One Year

This month has been a rough one for me. Today marks one year since we left Vegas. I haven't posted much about our house because it's frustrating to me and I try to keep things upbeat around here, but today is my day to complain.

If I had known that we would still not even be started building a full year later I never would have agreed to move. When we left I thought that we might have to wait until spring to start building, but I figured we would have everything ready to go as soon as the ground thawed. I know I'm an inpatient person, but seriously -- a whole year and all that's been done to our land is a perk test (which expired earlier this month and we had to extend). We've just been delayed EVERY step of the way.

We FINALLY got our house plans to where we want them (for the most part) and our building permit has been approved and is just waiting for us to pick it up (and pay the $2,000). Now our problem is with getting the loan. Tim and I both have excellent credit so I really didn't think that this would be an issue. But with the economy, the credit union (that was going to be the best way to go 9 months ago) keeps changing the requirements. By the time we meet their requirements, they've changed them again. SO FRUSTRATING! We've been intending to be owner contractors, but now they don't want to loan to owner contractors (nine months ago they didn't have a problem with it, which is why we decided to go with them). They will still loan to us, but our building budget would be extremely tight thanks to the recent foreclosures bringing down the value of our house, and if we go over we'll have problems with rolling the loan over from a construction loan to a mortgage.... which we weren't supposed to have to do 9 months ago -- it was supposed to be a one time closing, but now they won't do that. ERRRRR!

So now we're back to looking at general contractors. Which just seems silly to me since the bank has to, and will, loan MORE if we go with one. Tim and I are going to look at a house tonight that a general contractor is just finishing up. We actually got a bid from him way back in the beginning that was decent, but we thought maybe too decent and are afraid he left out things. Other than the cost, I would really rather go with a general anyway. I think it would get done much faster. My Tim is great at planning but, as this past year indicates, not so quick to take action.

We've considered other options, which hasn't helped our progress either. We looked into manufactured homes, but found that in the end we'd be paying pretty much the same amount for a lower quality home. It would be done faster, which is extremely tempting to me, but it wouldn't be the floor plan we want and wouldn't hold it's value like a stick built home (not that ANY home is holding it's value right now). We've also looked at existing homes. We found one that I liked near the park in town that was a short sale, but by the time we found it there were already three offers on it. I've heard bad things about the elementary school in town being so overcrowded too. So, ironically, I'd really rather not transfer my kids out of the school they're in. We looked at a couple of houses in the school zone, but none that I fell in love with or that we felt were a really great deal. Even with the recent foreclosures the economy just hasn't hit near as hard here as it has in Vegas and it's hard for us to look at houses that they want so much for knowing how much the value of our house in Vegas has gone down. I try to remind myself that I really can't compare the two since Vegas is one of the worst hit markets in the US, but how do I not?

So, that's my sob story for today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this house we look at tonight is EXCELLENT quality and workmanship. Or at least hoping that, if not this general contractor, we can find another one that we like and can afford a.s.a.p. and get things FINALLY moving.