29 January 2006

Another Disappointment . . .

We had the next contractor come by with his bid Saturday morning . . .

and it was even higher than the first too-high bid we got!

Y'know - - if this house was a big fancy thing with lots of roof cutaways and house angles and lots of other high-end stuff, I could understand some of these prices we have been quoted.

But it's a straight ranch house. With a straight roof.

No cut-aways, no angles, no fancy "stuff" anywhere - -

It's a BOX with a ROOF on it, for God's sake!!!!!

I can NOT believe that these people expect us to want to even CONSIDER paying over $350,000 for a 2700 sq. ft. BOX with a ROOF on it!!

They are on drugs - - they MUST be - - that's the only explanation I can think of . . . *sigh*

And then they sit there and tell us that the housing construction market in Central Illinois is so slow - -

WELL, NO DAMN WONDER!! YOU ARE ALL PRICING YOURSELF RIGHT OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!!

Fools.

*SIGH*

Okay - - I've vented - - I feel better - -

Not really, but I'll keep telling myself that until it's true! *laugh*

However - - on a GOOD note - -

Dear Hubby Steve met with our realtor Saturday morning and took her around the area we have been checking out for lots. She now has a very clear idea what we are looking for, AND - - she does have a lead on a contact for one of the lots. So y'all keep your fingers crossed - - once we get the lot, we can move forward with some other things.

ALSO - - Steve called his long-time house-builder friend this evening and left a message for him to call us. It looks as if we are going to have to implement "PLAN B" - - buying a different lot and selling our current house and extra lot, AND "PLAN C" - - being our own General Contractor.

Sure, it would be much easier to pay someone else to do that for us, but we see how THAT is playing out. So even though this way means much more "sweat equity" on our part, in the long run it will be worth it.

Steve and I can do it - - we actually CAN work together on a big project and not want to kill each other! I know that sounds too good to be true, but it is.

I'm not saying there won't be times that things will be a bit "strained" between us, but we are a team; we are in this together; we are working towards a common goal.

We're gonna do it. Period.

Stay tuned - - I'll keep ya posted . . .

24 January 2006

Going To Hell In A Wheelbarrow . . .

. . . or at least that is how it seems sometimes!!

Okay - - it's been a LONG time since I posted anything, because I didn't feel like posting all the bad news lately. But here goes . . .

Contractors: One came in at a bid so high, he basically just bid himself right out of the running; one we really liked a lot withdrew his name from consideration because his schedule for this year is full; one came in at a bid that was MUCH lower than the first one, but STILL too damn high; one is visiting with us by the end of this week to present his bid; and one has not contacted us at all (which doesn't really upset me, because I didn't like him from the moment I met him!).

We have one more to talk to a second time - - a man Steve has known for many years, who builds houses for a living, and feels that we could be our own General Contractor and hire him to do the work. That would also save us money, but would be a HUGE investment in sweat equity. But it may be the way we need to go.

Location: We thought we had it all worked out - - we own the lot behind our house, and planned on building there. HOWEVER - - due to circunstances I do not care to explain in detail at this point, that is more than likely not going to happen. We are now in the process of talking to a realtor about lots in other locations, and have her looking at some in an area we both agree we like and wouldn't mind living in. That will then involve fixing up this house for sale, listing it and the lot (probably sell them separately), and then moving a lot farther than just the back yard! That also means I will lose the formal garden Jerry and I worked so hard on a couple of summers ago, and my street lamp from Taylorville Square, and all the landscaping I have done. We will be at Square One with the new place . . . *sigh*

But we will do whatever is needed to get through this. Steve and I have both agreed that the important thing is that we are in this TOGETHER. That it doesn't really matter that our plans have gone to Hell in a wheelbarrow, that we have to start from scratch and figure out all over again what we are doing and where - - we are TOGETHER, and that's what matters.

We can still use the house plans - - those are not lost. There may need to be a few modifications, depending on the lay of the lot we buy, but the overall plans are staying. Steve has put so much into this house - - planning, dreaming, lots and lots of thought. He says he has already cooked in the kitchen, eaten in the dining room, slept in the master bedroom, and sat in the hot tub in the sunporch!

You can't argue with that - - and I refuse to do anything or say anything that would kill that man's dream. OUR dream. I haven't gone as far in my mind as he has, but it's my home, too.

We'll get there. It's just not going very smoothly at the moment. But we WILL make it. TOGETHER.

That's how it should be.

Keep ya posted . . . . .