Oh. Just don't slip...

Vinyl. It'* our first house... can't tile everything just yet.

Hell, maybe they'll screw up again and hardwood the entire damn house.

Tile can always be added at a later date as budget allows. Vinyl is the right approach to start, IMO. Plus some of the vinyls today are very high quality and last a good long time with minimal maintenance.

Just check to see how it'* installed. The new trend is to just glue down the edges. Seems to work fine until you move something heavy across the middle, it catches, and stretches or tears the vynil.

Nice landscaping! J/k House looks great!

how does the mortgage thing work on a new house? always wondered that. what sorta down payment did you have to put down?


I'm sorta thinking about getting a house once I stop buying toys and bonneville parts, paying $500 a month in rent gets old when it all gets thrown away and I could have a half decent house for $700 a month.

The process is somewhat the same...

You get a construction loan. Typically you have to show the bank your drawings, the intentions of the building, etc. They'll approve you up to a certain amount (dependant on your credit, down payment, etc.).

You have a closing based on that set amount. The bank holds the money, however. The contractor will then work with you and the bank to get a "draw". Over the course of a new construction home, most banks limit to 5 draws, or withdraws from the loan you have initiated. So, on a 100K loan, the average draw would be 20K.

Once all the draws are done and the home has been completed and final inspection approved, the loan is converted to a "perm". In the business we call it a construction-perm conversion. The home is basically refinanced at a lower interest rate with conventional terms (30 year fixed, etc.). Construction loans always have a higher interest rate than a conventional note. The downside is you have to pay the closing costs on the conventional loan AND the constuction loan. It can be costly!

We handled this one like an exsisting spec home. Told them what we want, and gave them more earnest money than typical. We avoided the construction loan and any leins or other labor complications were not our financial responsibility.

The house is an exsisting floorplan that a builder is using in the area, so far there is less than a handful of them. We chagned some odds and ends, moved some doors and stuff.

ALMOST DONE!!!!!!!! We close on the 15th.

Carpet, appliances, sod, miscellaneous finishing... should all be done this week. We do official walk-throughs next week.

Please don't tell me they used what looks like particle board for your basement steps?