to the pool and relaxed for a bit.  My son is a water baby, he can't get enough!  Afterwards, we stopped by the model to say hi before walking back up to the lot.  When we got back up, they were clearing out all the fallen trees but the big one was still up.

About an hour later my neighbor texted me that they had just taken down the big one!

Then I got my weekly call from the PM/SR.  The SR had no update but just to say hi, but the PM had lots of goodies for me to hear!

Tomorrow they will grade the lot, and the next day if need be.

Late this week we should see some footings up laying out the footprint of the house, and plumbing by the weekend.

Monday they will backfill it and Tuesday the foundation will be poured.

This is all if the weather keeps up but it was beautiful today and no thunderstorms so I hope it keeps up!

come on already!!

We had rain today and it looks like scattered thunderstorms for most of next week.  I just can't wait to start seeing some major progress and I know they won't be able to do any foundation work with it raining.  Trying to stay positive but I feel like every day wasted is a day longer to closing.  September is a crazy busy month for us with travel for 2 weddings and I better be in my house long enough to enjoy it before we take off on these trips!!

While I was killing time waiting to go see the progress with the bobcat, I stopped in the design center to take some better pics of my samples.  I just love love love the graphite gray with black shutters and white trim!  No one else in the neighborhood has picked this (siding only) but I have seen variations of it with brick or stone.

Maple butterscotch  cabinets with New Caledonia granite

Kentucky stone for fireplace

Not so overly thrilled with the crappy closet doors...they just seem like bottom of the line to me and don't slide really smooth.

The central heat/air panel

Ahh the boob lights...these aren't so bad but I'm not in love

The design center

master closet...yawn.  hubby is going to have to make me some shelves and drawers...

At around 3pm on Friday, this is how it looked.

We stopped back by Saturday morning to see most of our little trees gone :( 

This is the closest picture I have found of what our house will look like elevation wise, except ours will be the reverse floorplan.   It is a little plain but I want to put a planter box on the bottom window to spruce it up and add some pretty landscaping and trees.  Plus we did the carriage style garage door which will add a bit more character.  I like our color scheme too though, I think it has a bit more contrast.

Here's to hoping for beautiful weather this week so they can get my lot cleared and ready for foundation!  Permit is in on the 22nd!

It's actually happening!

Excavating our lot!!! Wahoo!!

We got the pool access number from our neighbor :) loving it!

I'm happy :)

Today is my day!!

First the loan approval...

Then a call from the PM...

They are clearing our lot after lunch!!!!!

Loan approval

We got the call that our loan is approved! The Loan Processor said "you must be so excited your house is almost finished!"

I said, "finished? It hasn't even been started!!"

She said having the loan approval this early on will mean we have no loan hiccups. So that's good.

We only had one real condition, to write out what any deposit is outside of a payroll check on the past few months bank statements. And sign a couple things. They call it a "clean approval".

Yay for one thing going right today!

You all are...

Fantastic!

Thanks for all the positive encouragement. Your comments keep me going!!

My PM says we are right on the cusp of excitement and that weather permitting we will be losing all our pretty trees early next week.

I'm really curious to see if I like our lot as much without trees. Guess we don't have a choice unless we want trees instead of a morning room, and I'm not giving up my morning room! :)

I just might lose it...

So today or tomorrow SOMETHING is supposed to happen on my lot...like they are going to grade it and knock down all the trees.  But lo and behold I check the weather to see this:

For a week straight there is threat of thunderstorms.  I just don't even know what to do.  To be promised a delivery date of June 1 and now we are into August...it's just so stupid.  If this weather manages to push us beyond the date of my son starting preschool then I just will fly off the handle.

I'm trying to laugh about all this, I'm trying to stay positive.  But our house was supposed to be started March 25.  We had our pre-construction meeting mid-MARCH!  It's now mid-MAY.  

I can't say I blame Ryan homes for any of it...it has been a variety of uncontrollable things that have come in the way but right now, I am just not a happy camper by any means.

I need this to turn around and go my way.  PLEASE.

Update: I did just check the permit website and thank goodness my permit has been ordered...we are the one on the bottom.  

nope not today

Thanks everyone for your sweet comments regarding me becoming an Aunt!  So excited!

I got my weekly call from the SR/PM and the SR had no update, but the PM said that we should be seeing something happening by the end of the week.  We have had a bout of bad weather, so now everyone is playing catch up so we got pushed toward the end of the week.  Early next week we should start seeing the outline of the house in 2x4's and end of the week we should see some plumbing.

Then the week of the 27th, our foundation should be poured and we should get a delivery of lumber too.

So...hopefully when I go by later this week when I get back home, there will be something to see.  I am trying every day to stay positive through this but we are 2 months delayed at this point, maybe more.  Very very disappointing.  Really hope we close by mid-Aug.  Any later and then I will have to commute to take my son to preschool and I won't be a happy camper.

The silver lining is that because the VA appraisal was required beforehand, our loan is already in underwriting and should be out in a few days.  I am sure there will be requests and things I need to get, but by the time we get everything squared away, our loan will be finished long before our house will.  At least we won't be waiting on any kind of loan issues toward the end.  I hope I didn't just jinx myself ;)

Tomorrow?

So according to the PM we should be seeing some activity on our lot this coming week!  I hope tomorrow!!  I won't be back home until Wednesday morning so I'm hoping if I head over Thursday sometime...there will be something to see!

On another note, being out here has been a great distraction for me...and I even found out I'm going to be an Aunt!  My sister is pregnant!  I could not be happier to have a new baby in the family to love, and my son will have his very first cousin!

Exciting!  Thank goodness for a nice break from obsessing about the house!

Week of 5/13

Our lot will be excavated next week and prep work will be done so they can pour the foundation on 5/22.

We won't close until the first week in August.

Permit release date

The permit is scheduled to be in the PM's hands May 22nd!

14 days from today!

I could be annoyed that its ANOTHER 2 weeks but I am happy that it seems that is a final date that will not change and things will finally get started!

I sent an email to the PM today to get a timeline but the SR told me he's in meetings all day so I may not hear back from him today.

On the list...

Yes, we are on the list, but now we have to wait for a permit.

Once the permit hits the PM's hands, they will start the house.  So now we wait on that.  I had thought it would be a few days but the SR said "a few weeks" and I had a freak out.  She said that was worst case scenario and she would know more when she talked to the PM tonight or tomorrow.

If it takes a few weeks, I just might explode.  I swear, our house won't be done until August.  That's TWO MONTHS after they told us it would be done.  If we would have known this, we would have bought a resale.  This is just way too long to be in a transition like we are.

SR/PM weekly call

I have been getting calls every monday to "update" and weeks past, the answer was always grim.

But folks...NOT THIS WEEK!

My SR was pretty confident that we will get put on the build schedule tomorrow and the PM is ready to hit the ground running!  She said that people have been on the build schedule on a Tuesday and been started 3 days later so I'm really REALLY hoping that by the time I get back from my trip (next Tuesday), there will be something to see!

Even if it's just a graded lot (without all my pretty trees :( so sad we couldn't keep them).

Getting excited!

Hopeful this coming week

I should hear from the SR tomorrow regarding the appraisal being back and I should get final confirmation Tuesday that we will get on the build schedule.

I really hope this week is the upswing we have been waiting on.

Please no more hiccups or setbacks. Build my house.

nevermind?

Ok so after my post earlier today, I started stewing and so I texted the SR even though it's her weekend off, and she said RH is not waiting on Underwriting, they were simply waiting on the appraisal so she doesn't think we will have an issue getting on the construction schedule this coming Tuesday.

I then emailed our loan officer who said the underwriting thing is just to get the home to close on time, and we are way ahead of schedule since the appraisal is done, but there is no reason she thinks we won't be on the build schedule this Tuesday.  She said she is in on the meeting every week and she tells RH to go ahead and start the build so she said she is going to tell them we are good to go.

I guess the biggest thing was that the appraisal came back at the right amount, because previously the VA loans hadn't been appraising and it had been causing hiccups in the process but since ours appraised, we should be good to go.  She doesn't see any reason that we won't be on the build list this Tuesday and hopefully we will get our lot excavated this coming up week...and get our dang house going!

She said she emailed RH and the SR yesterday giving them the "a ok" that the house appraised and all holds should be removed and we are good to go, so please please please RH start our house this coming week!

Crossing my fingers, toes, and anything else that crosses because I can't take much more lol!!

Back to frustration.

Well the appraisal came back yesterday as you know, but now it has to be sent to underwriting.  It was sent and received by underwriting late last night.  I was told it could take a couple days, but now I'm told it may take a week.

Why does this keep happening to us?  We are SO FRUSTRATED.  Wishing we would have just found a resale.  We would have been settled by now and my husband's commute would be cut in half.  This is just ridiculous.  NOT HAPPY.

Guess what came in today???

THE VA APPRAISAL!

Wahoo!!!

Our house appraised for a whopping $76 over what we are paying for it, lol.

They are requesting a few things such as paystubs, and a HUD1 from a house we sold last year.  Once we get that over to her, it goes to underwriting and we should have a "clear to start" in a few days.  So likely early next week.  I don't think they will start my home mid-week so we may be pushed to the following week.  At this point I don't care, I just want to move onto the next step in the process!!