Gottfried Green

We will be closing on the construction loan this Thursday. Over the past month, the bank caused one of my other worries to come into focus. Most of the home building in this area are model homes where you pick your own specific interior features or layouts etc. They all have the overall same look which is pictured above. Once you make your selections the contractor and the bank would build your house for you and you'd get keys once it passed inspection. The local bank I used described our project as "a bit unconventional". This comment was based on the fact that we wanted to do a small amount of the work ourselves. Also, we weren't going to have a concrete driveway and it will only have one bathroom and no pool. Well we certainly were never going to have a concrete driveway and other things could be decided down the road as space was left for them. Because of our experience renovating we had always imagined having someone build the shell of our home and we'd complete the rest. With the bank involved this wasn't possible because we aren't licensed contractors. OK, that was fine but then things got complicated based on doing our own interior painting and flooring?! In the end it was worked out but between Sarasota County's strict C of O requirements and the banks preferences we started to feel trapped into building a house for them vs. ourselves. Our house isn't going to be close to the green dream I'd hoped for but this was always going to be a learning experience. We even wanted to wait to get the AC installed so I could take my time and do more research into the systems available. Although the AC layout would have been in place, the bank said they wouldn't close the loan unless the AC was installed during the construction phase. Basically, I've been forced to get an AC installed. If I was paying out of pocket I'd have more freedom of course but what if I was really hardcore and never planned on adding an AC? I guess I couldn't stay here in FL.

Labels: cost