Stopped by after hours and another E-neighbor

We stopped by the house tonight after hours.  All locked up tight.  But the lights were in and the hall floor!  =)  Gotta love peeping into your own windows.  lol

The also finished the outside shutters and it seems we are waiting on cement now.  =)

And we have another E-neighbor!!
http://megandgreggshome.blogspot.com/2011/06/basement-garage-concrete.html

Oh Snap!!! & # 21

I only have 3 more weeks until closing!!  You have GOT to be kidding me!!    Here has been my summer so far:

YAY WE GOT THE HOUSE!!

YAY We won a trip

Clean and pack for trip

Go on trip

Unpack from trip and do laundry

Start packing the house...slowly

Sister's bday

And I'm also planning my baby sister's bridal shower. I have to send invites out in about 5 weeks, so I'm trying to plan and pack. 0.0

Then there is our day-to-day life of raising the 3 kids and trying to keep their life as much "normal" as possible right now. DH is working longer hours (12-14 hr days 5 days week and a 10 hour day), so he's not around much to help right now.

I'm doing it alone. But, my MIL is helping pack whenever she can. She came over for an afternoon this past weekend and is coming again this weekend. Life is a bit crazy around here right now. lol So in the next 3 weeks I have to pretty much have all I can pack up, packed up. Wish me luck!! With DH gone, it's not as easy as I'd hoped. But, I'm determined to do it and make his life as easy as possible when it comes to packing.

Now on to the countdown . . . . # 21 THEIR OWN ROOMS!!

My kids get each have their own rooms!! I am MOST excited for this one. My eldest will be 10 in Novemeber (5 months) and she is tired of sharing a room with her 6 yr old sister. I don't blame her. She hasn't come right out and said it, but her frustration shows. She's a good kid.  She has tried to make the best of it.

They currently sleep in a bunkbed. She is ready for her "big" bed back. I think it's a full, but may be queen. She's ready for a quiet space to call all her own. I understand that.

My 6 yr old is also pretty excited about having her OWN room. But for her it's less about privacy and more about control. She knows she can forbid her sister from entering it and that makes her feel special. lol  I also know the first night in the new house will be hard for her. A big new room, all alone. She has been sharing a room with her sister since she was 3 1/2. It's gonna be a tough transition at night I think. But we'll get there. =)

And my baby girl, my 2 yr old will have a room to put most of her toys in and play.  (no more toys all over my den!)   It will be a real room! Not a storage room with her bed in it. =(     My kids will start having a NORMAL life again!! I can't tell you how much this means to not only me and their dad, but to each of them too. =)

Hmmmm....maybe when they get their own rooms, they'll be less bickering btwn the two.... One can always hope! lol

# 22 SINKS! (and small update and goodbye)

I guess I'll just keep going with this bathroom thing.  lol 

Our Upstairs Hall Bath has dual sinks!!  =D    I have 3 girls!!  The older two (9 and 6) fight over who gets to brush their teeth first all the time, and who is in who's way here with one sink.  I am so happy to be giving them a bigger bathroom with 2 sinks!  And to tell the truth, they are both really excited about it too!  I cannot describe their faces to you when they saw them.  "Lit Up" just barely scratches the surface.  =)  Glad to be making them happy again!

Now my 2 yr old care less at the moment.  But, I know sooner or later she'll be glad for that 2nd sink too.

So today's countdown is dual sinks!


I did drive by my house earlier.  They were in the middle of hanging the last of the shutters (hurray!).  And, the drive way, sidewalk, and curb had been all leveled and staked out for pouring.  They were working on the public walkway when I drove by.  I didn't get out.  I didn't get any pictures.  Better to wait until it's all done.

To Anon who pulled their contract:  You were the one we met, right?  Who's daughter my eldest played with at the model?  I'm sorry to see you go.  But like I said, we each have to do what's best for us.  And no 2 families are alike.  I wish you the best of luck in the future!

#23 Bigger Shower

The shower in the house now is maybe 2 ft by 2 ft.   (maybe 3 ft by 2 ft)     I get clausterphobic in it.  I HAVE to shower in my girl's bathroom.  It's THAT bad. 

I love that in this house we opted for the Alt. Bathroom with the larger shower with seat/step in it.  =)  I could have used that when I was pregnant!  lol  But finally a shower I can use!!  =)

Granite is in! And the verdict is...... In between!!!

Well, I stopped by today and talked to our Rep (see the other post for the update on the fence thing).  I also went by the house and the granite was in as well as our shower.  =)  YAY!!

I was THRILLED with the granite.  It wasn't as dark a honey as the first picture of my last "granite" blog, and not as gray as the 2nd.  It was a good in between mix and I'm thrilled!

I pulled back the protective layer.  A nice light honey!  =)  Now the space on the

wall behind it will also be covered in granite once the electrical is complete as well.

My Eldest Niece and my 2 eldest girls

                     

SHOWER!!!

Towel Bar!!  Hubby thought we needed to purchase these.  =)

Wish we had working lights right now to really see it.  The morning room is off to the left

                      

That's it!  So far so good.  =)                                              I am a happy camper!

The Mills Peeps....I have heard from our Rep .****UPDATE****EDITED

Hi *Noey*

It is no problem, as I definitely understand where you are coming from. I hoped to have a better answer for you before responding but I don’t. Just know that everyone is aware of it and are working on coming up with a solution. Unfortunately, since the CCRs are already record at 4’ we have to rely on the developer to make amendments to them. I am working on putting together some information and statistics to help support our cause but at the end of the day they have the final say so. I know that it was frustrating and a shock and I apologize! I am going to work on this very hard for you, I promise!!! I will let you know as soon as I know more!!

Thanks!

"C."

                                                                                                                                    

So there it is.  She IS working on it.  But because the developer already has this stuff on record there is only so much she can do.  I do believe she didn't get this information until more recently, as I know she told us back in Feb. and someone else not far after us, that she did not yet have this kind of information.  So there we have it.  She is doing ALL she can (as if she doesn't work hard enough already) to help us all out since so many of us wanted the privacy fence.

There are SEVERAL other nicer neighborhoods in the area who also have the 4 ft restriction on fences, and one goes as far as to say NO sheds and NO fences other than wrought iron.  So it could be worse, right?

I'm glad someone is on our side and trying to help us out.  Maybe if she can somehow get this overturned we can all pitch in and do something nice for her.  Because lets face it, it's a BIG deal to some of us.  I was grateful to hear from her and even more grateful to hear she is working to help.

So that is my update.  If/When I hear anything else I'll let you know.  (although I'm not sure it will be before some of us close).  If any of you hear anything new, please be sure to let me know.


UPDATE!!! 

I talked to our Rep today.  She was on the phone with her mangers when I got there.  Here is pretty much the summary:

They have gotten a lot of info together and have found out that only 2 of their neighborhoods DON'T allow 6 ft fences.  Everyone is hopeful that they can get WF (Wells Fargo) to change it to 6 ft fencing.  HOWEVER...there is always the possibility that WF may say "No.  We are trying to get a new developer to do all this, so we'll leave it up to them".    No can say for sure what is going to happen.  But they ARE working on it and they seem hopeful.

I know it's not much and it's not definitive, but it's all I got.  I love the neighborhood, love the location, love my house.  I love that there are no HOA fees at the moment.  

I was pretty much told if we want to build the fence, go ahead and do it.  There is no HOA or Architectural Commitee to over see it right now.  You have a 50/50 shot of either keeping it, or being told to take it down later.  They could change the rule, grandfather you in if they don't, or make you tear it down when the HOA does get started.  It's a "do it at your own risk" type of thing right now.

I can honestly say our Rep had NO idea that the fence limit was only 4 ft.  She was shocked.  Especially because the one house does already have it.  I guess we all assumed it was okay.  I do know she and her managers on this and doing all they can do.  But in the end, it's up to WF.  She did say that if they do change it, it may have some limitations (you may have to have a certain amount of space between the boards or lattice at the top or something.  Police and Fire need to be able to see into the yards, that is why all the newer neighborhoods pretty much all have the new 4 ft restrictions these days.  At least the ones in our area).

I am happy we can at least have a fence with our kids and dog.   The prices of the houses are really good in there right now.  It's a good location, good schools, and the neighborhood has a LOT of potential.  (maybe we should all run for HOA board members when the time comes.  lol)  In the end, as much as we REALLY want the 6 ft fence, it's not a deal breaker for us.  We checked out the Abbington, the Orleans Homes neighborhood, and Lennar.  All the "better" neighborhoods like The Mills is planning to be.  All have 4 ft fence rules too.  You want a privacy fence, you may be sacrificing what kind of neighborhood you live in (trust me... I live in one now and.....yeah....no wonder people here have them...they are mostly all batsh*t crazy).  

For us, after discussing it, we'd rather have a smaller fence, with a great home, at an excellent price, on our pick of lot, in a great neighborhood....  over a more expensive house (or not) in a questionable neighborhood that really needs you to have that kind of fence. 

#24 Throne Room!!!

That's right.  One of the things I'm MOST excited about is what I refer to as my husband's "Throne Room".  He can retire to little potty closet in the master bath any time he wants and it will NOT disturb anything I have to do!  =)  (ok...and visa versa.  lol)

I just LOVE the fact the toilet has it's very own space and door!  YAY!!!!   No more waiting to use the shower or the sink!  God bless the wonderful individual who came up with the "Throne Room" idea!!

What's left??/

Ok, so this what they are HOPEFUL to get done this week:


1.  Granite comes in and installed (some question as to this will happen this week or next though)
2.  Hvac, Plumbing, Eletrical Trim install and finish
3.  All the above inspections
4.  Driveway poured
5.  Carpet

I think he is hopeful that next week (he said "soon") we would
1.  Finish outside paint and put shutters up
2.  Sooner or later my stove will come and be installed.

I know we need andscaping to do too.

So um....What's left after that?


The floors will be done, all the rough work, the paint, the outside.....

Since we've never built before, what's left?  He warned us our house would be finished weeks before closing.  0.0  I know we have our pre-settlment the 20th and closing the 22nd.

What else is there guys?

WELCOME MS.RO, random stuff, and questions.

First of all... WELCOME  Ms.Ro!!!  I am can't wait to share your Ryan Journey with you!

http://road2ryan.blogspot.com/2011/06/so-excited-to-be-building-my-first-home.html?showComment=1309139355628#c8820778284195466803

That's her blog ya'll, if you want to follow!  She just signed today!  CONGRATS!!!



Also, I sent my Rep an email.  I felt HORRIBLE about pretty much yelling her via email about the fence thing.  I hope she accepts my apology.

I also found out,   I AM OLD!!!  Yup.  I'll be 34 in August, and I'm officially old.  Wanna know why?  I just found out the little girl I use to babysit is building right up the road from me...literally.  Can she really be old enough to be married and building a house?  Man, I'm old.  She was THE SWEETEST little girl.  Gorgeous too.  I think I ran into at the grocery store not to long ago.  Still absolutely beautiful.  And now, she is building in our neighborhood.  How is it I am this old already?

I found out she was building in there because my husband got talking to what ended up being her Dad at work the other night.  Go figure!  And now not only is my family looking to build in THE MILLS too, but hers is considering it as well.  lol  (background:  She and I lived in the same neighborhood when I babysat her.  And my family and hers still live there.  So now we all may be moving to the SAME neighborhood again.  lol)

I took my Mom and my MIL by my house for the first time yesterday.  Our Rep was busy so she gave us the key.  It was also the first time our toddler was IN the house too.  =)

My mom and MIL seem to really like it.   I was able to take my MIL to the model and show her.  But remember, my sister took my Mom without me.  So it meant A LOT to me to take her to MY house.  It meant a lot to me they were both there. 

My little girl seemed to really like it too.  We took her to what is to be her new room and she kept saying "Room!  Room!"  She was VERY happy in the that room!  lol

Can't wait for this week.  More trim work...electrical, plumbing and HVAC!!!  WOOHOO!  Hopefully by weeks end it will all be up and running and the carpet will start being installed.

Now some questions for you bloggers....

1.  When did they install your hall or hardwoods/laminate.  Our kitchen/bathrooms/laundry is done (vinyl).  They are suppose to start carpet this week, if all goes well.  But when should the wood laminate be put in the hall?  Any thoughts?

2.  I was told our appliances dropped on Friday.  Our microwave is up and the dishwasher is in a box in the den.  But no stove.  I'm not worried, but should I be?  I just kinda assumed it would come later.  It's not like they are going to give me the house with no stove (yes...we're suppose to get one).  lol  Just wanna check and make sure I'm not being to lax.  lol

Anyway, that's about it!  Hope ya'll have a great one!

Countdown Catch-Up!

I have some catching up to do since I was out of town!!

#28 Hall Entry into house Vs. Room Entry

 I love that when you walk into our home, you walk into a hallway, not smack dab into the middle of the den.  Some of the homes around here do that, and I just don't get that.  It's a personal opinion, but I don't like that.  I like having the hall entry.  It's more formal maybe?  Even on split level homes, you have a landing to welcome you.  Maybe a place for coat tree or something.  But just walking into a room (like a den) just seems a bit invasive to me.  So I am very pleased with my hall entry.

#27  BANISTERS!!!

I love that we decided to upgrade to banisters.  It was my hubby's call.  At first I was leery.  I have seen spinals loosen with time.  But like him, I do like the look.  I also like that having the banister vs. the wall makes it so much more fun to decorate during the holidays!  (You put lighted garland on and wrap around the top and main posts.  Then you get decorative ornaments on pretty ribbon and hang them down every so many spaces.  VERY PRETTY!)  Can you tell I love Christmas?  lol  You can also do fun things for holidays like Easter and Halloween.  Not to mention the "see through" effect.  I can "see through" the banisters and keep a better eye on what the kids have and are doing vs. a wall.  lol 

Plus, we have a 1/2 wall upstairs here, and the kids think it's a place to STORE things on.  GRRRR    No more of that!  lol

#26 NO TILE FLOORS!!!!

Don't get me wrong, tile floors are very pretty to look at!!  And pretty easy to keep clean too.  =)  But let me tell you something....THEY ARE COLD!!!!  VERY VERY COLD!!  I don't like cold floors.  It's a shock to the system when your bare feet hit them, especially in the winter.  BRRRR!!   The house we have now has some tile flooring.  I'll will not be sad to leave it behind!  lol

#25  Dual Zone HVAC!!!

Right now, we live in a 1900 sq ft 2 story POS home.  It has 1...ONE!!!....HVAC unit to heat and cool the ENTIRE house.  It sucks.  My upstairs NEVER cools off.  And you REALLY don't want to be up there in the summer.  YUCK!  And downstairs NEVER warms up.  We contacted our rental company several times.  Several people of come out to look at it.  In short, this house should have had 2 units, not one.  And the thermostat of course is downstairs.  It's been hellish, but we have survived.

I can't wait to be in the new house!!  One system, dual zones!!  I can set the upstairs and the downstairs how ever I want it!  We tend to like the upstairs cooler at night.  Helps everyone sleep better.  Now we can FINALLY do that!  And, I won't be paying out the nose over the summer months to have my HVAC until CONTINUALLY running.  I hoping the bill between what we pay here (1900 sq ft 11 yr old home, with the unit on and running almost 24/7, plus fans running in the rooms upstairs all day) and the bill for the new home (around 2700 sq ft, duel zones, and energy star certified home) won't be to much different from each other.  We shall see.  But I am very very very excited to have the 2 zones and 2 programmable thermostats!


And for now... I think that catches me up.

LIVID!!!!! If you want to build in The Mills, don't expect privacy

Ok Mills builders, guess what....

I just found out, as of right now, we can't have a fence over 4 ft high. Yup. That's what the covenants say that the original developer put on the land (you know the one that went bankrupt). GRRRR Did that dumba$$ idiot even realize that MOST breeds of dogs can clear a 4 ft fence? What's the point of a fence that small? Let alone teenagers and older children? (yes, some people's kids are horrible and I have experience this already first hand at another home with a 4 ft fence that my then boxer cleared, along with teenagers cutting through). I AM LIVID!!!!

We planned on having a privacy fence put up, you know, the 6 ft kind. I will eventually have a house behind me who's side yard will back up to my backyard (I'm on a corner). I have NO intentions having them being able to see into MY backyard. When we are out to play or have family get togethers, I want privacy.

I wrote our Ryan Rep. I pretty much told her we haven't closed on the house yet and we refuse to until this fence matter is settled. I told her if we had known we could not have a privacy fence, we would have NEVER bought in there.

And why am I just getting this information now...less than a month before closing? And why was given to me by my family looking to build and NOT by Rep? The date on it is Dec. 2007!!!!

There is one house on our street already, and they DO have a privacy fence. From what I'm told, it's because of them they are looking into an exact fencing policy. And does anyone know what in the world a "duel fence" is? We can't have those either.

I have 3 small kids and a dog (by the way, you can't own more than 2 of those either and live there), I need and want my privacy fence.

Livid. I. Am. Livid. So word of warning ya'll, if you want to build in there, I hope you aren't planning on having a lick of privacy. You won't.

I am waiting for our Rep to get back to me with some more definitive answers. When I know, I'll pass them on.

ATLANTIS PART 1!

OK.... I wrote a blog about our trip to Atlantis for those who were interested. Here's the link:

http://randomness-noey814.blogspot.com/2011/06/atlantis-part-1.html

Sorry this entry is NOT about the house. lol But I have to catch up on my countdown AND I have more pics to go and take, so I'll be spamming you all soon enough. lol

Went by the house today...... EDITED 2

So of COURSE I went by the house this morning. =) My PM noticed me drive up and came straight over to say hello. I love him! He was explaining about moving some of the electrical work outside to a corner of the yard for later, so this way no one will tear up the yard later. He thinks of everything. =) He also told me about extending the curb and that next week we hope to have:

1. The rest of the shutters put up (on the stone side)
2. More electrical done inside and plumbing so we can start up inspections again
3. Counter tops put in
4. Driveway poured

I think that was everything, but who knows. lol He asked if I had been in yet, and of course the answer was "nope". So we chatted quickly and then I was off to take some pics. The wonderful hard "worker bees" were upstairs installing the cabinets and flooring in the bathrooms up there. I was NOT going to get in their way. But since they were upstairs, I took the girls on a tour of downstairs. Here are some pics:

It's a real fireplace now!

I have banisters!

A Kitchen!!

For my Fridge! I see what they meant by no crown molding on the cabinets offered because of this space here. NO ROOM! Make sense! We may opt to have it added to the other stuff later though

Taken through the outside window

Still needs shutters on the one side (They've been ordered), some paint, and gutters, but hey... I'm thrilled!

EDITED:

Ok, it's about 4 pm and here is what I got from our most Awesome PM (yup even though we talked, he STILL emailed me!! He's sooo getting a 10!)

Hey, I hope this finds you doing well.

As we discussed earlier today, we were able to complete the stone veneer this week. As far as the exterior goes, we are looking to get set up for a driveway toward the end of the week next week.

The inside of the house is turning out great, I love your cabinets. We were able to get the interior trim installed along with the wall tile. We also caulked and painted the interior trim. Today they are installing the flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. Your appliances also delivered today. Next week we are looking to get the plumbers, electricians, HVAC guys, and guardian back in to trim out the house. Once this is complete we will be able to go for our inspections. After these pass we can install the meters on the house and get the systems started up. If all goes well we will be installing carpet at the end of the week.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks, and have a good weekend.


J


WOOHOO!!!




Edited Again....#2

We went back by the house this evening. WOW!! =) Bathrooms have flooring, cabinets, sinks, and tile! =) We also had flooring in the kitchen/mudroom/morning room and in the laundry room. Our microwave was installed and the dishwasher was sitting in our den. No sign of our stove though. =/

I hope they aren't finished with the flooring though. The kitchen floor (is gorgeous and will match the granite!)had issues. Especially along the walls. It was in no way secure and came up and out from the wall. NOT HAPPY. But I am hoping they just laid it down and will come back tomorrow to finish up.

I forgot to put the SD card in the camera, so no pics. Sorry. =( Can you imagine my disappointment? =/ I will go back tomorrow evening WITH the SD card and take pics. If the flooring isn't fixed, I'll send copies to my PM.

Over all...pretty darn happy though.

I'm baaaaack! lol And for Suzi.....

Thanks everyone! I had a blast!!! Working on getting pics to you. There are a lot. And you know how slow Blogger is about uploading pics. lol

Suzi: You asked about the community pool in The Mills. From what I know, Ryan is NOT finishing the pool. WF (Wells Fargo) is the developer right now. We were originally told the funds were there to do it and it would be done by next summer. But now we are being told WF is looking to sell to a new developer and they will complete it. *shrugs*

I do know our PM said several developers have been out there looking around. There is definitely interest in it. But he also said who knows when it may actually get sold. It could happen tomorrow or next year. No one knows.

I know that one blog follower said that their realtor said we should have probably no later than Summer 2013.

You also have to realize there will have to be enough houses built to collect HOA fees from to sustain the pool and upkeep. You know? They aren't going to just build it and open it and have no way of affording the upkeep. No one is just going to swallow that kind of money.

I do know that lots are selling at a pretty quick rate. And I also know that EVERYONE knows that a pool is a major draw for families. A new developer will want to finish it, when there are enough homes in the neighborhood to pay for the upkeep.

So I think what it comes down to is this:

1. You can have a better choice of lot now, and wait for the pool and pay no HOA in the mean time.

2. You can wait, have a more limited choice of lots, and then pay the HOA as soon as you move in.

3. Pick another neighborhood, pay more money for a house (which means higher mortage, b/c let's face it, the prices in The Mills are pretty awesome right now), but have your pool immediately.

It's a personal choice only you can make. I would weigh all your options and make the decision that is best for you and your family. GL! Let us know what you decide!

Farewell, good luck and congratulations!

Well guys, I leave here at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. I'm going to miss you guys, but I'll be back Thursday night. So I plan on spending the weekend catching up on all ya'll's blogs!

To those with dealing with things right now, I wish you the best of luck and hope I come back to read wonderful outcomes!

And those of you who are closing this week: CONGRATULATIONS!!! I really am so happy for you! GL with moving!

Love ya'll!! Be back soon! And hopefully I'll have some awesome pics. *hugs*

Freaking out just a tad

I have been thinking about my kitchen-to-be lately. I am freaking out about the granite choice. I think we should have picked something maybe with a little more honey in it?? I don't know.

I thought I was getting:

Ends up I think we're getting this:

see:

When we changed our cabinets, we didn't look into the granite. We picked flooring that complimented the granite (or at least seemed too with the darker wood). We shall see!

Then of course in un-related house matters.... I am starting to NOT like the fact I am leaving my children for a few days. I won't even tech. be in the country. Makes me nervous. I have the best sitters in the world (family) but I'm going to miss them sooo much.

EDITED TO ADD~ Apparently there is a difference in St. Cecilia and Santa Cecelia granite. Google wants to ask for the first spelling, which is more honey in color. However Ryan offers the 2nd one, and it's more grey. So be careful when you google the choices you want. Be sure the spelling is correct!!!

Trim and a Teaser

My Trim Load dropped today! YAY!!

We have the baseboards, the doors, the door molding, the screens, the cabinets, the mantel.... SO EXCITING!!

Here are some pics:

DOORS!

BANISTERS!

BASEBOARDS!

ROOM FULL OF CABINETS

We also had a thought... even though we got the highest upgrade of cabinet, we may not have gotten the crown molding. =( We REALLY wanted it. Every picture I found online had it. Our wonderful Rep never mentioned anything to us either way, but then again, we should have asked and not assumed. Kinda sad about that one. But the good news is our cabinets have raised panels and are plenty decorative. So we'll be okay. Just kinda stinks this is something we did not cross our T's and dot our I's over. Lesson learned. If you guys want them... make sure to ask if it's included or if it's an upgrade. And if you need a change order, do it BEFORE the Pre-con meeting. We do have a call in to our Rep, just to make sure...

Now for the teaser. . . .

I'll be gone next week (man I'm going to have DT's from withdrawal from ya'll), and here is what my PM says the schedule is for next week:

The cabinets will be installed on Monday and the trim and doors will be installed on Tuesday. Wednesday we will do some drywall and start caulking the trim to the walls. On Thursday, we will do a second paint. Friday we will install the flooring at the bathrooms and the kitchen.

As far as the exterior, I have the stone scheduled to start on Tuesday and they should be finished by the end of the week. Duke Power did install their undergrounds to the meter base, however the power does not get turned on until after the electricians install their fixtures and go through a final inspection. We still have a couple of weeks until this happens. They will remove the meter from the temp pole and install it on the house. Once the meter is on, we will have power.

Let me know if you have any questions.

J.

So when I get back, I should have some AWESOME pics for you!!! =)

# 29

# 29 on my countdown list is Carpet Padding and Carpet!!!


Yup! That's right. I can't wait to be in a house with upgraded carpet padding! Our rental now does NOT have it. And, it stinks. We chose 8 lb padding for our downstairs in the new house (started at 5 lb, then 6, then 8, and then I think it went to 10, and I have no idea what came after that).

One draw back we have found in not upgrading the carpet padding is that the temperature on the floor in the winter is literally 8 degrees colder than the temperature up by the thermostat. (down stairs...same room) How is that energy efficient? It's not. Now granted this home is 10 years old, but still. NOT fun!

Then, we have 3 kids and dog. Accidents happen. And with a tiny little carpet pad, stains are a horrible thing to deal with. We do try to keep the drinks corralled into the kitchen, but our toddler is another story.

The extra padding is going to be such an improvement. I wonder if we'll be able to feel the difference walking on it?

We also upgraded our carpet to a LEVEL II carpet throughout the house (it goes basic, level I, level II, Level III, and so on). It has a great warranty, is soft and cushy. My husband can't wait to take a nap on it. NO LIE! I think this upgrade will also help with wear and tear, as well as stains. =)

It is going to be so awesome going from a house with no upgraded padding and basic carpet, to one with 8 lb padding and upgraded carpet!! WOOHOO!!! Can't wait!

Countdown #30

I know I'm a little bit early in starting my countdown, but I'll be out of town when I'm suppose to start it. So... I figured I'd start early. =) Besides, this also gives me a few days to recoup from my trip. lol

#30

So many things I like and am thankful for. I guess I'll start with

Elevations!

The Milan is offered with 5 different elevations in our neighborhood. And everyone one of them looks good. I don't think there was a bad one in the bunch! We ended up with Elevation L.

I am a really a big fan of this elevation on this model, but not on all the models. I do think it adds a little something to the Milan. It's also referred to as "the cottage look".

I love love LOVE the stone! And I love how the pillar up front looks. I love how it comes with the window box, nice front door and pretty garage door. I love accents around the bottom window, both the extra molding and the stone work. I also love the middle top two windows.

We weren't sure if we would do this elevation. But my hubby was set on having some kind of stone or brick. So we looked at the price of Elevation C vs. this one. The difference was only a few hundred dollars. So we did it.

In all honesty, I don't think the Milan Model has a bad elevation. We have looked over them all and I think everyone of them is nice. =) I think it's just a swanky looking house. ♥

So that's how I'm going to kick off my countdown. Being thankful for how beautiful this model looks....in all it's elevations! Inside and out!

Ryan Change their policy? Inspection changes?? Confused.

My PM said something the other day that got me thinking....

At our Pre-drywall he mentioned a 6 month inspection. I just looked it up on our paperwork.... It mentions a 6 month inspection, and then later on mentions an 11 month. Did they do away with the 30 day inspection? And is the 10 month inspection now a 6 month inspection?

I never caught that before! I had mentioned 10/11 month inspections to both our Rep and PM (at that meeting acutally) and NO ONE ever corrected me. WHAT!?

The paper is a bit confusing. It reads:
"....plus a 6 month inspection, our warranty is one of the best in the business."

But below it it lists a 1 yr Drywall Inspection and says "call Ryan Homes approximately 11 months after closing to schedule appointment"

Can you see why I'm a bit confused?

I emailed our Rep yesterday to see if she can shine some light on this. I am so confused. And of course, no answer. Not even a "I'm checking on it". And now she is off until Saturday.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE our Rep!!! She has been phenomenal in so many ways. However..she is not getting that coveted 10. I sent her an email over a week ago about the dimensions of where the fridge would go (our PM said to contact her). I STILL haven't heard back.

I don't call because I have kids and trying to have a phone conversations is like trying to walk the tight rope...it takes talent, balance, and concentration I just don't have with 3 kids who just HAVE to pick when you are on the phone to have issues. Plus, most stuff I ask of her I know she needs time to look up. So I figure shoot her an email, and I should get some kind of response in 24 hours. Not days or weeks. So as great as she is, and she is great, her ability to answer email has earned her less than 10.

So anyway...can anyone else shine some light on this for me? Have you noticed changes?

Siding is complete, Garage door is in....

Some pics. Our siding is done! =) Just waiting on the stone masons now. Once the stone work is done, the shutters on the other side will be on, and they can put up our porch pole. =) Maybe when we get back from vacation that will be done...we'll see!! Eventually our door will be painted black too.

No work done at the house today. Waiting for the trim package to drop on Friday.

So anyway, here are the pictures:

MomofTwins

Hey girl!! Where are you? We are all left wondering what happened with the wiring and the...um.... not-so-great PM you have?

I have re-read the comments and I agree with them all!! If they don't get their act together...walk away and SUE SUE SUE!!! Get your money back and make a big stink about it all!! I cannot believe all you have had to go through so far. The bloggers are right, you haven't closed yet. And with all you've been through I don't think there is a judge or jury out there that wouldn't give you your money back AND make Ryan cover your attorney costs.

Anyway, point being, I'm worried about you. I hope you're ok and Ryan has stepped up and fixed EVERYTHING and your PM got off his lazy butt and has given you a closing date.

*great big hugs*

We miss you!! We're all worried about you!

Oh...and how did Kody do at his new therapy place?


Blogger execs: you really need to find a way for us to have home pages for private messages or some kind of blogger mail box or chat feature.... Just an idea.

Worker Bees, a pic for a blogger, and a story

Stopped by the house this evening to see the new garage door. I was surprised!! Workers were there! Putting up my siding! =) It was after 5 o'clock too! I told one of them hello and said they were doing a great job. He smiled and thanked me.

Some pics!

The Garage door was in, but it was up. I'll go back late tomorrow and see if I can't get a good picture. Siding should be done then too. Then we will need stonework done, but I know that happens separate from siding.

The drywall has been worked on too. No more nails showing! =)

Oh and I loved this one!! This is for one certain blogger... from me with love:

Our realtor saw this at our pre-drywall and commented on how she liked seeing that. It's on several windows throughout our house. =) She told me a story of how they have this closet that's under the stairs. After purchasing their home (new) they knocked out the back wall of the closet so they could utilize the space directly under the stairs for storage. SURPRISE!!! Guess what they found?






wait for it










Ready?






Did you guess?



TRASH!!! That's right. Apparently under the stairs is where the workers threw their food and drinks and then walled it up! *gasp* Unbelievable! Now she purchased her home a few years ago. So it's not like it's something going on where I am now. But wow!! I'd been livid! You are just asking for ants and strange smells, and ... yeah. YUCK!

So when I saw these posted through out the house, and after hearing her story, it made me think of a particular blogger who is having issues with this in her building process. So I just had to share!

As for my place now, it's starting to come together! And I'm so pleased!

Opps! and Yay!!

So apparently I did NOT understand my PM's email last week. I wrote him back to see if I understood it all correctly. Glad I did. I learned I did not understand it. What's is wrong with me?

"The garage door is coming tomorrow. They ran short of siding but should be finish at the end of the week. Trim should be installed at the end of the week as well." (this is a direct quote from the e-mail) WOOHOO!!!

So we get to see it all before we leave for vacation! There are no words for how excited I am right now!! I'll be there a lot after hours this week to take pics. I have to get fill in before we go. Plus, if the trim is being installed inside, I'm about to be locked out. I have to get my "fix" while I can. lol

I'll have to limit my visits now. Our poor Ryan Rep is so busy. The last thing she is going to need is me there hassling her all the time to please please please let me in the house. After we get back, we'll have to keep it to once a week.

C. if you are out there and reading this, please know that I will try my hardest to only stop by and bother you to let me in the house once a week!

I wonder what my neighbor is going to do when they get locked out? They are there just about every day.

And, I just got closing scheduled!! We close at 1 PM on July 22nd! =) I don't think we'll have anyone to watch the kids. So my plan is to take them through a drive through and they can eat there. That will keep them some what pre-occupied during the closing. Told ya'll I would do something first thing this morning...this was it! We're good! =)


So anyway, that's my update. Should have some pics this week! =)

Drywall, Jealousy, and the devil (ok...vampire)

Went by the house this morning. And we got some surprises!

Surprise #1. Siding was starting!!

Surprise #2. We have a window box! Say what!?!? =D

Surprise #3. All dry wall seems to be up.

Surprise #4. A vampire! Yup. You read that right.

Surprise #5. Jealousy hit!

Here are the pics:

SIDING! Only on the sides right now.

WINDOW BOX!

Stone Cap is on now too. The bottom half will be stone and top half siding.

Morning Room

Kitchen looking into den, and den

VAMPIRE!! We found this on our bedroom wall. GRRRRRR
(sorry for the quality of the picture)

We tried to erase it and now it looks like this:

And now for the jealousy part.

Our neighbors house is beautiful. He has siding up, almost complete, even shudders. I was tempted to take a pic and post it, but I'm not sure how they would feel about that, so I didn't. I did peaked through a window and it appears all his drywall is up too. I could be wrong. Maybe upstairs isn't done. But I wasn't going to go in and find out. It's not my house.

My house was started first, and we contracted first. So I was VERY jealous his house is ahead of mine!! Nothing I can do it about it though. *shrugs* It is what it is. I have several different colors of siding going on my house, so I'm sure it takes a bit longer to come in. I am happy that mine is still getting worked on. I'll have stop back by early in the week and see what they have accomplished. I am happy for my neibhbors though. I bet they are super excited! (And Rocky, I love your colors! It does look beautiful!)

So that's what it is today. =) Less than 6 more weeks and we will be home sweet home!

To give perspective this is what our lot looked like 1 month ago today:

Hey hey hey hey Mr. Postman. ♪♫

The postman delivered my letter today! You know, THE letter.

Pre-settlement walk through on July 20th

Closing July 22nd!

They gave me the name, addy, and # to the firm we are to meet. We need to call and schedule a time. No time was given, I think, because we aren't going DIRECTLY through NVR. We are using someone they broker with. So it's up to us to schedule the time. No biggie.

So let's play a game!

I'm going to be doing something first thing Monday morning. Can anyone guess what it might be? I'll give you 3 guesses, and the 1st 2 don't count. lol

The letter also said we need to start setting up our utilities and getting our insurance in order. So after we get back from vacation! We pretty much already have the insurance thing done. We do need to cancel our Renter's Insurance though.

We have also informed our landlord that we will be vacated by Aug 1st. =)

I'm soooo excited! Ya'll have NO idea!! And after some recent events and drama in these parts, I can't leave here soon enough. No lol. No smiley face. I'm dead serious.

I can't wait to be a nice neighborhood, in a beautiful home, with NORMAL people for neighbors. I may just hide out in our dream house for a little bit. There are no words to describe the hell that was my night last night. I can't wait to move.

ANYWAY... It was so nice to get that letter. Pre-drywall was Wed., and today (Sat.) we got the letter! =) I am so very excited. =)

Side note: We found out we were approved for the loan on Wed. right after our pre-drywall meeting. It was my daughter's 6th birthday. Today was her party (and my toddler's party...she'll be 2 on the 22nd but we'll be in the Bahamas) and we got the letter. I just thought was so cool! Approval on her birthday, and final closing dates the day of her party. =) It's all so official now! =D

God is good! ♥

Drywall started, random house pics, view, ect.

The started drywall today

Top two pics are of upstairs hallway.

Inspections Gallore! (we passed!)

Not real sure what this one means, but it shows we passed

The road next to my house. The whole part in front of me will get paved. =) Thank you Ryan Homes!

House Pics

The view I apparently will have for probably at least a year

You can see where eventually (maybe) the road next to my house will continue down past it and behind.

Here's the rub:

We talked to our PM after hearing some things 2nd hand. This will probably be our view for a while because:

This land is considered "Not Developed". Ryan has no plans to develop it. Wells Fargo (our current developer) doesn't either. =) WF is trying to find another developer to come take over. According to our PM, people have been out looking, but that doesn't mean a thing. They have to secure the funds, and then all the paperwork before they could develop it. So... I'm guessing this our view for a good 6 months at least. Maybe longer. But you never know. A home builder in another community was telling my sister about another part of their development that looks like this does. They said it takes about 6 months to develop. So we figure we have a while. There are still lots of lots for Ryan to worry about in our neighborhood for now. And we are going to enjoy the view for as long as we have it. =)

Also, followers who will be living her, Neither Ryan, nor WF, have plans to finish the pool now. *gasp* Again, WF is looking for a new developer to come do that. ='( That was the last thing I heard. Back in Feb. we were told the funds were there and put aside for it and it "should open" Summer of 2012. That no longer seems to be the case. Just an FYI.

I still have NO idea what the time table is my PM sent me. I emailed him again to see if I understood it correctly. *shrugs* I figure by the time we get back from Atlantis (the 24th) the drywall will be all done but the painting, the inside trim will be done (boxing), electricity on, our garage door will be in, siding and stonework done, and the house locked up! I am guessing July will be counters, flooring, painting, and touch-ups. We shall see!

(PMs email is in last post)

I should come back from vacation to a beautiful house!