House Update

House plans are progressing, not as fast as Jon would like (who wants to continue living with their in-laws, huh?) but they are progressing. Jon and I spent the first weekend after our pre-qualification meeting, looking at homes with our realtor and his wife (who also happen to be our good friends). We looked at approximately five to eight houses, but it was the last house of the evening that we fell in love with. Seriously, the moment we walked into the house, it just felt “right”.

It is a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch level home; approximately 1200 finished square feet with approximately another 1200 square feet in the basement; a covered patio; a mud room and laundry room off the garage; an island in the kitchen; a beautiful master bedroom; and a great floor plan. (I’ve included a picture of the floor plan below, if you can’t see it, you can also click on this link.)
Our realtor has been working with the builder to figure out if they’re building in the neighborhood that we want, which is right next to a brand-new elementary school that will open next fall (which they are); whether or not they’ll work with our mortgage lender (which they will); and the rest of the tiny details. We were finally able to meet with the builder this past Monday to get a few more specifics and look at our lot choices. Of course, with only two lots to choose from, it was an easy decision.

Now comes the “fun” part, working on contracts, negotiations, etc. and waiting for answers. Somehow, between picking up the builder’s flyer in mid-December and now, they’ve raised the price of the home by $5,000. Huh, what?! But our realtor thinks we *may* be able to negotiate that price down. We shall see and I shall keep everyone posted. Jon and I are just anxious to start this next step in our lives and are really hoping to have a contact signed by February 1st, which would mean house completion as early as mid-June or as late as end of July. We just want to know that we’re moving towards our goal before Hudson’s arrival.

On a side note: I stopped by this exclusive baby store in our old town area and picked up this delightful item, in navy, last night. We got out the baby seat, washed everything, and put it all together. I’m getting so excited to meet this little man!!