Week 5 - We have walls!

Well, today is Friday of week 5.  They put up 3 out of 4 exterior walls yesterday & are continuing on the rest today.  Cant wait to go by after work and see the progress.  Below are pics from this morning.  While I was there, I had a visit by some deer.  They didnt seem to mind me taking pictures....

Week 2

Well, today is day 1 of week 2.  Spent a little time at the site on Saturday showing some friends the foundation and enjoying Stoli playing in the little bit of snow we had.  I have posted a few of  the snow pics.  This week, they are supposed to start framing.  I hope to get there this afternoon & take some pics, if not, will go tomorrow morning.

Day 5 - Friday November 13

Well, the pics below are from this morning.  We are expecting snow today, so hopefully the crew can get the walls finished & poured this morning so they dont get postponed til monday.  I talked to the contractor yesterday and the thought was to have them done today so they could cure over the weekend, so framing could begin on Monday.

Also signed the papers on Wed and rec'd a call yesterday from the title company saying that everything posted & closed.   FINALLY! 

 

Day 1.....done....on to day 2!

Wow....yesterday came & went so fast!  Found out that the excavator would be at the property at 10am and digging would commence at 10:30.  So, I arrived at 9:45 to document the experience, Day 1.  I wandered the property for a few hours watching the backhoe dig the foundation, helping as I could.  Took lots of pictures.  Had to head home for lunch & to work for a few hours, but planned on being back at the site before 3.

Picked up my friend Chad at about 2:30 and headed back to the property.  The foundation was complete dug out and the backhoe guy (I cant remember his name), was plucking trees out of the ground to make way for the cement trucks.  We walked through the driveway changes and he proceeded to cut in the new driveway.  A few more, larger, trees had to be plucked out for the new driveway.

What an experience....I still have a smile on my face & was quite giddy while there yesterday.  On to day 2....today they are restaking within the hole dug, so they can put in the foundation forms.  Not sure if concrete comes today or tomorrow, but its moving along.....

Today is the day!!!!!

Finally....good news!  After a week of not feeling good.....mentally & physically....My loan guy called & my construction loan is approved!!!!  Good news is what I needed. 

More to come....

Loss of words

As I sit here & wait to hear from USBank, other parts of my life are in turmoil.  Nothing life threatening, but just changes I wasnt anticipating.  Over the past few months, good friends have moved away, new people have come into my life unexpectedly and I've rekindled some old feelings, only to find that as always...things change.  I know I am rambling & being vague...but, because this is where it is, I will be vague.

At 41, in the prime of my life, I sit here, waiting to build a house, waiting to find a partner in life, waiting, waiting, waiting...as the world goes by.  I dont get it.  I have worked my ass off for years to get to where I am....only letting in a few that I connected with.  Some of those have maintained a position in my life, some have left on their own accord and others have been banished (LOL - sorry, I needed the laugh). 

Sometimes I hate who I am & how I am.  I am a picky bitch.  I have to have a connection with the person I am going to be with and cant seem to budge on that.  So many people just take what they can get, get used to it and move on.  Im not like that.  I want to be IN LOVE.  How hard is it?  When I think I have found the right person, something happens.  So many complications...  My heart loves so easily that it gets hurt just as easily.

Just me ranting & raving....hurting & learning.....nothing new, just painful as always....

Hopefully will have good news to post tomorrow....check back.  Will update on my mental status too  =)

Whirlwind

Well, its been a while since I have written anything.  I've been kind of depressed by the lack of progress on the house loan.  I spent the majority of last week in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for work.  While there, I received an email from my loan guy saying that I had two options now...cancel the loan or come up with more money.  So...I picked up the phone & cashed in some investments, so I can invest in this new house.  All of a sudden, this home because more of an investment than it was already.  Today, the checks came from those investments and all the paperwork has been forwarded on to the processor & the underwriter.  So...hopefully....god willing...friday we will know how long before the paperwork can be signed and how much I have to bring to the table to close.

I will update as I know more...as always..... 

Live, Love, Laugh....sometimes that's how I get through the day. 

Soon? We'll see.....

Another week of nice weather lost to processors, underwriters & hair pulling....mine that is.  The weather here in Spokane has been perfect for building a house and hopefully it will stay that way for a while.  This week has been another waiting week.  Hopefully I hear something soon.  I have been on the edge of giving up so many times, but know that with what I have invested, financially & emotionally, I cant.  I just keep imagining sitting on the back patio, listening to the water feature, drinking my coffee, watching Stoli play.  Hopefully that dream comes true sooner that later.  I know it will...just be patient. 

Last weekend, while in the Seattle area, I went to IKEA with friends to look at bathroom fixtures for the new house.  I found bathroom fixtures for both of the smaller bathrooms in the new house.  Not sure what Im going to do in the master bath, but will cross that bridge later.  Cant wait to venture back over to IKEA (probably Portland due to no sales tax) to make the big purchases. 

So.....hopefully my next post will be about the loan closing.  Keep your fingers crossed, I know mine are!

Waiting......waiting......waiting.....

I'm getting a little impatient...okay A LOT impatient!  It's been over a year since I had the house plans drawn...shouldnt it be built by now?  I guess not....

Talked to my contractor yesterday....the excavators are waiting for the green flag to dig....I wish I could just tell them to dig.  Still waiting on the loan.....I sit here everyday & wonder...Why me?  This house must be something spectacular if I'm being made to wait so long for it.  I know it will be actually....so that is keeping me going.  Im just exicted, anxious & and a little nervous too. 

Mom arrives on Friday for 10 days.  I was hoping to have a hole in the ground before she arrived...but probably not.  Hopefully it is all ironed out so she can be here for the ground breaking.

One more step closer....

On my way home from taking Mika Boorem to the Airport, I received a call from First American Title Company, to let me know they were processing my loan documents for the close of the construction loan.  I asked for an approximate timeframe & she said there was a note to close as soon as possible, and that they should be calling me to come in and sign on or before September 21st!  OMG!....is it true?  Well, the way my luck has run...Im not holding my breath on that date, but at least Im to the step.....one step closer to the big dig & the Royal Adventure being reality.  Keep your fingers crossed!!

Patrick Swayze RIP - you will be missed

Yesterday, we lost another bright star, Patrick Swayze.  One of my favorite movies is below....

To Wong FooTo Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar

Catching the current....

I feel like I've been swimming upstream for so long.  From relationships, to house building, to depression...seems like things just havent been easy.  Im not saying things have been bad, I have plenty of things to be grateful for.  Life just seems to throw curve balls. 

Im feeling like I have slown down my pace a bit and the current is catching me & hopefully going to take me in a better direction.  The house is on the right path....so that helps with my stress level.  My Dr. put me on meds to for the depression & lack of direction/focus that I've been dealing with and I've met some great people to add to my life.  I seem to wake up feeling better...feeling better about my day, my life & where its going.  Taken me a long time to get here, but its due.  I know I'll have setbacks...we all do, but today...Im feeling pretty good!

So, with a grin & my fingers crossed, I'll step into each new day, looking forward to the adventure that lies ahead, bumpy or not.  

Closer....A little closer....

Since I moved out of my house last June (2008), I have kept a PO box and the mailbox at my apartment. I dont use the apartment address other than a physical address, so dont check the box that often. Well, by chance, I checked it last night to clear out the junk mail, only to find a letter from my new lender, dated August 6th. So...it had been sitting for a few days. I opened it to find the 'Truth in Lending Disclosure Statement' which I needed to review & sign, then get back to them. Im glad I found it yesterday! I quickly signed it and ran it up to the Post Office by the airport so it would go out last night. I then went to my regular PO box to find the payoff statement for the property! They seem like little things, but are progress! Was nice to find that I am hopefully locking in at a very favorable rate...which will keep my payments lower.

More to come..... On a sad note, many of my close co-workers were let go from Itron this week. This corporate place has lost some great people....& my days arent as bright without them. They will be missed.....

More good news...

Yesterday afternoon I rec'd a call from my insurance agent Chris, letting me know that he was writing up my insurance policy for the new construction....to start on September 10th, 2009. So...this means that the mortgage company contacted him with initial info.....YIPPEE! After answering a few questions about the sq footage, etc.....we have a policy!

Keep me in your thoughts.......

Happy Birthday Stoli & Siblings!

Today is Stoli's 2nd birthday!!!!! OMG! I cant believe it's been 2 years! He is such a wonderful, smart, beautiful dog. My mother always said, " God only gives you what you can handle"...she was right! See Pics below

Here we go...

I've been waiting this week to find out where we are & what the next step is. Well....got some good news this afternoon. Looks like the bank is calling the contractor for approval and the broker is meeting with bank on Monday. Now....its in the banks hands to put it all together so we can get moving! Hopefully they call Scott today and he'll get an idea of a start date from them.

Im getting excited...still cautious, but excited. Look for more news...coming soon!

1 step forward, 2 steps back....3 steps forward?

Well.....progress???? I think so. Last friday I was given the bad news that the Mortgage interest company denied my loan. Well, after a weekend of working through my options, I think we are on track. Again, I sit & wait.....but just waiting for paperwork to be ready this time... =)

So.....hopefully.... in a few days, I'll have the loan in place and we can start the build. The contractor is waiting...I am waiting...everyone is waiting & I'm sure they are tired of my whining & moaning too....

Please still keep your fingers crossed, toes, etc....whatever it takes to get me to the point of building. Will keep the blog posted.

Does anyone read this? or is it just for me to vent? let me know....post a comment or send me an email.

One Step Closer! YIPPEE!

Well, I got the news late Friday afternoon that the loan has been approved! Now....we are just waiting on the Mortgage Insurance company to approve & sign off. Soon......

Im ready for the building to begin! The contractor is getting anxious...has already dropped off some of the foundation forms. Im getting anxious... I know that very soon I'll be watching the progress as the dream unfolds.....

Keep your fingers crossed!

Well, today is a milestone day.....My credit score is FINALLY back where it belongs & high enough to start processing my construction loan. We arent out of the woods yet, but at least the score part is done.

Hopefully, with fingers, toes, etc crossed, we'll be able to secure funding & start this little project...finally!

I will keep blogging as I have more news...Cant wait to blog the construction pics....but not crossing that bridge til it's built.

The house that Grant built...or is still hoping to build...

Well, the house plans are still moving along, just at a snails pace instead. A late payment at Home Depot has thrown my credit score into a tail spin....so Im just waiting for it to recover and then we can move forward. Scott, my contractor, is hanging in there with me. He has applied for all of the permits & we are just waiting on the approval of the septic plan. I am hoping to have a day off during the week, so I can go to the hardware store to look at fixtures and make some preliminary decisions. The store he uses is only open m-f....how weird is that?! Oh, well. My mind still races thinking about how to do things, colors to use, placement of furniture, etc. This home will really be my dream home since I will have been dreaming about it, vividly, for over a year!

Reality Check!

March has been a crazy month! Between the hospitalization of my ex-wife, her stay in Cardiac ICU and the death of my good friend Ryan's Dad on March 9th from a Pulmonary Embolism, I've been rethinking how I live my life.

Ryan's dad was 51, a Washington State Patrol Detective & a great guy. It always amazes me how the good guys are the ones to go first. I guess God needed him...so called him home. Well, 51....wow....Only 10 years older than me. The family had been in Vegas for a wedding and on the day Ryan was going home, his dad wasnt feeling well, so Ryan hung out with him until heading to the airport. Well, sometime while in flight, Mike was rushed to the hospital and died. Ryan got a call when he landed & in that short moment, his life was forever altered. Mike left behind his wife Tracy, Ryan & his brother. A rich & wonderful life, cut short.... The good part was that Mike & Tracy were so in love...lived every day to its fullest & enjoyed their friends & family.

My point is that I need to look at my life...am I happy? Happy with my choices in life....well, not really, I guess. I needed a reality check. So, I've been re-evaluating everything and I think Im ready for some changes. Nothing too drastic...well, YOU probably wont notice much, but I will. I am going to make an effort to Learn, Live, Laugh & Love...maybe not in that order....but will concentrate on doing a few things differently to make me happy. For too many years, I have done what other people thought was best for me, not what I thought was best. Well, with change comes growth. I guess its time to do things for me & if I screw up...well, I will learn. But I wont have any regrets, like I do now...that is what is important.

So...for all of you that are now scared....lol...dont be, that is my job! Change is good, change is healthy. Im ready for it and will embrace it no matter what.

Testing...Testing....

Well, the test hole has been dug & the specimen has been sent to the lab! We are just a few days from the 'big dig'.....

Another step....not forward or backward though...

I drove by the property yesterday to see if the test holes had been done...nope....but noticed that there were two posts defining where the driveway should be, with the address written on surveyors tape. As I drove by, I saw my neighbors mailbox, only to realize it is the same address! The county assigned my neighbors address to my property! LOL....I told them originally that it would be 1627 or 1629, so they assign 1631 which is already assigned. Not sure what that is all about, but when I called my contractor last night, he just laughed...what else can we do! So...hopefully the backhoe doesnt show up and drive down her driveway and dig a few holes...lol.

1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Backward

I feel like I keep moving ahead & then backward. Between loan issues & weather, its been a rough couple of weeks. After a few minor setbacks, the loan has been moved on to another bank for approval. Now...we wait, again. They are using the same paperwork at least, so all the work I've done with MetLife wasnt a waste at all. Hopefully it will all get figured out this week.

On a better note, my contractor applied for all the permits before new years, to get the '2008' rate. He's got a guy coming today to dig the test holes for Septic & once the city/county approve, we are good to go on the permit end. Hopefully by next week, they'll be done & the loan will be secure. Once all this is done....we get to start digging! I'll be posting pics when we get to that point. Oh...& because we have permits in process...we have an address! 1629 S. Royal Street! below is what the house is supposed to look like.....


We've had lots of snow...see the pics below. Stoli loves to play in it! The roads around town are finally getting better, but where I live 'Brownes' is still a mess.