Exterior Color Choices

Selecting the exterior options was fun.  Driving around the neighborhood was essential and overwhelming at the same time.  The number of selections and color combinations that our neighborhood offers is astonishing.  Dark to light, brick to stone, tans or grays, subtle or bold…. You feel the first world problems yet?!

The sales rep fielded my concerns and squashed them at the same time.  The choices get narrowed depending on models and location within the neighborhood.  First up was the stone or block, pick one of the six choices and color options narrow depending on the HOA’s pre-selected color combinations. 

The color collections were fairly simple to navigate and predictably we agreed on everything except the color of the door (the door of all things).  Not wanting to haggle about a simple, yet significant choice, we agreed on the others selections.  That can’t happen and thankfully, our sales rep sided with my wife and the selections were complete:

               

               Stone:                 Dakota Ledgestone

               Siding:                Graphite Grey

               Shake Color:       Silver Mist

               Shutters:             Dark Navy

               Door:                  Outer Space                               -Luke

Guardian Appointment

This appointment was non-eventful for us.  We read so much (thanks to all the blogs) about the options and what to expect during this meeting.  We sat down with a nice man, who resembled a used car salesman, and braced for his pitch.  After 10 minutes and a kick under the table, we slowed him down and politely said we know what we’re getting, give me the pen.  After another redirection and explanation, we got down to the details of what we actually were going to purchase or lack thereof. 

We found the alarm system to be a good option and reasonably priced, but not something we’re interested in.  Installation was free (2-3 doors, 2 keypads, 2 motions, and a smoke detector) but the monthly subscription was locked for 36 months at $40/month or $50/month depending on options. 

Whole house speaker systems and surround sound options would be nice, but not for those prices.  They seem to be consistent with the inflated Ryan Homes options and can be done separately much cheaper with more options.  We contemplated getting something ‘roughed in’, but that lasted all of a few seconds.   Music and entertainment is going wireless, we’ll spend our money in that direction instead of something we think ‘sounds’ nice.   

We left that meeting with our heads held high and ZERO dollars out of pocket.  We had 3 cable and 3 phone options included with our selections.  It was painless to switch that to 5 cables and 1 phone, no questions asked.     -Luke

Interior Selections

Selecting the interior options was not done during one specific meeting or appointment.  We walked through several models and came across the options displayed in the basements.  And without fail we left with a different selection every time!  But to our advantage we were able to test the detail and durability of the products.  Lastly, my wife has a strong belief that there must be a contrast between the flooring and cabinets.  If they can’t match exactly, they must be distinctly different.    

NOTE: when we go into appointments, our mindset is that structural and substantial selections must be made now to prevent them from being difficult and expensive later.  However, we sacrifice in areas when the typical ‘do it yourself’ can tackle the projects.

Simple decision for us was to upgrade all the cabinets throughout the house as their construction was solid wood instead of veneer or particleboard.  The ‘upgrade 2’ came, along with mentioned above, dovetailed corners and upgraded soft-close slides.  RUSHMORE PAINTED HAZELNUT

Granite came standard, with an option to upgrade for a greater number of color choices.  It was not worth the price considering the color selections were similar.  SANTA CECELIA LIGHT

We do a lot of cooking and with the family growing, the GOURMET ISLAND was a must!  We opted to take a credit for the tiled backsplash as I’ll do it later.  Kitchen faucet fixtures were upgraded to BRUSHED NICKEL.

Continuing the cabinet upgrades discussed earlier, all bathrooms we chose WYOMING CHERRY JAVA cabinets and left the standard marble top.     -Luke

NVR mortgage appointment

So I’m going to try to keep this from being a rant.  

But.....  man oh man was this appointment miserable for us!  First and foremost, this was not a simple meeting.  They truly expected us to have all documentation on hand (less than 48 hours after we signed our purchase agreement) and be willing to hand it over for them to process us for a fully underwritten loan.  This sounds fine, except for the fact that we didn’t really want to go with NVR and already had a mortgage broker picked out.  The loan officer couldn’t fully answer my questions except to say that we had to be fully underwritten with them in order proceed.  Her rationale was that if we didn’t manage to get a mortgage with the other company, at least Ryan knew we were fully qualified.  To an extent, we understood that.  But, the purchase agreement technically read that we had 7 days to apply for a loan with a mortgage company.  We reread the section and never saw anything about it having to be NVR.  At one point, the loan officer said she was going to make some copies for me and we were almost done.  Nearly 20 minutes later she finally came back and said she had been talking to her manager.  It seemed as though she wasn’t used to people asking questions about why their rates were so much higher than the market was dictating (the hubby has these constantly refreshing on his phone!).  She said the market rates weren't accurate.  When I asked about lock in periods, she was quick to say NVR was the best and couldn’t be beat.  But when I asked when we could lock in she said not until about 70 days from our projected delivery date.  So she wanted us to sit there and watch the rates tick higher and higher without locking in for months!  When I mentioned other products with different lock in periods, she told me I was wrong and they only locked for 30 days.  I’ve had clients use these different brokers and truly have longer lock in periods.  To be blatantly told incorrect things as facts really undermines my trust in a company or willingness to explore their options!  Rant over...sorry, I guess that really did turn into more of a rant!     -Ashleigh

Signing Our Lives Away

This was an uneventful meeting for us.  We had been back and forth so many times negotiating every intricate piece that we were well versed in what our “deal” was going to look like.  Still, we left the kiddos at home with my mom and went in as just two adults so we could focus.  There are definitely differences in a builder’s purchase agreement compared to a traditional resale contract.  This will vary from state to state but :

Lesson:  often times builders make buyers pay certain taxes in full (such as transfer taxes).  These taxes may typically be split 50/50 in a traditional resale.  So, just make sure you budget accordingly.

Lesson:  builders like to give themselves a window for delivery instead of one specific day.  This can be hard if you need to sell your current home or obtain a mortgage with the new regulations.  Make sure you are working with a Realtor and mortgage broker you know and trust!

Lesson:  read carefully!  many builders really want you to use their in house mortgage lender.  This may work for you.  But, sometimes their rates and terms may not suit your needs.  Often times the closing cost incentives (in our case $6500) are tied directly into using their in house lender.  You can do research and possibly find someone with better rates who will match the incentives.  Just make sure you have the incentive piece in writing to prove to another lender.     -Ashleigh

Meet the Neighbors!

So we are officially THOSE PEOPLE!  Since Ryan Homes asked us to change our lot (fine by us...we originally wanted this one anyway!) we decided to drive down the street again.  Part of this street is developed, so we took advantage and actually knocked on a door.  Some people wouldn't do this...but we are far from shy.  Lucky for us, our new next door neighbor answered the door (Hey, Stephanie!).  She was super sweet and actually invited us into the house so we could see it with the reverse layout.  For whatever reason, our lots dictate the driveway be cut in on a certain side.  This makes our footprint reverse from the Ryan Homes published floor plan (although you can ask them to reverse it and print you a new copy if you'd like).  Stephanie and her hubby moved in less than a month before, so they just finished the same process we are now starting.  Stephanie gave us the full tour and talked about some things they were really happy they did.

One take away was the fact that they made the exit from their basement come out of the side of their house.  Our exit will be similar in design as far as double glass doors, out onto a cement slab, then a few steps to walk up that run parallel to the side of the house.  This saves so much of your yard and gives you so many more options regarding deck and patio placement later on.  We were not even aware that this was an option or something Ryan Homes would consider, so this piece of info was invaluable to us!

How nice is it to know we have friendly neighbors who will share more than a cup of sugar?!     -Ashleigh

Magic: Patience Pays Off!

So we waited out the end of November.  We got a phone call from the sales rep really pressuring us to sign before the end of the month because the incentives might change.  She was still polite enough, but really got a little pushier than we were comfortable with.  So, our response was if Ryan Homes is really interested in our business by the end of the month, then they can counter back from our last offer.  And again, we left it at that.  All of this waiting worked for us because we are not on a specific time table.  Obviously, not everyone can play the waiting game, but we were really using it to our advantage.

Well, November rolled into December.  And guess what…MAGIC happened.  Suddenly, we were the first sale of the first week of the month and that meant half off all options.  I’m not saying this happens in every community, I’m just saying it’s what happened here.  So magically, the items we had been negotiating and being told NO about were now 50% off.  Please note, this does not include flooring or tile of any kind as that is done at an outside vendor.  But, it did mean that the kitchen cabinet upgrade (to solid wood instead of veneer) was now $750 instead of $1500.  It meant that we wouldn’t do the basement package anymore because it was now cheaper to do it half off (and we still got the free welled exit…basically double glass doors that slide to a partial stair case to walk up to ground level).  The morning room price was slashed in half, the ceiling fan rough ins were half off, etc.  

Lesson:  If you don’t pay to add it, many rooms such as living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms will have zero light source when you move in.  Then, you or someone you hire will be cutting into brand new sheet rock.  Check your warranty to see if this voids your sheet rock warranty through your builder.

There were still a few points we weren’t in agreement on (overall price, lot premium price).  We gave the rep our final offer (again:) and she said she didn’t think she could make it happen.  We told her we looked forward to hearing what management had to say and left it at that.

Silence....  Silence the rest of that day and silence the next morning.  My husband kept wanting an update and I kept stalling.  Again, MAGIC.  We get an email that our paperwork will be ready if we can come in after 1:00 to sign.  I immediately asked for a synopsis of the agreement (we all know what happens if it’s not in writing;).  The management had accepted our price.  We were told in no uncertain terms that there was literally $0.00 left to negotiate due to their mandatory profit margin percentage.  As a Realtor, I feel instant success…as a party to the transaction, I feel instant equity!     -Ashleigh

Negotiations

You will soon realize, we are very stubborn people.  We could write a ton about exactly how the next few weeks transpired, but we don’t want to bore you!  So, suffice it to say that there were lots of emails and phone calls back and forth.  There were also lots of option and price point discussions.  We stuck to our number and stuck to the “extras” that were really non-negotiable for us.  For instance, if you look at the Venice model, there is really no space for a kitchen table…unless you pay to add a morning room ($16,995!).  Also, the basement would be completely unfinished unless you pay to finish it (they were offering a $14,000 package that included a full bath and finished basement area, a double welled exit, etc).  We took our total including the lot premium and slashed it by over 10%.  That’s the offer we made.  Over the next little bit, we went back and forth.  

As we expected, the rep wanted us to forego options.  But, if you look at certain models, some options are really not options at all.  Instead, they are necessary to make the space livable (read: they do this on purpose:)  Also, don’t forget about the lot premium! For our neighborhood, every single lot had a premium!  Even the lots that had zero privacy and literally had neighbors almost in your back and side yard.  But, there may be room for negotiation within some of these areas.  (Example: we originally wanted lot A.  Then, the rep told us they had lot B that Ryan Homes already owned that would allow us more bargaining power.  Lot B backed to woods, so we weren’t sure how that was the case, but figured it was worth a try.  Now she's telling us that we have more power/wiggle room with lot A because it needs to be sold by the end of the year or Ryan Homes has to pay certain carrying costs again). We told her we would consider the lot if they considered our price.  She said she didn’t think it would happen.  So, we kind of left it at that and said let us know if you hear anything.

Lesson:  Always ask for the rationale or justification for the rejection…it will help you understand how to better negotiate to maximize the value of your dollar.

Lesson:  As long as you are clear and polite, the sales rep shouldn't take anything personally.  Their goal is to make a sale.  Your goal is to make a purchase.  It's everything else that happens in between that requires work...let a Realtor do that work for you!     -Ashleigh

So close...yet so far away!

A brief synopsis of the last month:  we drive a hard bargain and really stuck to our "max all in number".  So, when we discussed purchasing a home with Ryan Homes, we were given a price sheet that included all of our options (both wish list and non-negotiables).  We were also given a lot premium list telling us how much it would cost to have one particular lot vs. another.  Needless to say, we were not content to pay "sticker price".  We made a verbal offer price (well under Ryan Homes' price) and specified what that offer should include (we were not 100% ready to commit in writing yet).  The sales rep sat and emailed management right then and said we should have an answer in a few days.  So, we went home and took some time to think about it.  We asked some follow up questions and waited.

Then we got the exciting email that our offer was actually being considered and basically verbally accepted.  But wait, when I pushed the rep to forward to me what she had submitted, it wasn't our offer at all.  Nor did it include the flooring options we had specified (the rep claimed that flooring is done off site so she couldn't include that).  So, I told her we weren't interested and that if it would be easier for her, we would be happy to communicate with management directly to insure that our interests were accurately represented.  Update: she apologized and I really do think she just got overly excited.  We have a great working relationship and things are going great!

BUYER BEWARE:  the sales rep works for Ryan Homes.  Their affiliation and loyalty is to Ryan Homes.  In our situation, Ryan Homes pays a buyer's agent (realtor representing the buyer) a commission percentage based off of the base home price.  We both strongly suggest using a Realtor who is familiar with new construction to help you negotiate and represent you!

Good news for us, I'm representing us as our Realtor!  We both agreed that walking away and having the ball in our court was the most comfortable position for us.  Naturally, I sent an email response to the fake offer clearly outlining why we were not continuing and what steps would have to be made in order for us to even consider building with Ryan Homes.  Would they even respond...we all had to wait and see!     -Ashleigh

"We're building a HOUSE"

Hi!  We are Luke and Ashleigh...we are a young(ish) couple who have been married for 10 years.  We have 2 kiddos, with one more (surprise blessing) on the way.  Well, that little surprise blessing helped us make the decision to transition from a town home to a single family home now instead of later.  Well, relatively now...we have decided to buy new construction with Ryan Homes meaning we will do a lot of the leg work now and move into our home when they are finished.  Right now they are projecting a move in date sometime in May.  This also happens to be my due date month.  Now that I type that, maybe we're crazy!

Well, after a few months of research and investigation, we have finally decided to officially take the plunge. We picked a Venice model in Northern Virginia.  For us, the decision of which model to pick was fairly easy.  Our neighborhood only had one lot left where you could build the Florence (smallest and least expensive base price).  That lot did not appeal to us at all due to the size (or lack there of) and position amongst other lots.  So, that meant the Florence was out.

Next up was the debate between the Venice (3000sqft) and the Rome (3600spft).  We both really liked each model.  Our neighborhood sales office is situated inside a Rome model.  The model is beautiful, but has some space that we don't see ourselves utilizing (formal living room, formal dining room, etc.)  Of course the finishes were beautiful, but I shudder to think about what the "as is" price would be!  

But, our neighborhood didn't have a Venice to walk through.  We both felt like we needed to walk around and actually see and feel the layout of a Venice before we made an official decision.  This meant we took a weekend morning and drove about 30 minutes to another community where Ryan Homes was building the same models.  We walked through the Venice and instantly loved it.  

There was no formal dining room (a plus for us, but completely personal preference).  Our taxes are decently high in Northern Virginia, so we really wanted to make sure that we are going to use the space we pay taxes on ;)  Of course each location and community have different base prices.  Interestingly, the Venice we walked through (30 minutes away) had a base price of nearly $100K more than our neighborhood.  As a Realtor, I am used to seeing these fluctuations, but I will be honest and say that the $100K spread surprised me!  So now that we have decided what to do, what's next?!  We hope you join us on our journey!     -Ashleigh