We finally have a possible closing date

After some frustration and much more waiting than we originally should have done, we finally are getting closer.  The third party that was suppose to do the appraisal was suppose to get the stuff from the bank last week, well they didn't come get it till Monday... GRRR!  Anyway, that is underway and we heard today that the bank should have all that back to them Monday or Tuesday and then we can close shortly there after and get this thing started.  We also learned that Loy forgot to pay the second half of our property taxes, so he had to go do that today... OOPS.  This process is very frustrating, I can't wait till it is all done.

Still Waiting! Grrr...

We are still waiting on the bank.  We got the loan papers, for the final loan, on Saturday.  We filled them out and returned them Monday along with a check for them to do our paper appraisal so can get our construction loan. Grrr... everything about this process is taking twice as long as we were either told or I thought.  It is very frustrating.  Anyway, just wanted to update everyone as to what is going on, or not going on.  The waiting is killing me!

The waiting game...

Well our contractor, Mark, is suppose to be taking our stuff to the bank this week actually he might have already done that), but now we are waiting.  It is so hard knowing it is so close.  We filled out our per-qualification stuff last week.  Now we are just waiting for the bank to do their thing.  The have to do a paper appraisal, meaning they take our plans and the contractors bid and look at the other homes in the area and come up with a value for our house.  Then we get qualified for a loan and then they will loan us either 80% of the appraisal or 90% of the contractors bid, which ever is less.  Most commonly it is the appraisal, but that is because contractors usually bid high just in case.  Mark made his bid to reflect the most expensive that it could be, meaning everything could be top of the line or we can decrease that number quite a bit if we go cheaper on certain things.  For example, in his bid he put in a aerobic system instead of a septic system, just in case our dirt won't "perk" (whatever that means) but its more expensive than just a plain septic system.  Also he bid in oil rubbed bronze fixtures, but the are the most expensive right now, so we can cut costs there.  Anyway that is how it kinda works.  I really have no idea how all of this works, I am just along for the ride anxiously awaiting the word from the bank so we can get this thing started.  Loy told me that my job is to do lots of research and find the best price on all things.  Good thing I am going PRN at work next month cause just researching all this stuff will be like a whole other full-time job.

Anxiously awaiting time to start we walked over to the future home place and dreamed.  We talked about the best place to set the house, which trees would go and which would stay, where the dogs yard would be, the garden, the back yard, and just tried to envision the whole place.  I hope that my dreams become reality and that we can put it all together.  I know it will take many years and lots of hard work and as much as I would love for it all to be done as soon as we move in, I am looking forward to working on it and making it just the way we see in our dreams.  Still need to take pictures.  Was going to do it last night, but forgot my camera in the house.  Next time...

It is finished...

Well, almost.  We signed the contract for the contractor last night.  We sat down with him last week and talked about the bid and the money thing and told him we wanted to use him.  So we are going to Mark from R&M Precision Builders out of Shawnee, OK.  We really love him and the way he goes through the building process.  We are going to have to deal with this person for 6-9 months, so we wanted to make sure it was someone who we could talk to everyday pretty much, and we can with him.  Now all that is left is to get everything to the bank and sign the other part of our life away.  We hope to start work on the driveway and then the pad as soon as that is done so hopefully in a couple weeks.  Then the fun begins and the long 6-9 grueling months.

I am also meeting with a friend that is going to help me with the design part of the building process.  It will be nice to have a female perspective and understands what I want and why.  Hopefully she will be able to take my ideas and make them a reality and the way I want them, but can't do myself.  I am really excited to get together with her.  I am going through more magazines to add to my inspiration book so I can bring it with me.  I hope she can take all of my jumbled up ideas in my head and put them together, but that is what they do right?  We shall see...