We're in, but we're not finished....

So much has happened since my last blog, that it would take a book to bring you up to date.  We did move in the last week in May, but our home was not complete.  Here we were in this large home, with our dryer vent hanging out the window.  You heard me right.  Our builder forgot to put in a dryer vent, so my husband put in a cardboard rectangle with a hole cut out for our dryer vent.  I hope he took a picture of that. :)  But, that was a small thing compared...

I can't even tell the story in one blog.  I will have to blog more frequently to cover everything.  In a nutshell, somewhere along the process, we realized that our builder was not being fiscally responsible.  Maybe it was when I noticed that most of our receipts lined the floorboard in his truck.  He told us it would be more affordable for us if he didn't show up, because his hourly rate was too expensive.  We took over the build.

Neither of us had building experience or expertise.  We hired crews that worked on nicer homes in our area to finish it out.  I took two jobs to pay for what remained. I have a teaching degree and started substitute teaching to pay for coursework to get my real estate license.  I became a licensed real estate agent in late March.  After that, I  subbed at least 2-3 days a week, hit the streets trying to get listings the other two, and worked both Saturday and Sunday at open houses to meet new clients.  It was exhausting, but I sold 15 homes! Amazing what one can do when you fear losing your home, or worse, not finishing your home and being in default.  My first goal:  Finish the house.  My second goal:  Pay off the no-interest credit card that covered some of our overage by next December.  

Our kitchen.  We have had up to 5 cooks around the island.

We dealt with lots of emotions. For me, mostly fear.  I don't like debt so that has been the hardest part of it all.  I dealt with anger towards our builder, and trying to forgive him for forcing me into debt and back to work a year early.  My youngest isn't in school yet.  When we should have been paying for window treatments, we still needed to pay to put gutters on, landscaping and even foam insulation in the attic.  We will also need to repaint much of what was done on the exterior, because it was done so quickly in the end because we were running out of money.  So, no, we probably didn't save any money.  Maybe we did.  I'll never know.  We ended up managing to borrow only 80% of the value of the home, which was our goal, but I wonder how much we scraped together from working and throwing every penny we had into the project those last few months, not to mention the money we are still earning to finish it.

So, it is Fall now, and four months since we moved in. I am starting to find happiness in this home.  I am at peace, even with things still needing to be finished.  I ended up loving my new career.  I don't love the time away from my kids, but I love being a realtor!  I always knew it was my passion and I'm finding that it truly is.  I love my home.  And I guess, in the end that is what matters in a home build.  It has been a struggle, but I love working on it, piece by piece.

Now that the summer crazy season, of having 8 kids at home while I spent hours on the road, listing and selling property, is over, I have moments where I can stand on the porch, and look at the pond, and dream of the swing that will go in the corner where two hooks were installed during the build.  I was promised the swing on Mother's Day.  We will buy it when we can afford it. :)  I'm not sure when that will be.  But, I'll keep you posted.

Our front door.  Greg picked the color and the style.