Closing is done, building can OFFICIALLY begin!!

I don't think Seth and I could have chosen a better time to begin building, everyone we have talked to is just waiting for work! We contacted Keith Moon for the footing of the house last Thursday, he met us at HBHS on Sunday, we showed him the lot and on Monday morning he contacted the County to make sure he could lay out the house without a building permit- they gave him the OK, and the house is officially laid out!! He began digging the footing today, I haven't seen that yet, but I will be going to get the building permit tomorrow and riding out there to check everything out! We also CLOSED on the loan today, which means we can OFFICIALLY start building and paying people!! Seth also talked to Ken Williams, the framer, and he is going to be ready to go once Keith is done, so maybe in 2 weeks (or less) I can have pictures of the framing!!! I still can't believe we are actually building!!! 

   

(The talking in the video is NOT important! Also, Seth and I picked up this video camera at Best Buy this past Sunday night, it was teacher appreciation. Hopefully I will have more video's to post soon!)

On the funny side, I didn't realize you had to have a port-a-potty at a construction site, but you do! I called on Friday to find out about Port-A-Potty's (it's not every day you call about those!), and they delivered the potty on Monday morning- when we were out at the lot last night looking around, I snapped a picture of it for your enjoyment! So, if you are ever in Daviston and need to use the restroom, stop on by!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

Sunday, September 28th is my mom's birthday! She is currently in Key West, (buying me something nice!) so I won't get to see her today, and being the wonderful daughter that I am....I went to the store 3 times to get her a card, and forgot every time! :( Sorry mom, but I did think about it!! I love you and hope you enjoy your birthday!! Not only is it my mom's birthday, but it is Denver's birthday as well!!

Denver is having a party tomorrow at 2:00, but due to us meeting Keith and taking him to the lot, we will not be able to attend, :(. So Mom and Denver- Seth and I love you bunches, and mom, WE MISS YOU!!!

Kinda Exciting...

Well, it's the weekend, which means we are getting closer to Monday and being able to close on the lot/house..?? We are meeting Keith Moon on Sunday- he is going to be doing the crawl-space digging and blocking. He is going to let us know on Sunday if we need to do anything else with the lot, or if he can begin as is!! Hopefully he can begin next week!! I still can't believe we are really about to build! I am going to be taking some  pictures on Sunday when we go to the lot and give you an update on the huge brush piles. I talked to my dad tonight and he was just getting back from starting the fire up again! But, I guess that's all for now, until next time....

More news...nothing exciting...

We are still waiting on Alex Muncie to complete the title search. We received an email from Marty Freeman, the bank guy we are working with, stating that Alex was working on this, and we would be closing probably at the beginning of next week. We are still waiting on bids from the plumbers and foundation and block guy. Hopefully we will hear back from both, the plumber and block guy, tomorrow. I went out to eat with my dad and uncle tonight, and my Uncle Mark is supposed to be getting us a quote on builders risk insurance by tomorrow, as well. If you need some insurance- he's the one to see!

Also, please remember my grandfather, Bill Stephens, I found out tonight at dinner that he had some cancerous spots on his face. He is going to go back to the doctor in about a week to have more skin removed off of his face. I'm praying it's nothing serious, just a little skin cancer, but you never know.

And a little exciting news...I put in my personal leave day for Seth's graduation! He will be graduating on December 19th, 2008! I believe his ceremony is at 2:00 that afternoon! I'm so proud of him, and super excited for him to be graduating!! Well, until next time...

EXCITING NEWS!!!

We heard back from the bank today! The appraisal is in, and we have been approved, for what we believe, PLENTY of money to build!! We have Alex Muncie doing a title search on the property and getting everything ready to close at the end of this week or beginning of next! I’m a little confused on why we close at the beginning, but I have a feeling I am going to be a little confused throughout the whole process- and this is just the beginning! We are still getting estimates back from everyone, and hopefully with the closing we can begin with the footing next week!! I still can’t believe we are about to build, but believe me- I CAN’T WAIT to start! I will be posting pictures as we begin this process- so keep checking back!

One of the reasons....

Above is a picture from Saturday- Auburn vs. LSU. This is one of the reasons that we both love living in Auburn, but ready to move back home! Come Wednesday the RV’s start rolling into the town, and it’s impossible to run to the store to pick up anything, and come Friday- FORGET IT! There is no use trying to go anywhere, unless you want to spend hours- waiting in the car or waiting in line! I can’t wait to get back home because if we need to run to the store to pick up something, we can go to Foodland, in New Site, where the longest wait time is about 10 minutes!

Tomorrow we are supposed to hear back from the appraisal at the bank. Hopefully they will approve us for the amount we need, and we can begin! So, be looking for a new post tomorrow night, if we get the news! Also, Jacob Thomas, our friend from camp called us; we are going to be traveling up there, to Huntsville, in 2 weekends to look at tile and granite for the house!

Just an update!

Well... WE HAVE WATER! :) According to our spread sheet of what should be happening when (given to me by my Aunt Steph), we should have ordered the water during stage 4 or 5, but my dad is so excited, he went and had it done for us! We also have a temporary power pole up!

The appraiser called Seth today while he was at Camp ASCCA on a field trip with his students. The appraiser had a few questions about what we were planning for the house, hardwood or tile, crawl space or slab, things we have thought about- but aren't positive on! Anyways, he said that he should have his appraisal ready and to the bank by MONDAY!! Hopefully that means we can get Mr. Ken Williams out there soon!!

Seth and my dad pretending to work...

Mr. Billy, Seth's dad, really working hard!

YEA!! It's getting closer!

Well, last Thursday we heard back from the bank, we were approved!! The only thing that is currently in our way now of getting the loan is the appraiser. The appraiser has to appraise the land and the house plans, then he has to find 3 comps, or 3 houses that are comparable to the one we would like to build, on approximately the same amount of land, AND they had to of been sold within the past 3 years. WHAT?!?! Where in the world is he going to find that in Daviston, New Site, or Wadley? Seth and I were a bit worried about this, but after talking to the banker (Marty Freeman at Keystone Bank) he assured us that the appraiser could go out as far as he needed to, so that he could find 3 comps. The appraiser called Seth today while he was at work, and informed him that he was going to survey the lot today, and should have the whole process completed by the beginning of next week!! Needless to say, I am ready for this process to begin!

Speaking of house plans, I would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to our designer, Ms. Evelyn Smith. She worked with Seth and I for about a month designing the house that we wanted! We are super excited, and can't wait to see the finished product!

(Evelyn, please don't kill me- I stole this picture from Facebook!)

Roasting Marshmellows, anyone?

Well, needless to say, all the trees that we had to remove from the lot had to go somewhere! They are in a HUGE pile at the back of our now, clean lot. The contractor who cleaned the lot set the pile on fire while he worked, and its going to take a lot to burn this pile down, needless to say, my father went out there Saturday night during the Mississippi State vs. Auburn game (if I had been around, I would have been out there with him, not much of a game to watch!) and he started the fire up again. He had the pile burning in many different locations, and was very proud of his work. He noticed that a huge cloud had covered the moon, he didn't really think anything of it- picked up all of his fire-starting material, and went in to take a shower... shortly after he got inside the bottom fell out of the sky, and all the work he had put into starting the fire was no good. Hopefully over the next week and weekend, he can get the fire started again!

If you want to eat some roasted marshmellows, I know where there is a nice fire *hopefully* burning!

Where to build???

Do we buy land, or do we build on family land? Decisions, decisions, decisions… Seth and I have talked on and off on where we want to build, because more than likely this will be OUR house, once we build this house we won’t be moving anywhere else, so we have to make sure that we enjoy where we are going to be living. So, after praying and talking with my dad, we decided that we would build on family land, heck why not? It’s free land! Now the decision of WHERE on family land do we build. My dad had the perfect place in mind, and after Seth and I went to see, we also decided it would be perfect! It's a nice corner lot, with NO neighbors, and TONS of land for the dogs to roam! Here is what the lot looked like the first time I saw it:

(This is after a little work had been done)


and I had NO IDEA that it could one day look like this:
Needless to say, it's ready for us to begin!

The Beginning

Well, I have entered into the Blogging world…. Seth and I are beginning a new step in our lives, and I would like to keep everyone, especially my mom, up to date on how things are going. To start, at the end of the school year last year, we decided we were going to possibly put our house on the market. We didn’t think it would sell the way the housing market is currently going, and so we weren’t expecting to sell it quickly. We hadn’t even bought “For Sale” signs, I was talking to a co-worker and she was interested in looking at the house. Seth and I had been praying about whether or not to put the house on the market, maybe this was a sign?? Well, that next Friday she came and looked around the house, the next weekend she brought her parents, and the following Monday she signed a contract!! Seth and I have been very blessed, and this was just another blessing that we received! So, now what do we do? We can purchase a house in the New Site/Daviston area, move back into our college trailer and begin building, or rent an apartment in Auburn and wait….

Well, here we go…back to the trailer… . My brother, Paden, has been so kind as to let me and my husband, AND our two dogs…yes, TWO dogs- meet Cadillac and King! Cadillac is the baby- he’s currently 4 years old, and has lived previously in the trailer- and LOVES it; there is carpet for him to run on, and his favorite blue couch to lie on. Then, King, the GREAT DANE… he lived in the trailer for the SHORT period of time while he was a puppy, but now he is full grown, and living in a trailer.