Friday, May 31, 2013

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The show must go on....

Well, we got our situation "resolved" I guess you could say.  Not nearly what we felt was fair, I also was sad that they were attacking us by claiming out old PM (The one that quit midway through) showed us where the new window was going to go... uh, yeah, he did... IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALL not the END.  But, it became a he said/she said situation and we walked away with some compensation.  I just felt like they were putting the blame on US for not noticing earlier... UH EXCUSE ME!?!?!  I'm not at PROJECT MANAGER.  I'm pretty pissed/sad over it but I'm going to to DW's advice and not let it ruin my experience in our new home. I think our SR may have got some heat and I feel so bad b/c I love her, she is a great person, it is just business.  I was just really disappointing in how we were treated by "the bosses" and how we were painted to be the bad guys for asking for some kind of restitution for a pretty large screw-up.  Overall, my Realtor said our house is beautiful and well made and all of the little things will be fixed and he said we have serious built in equity based on how much we paid for the house, we could sell now and make a handsome profit, even after closing costs.  I hope that we can be happy in our new home... I'm still sick over the "poop" colored railing stain... grrr but I am going to voice my dissatisfaction with that at the walk-through and demand they be fixed at the 30 day.  I'm pretty sure our PM hates us too... which doesn't help my plea for a new stain.  But, all I can say to that is SURVEY SURVEY SURVEY... you better believe I'm going to be honest and I'm holding on the that sucker until everything is fixed.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

1 hour of sleep and 2 days until close... the informal walk-through recap

So, last night I didn't sleep, I got maybe an hour, just enough to have nightmares about our house falling apart and my teeth falling out (stress dream, my teeth fall out in my dreams when I'm stressed!) I am running on a triple grande caramel machiatto right now from Starbucks and I'm more nervous than I was the day of my wedding.

Our walk-through went OK, there were the little things, like the trim, crooked cabinets, nicks and chips in paint, etc. and then we headed to the basement... dun dun DUUUNNNN!!!!!

I lost it, I almost started crying, and then our Realtor stepped in and stepped up to the plate and said this was just a gross mistake, and he wanted the estimate cost of moving the window, AGAIN, not that we would, but to see what it is worth to RH and to us, to know what we can negotiate.  I would really like credit at close, and we went through the list of our wants, from top to bottom, and our Realtor is going to email our SR, he said that we will fight this and he said we can refuse to close if they don't budge.  I will keep everyone updated.  I just wish I could get excited about the house, part of me is, but the other part doesn't want to get so excited that it looks like I'm content with how things were handled, our PM had his tail between his legs for the most part, just apologizing.  Also, our railing is SOOOOOOO light!  He promised he would re-do it if we didn't like it, well I HATE it and he said that's just how it is!  Well, down the road, that railing is going to get stained darker, I will do it myself....

Here is a pic of the outside, they were cleaning like crazy on the inside so I didn't take any pics of the interior, I will do a full video walk-through for you guys on Friday though.  Ugh... I really wish I was happy and more excited about our new home...


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Informal walk through tomorrow

So, thanks to the great advice from my fellow RH bloggers, I have scheduled an informal walk through tomorrow morning with my PM.  I also requested that my agent be there as well... I just saw on our HUD-1 how much he made off of this deal and OMG that is the easier money anyone could ever make, so I'm going to make him work for it FOR SURE.

I drove by yesterday because I just was curious if they worked over the weekend and there was no progress, the trim on the outside looks like total CRAP there are cracks and chips and it is so peiced together, like they ran out of trim, and because I don't have shutter to hide it, it is SO noticeable.

I am also pushing on the window placement... here is my thought on it all

You go to a restaurant, doesn't even have to be fancy, and your steak is over cooked.  They happily apologize and replace it for you (analogy of my window being replaced) now, if my steak comes back out and it's STILL not cooked right, they will again, they happily apologize and offer me a new steak or menu item, AND free dessert.... well, we have come to the point of free dessert on this window thing... and I want a hot fudge Sunday with ALL the toppings... if you catch my drift.  And we're not talking about some $20 steak here, we are talking about over 1/4 of a MILLION DOLLARS!  Good grief that is a lot of money!  Maybe not to some but to 99.9% of people, that is a big investment!!  And I will TOTALLY through out that analogy as silly as it sounds because maybe it will put things into perspective for them...

I will have my full recap tomorrow after our meeting, wish us luck!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Video of the egress window "repair"

Ok here is a link to my video of me venting about the egress window repair and showing you what exactly they did.... Let me know what you would do if you were in my shoes


7 days out and getting worried...

I stopped by the house last night to check out the progress, I mean, we are 7 days out people!  To my surprise, it still looks like a war zone... they still need to back fill, there is dust and paint everywhere, nothing is cleaned, my counters are covered in muck, I didn't even go all the way through the house because I was just too afraid to look!  I have a crooked window and I can still see the silver stuff they put around the windows on one of them, and the one while trim casing around the outside of the window isn't a full piece, it was 2 pieces and you can totally tell, it looks like garbage, the finish work on the outside is looking rough and I'm NOT happy, I really hope they plan on touching up the outside of the house too....

Please someone tell me this is all typical!  I am just so worried things won't be ready for closing!  We are closing on the same day as our final walk-through, I know it's not typical to do so, but we need the weekend to move in and our loan lock is only good through Wed. June 5th, and I'd rather close at the end of the month to save on the upfront pre-paid interest, taxes, etc.

I'm going to let them work today and stop out tomorrow and PRAY that things are looking better, the weather is crappy today so they probably will just be working inside.  I just don't want to go to the walk through and see a million things wrong and then go to closing, I don't want to accept a house that isn't 100% complete (other than the normal 30 days fixes)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Siding is ALMOST complete!

I finally got to see the exterior elevation selections come together!  It's 99.9% competed, we have a missing light on the garage and a tiny piece of shake missing from the gable, but it was so nice to see it all together instead of tiny swatches!  I really love how it looks and we are the ONLY house in the neighborhood with this elevation and without shutters, so it will be easy to spot our place!  I actually don't mind not having shutters, the look is very clean and modern with that cottage craftsman feel.  I also "broke in" to the house, lol, the garage code was easy to figure out, got it on my first try, lol.  I was walking through the house, not too much has changed since Friday, though i didn't expect it too!  Our PM said the punch-out guy will be there this week and boy, he has his work cut out for him!  There are all kinds of nicks, and holes and we'll say, less than desirable workman ship on the dry wall.  The walls are SOOOO rough and it's making me nervous, just all those little things that make a house lok complete look like a complete mess right now, but I have faith that it will look fantastic by May 31st.  I am almost hoping they "break" my tub so I can get the newer model, I got one of the old styles and it just isn't as big as I would like, they did kind of trash my master bathroom too, chipped a bunch of grout on the tile floors, that will certainly be the first thing I look at on the walk through ... we also still need back filled for the replaced egress window, my husband is pretty upset that we have a section of foundation that is block and not poured, and I totally agree, but every time I bring it up to RH they say it is fine, well, that may be but it looks HIDEOUS and it's not what was promised, which is a 100% poured foundation... am I crazy for thinking I should get what we paid for?  Should I complain and try to get some extras out of this??


Monday, May 20, 2013

Crunch time = more appliance shopping and NVR drama.....

So, we are only 12 days from our final walk through!  Hot diggity dog!  It just doesn't feel real!  I figured that now may be a good time to buy a washer and dryer too, so we can have some clean clothes after we move it :)

I have been holding out for the holiday sales, and sure enough, it's paid off.  Home Depot is already running their pre-memorial day specials.  I found a great deal on a Whirlpool Duet washer/dryer.  It has all the functions of the pricey models and great reviews, and after the sale price, they are only 629 each!  That is a crazy good  deal, they have the steam functions on both, hand wash cycle (key for me, I have tons of HW only cloths and HATE hand washing stuff)  You get a lot of bang for your buck with this set, and the capacity is slightly bigger than most of the other washers in that class (3.8 vs 3.6)

Anyone have this particular set?  I was looking at an LG set too, but it just lacked a lot of the functions and was more expensive.

Now for the NVR drama:

We got a call on Friday from NVR.... and... the underwriters can't accept what we have provided for proof of income for my husband's business.... seriously?  we are 2 weeks from closing and NOW THIS?!?! My husband doesn't get pay stubs, it is direct deposit.  He own 50% of his company, and is paid a salary + distributions.  They are small, as in him and 4 other people who own the company, so they don't use a payroll company, it's just done via ACH deposit every month  with no pay stubs.  We have tried every possible proof from their business bank statements and quick-books payroll print outs and nothing will satisfy the underwriters .. sooooo where do we go from here?  I really hope this figure this crap out like, ASAP b/c I don't want to homeless in 2 weeks....

Whirlpool Duet 3.8 cu. ft. High-Efficiency Front Load Washer with Steam in White, ENERGY STAR

Model # WFW9550WW

















  • 3.8 cu. ft. capacity washes up to 18 pairs of jeans in a single load, saving both time and energy
  • Stainless steel wash basket resists odors, rust and chipping. The smooth surface helps protect delicate fabrics from snagging
  • Deep Clean Steam option breaks down and dissolves stains like grass and grease without pretreating while the NSF Certified Sanitize option removes 99.9% of certain household bacteria
  • Direct inject wash system automatically senses the size of each load and uses just the right amount of water to deliver a combination of optimal cleaning and gentle fabric care
  • 12 wash cycles including Quick Wash, Hand Washable, Active Wear, Bulky Items and Whitest Whites provide optimal care and cleaning for a variety of fabrics
  • ENERGY STAR qualified with a CEE Tier III rating, making it among the most efficient washers in the industry
  • Front panel controls with cycle indicator lights provide convenient access to all cycle and option selections
  • Automatic water level sensors regulate the amount of water based on the size of the load. Only the amount needed to clean is used, increasing efficiency and helping the environment
  • Delay wash option allows you to set the washer to begin up to 12 hours later, at a time that works best with your schedule
  • Laundry pedestal, XHP1550, enhances ease of use; stacking kit, 8541503, provides increased installation choices (pedestal and stacking kit are sold separately)
  • Quiet wash plus system uses enhanced sound-absorbing materials to keep operational sounds inside the washer and out of living areas while Smooth Spin technology makes upper-floor installation possible
  • Precision dispense penetrates stains and pretreats soils with a concentrated burst of detergent for optimal cleaning performance
  • Washer requires use of high-efficiency detergent

Whirlpool Duet 7.2 cu. ft. Electric Dryer with Steam in White

Model # WED9550WW






















  • 7.2 cu. ft. capacity easily accommodates bulky items like comforters, sleeping bags and pillows
  • 12 cycles including Eco Normal, Heavy Duty and steam cycles offer drying options to handle a variety of fabrics
  • Dryer drum with powder coat finish resists chipping and abrasion to protect clothes from damage
  • Front Electro-Mechanical panel controls provide convenient access to all cycle and option selections
  • Enhanced Touch up and Quick Refresh steam cycles relax wrinkles and refresh dry clothes in as little as 15 minutes
  • 5 temperature settings are able to handle a variety of fabric types
  • AccelerCare drying system senses when clothes are dry and automatically stops the cycle to save time and energy and prevent fabric damage and shrinking
  • Quiet Dry Plus noise reduction system. Sound-absorbing materials are strategically placed around the dryer drum to help reduce operational noise
  • Wrinkle Shield Plus option tumbles the dryer every 5 minutes for up to 140 minutes after the cycle is complete to help prevent wrinkles from setting in
  • End-of-cycle signal alerts you when a cycle is complete
  • Pedestal shown in product image is not included with purchase, and is offered separately during appliance checkout
  • Interior drum light illuminates the interior of the dryer to make loading and unloading easier. Reversible side-swing door can be conveniently installed to open from the right or left side depending on your preference
  • Stackable design, reversible-swing door and 4-way venting options provide increased installation choices; Separately purchase stacking kit 8541503, door reversal kit 8579666ARP and venting kit W10186596

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Sacrifice is almost over

Well, as promised a little perspective today in the blog post, me and the hubs went to the house he hasn't seen it since it was just framing! Now we have carpet, hardwoods, tile, appliances, cabinets.... Everything is moving along so fast! Half the siding is up too! It looks so good with the shake shingles too!

So I have posted a few pics of our apartment we live in now, my crooked stove that wobbles, the tilted fridge that is "self closing" because our floor have hills and valleys, the tiny kitchen counter space, lack of dishwasher, our toiletries on the floor of the bathroom... Lol but honestly it's not a bad apt I've lived in bad apartments before, but that's a whole other blog post.... So here you go, this is how we scrimped and saved and lived well below our means to afford the home of our dreams :)

























Thursday, May 16, 2013

Carpet, appliances and the egress window!a

I couldn't do it, I tried, but I couldn't stop myself from checking on the house today!  I know I said I was going to wait until tomorrow, but, it was so beautiful out, and I love the drive to the new house, it's so peaceful, no traffic jams, no highway... ah I can't wait for that to be my commute every day!

I was happy to see more progress too, the brick is DONE, the egress window installed, the french drain replaced, carpet was being installed while I was there (so I could only get a pic of the stairs) and my APPLIANCES!!! AHHH!!  I was so pumped to see my new stove!!!  I am going to post a pic of my current kitchen next time... and you will see why I am so freaking excited to have this beauty.  I know it's not the GE Profile line, I now wish I would have upgraded to that, BUT it is stainless, it have 5 burners, and it's convection.... omg I can't wait to cook a big old ham or roast in that baby!  I'm also so exited to have a dishwasher again, I think it will prevent 99.9% of the fights I have with my husband :)

So, without further delay, here are the pics from today!






Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Just a quick post and some brick!

We are closing in on the home stretch, I look at my countdown everday and just can't believe how fast everything is moving along, 18 days?  Are you for real?  Your should see my apartment, it's a disaster, nothing is packed, cleaned, or organized... but that's what weekends are for, right??  I think I will take this Saturday to start in the kitchen and box everything up that I don't plan to use in the next 3 weeks, I want to start bringing everything down from the attic too, I forgot what's even up there!  I need to do a good purge and get rid of any junk I don't want coming into the new house.

I also saw they blocked up the old egress window hole, I forgot to take a pic of it though, but it kind of makes me sad, it looks... sloppy I think, and I just don't like the fact it's not poured concrete like the rest of the foundation walls, it's block and mortar  so... we aren't getting what we paid for, which was a fully poured foundation.  I know it may be acceptable, but, it still just irks me to death.  I'm glad it will be covered by the foam insulation board so I don't have to look at it at least!

I also snapped a better shot of the HW's, I peeled back a bigger section of the paper, I can't wait to see them uncovered and clean and shiny!  Also, for any of you who want to know what flooring it is, we choose Kraus Velocity Oscuro Oak.  It was outside the "Ryan Room" but was the same price as Level 4 3 1/4" plank.  Ryan didn't offer a dark hardwood in our area, only in the engineered so I ask the girl at Rusmur if there was a dark hardwood I could get at the same price and she picked this one out!  So glad I asked!  We were just going to go with the Bruce Oak in the cherry finish which I wasn't in love with, or even in like with.

The guys were working on the brick when I was there too, I told them great job :)  Not sure if they understood me but I gave them the thumbs up on their workmanship.

 The floors remind me of chocolate candy bars... mmmm chocolate candy bars...
 The master bathroom toilet... free of standing pee too, I checked... lol
 The guest bathroom, nothing too exciting, I plan on installing a floor tile later on down the road and replacing the vanity top with quartz.  But a nice shower curtain will spruce things up in the mean time!
 The guest bathroom floor, just linoleum  I kind of regret not doing tile here it wasn't that much more, but I really want to do a herring bone patterned tile floor later on when we have the extra $$ (who knows when that will be!)
Working hard on that brick!  I can't wait to see the siding up too, hopefully by Friday, I'm going to restrain myself and not check on the house until then so I can be surprised by the progression :)