Tips and Tidbits

I have read a ton of reviews and blogs about home building.  You know the good, the bad and the ugly.  My SR even told me not to read those things- I think she was scared of the information we would gather.  By the way- I highly suggest you read all the blogs for every home builder (I read quite a few about the Toll Brothers process).  There is so much to learn and so much  you will learn you have no clue about.  So here are a few tricks and tips that I feel has helped us through this exciting time in our lives thus far:

1.  Visit every model home you can: this helps with decorating ideas, the feel of the space and what to look out for in the building of your own home.  

2.  Go to the community events.  Meet your potential neighbors and ask questions about how the process was for them.  You may even make new friends- you have at least one thing in common, you built with Ryan Homes)

3.  Read the blogs- all of them.  Even if its not about the model you are building.  They tend to have other information you could really use (like pre construction questions or sealing granite or asking the door in the laundry room to swing out)

4.  Write your thoughts down- a notebook, a smart phone, a tablet doesn't matter.  This will help keep information organize and help you to keep track of everything that's going on and there is a lot going on.

5.  Research ALL your mortgage options- run numbers frequently, complete your own debt to income ratio (DTI), and monitor your credit.  I can't count how many times the SR at our community has said the financing fell through for a potential buyer at the community.  I truly feel that because we did all this leg work before signing the purchase agreement it put us in a really good position to buy this home with as few hiccups as possible.

6.  Hire your own inspector.  Ryan Homes does hire an inspector to come to the home to inspect before you move in.  But based on all the blogs and reviews (complaints) I suggest you hire your own inspector for these time frames: Pre Drywall, Pre Settlement and 1 year review.  There is no way you can catch everything on your own and unless you are a contractor yourself it may be difficult to know when something is really out of line.  A little money up front can save you a ton of headache later.

7.  Set a budget and stick to it.  Easier said than done.  With Ryan Homes we could have added ALL their possible options and still be within our budget- but with that comes a larger down payment, increased closing costs and increased taxes. 

8.  Write your own blog!  This blog was to help record our home but to also help someone else.  There aren't too many Courtland Gate blogs and I thought I would toss my hat into the ring.  It is always good to get a different perspective to help with building your home.  

This list may be extended as we get further into the building of our home, so stay tuned.