Building a home...need advice

[SALvation]

I'm looking to buy or build a house early next year and could use some advice. I already know the process of buying since I bought a condo this past March, but thanks to the recession and mortgage rates, I'm already ready to step up.

I've just started thinking about building a new home instead of buying. I have no idea what this process is so anybody with advice or links would really help.

Thanks!

 

[Carbo]

Start by buying some lumber.

 

[cavingjan]

Talk to a lender to see what your price range is. (You knew this already) But don't forget that you will be getting two loans. One is a contruction loan that has a significantly higher interest rate and that changes to a regular mortgage when you occupy the house. After that, look at locations (with all the frills: schools, etc) and then see about a builder. Some developements you are limited to builders, some you aren't. The rest should be the same as when you bough the condo. Are you going to sell the condo or keep it and rent it? That will affect your loans.

 

[RKS]

My brother builds upscale houses here in the sw Ohio area and they are often approached with buyers who have seen their homes at local home shows (Homerama).
Buyers have a lot of options:
they can build a house similar to the one at the show,
bring in their own architect,
work with the architect from my brother company in designing their own custom house.

I guess your first step would be to come up with a blueprint and find a local builder your are comfortable with.
I would definately visit some of their houses and talk to the people who worked with or purchased the home from the builder.

 

[kranky]

Here's a tip that you might not get otherwise: Don't build where a homeowner's association calls the shots. My parents dream of a little home for retirement has been turned into a ghastly nightmare by such a group.

 

[dman]

RE: HOA's... Unfortunately we all have different ideas of what's nice looking and tasteful. HOA's have rules so that there are no surprises. When you have tons of homes 10' apart, it makes sense to have some conformity. Thus, HOA's aren't ALL bad.

It depends, IMHO, on how old the avg member of the community is. Retired folks who are home all day and have nothing better to do than to complain about stupid crap can be a nightmare, but, if you read the rules before you moved in and keep your property looking reasonably nice you should be able to avoid any problems.

Take some pride in your home, keep it nice looking and you'll find, in general, HOA's aren't a problem.

 

[notfred]

We just built a second building on the property (garage, no a house, but it's big enough to be a house)

Anyway, there were lots of blueprints, inspctors, fees, lots of people coming and cutting and hammering. It's a BIG project.

If you are seriously interested, call an architect. He will know about the laws in your state and city. There are better places to go than Anandtech for some things, you know.

 

[kranky]

I'd start by checking the library for a book or two on the process. It's such a big undertaking that reading a couple of books would probably serve you well.

dman6666, we didn't anticipate any trouble. In fact, we have relatives already living in the same plan and knew the rules. What happened is that the HOA approved my parents' house plans last year, then the HOA had an election and a new guy took over the HOA. He doesn't like their house plans and insists the plans were never approved. Sadly, the only record is with the HOA and the guy "claims" he can't find any record of approval. But the kicker is that when the original plans were approved, my parents went ahead and contracted with the builder, ordered the home (it's a modular) and got a construction loan. Now they are on the hook for a loan for a house they can't build, the house has been delivered by the manufacturer and my parents have to pay storage fees since the builder can't install it because the HOA guy got an injunction against them proceeding with the building plans.

He knows they are elderly and is just trying to wear them down until they give up and go away. He refuses to cite exactly what would make the house satisfactory to him because they would then be able to fix it and continue building.

Why? Because the lot my parents own is right across the street from the new HOA president, and he likes having it empty. So far this has cost my parents $8,000 in extra costs with no end in sight.

 

[kag]

<< If you are seriously interested, call an architect. He will know about the laws in your state and city. There are better places to go than Anandtech for some things, you know. >>


as weird as it sounds, this is very true... check with someone who works in that domain...

 

[rahvin]

<<Why? Because the lot my parents own is right across the street from the new HOA president, and he likes having it empty. So far this has cost my parents $8,000 in extra costs with no end in sight.>>

So get a lawyer and launch a lawsuit against the HOA and the person involved. For the 8G's you have already spent you could finance quite a bit of lawyer leg work. Get him to admit malicious intent on a tape recording and use it against him in court.

 

[TheDingo]

Nails works better than old bubble gum. Get some of those.
And put some trap doors in the floors to suprise old people and you can all have a good laugh as you hoist grandma off the foundation cement below.

 

[Sepen]

<< Start by buying some lumber. >>



Hehe, wrong. First he needs the land, then an architect, then concrete..then he can get the lumber.

Seriously, you can't go wrong building your own. I assume you will be the GC?

 

[kranky]

Wish it could work out like that, rahvin. I don't want to hijack the thread but suffice to say the guy is a <insert bad word here>. There's a hearing tomorrow at 9AM, looks like one way or the other it will be resolved. Either my parents get to proceed, or else they are looking at financial disaster. They don't have the strength to pursue a drawn-out legal battle and he knows it.