house update

so i have dreams of a separate blog with our journey to build our house in golden and someday i just might do that, but for now here's what i have.

my husband and i bought land in november 2007 in golden. it's actually not land, it is a foreclosed house, 2 houses and a garage to be exact. the 11,000 square feet property has a traditional house built in the early 1900s and right next to it sits a house that is 80% underground. Looks like the wicked witch of the west dropped the house from 500 feet above and it sank 10 feet underground with just the pitched roof visible. sad that house has to go, but hopefully we will build something so much better and above ground too.

this week i've been shopping construction loans, soil testers, and surveyors. right now we are leaning towards Compass bank for our loan as they seem to be very experienced and great rates with a single closing and option to float down. all the other banks haven't even come close to having a competitive loan option. fyi banks, don't lead off to me by saying it has been a really long time since you've done a construction loan, that does not instill confidence in your product or your services.

i'm learning that not a lot of people are building right now, everyone is scared of the economy and people are biting at the chomps to get any work. some contractors are adjusting their prices accordingly and others seem to be holding out at their higher rate. guess what? i'm choosing the low cost option over those over-confident contractors who don't budge because they think their service is worth it.

stress seems to be my constant companion these days. so many decisions and little details and budget questions. i just have to picture our dream house with awesome views, room to raise a family and a place to host friends and family.