tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88099012704210595942024-02-19T16:37:42.235-08:00Moving Back To The Burbs: Building a Ryan Home Avalon ModelCityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-69290070493887351362016-10-18T19:00:00.001-07:002016-10-18T19:00:59.180-07:00All's Well That Ends Well . . .We closed today! It has been 17 months since we first signed our purchase and sale contract with Ryan Homes and it has been quite a journey. There have been lots of delays and lots of frustrations along the way. But we are finally done! Here are a couple of pictures we took at the settlement office with our loan officer - she's been our loan officer for 17 months!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfp6idy93uzIVb6GIe_ftXBpHvvzkYSRT8wtUTIjYKr2giPNywVKZEYq7c2QO3EiRgJO7RtvLg7kvjnd4Y_KtSIGosO52XTCk2dXvfzKj6L1zh4LzzDURFySIjaNzOAPAeblBwH4PBlpa/s1600/IMG_4785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfp6idy93uzIVb6GIe_ftXBpHvvzkYSRT8wtUTIjYKr2giPNywVKZEYq7c2QO3EiRgJO7RtvLg7kvjnd4Y_KtSIGosO52XTCk2dXvfzKj6L1zh4LzzDURFySIjaNzOAPAeblBwH4PBlpa/s320/IMG_4785.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4SgKPqf3WLzctUAIrSODNFjWBSI8eywAEuZaDcyCHbO4Sys3JYajqG6ucSXqRT-LFGrsNQbNR0VOZs8xpFQGndECOauyg8Hjb8W4fgircoqcOhrfBJKIJw3iBVCft3_KDhS67q6gr1l-/s1600/IMG_4786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4SgKPqf3WLzctUAIrSODNFjWBSI8eywAEuZaDcyCHbO4Sys3JYajqG6ucSXqRT-LFGrsNQbNR0VOZs8xpFQGndECOauyg8Hjb8W4fgircoqcOhrfBJKIJw3iBVCft3_KDhS67q6gr1l-/s320/IMG_4786.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The house turned out beautifully and right now we are just thrilled to be closed and moving forward with our lives. Here we are with our keys!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBlpyLbseqr8J7cdalM45EJ0vddyw90hj9JEV3gXiGt5qwS3v56qtK0KVS-8X-Q-zuNTDsPc-KVYG5ZDzdZdof8Yg7hYjsl1a_1n4ry-deC3qFK4ZwEfKXCH6thU3f3pKMXJi-riRlSrM/s1600/IMG_4791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBlpyLbseqr8J7cdalM45EJ0vddyw90hj9JEV3gXiGt5qwS3v56qtK0KVS-8X-Q-zuNTDsPc-KVYG5ZDzdZdof8Yg7hYjsl1a_1n4ry-deC3qFK4ZwEfKXCH6thU3f3pKMXJi-riRlSrM/s320/IMG_4791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I will have some follow up posts about our NVR Mortgage experience - would make a good Halloween story. Lol <br />
<br />
I will also have some additional posts on my thoughts and tips on the build process.<br />
<br />
But today was a good day!CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-12647896263888822452016-10-09T17:32:00.001-07:002016-10-09T17:32:55.190-07:00Final Walkthrough and 3rd Party InspectionSo we are just about done. We had our final walkthrough with our construction manager on Friday. The house looks amazing!! We are very excited to be almost finished with our build and have already started picking out/ arguing over furniture. Lol The final walkthrough took about two hours. Our construction manager took us through every room and floor of the house and explained all of the major systems, the electric panel, water main pipes, gas fireplace, garage door, etc.<br />
<br />
We are actually getting some really great energy efficiency and comfort systems that we did not expect. We have two zoned heating and air conditioning and on the second floor we actually have two thermostats. One thermostat just controls our master bedroom and closet because those are over the garage and a second thermostat for the rest of the second floor, but both are part of zone 2. There is a thermostat on the first floor for zone 1. We are getting a tankless water heater. I may update later about how well this works, but we are excited about this feature.<br />
<br />
Our house uses electric and gas. We have a gas stove, gas dryer, gas fireplace and furnace. We have an electric oven. I'm glad we were able to set it up that way.<br />
<br />
So we had our 3rd party inspector meet us during the final walkthrough and he did his inspection while we worked with our construction manager. I would definitely recommend a 3rd party inspector - at either the pre-dry wall inspection and/ or the final inspection. We only used a 3rd party inspector for the final inspection similar to the inspection you would get before buying an existing home. <br />
<br />
The biggest thing he found was that the gas line was not hooked up to the furnace in the attic - basically if this was left undone we would have no heat on the second floor and would be wondering why. Eek! This seems like a big deal and I'm grateful he caught it.<br />
<br />
So with a few final items to be corrected, we anticipate closing this coming week. Wish us luck! CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-18347173208261360692016-09-27T18:38:00.002-07:002016-09-27T18:38:35.092-07:00The Good . . .I walked through the house on Sunday and took a few pictures. It looks really good and we are excited.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0KHDjm3nmO12Z6pDzSavZemOAL2T0xABnhRuCc1w_Rqg9lLIGyo0HQKDA7_OJdF4kKdQbGvBwEEcgvZ5u2smrTvXBOmE4O75Ry1OdGcXTPEtbKfKIekaVBKuL09K2pNViDHP-T62enwe/s1600/DSC_1073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0KHDjm3nmO12Z6pDzSavZemOAL2T0xABnhRuCc1w_Rqg9lLIGyo0HQKDA7_OJdF4kKdQbGvBwEEcgvZ5u2smrTvXBOmE4O75Ry1OdGcXTPEtbKfKIekaVBKuL09K2pNViDHP-T62enwe/s320/DSC_1073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBLQJmCeSwCqDUNskRQrhmq2trtNxAbgF4y-m3TTufa9Srec_WHkAfietIicuYSMMM64aYBJnp1OKcuGkweZ3rKsfLc1P6h7HLmO6jAu-Hpj5ofBXXgsQ1qDKwBKMY0I9q-_z7welotUO/s1600/DSC_1074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBLQJmCeSwCqDUNskRQrhmq2trtNxAbgF4y-m3TTufa9Srec_WHkAfietIicuYSMMM64aYBJnp1OKcuGkweZ3rKsfLc1P6h7HLmO6jAu-Hpj5ofBXXgsQ1qDKwBKMY0I9q-_z7welotUO/s320/DSC_1074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is the kitchen. I love it. I have never had a double oven so I am looking forward to that. I think the cafe lights over the kitchen island look great. I did not think the standard appliances would be all that great but they seem pretty good so I may not sell them and get something else. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6ATjGc8YwO15Tcmi0ennLdWBByU9HIRurtPLCbhPszxoUtxixyWCyTPbXCBNqMand0egtrFXtVk2vnW-_4GAWhRvso9mmq9riona7mnIR-I8ij6tGVFA8pHvCsqV5NJBNVKnxieH1dGn/s1600/DSC_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6ATjGc8YwO15Tcmi0ennLdWBByU9HIRurtPLCbhPszxoUtxixyWCyTPbXCBNqMand0egtrFXtVk2vnW-_4GAWhRvso9mmq9riona7mnIR-I8ij6tGVFA8pHvCsqV5NJBNVKnxieH1dGn/s320/DSC_1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We got the morning room upgrade and I love it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6Md1RLhVVnsJook-9dzsPf0Ern47RE8EcmDKkcrL73yFFfuT9emL9iauVl_aqrks3j3kS4QJA_ejqgXfDH_9ioYjEBUmJ40J3tKR4xWY_YrnqLKM_tf-mzVzjxLvj30h5NZFifByGWG/s1600/DSC_1078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6Md1RLhVVnsJook-9dzsPf0Ern47RE8EcmDKkcrL73yFFfuT9emL9iauVl_aqrks3j3kS4QJA_ejqgXfDH_9ioYjEBUmJ40J3tKR4xWY_YrnqLKM_tf-mzVzjxLvj30h5NZFifByGWG/s320/DSC_1078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wi-OAsY0dlCwN13Z2z_zLbTX_LB-DmHCqtH9rNN5OHIjz32Bv_12sgPO9RHx-Hxqd3KHEISqGCUhoxlnCI8F8SpTo6wwVO0Tq0ntBx-cpQhdfGd8MYBHgeAWsDlCZMq7JYbqeaqqJs0z/s1600/DSC_1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wi-OAsY0dlCwN13Z2z_zLbTX_LB-DmHCqtH9rNN5OHIjz32Bv_12sgPO9RHx-Hxqd3KHEISqGCUhoxlnCI8F8SpTo6wwVO0Tq0ntBx-cpQhdfGd8MYBHgeAWsDlCZMq7JYbqeaqqJs0z/s320/DSC_1079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Lx_RbftAH-ni-0DjB5v60MpofTEXsnEthwYLSHdnBlRQirMv344RFIaKSmtKiIKkgKDEtTwMDVZoCpb1ffO7bGgayfMY_LbODvDlI72kWvpE3aWPAmoCGAVE14VLTDHG1kBNhisIRokw/s1600/DSC_1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Lx_RbftAH-ni-0DjB5v60MpofTEXsnEthwYLSHdnBlRQirMv344RFIaKSmtKiIKkgKDEtTwMDVZoCpb1ffO7bGgayfMY_LbODvDlI72kWvpE3aWPAmoCGAVE14VLTDHG1kBNhisIRokw/s320/DSC_1080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Pictures of the family room/ great room. I love that we got hardwood floors on the entire first floor.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrj2Oa1ShltnD-N01b-AWAuIinG6Vkubf2hPtFAwOf2_cucNf-Uo8U_Vp96fQ_XaV9WDD6YeMJvr5aeiHXdUWwq6_YvcCkJpsJBUSFiL_iEzcjZ1WUY1AXsuBQ8jUfAJkOcLTf2JhLYab/s1600/DSC_1077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrj2Oa1ShltnD-N01b-AWAuIinG6Vkubf2hPtFAwOf2_cucNf-Uo8U_Vp96fQ_XaV9WDD6YeMJvr5aeiHXdUWwq6_YvcCkJpsJBUSFiL_iEzcjZ1WUY1AXsuBQ8jUfAJkOcLTf2JhLYab/s320/DSC_1077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ShEGzHFwHkZA_EFoAaHVP01Ur2JYTcZLqXaDkHEaMq-kjM8H6TvJRMnXvNplswyvO2a8i2z56AvdCK44r2gVhJ7s_F82f2msPhQp-Y4nL8HO3HNrHMqHjpfurd0ZWJW1crUEOxJMrN2/s1600/DSC_1071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ShEGzHFwHkZA_EFoAaHVP01Ur2JYTcZLqXaDkHEaMq-kjM8H6TvJRMnXvNplswyvO2a8i2z56AvdCK44r2gVhJ7s_F82f2msPhQp-Y4nL8HO3HNrHMqHjpfurd0ZWJW1crUEOxJMrN2/s320/DSC_1071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Staircase<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR44_x8G6RxGbUTvUEys3-UrmcFojtxQCPRIDRLdfnXFr_iWsIuYVSWv48eu7X8ZqO1dYaY14-HWZ2wLlqsRjDlL9W8zWh1i_TI7jo4DdDSs3bOPCkrR14eTxomSgX3TMdacLksKXC3f_/s1600/DSC_1064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR44_x8G6RxGbUTvUEys3-UrmcFojtxQCPRIDRLdfnXFr_iWsIuYVSWv48eu7X8ZqO1dYaY14-HWZ2wLlqsRjDlL9W8zWh1i_TI7jo4DdDSs3bOPCkrR14eTxomSgX3TMdacLksKXC3f_/s320/DSC_1064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9NIW3ILMLNMkrr5PpFeXs1jBohWfSv1_6fDIHl98SJJWCP4ki0HzEK7adkwZRoRKRPBpSZiy7hJ0UqJdgWe2d-7s0QIAENyaP78OVKCVq9Iog4WlL-GY7aW2BetQDXGZrbGnDePakBwA/s1600/DSC_1066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9NIW3ILMLNMkrr5PpFeXs1jBohWfSv1_6fDIHl98SJJWCP4ki0HzEK7adkwZRoRKRPBpSZiy7hJ0UqJdgWe2d-7s0QIAENyaP78OVKCVq9Iog4WlL-GY7aW2BetQDXGZrbGnDePakBwA/s320/DSC_1066.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoD30rH5rdQu9cMuVt_WrwklVDJmm2mpHVVfgQgvlZYMfXxxbfW-Lx2dobD_lFnQlh728ahwUydr_CxsB6tPd7_Z7vqRkU-wFAUQWrJektap1mZtsM7dqGbLvjWfjq1Lv_90DT7XUFMJT/s1600/DSC_1067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoD30rH5rdQu9cMuVt_WrwklVDJmm2mpHVVfgQgvlZYMfXxxbfW-Lx2dobD_lFnQlh728ahwUydr_CxsB6tPd7_Z7vqRkU-wFAUQWrJektap1mZtsM7dqGbLvjWfjq1Lv_90DT7XUFMJT/s320/DSC_1067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUknLjdkfqEKCyCQCOMn9-vgTN9zEIDdQCha7-QT4vB5_POXa_wX-s2X06iFeuwfZ_o5mzFVEHmYaD_SNNWJci7yKIFDfQM4o-fztFtS7cO8frRQAPXzLZyzFpFYtCC8S4Qwx22oEcDdom/s1600/DSC_1068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUknLjdkfqEKCyCQCOMn9-vgTN9zEIDdQCha7-QT4vB5_POXa_wX-s2X06iFeuwfZ_o5mzFVEHmYaD_SNNWJci7yKIFDfQM4o-fztFtS7cO8frRQAPXzLZyzFpFYtCC8S4Qwx22oEcDdom/s320/DSC_1068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Finally our master bathroom - these pictures do not do it justice. It really looks great. I'm glad we got a tiled floor in the shower.<br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-18210346257832000032016-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:002016-09-27T18:25:50.463-07:00The Bad . . .So I finally had a chance to walk through the house since the flooring has been put down, lighting installed and the appliances have been put in. The house looks lovely and is coming together nicely, but (and with Ryan Homes there is always a but) there are a fair number of issues that we noticed that need to be fixed. Here are a few of them:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO7SccGURuCRMgItbjOVfmk2GguA4fwMju5zmcKnqf0u-cJaj5vsp38ZWoEyEWQu9b4BS9WPs5YX81JrWn_Rf99-g4bYGohE1XL35DK6D9NYlLqilsi1ReJSkhKiyMqaFilO23_-sovzT/s1600/IMG_4709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO7SccGURuCRMgItbjOVfmk2GguA4fwMju5zmcKnqf0u-cJaj5vsp38ZWoEyEWQu9b4BS9WPs5YX81JrWn_Rf99-g4bYGohE1XL35DK6D9NYlLqilsi1ReJSkhKiyMqaFilO23_-sovzT/s320/IMG_4709.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here are cabinets in the laundry room. As you can see the knobs are uneven. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAE_gts-F3S_CtVjUJEOhB6UbWiu6zCH48Kb-wAgafFD8pfxmwTnOxfWuCryg_SbI-ltl6az9AT1O1y_nJ2WBbcyDckx4yU6mqi87Df4T7Vo-x_T_NOjcN20ZCY-QSgTfnFyGE_NCXe-B/s1600/IMG_4718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAE_gts-F3S_CtVjUJEOhB6UbWiu6zCH48Kb-wAgafFD8pfxmwTnOxfWuCryg_SbI-ltl6az9AT1O1y_nJ2WBbcyDckx4yU6mqi87Df4T7Vo-x_T_NOjcN20ZCY-QSgTfnFyGE_NCXe-B/s320/IMG_4718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The stairs were recently stained to match the first floor hardwood floors. This was done in a pretty sloppy way, but I assume they plan to clean this up before closing. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA49R9UQEQOvxwsV2f-6gjsCc2iOKoE1RwX344hPjEkhKZmi-PovHy6tX4QsVetBmwKpxfyWNOcQv4khndZOKifkQaQD3Q9j4sInO8foBRmsoGc9zr7bzP4TMCULNRk2Mgm28jV3nnk7BQ/s1600/IMG_4717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA49R9UQEQOvxwsV2f-6gjsCc2iOKoE1RwX344hPjEkhKZmi-PovHy6tX4QsVetBmwKpxfyWNOcQv4khndZOKifkQaQD3Q9j4sInO8foBRmsoGc9zr7bzP4TMCULNRk2Mgm28jV3nnk7BQ/s320/IMG_4717.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
More troublesome, it appears that the builder started adding a carpet runner, which is an upgrade we did not get, and then realized the mistake and pulled it up, but the staples remain.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdTT67wUCHs3EDt3-KrzL_cInGumTZDpjGNMKRQC6oTwEfQ_Zdel6vKhLigmTl38ORLQpvegByWn4nh7-fJQ0Gk8TrSF0VEx1D_TlO73-ig8uMhAkby5PdG1lagGoJMSGqTCaXEiZp7B2/s1600/IMG_4714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdTT67wUCHs3EDt3-KrzL_cInGumTZDpjGNMKRQC6oTwEfQ_Zdel6vKhLigmTl38ORLQpvegByWn4nh7-fJQ0Gk8TrSF0VEx1D_TlO73-ig8uMhAkby5PdG1lagGoJMSGqTCaXEiZp7B2/s320/IMG_4714.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The stairs leading to the basement need some attention where drywall is showing through.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuoIwoNA6XuLue5THwKctgsyAtD1pWT4vauatxpQPyk4eLkaARJsgIyb3PsR4SZiiEi0mP_Hb98LGDAbZmLorH9-aOq29vo77qATI1Clesz5qgBT4jioHqBRDy-2sfsvwg5Oq4AShAarO/s1600/IMG_4710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuoIwoNA6XuLue5THwKctgsyAtD1pWT4vauatxpQPyk4eLkaARJsgIyb3PsR4SZiiEi0mP_Hb98LGDAbZmLorH9-aOq29vo77qATI1Clesz5qgBT4jioHqBRDy-2sfsvwg5Oq4AShAarO/s320/IMG_4710.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
More issues with the trim around the basement stairs<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26gR9djsc3raf3CqDNrTrT2UrG6vFf7VA3kMRXVRW9iqj3WFbf5jtwxOPBhJx0UIU_UEjLmOKDl7aFB9Y9EriuUOEgJUv8YIMm39WQKF8y-9z3XnL4hD16lWTnSFTA_l9zkXKwosBvClb/s1600/IMG_4713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26gR9djsc3raf3CqDNrTrT2UrG6vFf7VA3kMRXVRW9iqj3WFbf5jtwxOPBhJx0UIU_UEjLmOKDl7aFB9Y9EriuUOEgJUv8YIMm39WQKF8y-9z3XnL4hD16lWTnSFTA_l9zkXKwosBvClb/s320/IMG_4713.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
This is a fallen recessed light from the basement that needs to be fixed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw-CHu-xRXzliS0aH7uB9qykGIURffzRBt_0wlOnJZWE_VOaBLSsoUgmOtXXj6dklMClEkNkwavIHdaIUACvL9JspvM5dMoc99PC-NmZQVznhhNZ6HdjKDL8uyjtKWMFccnVsS6-rFM_l/s1600/DSC_1088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw-CHu-xRXzliS0aH7uB9qykGIURffzRBt_0wlOnJZWE_VOaBLSsoUgmOtXXj6dklMClEkNkwavIHdaIUACvL9JspvM5dMoc99PC-NmZQVznhhNZ6HdjKDL8uyjtKWMFccnVsS6-rFM_l/s320/DSC_1088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Finally this is a minor thing, but the gutter on the front of the house is bent.<br />
<br />
In addition one of the windows is broken. It broke during installation, but it still has not been replaced. The garage door is bent and is being replaced as well. So as you can see there are a fair number of trim and finishing that needs to be taken care of before we close. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-34590067690028701512016-09-20T19:06:00.000-07:002016-09-20T19:06:14.138-07:00Moving Right AlongSo I have not been able to keep up with this blog and match the pace of our home construction. Construction started in late July and here we are on September 20 and our house is scheduled to be completed by October 14. Here are a few pictures of the first floor since the drywall went up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSGR9AgyhnoRAjMnhVcaYmwdmpzWU7g_vca2i8Ocn2d4l3tNyx11xXsYO6dyXv_DFVqeZ4KZAqGpIW9Pcxz9_wHXu9a4JbMD8ApKm5DTjEoQYTVFQqK86nv4kcQf9mhsTgZGkZpDaCkgk/s1600/IMG_4648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSGR9AgyhnoRAjMnhVcaYmwdmpzWU7g_vca2i8Ocn2d4l3tNyx11xXsYO6dyXv_DFVqeZ4KZAqGpIW9Pcxz9_wHXu9a4JbMD8ApKm5DTjEoQYTVFQqK86nv4kcQf9mhsTgZGkZpDaCkgk/s320/IMG_4648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWhmksF3zZSPPD-6FkvtE7oIhUWRDF-rSMpy3CqJ-S0234Gucnj9Zjrfq81EPPhmM19ju3pjrwEJ8bTI3cBGefA_-ozM5e-phfV6AxH5ghAzZXxENhb0klxyThM5lmkQAL661viJ20tuu/s1600/IMG_4650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWhmksF3zZSPPD-6FkvtE7oIhUWRDF-rSMpy3CqJ-S0234Gucnj9Zjrfq81EPPhmM19ju3pjrwEJ8bTI3cBGefA_-ozM5e-phfV6AxH5ghAzZXxENhb0klxyThM5lmkQAL661viJ20tuu/s320/IMG_4650.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The first picture is a picture of the exterior of the home with siding and windows. The second picture is in the entrance way looking into the dining room. In an earlier post I mentioned that at the pre-dry wall inspection we noticed that these arches were not in. That was corrected in the entrance to the dining room. The archway entrance to the living room is still not correct. The stairs and the stair railing are in as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHod69awS5dfiN9mr08orClIfzZQZclQU_7mn-fa1o_gnVc9FB4puuUSRmueUdaxJWy2AOMla45NJMUYH0uxyhNaTqN6p6ikOOGj-9njJzy_0VNLod7izFiJGftRsD7Rh46PmhDf4enPI/s1600/IMG_4651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHod69awS5dfiN9mr08orClIfzZQZclQU_7mn-fa1o_gnVc9FB4puuUSRmueUdaxJWy2AOMla45NJMUYH0uxyhNaTqN6p6ikOOGj-9njJzy_0VNLod7izFiJGftRsD7Rh46PmhDf4enPI/s320/IMG_4651.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iNoO7i1ZCaBZf6ZTFMLt4EtppSd3FOayYkmbcjxJX_wP5suGOGCj7Lvw6YrqdrWO9rBwj5QEXo1yrfWF7y9nJ3D4sD11jCd9_Sc0vQGA2_blahQkYPUqxh26cIpZeGBH2jkmCmTzO7U-/s1600/IMG_4652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iNoO7i1ZCaBZf6ZTFMLt4EtppSd3FOayYkmbcjxJX_wP5suGOGCj7Lvw6YrqdrWO9rBwj5QEXo1yrfWF7y9nJ3D4sD11jCd9_Sc0vQGA2_blahQkYPUqxh26cIpZeGBH2jkmCmTzO7U-/s320/IMG_4652.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is the kitchen. The cabinets and granite turned out very nicely. At this point they were covered while the house was undergoing a second painting over the dry wall. The appliances will be delivered towards the end of the month.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN_xEAoMkem-DhFS4S5DwWU7gehhyphenhyphenqgYNTD7JzYUg2klBUbvWOQx7MZFxeDFTG5I9sS6XK6zlRX46i4c3mhbvKXUuysFSCvIamGKygPY6cPMO6gB-WjGLTOudt521rD6x_2vBxqiD-RV5/s1600/IMG_4653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN_xEAoMkem-DhFS4S5DwWU7gehhyphenhyphenqgYNTD7JzYUg2klBUbvWOQx7MZFxeDFTG5I9sS6XK6zlRX46i4c3mhbvKXUuysFSCvIamGKygPY6cPMO6gB-WjGLTOudt521rD6x_2vBxqiD-RV5/s320/IMG_4653.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is the "activity center" organization upgrade in the mudroom from the garage. I think it will be very useful for the boys to store their backpacks and easily locate them in the morning before school.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAH7WH5V1CLM-67Inkiqo3fbiZDhyphenhyphenLyGZEiHbH2iBrvznC7jBGl2_iHQ8Xpn3mFGLLV7w5mLvzMB9Dm_iv9x39_QXzTYsJN32QWljNkZ5FvdWIOsd8qm0dR87Vht5GOCmYrL7aHzR_W56A/s1600/IMG_4654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAH7WH5V1CLM-67Inkiqo3fbiZDhyphenhyphenLyGZEiHbH2iBrvznC7jBGl2_iHQ8Xpn3mFGLLV7w5mLvzMB9Dm_iv9x39_QXzTYsJN32QWljNkZ5FvdWIOsd8qm0dR87Vht5GOCmYrL7aHzR_W56A/s320/IMG_4654.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Final picture from the first floor is a picture of the coffered ceiling in the family room. I'm glad we chose to add recessed lighting along with the ceiling fan rough in, but we will definitely need a telescopic light changer pole. LolCityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-33052254754276432242016-08-11T04:39:00.000-07:002016-08-11T04:39:38.501-07:00Pre-Dry Wall Inspection and ObservationsSo we had our pre-dry wall inspection and walkthrough this week. We did not take a 3rd party inspector with us on this walkthrough but I plan to do that in the next couple of weeks. On the one hand I marvel at how much has been done and what a great house it is going to be, at the same time there have been a number of strange blunders that do not inspire tons of confidence.<br />
<br />
For example, in the basement the framing for the bathroom rough-in was a foot and half off so that needs to be re-done otherwise we would not be able to have a bathroom. Our construction manager caught this himself, but he said it was due to a plans and drawing error. WTF? One thing you assume when you buy a house like this from a big developer is that the drawings are pretty much cookie-cutter set in stone so this was a surprising revelation. The second basement error is that the plumbing rough-in for our bar (something my husband wanted) was accidentally put in the middle of the basement floor instead of along a wall in front of the stairs as we agreed. Our construction manager assured us this plumbing error would also be fixed, but again weird.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ_SM55XmEyRHVA06Q55z5nmT4_lu1ivNdMHJRHQIsStE3u8nWGmC4YaCpQdFptCA0qZ2kqZ5FDTcgodGMFAmqSm8rQWijn70j3oQIdoEZEaLXKmjbTrUH2-_5X_O-ozywOeCX3Cfe52q/s1600/IMG_4559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ_SM55XmEyRHVA06Q55z5nmT4_lu1ivNdMHJRHQIsStE3u8nWGmC4YaCpQdFptCA0qZ2kqZ5FDTcgodGMFAmqSm8rQWijn70j3oQIdoEZEaLXKmjbTrUH2-_5X_O-ozywOeCX3Cfe52q/s320/IMG_4559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBoGAghw5JNhRzi1p49rz86rOOk6tfnEfFKOTDRwT7HZ49y90lxisuSgMT7oaRR-DRUeNe-DETYTbK3CcY-QGGhz1GVYh2T3uAW4IdMM7Buv0V6BcsR4p4pKDudHNGpCYfBN-h0DefXeg/s1600/IMG_4561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBoGAghw5JNhRzi1p49rz86rOOk6tfnEfFKOTDRwT7HZ49y90lxisuSgMT7oaRR-DRUeNe-DETYTbK3CcY-QGGhz1GVYh2T3uAW4IdMM7Buv0V6BcsR4p4pKDudHNGpCYfBN-h0DefXeg/s320/IMG_4561.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I am attaching these two photos of the front of the house. In the first you will see the house partially framed, but no windows over the garage or door. My husband observed that we were missing windows over the garage and over the front door. We sent a note to the construction manager and after a couple of days he said they just had not gotten to it and sent the second picture showing the added windows, but I really think they forgot or didn't realize the windows were missing until we sent a note.<br />
<br />
Finally if you have seen recent pictures of the Avalon you know they have curved archways leading to the family and formal dining room and in the doorways leading to the kitchen and great room. It appeared that these arches had only been done for the doorways leading to the kitchen and great room. My husband pointed out that this feature seems to be missing from our home and our construction manager was not sure about it. It was not until we took a quick look at the Avalon across the street that is closer to being finished that our construction manager could see what we meant. Again weird that my husband needed to point out this very standard feature appeared to be missing from our home.<br />
<br />
All of this just gives me a stomachache. I realize that I liked the idea of building a house more than building it. Building it puts you right in the sausage factory and I don't like hanging in the sausage factory - I'm not sure I want to see how it's done or in some cases pointing out how it is not being done. But my husband has been really enjoying the process and stays on top of everything. <br />
<br />
They are expecting to get the drywall delivered in the middle of next week, and while they rushed us to have this walkthrough, I suspect they will not be able to start the drywall process until closer to the end of the month. That's my update for now. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-85377309326231907422016-08-04T18:07:00.001-07:002016-08-04T18:07:21.614-07:00Big Update and We've Been Framed!So for a variety of reasons I have not been updating this blog, but that stops now. So let's get to it! At the end of June our house finally broke ground!! And as most people know once Ryan Homes finally gets started things start to go really fast.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0W1o9UPiFNIJQP4LTNrwRoNUm-swUChOhNd0LRDIDIl0-dQn_HG4lyLrfJMMOzpXTsrJJ1NtjahLAwVdT0tpTnOWIYOkS0raAGauVHS2elLKWFvkWLp0sXrBOKQSCXfhQVFJiqoLDDKB/s1600/DSC_0859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0W1o9UPiFNIJQP4LTNrwRoNUm-swUChOhNd0LRDIDIl0-dQn_HG4lyLrfJMMOzpXTsrJJ1NtjahLAwVdT0tpTnOWIYOkS0raAGauVHS2elLKWFvkWLp0sXrBOKQSCXfhQVFJiqoLDDKB/s320/DSC_0859.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It took a couple of weeks for Ryan Homes to fully clear our lot and and start the foundation. But once that was done they quickly put up the temporary foundation posts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jgBM_TIX3quBgXpNjn0kohGrcapuK7lJqRqGMQkEVX1tLpBuKxckglO3SXpuYupMvaVWjtujImTmYx5gDmxcQMrJVj-niIqVuhd4-1BCPaMN7u3j0se8nhff9wH_hWkokTwcTXN2XOYZ/s1600/IMG_4511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jgBM_TIX3quBgXpNjn0kohGrcapuK7lJqRqGMQkEVX1tLpBuKxckglO3SXpuYupMvaVWjtujImTmYx5gDmxcQMrJVj-niIqVuhd4-1BCPaMN7u3j0se8nhff9wH_hWkokTwcTXN2XOYZ/s320/IMG_4511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPT7J_Yky-nD5bms3n70VAokEodftcOYtA1_q1XcGJdYMFgKzPpsaOniOTM2RMe9XdzT3OCsVlrEI6iZPlq8GB4-vp8RV6JYZ1kStv7ROm9wey0PikiJlodbdbO819s_oRRJcQJ0o_9_9/s1600/IMG_4512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPT7J_Yky-nD5bms3n70VAokEodftcOYtA1_q1XcGJdYMFgKzPpsaOniOTM2RMe9XdzT3OCsVlrEI6iZPlq8GB4-vp8RV6JYZ1kStv7ROm9wey0PikiJlodbdbO819s_oRRJcQJ0o_9_9/s320/IMG_4512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUDnLqhb-EI_0NXSC8UvAFzzy4f847DFMSbL8A5bomraoiVjusggBZI5yHpqX6N9tcj-NDRrMh01Y7wRb4tXsDhu4BfBDkRlccN0fEJU4wtK5UrxOc_08DQ8h44x6TbiD0-fFnSg6I8zU/s1600/IMG_4516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUDnLqhb-EI_0NXSC8UvAFzzy4f847DFMSbL8A5bomraoiVjusggBZI5yHpqX6N9tcj-NDRrMh01Y7wRb4tXsDhu4BfBDkRlccN0fEJU4wtK5UrxOc_08DQ8h44x6TbiD0-fFnSg6I8zU/s320/IMG_4516.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Then all of a sudden the foundation was in and framing began. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNmdh3KDTuXWhhAHAMx_4TOSekklI-hcp5EwAb-u2ZQLE_oP9Vpq5ac0HslTkw2Nu64CudkZYok6DtFbCFOQLIp8iJPjM0bGJoieqbfltdytwEpi2TLBp8JcUPwd2Vb722FHzvvSgHsuz/s1600/IMG_4545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNmdh3KDTuXWhhAHAMx_4TOSekklI-hcp5EwAb-u2ZQLE_oP9Vpq5ac0HslTkw2Nu64CudkZYok6DtFbCFOQLIp8iJPjM0bGJoieqbfltdytwEpi2TLBp8JcUPwd2Vb722FHzvvSgHsuz/s320/IMG_4545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibakoZqnrYBuB08bzApPipwCrWmXEHalLXdZUvQXAXdXqvvEAEhRyDUs6svAL5WQXUi2hrRF_liawhou27o_Wiclker-lXYSuUgPioXL6obgtqxJGDk73qa9eV-jNU4BqVlqxOsyQs_PuM/s1600/IMG_4546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibakoZqnrYBuB08bzApPipwCrWmXEHalLXdZUvQXAXdXqvvEAEhRyDUs6svAL5WQXUi2hrRF_liawhou27o_Wiclker-lXYSuUgPioXL6obgtqxJGDk73qa9eV-jNU4BqVlqxOsyQs_PuM/s320/IMG_4546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Our construction manager has been great. He has been great about answering questions even though he is working on five houses at once. Please see earlier posts regarding the year long delay in the start of this community and why Ryan Homes is working hard to get everyone in their homes by the end of the year. My husband visits the site every Thursday and our construction manager always spends time with him. He is organized and patient. We are feeling very good about things so far.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNDTMS18oxbrRgUp4FfDElnrx2F4JVk-rHjH7blMvD_iag0pzLg8Z_8MZP-Y4xQFu_l0cmkG1Ly2Mg5-g83PlygOFNiGoeNekXxxmG4bHtrMi8OXc_ITsjJRcUpEUpfXXJUEd7TWdS5kG/s1600/IMG_4559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNDTMS18oxbrRgUp4FfDElnrx2F4JVk-rHjH7blMvD_iag0pzLg8Z_8MZP-Y4xQFu_l0cmkG1Ly2Mg5-g83PlygOFNiGoeNekXxxmG4bHtrMi8OXc_ITsjJRcUpEUpfXXJUEd7TWdS5kG/s320/IMG_4559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfLeaYaTw6xLrJiDkb3BRhmoT8Do8ACiCarfx4LSmb436tFjVg0PRr4aH52PsW-W23XkKT-hvr1jSpuRJbgXfABSbbYktnH75rMIG9HNtNDFv83BMRizTizyKaxvt57-TGiHG0OnaPHCb/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfLeaYaTw6xLrJiDkb3BRhmoT8Do8ACiCarfx4LSmb436tFjVg0PRr4aH52PsW-W23XkKT-hvr1jSpuRJbgXfABSbbYktnH75rMIG9HNtNDFv83BMRizTizyKaxvt57-TGiHG0OnaPHCb/s320/IMG_4560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Right now we are scheduled to have our pre-dry wall meeting on August 10. As others have advised I will try to get a third party inspector in just to make sure everything is on track. But so far we are excited, just need to pull my pennies together to pay for this thing. I may do a post in the next week or so on the latest from NVR mortgage - always more exciting than it should be. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbNG4ys4SU15EaU58rKLIBnoSH309PXs9kEY6BpQJe9UAJZ9_wSz5FsALE-XTZqve6DEIu0_yJ7Pfy3LvYhFPUhgK2GYgVXJkKAmqns_l0anl1GZm7a7kPC_mgoP4XX-4rTdaw5HAWnDo/s1600/IMG_4517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbNG4ys4SU15EaU58rKLIBnoSH309PXs9kEY6BpQJe9UAJZ9_wSz5FsALE-XTZqve6DEIu0_yJ7Pfy3LvYhFPUhgK2GYgVXJkKAmqns_l0anl1GZm7a7kPC_mgoP4XX-4rTdaw5HAWnDo/s320/IMG_4517.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-34823594640789075472016-05-27T16:41:00.002-07:002016-05-27T16:41:23.554-07:00Pre-Construction Meeting and New Construction Start DateSo we had our pre-construction meeting on Thursday May 26 with our sales representative and our construction manager. After so much time the meeting was both a pleasant relief and somewhat awkward, with our sale representative and construction manager clearly feeling a little anxious about the long delays and wanting to make sure we understood everything and were ready to get started.<br />
<br />
<br />
And I'll be honest, a lot has changed in a year. The delays and limbo have taken a toll on my family. We have all been crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment for 11 months that we were only planning to stay in for 3 months. My sons did not want to change schools, but were excited about finally each having his own room. Eleven months later and they are still sharing a room. We have all questioned whether this was a good idea or something we rushed into without doing enough research on Ryan Homes.<br />
<br />
But here we are. Going through the selections again I was struck by what a large beautiful home we picked out and I can see why last May we signed a contract to have that dream become reality. We signed up to finally have a big, beautiful adult home - we thought we were "adulting" like crazy. Lol<br />
But as is often the case things did not turn out as planned. But I am hopeful that once construction starts and we get to have the fun experience of watching our dream home get built that this long delay will start to become a distant memory. But so far, not so much.<br />
<br />
In terms of the meeting itself, we learned that the start date for our house has been moved up from June 13 to June 8. Our construction manager will be starting a new house in our phase each week through early July. I know Ryan Homes is anxious to complete this development that has cost them much more money than they anticipated. I hope the accelerated schedule does not mean they will cut corners, but I take heart with the fact that I know Howard County is very strict and will closely monitor what is being done. We also learned that instead of a bioretention pond for stormwater management we will have a buried dry well. I looked up these systems on Howard County's Department of Public Works website. On the one hand I thought the bioretention pond took up a good part of the front lawn of the house, so I'm happy not to have it, but the buried dry well seems like it may be more work to maintain and could cause more problems over the long haul if it gets backed up. I will be asking more questions about this system. That's it for now, I will update again with pictures once construction starts. <br />
<br />
<br />
CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-33108031326374018892016-05-06T18:36:00.001-07:002016-05-06T18:36:44.774-07:00We Just Scheduled a Pre-Construction Meeting!Hello! I'm back! Well it is almost a year to the day that my husband and I first signed a contract with Ryan Homes to purchase a new home in a small development called Montgomery Crossing. If you have followed this blog, and I know there are one or two of you exactly that have, you know that our house was originally slated to be finished in October 2015. But it turned out that despite what Ryan Homes initially told us (and what they say they understood) the developer did not have permit approval to build the road and infrastructure to be able to build homes on the land. So our house was not started last year. In fact it took the developer eight months to get such approval. But after that very long wait, which included angry phone calls, and additional funds towards closing, we are finally getting started. <br />
<br />
Hooray! We are going to our pre-construction meeting this month and our house is scheduled to begin construction in mid-June. We are beyond thrilled. But until I see a big hole in the ground, I'm not celebrating quite yet, but this is definitely progress. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-30702491448166850252016-03-15T17:34:00.000-07:002016-03-15T17:34:24.804-07:00It's 2016 and We're Still Waiting . . .So back in September I wrote that I was not going to update this blog again until my house started, well it is March 15, 2016 and my house has still not started. We are beyond frustrated at this point, and it seems we are not alone. In fact none of the houses in our "second phase" has started because no plumbing or sewer or road has been installed. There has pretty much been no activity at our development since Ryan Homes hastily sold all of the lots during the middle of last year.<br />
<br />
During this process the most annoying aspect has been the lack of information and communication from Ryan Homes. Our sales representative called us once a month from September through November with cryptic updates, and she never had any specific information about the delays or the house start. It was really astounding.<br />
<br />
So I must say I was surprised when at the end of February we got some encouraging news from our sales representative. It seems that the developer that Ryan Homes has been working with has finally received final sign offs from the county on the water and sewer plans for the development and can now start on the infrastructure and site development. And what's more - in recognition of all of the delays Ryan Homes is offering us an additional $5,000 towards closing costs - if we use NVR Mortgage of course. We met with our sales representative in early March and went back through our choices - it has been so long that it was nice to go through everything again. If all goes well, and at this point I will assume nothing, our house should start in June or July. So essentially our house will be ready one year after we thought it would be ready. <br />
<br />
That being said until they break ground we will continue to feel like we are in a holding pattern and were duped by a home seller more focused on tying up our deposit than making sure they deliver our house in a timely manner. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-8010107412449658882016-02-27T09:02:00.001-08:002016-02-27T09:02:07.336-08:00"It's Not Us, it's the Developer!"So no our house has not broken ground yet, and no we do not have a new start date. So we are still in a frustrating holding pattern with Ryan Homes.<br />
<br />
We have been waiting for our house to start since July 2015. It has been a frustrating situation as everytime we are given a likely start date it changes. And I have learned something during this process that I think all people considering a build with Ryan Homes should know. While under your purchase and sale agreement you are buying a lot and a house from Ryan Homes, according to my sale representative Ryan Homes is only responsible for the home part. Yeah - doesn't make a lot of sense.<br />
<br />
But according to my sales representative Ryan Homes works with a local developer who is responsible for assembling the property and preparing the lots for the build. Once the developer has done that, Ryan Homes buys lots as needed to build its homes. But Ryan Homes apparently has little control over how quickly the local developer can assemble lots, get site improvement permits or complete the site work. And that has been the delay for our development. The local developer does not have site approvals and so our lots are not ready and so we wait. How long - who knows, because the answer from Ryan Homes is always "it's not us, it's the developer". CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-52873055656459463062015-09-09T18:48:00.002-07:002015-09-09T18:48:38.519-07:00Delays, Delays, DelaysI definitely did not start this blog with the purpose of becoming yet another dissatisfied Ryan Home buyer with a tale of woe on the internet, but I'm afraid that's how this might end up.<br />
<br />
So my husband and I drove by the new home site - just to torture ourselves these days and we saw no signs of building of any kind. There are 5 homes completed on the site and three of those homes were completed more than a year ago. All of the lots have sold signs, but there is no construction equipment on the site and the road leading to our lot has not been cleared or paved and of course we are now heading into fall and cold weather.<br />
<br />
My husband and I called our SR to find out if we were still on pace to have our house started at the end of September or early October although we already knew the answer. But it was still deeply depressing to hear that there is no clear start date for our house now because the developer in charge of site acquisition and preparing the foundations has been delayed in obtaining permits and approvals to install gas and water lines and finish the road. So now our start date has been pushed to at least November and probably even later in the year. <br />
<br />
I just feel like we were basically lied to when we signed the contract. Because while it's true we were told that the contract gave Ryan two years to build the house, we were also told that the provision was intended for condominium projects where a whole building needed to be pre-sold before construction can start and not single family homes. And we were told our house would start in July. And if we had been told the truth we would not have bought at this location because not getting to move in until Spring 2016 (a real possibility at this point) was outside of our timeframe. So for now this will be my last update on this blog unless and until we have a start date.<br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-10333602336483232122015-07-24T20:57:00.000-07:002015-07-24T20:57:13.774-07:00Updates and An ApprovalWe sold our house this week and have now moved into an apartment not far from where our new house will be built one day. Lol!<br />
<br />
So after being alarmed at not hearing from NVR Mortgage for weeks and weeks and then getting a strange message from our new Loan Processor, I did contact my Sales Representative and she got to work. And this week we got our approval from NVR Mortgage. Yeah! But I also learned that our house will not break ground until the end of September or early October and we will close in December or early January. So we will be moving again in 6 months, but this time in the dead of winter. That was not so great news.<br />
<br />
But this was a big week for us. We are back in the burbs and one step closer to getting our new house. <br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-75506050774501480512015-07-14T18:27:00.002-07:002015-07-14T18:27:54.590-07:00No Home, No Loan But Selling My House Next WeekWell I have not written a post in awhile because my build seems to be more or less on hold. My house sells next week and after that we will be in a two bedroom apartment near where our new house is supposed to be built.<br />
<br />
But we have not gotten any word on our loan approval and no word on when construction for our house will start. Back in May when we purchased the house we were told it would start in July so I rushed to put our house on the market so we would be ready. But now that seems premature.<br />
<br />
I have decided to wait until I have officially sold my house before I start having a real fit with NVR mortgage and our Sales Rep - but the time is near. It just seems ridiculous for the price we are paying to have so little communication or regard for the upheaval of having to put the kids in new schools without knowing for sure that you are even going to be able to build the house you want - or that it will be ready sometime this year. It seems I should have paid more attention to the endless criticisms of NVR mortgage and Ryan Homes on the internet. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-16298277789879838172015-06-28T17:39:00.002-07:002015-06-28T17:39:39.799-07:00I Have Sold My House! Yikes!So we put our house on the market on Friday June 19 and we got a contract on Thursday June 25 - $11,000 over asking price after just 6 days on the market! We are excited, but now I really need Ryan Homes to hurry up and give us a start date for the construction of our new house. But I am happy that the house has sold and we will have the money to close on our new house if and when our house ever gets built. CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-13642117845649128872015-06-19T17:17:00.000-07:002015-06-19T17:17:01.315-07:00House of Cards?!So today is June 19 and we signed our purchase and sale agreement on May 1 and according to the agreement we should have had a loan approval decision within 45 days of signing the agreement. We do not have a loan approval yet, in fact I'm not even sure if the loan has gone to underwriting. We gave everything we were asked to give to the loan processor at the end of May, so at this point I do not know where things stand. I am trying to go with a no news is good news mantra, but I'm getting a little concerned with the lack of information.<br />
<br />
As I reported earlier we received a ratified contract from Ryan Homes in early June, and since then we received an addendum increasing the price after our Guardian appointment, but we have not received an addendum increasing the price after our selection appointment. Our sales rep says she is waiting for it. That was a week ago. So I'm starting to get concerned about that. But again, I guess no news is good news. <br />
<br />
One thing is clear right now I don't think construction will start on our house in July as we were told back in May. At this rate we'll be lucky if it starts before the end of the summer. Meanwhile our house officially went on the market today. I'm not sure if I hope it sells quickly, or if I hope it takes a little time given that we are looking at being in an apartment for several months while we wait for the house to be built.<br />
<br />
So lots up in the airCityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-43066877617637339202015-06-08T18:52:00.003-07:002015-06-08T18:52:50.977-07:00Summer SaleWe met with a real estate agent to sign listing papers and talk about when we are putting our house on the market. I have been working on getting our house in order to sell since May and coordinating contractors, decluttering and organizing feel like never-ending and overwhelming tasks. But at this point I see the end in sight and a for-sale sign in front of the house in the next week. <br />
<br />
I'm not worried about us being able to sell our house in DC. It is the age old adage of location, location, location - and right now DC is a hot location. That being said since we have signed our life away to Ryan Homes, so I am pretty anxious to get our house on the market and sold so that I can check that off of my to-do list and I can relax knowing that we will be ready to close. <br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-17693020927036522922015-06-05T18:05:00.002-07:002015-06-05T18:05:32.745-07:00We Have A Ratified ContractToday we received our ratified purchase and sale contract from Ryan Homes. We signed the purchase and sale contract on May 1, but until today we had not received the contract back signed by Ryan Homes. In the e-mail that they sent they said we can expect to hear from the Project Manager soon. I am really excited about that. I am hopeful that they will start building our house in July, so this gets us one step closer.CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-80475834292840539152015-05-30T10:03:00.000-07:002015-06-01T19:32:31.197-07:00The Guardian AppointmentMy husband met with Guardian last week. I did not go, but we both looked at the electronic brochure that they sent and talked about what we might get. We kept it pretty simple. We bought the Smart Connections package that gives you a multi-media outlet, 5 additional outlets for cable, phone or data, "centralized" Wi-Fi, and a "Smartbox" in the basement. With Ryan Homes only providing 2 phone and 2 cable outlets standard you are almost forced to buy this Smart Connections package - although you can buy individual additional cable and phone jacks from Guardian for about $95/ jack (that's the cost in our area). <br />
<br />
We also bought the wall t.v. pre-wire package so we can put a television over the fireplace in the family room. Finally my husband also got a two room audio package for the family room and the basement. I'm not sold on this, because while I love to listen to music I know we don't all like the same music at the same time, so I'm not sure how much we will use it. Plus with the availability of bluetooth and a Beats Pill I'm not sure hardwiring this type of stuff into the house is necessary. And given the way technology changes it sort of feels like anything we choose may be obsolete by the time the house is built and we move in. Lol!CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-39133655238132055002015-05-29T21:29:00.000-07:002015-05-29T21:31:05.417-07:00The Design Center - Part 2So after giving it some more thought and looking at lots and lots of pictures of master bathrooms, I decided that I needed to make some changes to our selections. I know, kind of crazy - but since Ryan Homes allows us to make changes to interior selections until the end of the month I might as well make sure I'm happy before I make a final decision. <br />
<br />
But with Ryan Homes you can not just show up to the flooring center on a weekend and revise your choices. You must make a new inconvenient week day appointment. So I had my appointment at M&R Flooring on Friday at 9:00 a.m. I was the only one in the showroom in the morning so I could really concentrate and pull together different combinations. I ended up upgrading the tile in our master bathroom to a nice stone without a border. This took us from Level C to Level D. I just don't like the border pieces and I know a cleaner look will look more classic and make me happier.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQpjoi-pnhWGPKi8o7MyFIl8OyS15uAhJKsrtYvlBN1bd6_zTrRidG8DxdwaO33dD0-GmzGkgO6XRiq-ujNBVGrmAmsXNEhF-csupyepb10agWZ759zrEInvnIpgJMwk0LG8tyxEoE1oK/s1600/IMG_3145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQpjoi-pnhWGPKi8o7MyFIl8OyS15uAhJKsrtYvlBN1bd6_zTrRidG8DxdwaO33dD0-GmzGkgO6XRiq-ujNBVGrmAmsXNEhF-csupyepb10agWZ759zrEInvnIpgJMwk0LG8tyxEoE1oK/s320/IMG_3145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmqs9tsq_eZM20wwOwMePaHLGjWwa5RKdQHmVC37SW-eKYq-ZD4cl64fdfO8v7pV9JgeCA9BYHJ2l1wv-0bzSExoaHl-248znFRpbukWX8_iXP1FEhSThQQq7vpdxCYTL2Pj7t-QZWF4J/s1600/IMG_3144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmqs9tsq_eZM20wwOwMePaHLGjWwa5RKdQHmVC37SW-eKYq-ZD4cl64fdfO8v7pV9JgeCA9BYHJ2l1wv-0bzSExoaHl-248znFRpbukWX8_iXP1FEhSThQQq7vpdxCYTL2Pj7t-QZWF4J/s320/IMG_3144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
To make sure costs stayed around the same, I downgraded my sons' bathroom from level C to level B. So they will have white 6x6 tile on the wall around the bathtub and a 6x12 stone floor on the floor. I actually like this better because the white tile will match the white standard bathtub and look more natural. I also saved $600 doing this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCwSMWdL9GR43Keau1xxpJtLrgHIsYpTjA0u6rtWo1YNGqOKrGz44oITscqWKluXq3grHoObtvbe2LgKdQZnxWymqTLbWZJH-KGDIY3ChvEyttVDIpnc-DQleGboERiVwgJyvPwFAr6Dr/s1600/IMG_3146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCwSMWdL9GR43Keau1xxpJtLrgHIsYpTjA0u6rtWo1YNGqOKrGz44oITscqWKluXq3grHoObtvbe2LgKdQZnxWymqTLbWZJH-KGDIY3ChvEyttVDIpnc-DQleGboERiVwgJyvPwFAr6Dr/s320/IMG_3146.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We are also getting a special order to tile the shower floor. My husband really hates the standard fiberglass shower floor so I'm excited about being able to do a mosaic tile in the shower. <br />
<br />
Finally I picked out a kitchen backsplash. I am doing a simple bone colored stone in subway tile size. I love the way it looks but it costs $1800 so I will see if I need to remove it to save costs before it is all said and done.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Jgwx4y4Q4LLgbWxU3NznKVf-uxUDs3ajfMV3m9IYduly5ShQrpVnjFxwmHTwNgFq4vwDv__HJMURfuGWjunpoEpZfQf1YuFcSVQpyMwOITQmpT4wUm3JV2RvbKYEvdGfuR4rDqoIJbDB/s1600/IMG_3143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Jgwx4y4Q4LLgbWxU3NznKVf-uxUDs3ajfMV3m9IYduly5ShQrpVnjFxwmHTwNgFq4vwDv__HJMURfuGWjunpoEpZfQf1YuFcSVQpyMwOITQmpT4wUm3JV2RvbKYEvdGfuR4rDqoIJbDB/s320/IMG_3143.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But at this point I am happy with our selections.<br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-82045994253852266952015-05-14T18:52:00.000-07:002015-05-17T18:16:45.189-07:00Decisions, Decisions and the Illusion of ChoiceToday we met with our SR to make any final structural changes and to pick out our exterior colors. We learned we had to change our original elevation B to elevation C because the family who bought the lot across the street from our lot picked elevation B first. We were kind of bummed about this because elevation B adds two feet to your foyer and really creates a grand entrance. But elevation C is very nice and will include a porch. In addition to changing our elevation we added some additional ceiling rough-ins in the second, third and fourth bedroom and added recess lights to the study. So at this point I think we are all set with lighting, but my husband has not met with Guardian yet so there may be some more electrical changes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4vn48ytbfp-0Chw9_oZTMXAIbj1dFplPear3WQQWLntUCR2lX-9m8m3qTmW08XGmXmHO-6QUezM82ExCq38gPTOcRGwf1JBL1FdS8vgksC-hw_7vB-9lqwK515uuygrcA5BjdwRz51eW/s1600/IMG_3123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4vn48ytbfp-0Chw9_oZTMXAIbj1dFplPear3WQQWLntUCR2lX-9m8m3qTmW08XGmXmHO-6QUezM82ExCq38gPTOcRGwf1JBL1FdS8vgksC-hw_7vB-9lqwK515uuygrcA5BjdwRz51eW/s320/IMG_3123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Next we met with our design consultant at M&R Flooring to pick out our tile, flooring and carpet. So I know this experience is meant to be fun, but personally I found it kind of nerve-wracking. First, our design consultant was very nice, but was definitely pushing us towards upgrading almost everything. And while I know that's her job, I found that sort of annoying. Because let's face it when everything is "just $400 more" or "just $1000 more" - the final tally is a lot, lot more. Lol! Second, and this may just be me I generally did not find that Ryan Homes offered very much variety in either their standard options or upgrade options. On the one hand I guess that's a good thing because you really can not go wrong, everything seems to work well and the palate is very neutral. They definitely have a "formula" in terms of what customers want and what is cost-effective for Ryan to offer. But at the same time I would have liked some more choices. Now I may feel this way because this is my third house and I have renovated a house in the past so I know what I like and I know what's out there at boutique kitchen design showrooms and even Home Depot.<br />
<br />
But starting with the cabinets - the cabinets I have now in my renovated kitchen are solid wood maple, dovetail construction, and soft-close. None of this is available in either the standard cabinets or the upgrade cabinets Ryan offers. Why not? Second, Ryan offers about 8 granite choices all of which I'm sure you have seen a million times in standard variations of gray, tan or black. But quartz, Corian, marble, or other colors of granite can not be obtained as an upgrade or even as a "special custom" order - and yet you can walk into any Home Depot and find these other solid counter surfaces - so they are clearly things that can be mass produced. So again, why not? We picked out a very nice traditional Gunstock wood floor for our house, but it would have been nice to have the choice to pick out bamboo or more exotic wood floor choices. But that did not seem to be an option - the floors were either a choice of 4 traditional hardwood floors or 7 or 8 "engineered" hardwood floors. And while I believe it is best to keep hardwood floors simple, it would have been nice to be offered Brazilian Cherry or something more exotic. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz7qvDOyWE6zdMiZxKdh4-aC2Oytjc5EYimTo2MJNjHkDYhElDDviECNYDA9qWw1lgd5EYTNpYBqkRuIoWxmA_oCstGyIiO20OQWAvJq02xkhFVK2yxXRUy3hm9w8Wnc-bcjEzh7jEbJl/s1600/IMG_3124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz7qvDOyWE6zdMiZxKdh4-aC2Oytjc5EYimTo2MJNjHkDYhElDDviECNYDA9qWw1lgd5EYTNpYBqkRuIoWxmA_oCstGyIiO20OQWAvJq02xkhFVK2yxXRUy3hm9w8Wnc-bcjEzh7jEbJl/s320/IMG_3124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The bathroom tile options were also fairly unimaginative - everything involved a 12in tile and decorative tile border or the standard 6 in. white tile. We did find something we liked, but it was kind of hard. We decided not to pick out a kitchen backsplash and do that after the house is built. All in all I am happy with our choices and we didn't go to overboard with upgrades - the biggest upgrade for us is getting hardwood floors throughout the first floor. This is costing us about $8,000 - but it really is a non-negotiable for me. Sigh! I guess I should be grateful for these "problems".CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-54670252466972109012015-05-12T18:13:00.001-07:002015-05-12T18:13:40.492-07:00QA BacklogWe signed our purchase agreement with Ryan Homes on May 1 and per the contract we were required to apply for a mortgage loan within seven days. We applied for a loan with NVR mortgage last week. Before the appointment I sent over most of the required documents and after our appointment we had a few additional documents to send over. Our LO (Loan Officer) asked us to send the documents over as soon as possible so that our file could go to the Quality Assurance department and then on to underwriting. I sent over everything on Friday, but as of the close of business today our loan application has not gone to the Quality Assurance department. Our LO says there is a backlog because of the number of loans going to underwriting right now. Apparently the real estate market has really picked up in Maryland and lots of people are buying houses. I guess that's a good thing, but I'm anxious to get the loan approval process started so that construction can start on our house in July as currently scheduled. But for now we are waiting.<br />
CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-30577005723692099202015-05-07T17:44:00.000-07:002015-05-07T17:44:00.160-07:00NVR Mortgage Approval and the Paper TrailToday we met with our loan officer (LO) at NVR Mortgage. To get the process rolling on buying a new house you need to get a loan approval - presumably from NVR Mortgage. Of course when it gets closer to the time you actually close on the house you can try to obtain financing from another lender, but I think at this stage of the game it makes the most sense to go through NVR Mortgage. Our new community is not offering much in the way of incentives, in fact Ryan Homes recently raised the prices of the homes. But they are giving $10,000 towards closing costs if you close with NVR Mortgage so that is nice.<br />
<br />
Before our appointment I e-mailed most of our documents to our LO in advance so that made our appointment go very smoothly. I thought our LO did a good job explaining all of the documents and walking us through the process.<br />
<br />
At this stage of the game the most nerve-wracking thing about buying this house with Ryan Homes is that they do not allow contingent contracts, but we have not sold our current house. And we plan to use the proceeds from the sale to pay the down payment and closing costs. But since Ryan Homes does not allow contingent contracts we need to show on paper at least that we can buy the new house even if our house does not sell. A classic chicken and egg problem - I'm sure made more serious by the recent housing bust. So to show you have enough money you basically need to agree to empty every savings account you've ever had and then some - but make sure you can track those funds. Because while it would be great to get that money from a money tree - Ryan Homes won't accept it without a paper trail. So not that much fun. But we got through it. So at this point I think I can safely say we are buying a new house. Yeah us!CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809901270421059594.post-8472518754776088482015-05-04T19:31:00.001-07:002015-05-07T17:45:26.709-07:00The Journey Begins - A Contract with Ryan HomesLast Friday my husband and I took a leap of faith and signed a contract to buy a new home in Howard County. I grew up in Columbia, Maryland and I loved it. I always thought it was the prefect place to raise kids, but my career has always caused us to live in or near cities and that has been fun too. But as my kids have gotten older, I have decided that I would like to move out of the city. <br />
<br />
So we have decided to sell our house in the city and move to Howard County. We have decided to build a new house because we have never done that before and my husband has always wanted to live a new house. It sounds kind of corny (and is definitely expensive), but hey you only live once so you might as well do a few things that make you happy.<br />
<br />
Once I decided that we wanted to build a new house I did some research on new home developments in Howard County with home prices in our price range. There was not much. Lol! But that's ok - sometimes having a limited choice makes it easier to make a decision.<br />
<br />
But a few observations about Howard County after being away from the area for almost 20 years. Today if you want a single family house in Howard County you will need to look outside of Columbia. The only new housing being built in Columbia are townhouses or condominiums. I think townhouses are great, but at this stage of life for my family we need more space than that. If you want a single family house then you are looking at Laurel, Clarksville, Mt. Airy, Elkridge, and maybe Ellicott City. Also, get ready for some real sticker shock. It is amazing how little house you get for half a million dollars these days. And even $1 million does not buy anywhere near what you think it would buy.<br />
<br />
So given all of that I was thrilled to find that Ryan Homes was building a small community of homes in Howard County close to shopping and 95 on decent sized lots and in our price range. My husband and I have actually been looking at new houses for a long time - it has sort of been a hobby for us. Over the last 10 or 15 years we have looked at Ryan Homes communities in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. So we had a sense of their product. My favorite Ryan Home model has always been the Avalon so I was thrilled that they were offering that model. Now in the past I have always felt that Ryan Homes nickels and dimes its customers with a seemingly low initial price for a bare bones house that by the time you add necessary options the price is just as high as other developers. I was pleasantly surprised that this development offered lots of nice standard options like stainless steel appliances, granite countertops in the kitchen and master bathroom, oak stair and metal balusters, and hardwood floors on most of the first floor. We looked at the community one time and immediately asked to put down a deposit. They made us wait until May 1 to put in a contract. Our journey has started.<br />
<br />
<br />CityGirlTurnedSoccerMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00920795386451411733noreply@blogger.com1