Year in Review...2014

Wow. We are at the end of another year and I find that while, overall, the year has been good, I have not done a lot of blogging. It's something I enjoy and hope to do more of next year. There is news though.

 Once again, I have moved. Back to Texas. For a job. I always keep an eye on job postings and when I saw this job, I knew I had to give it a go. I didn't really think I'd get it, but I did! Everything just fell in to place as if this is what I was supposed to do.  I do miss the people I worked with and, surprisingly, I miss Savannah.  Job wise, though, it's been one of the best transitions I have had in a long time. A well run organization and welcoming people. The only drawback for me is it's a large organization. Probably the largest in which I've ever worked. Also, my job is not attached to any one department, which makes it a bit weird, but not a bad weird. It does mean, though, that I've not yet found a "work buddy," which I've usually had at other jobs. I figure that will come in time.

In the meantime, in an effort to get more exercise and meet people, I joined a walking group and have met some wonderful people. It's at 7:30 Saturday mornings, which is a challenge for me, but a good challenge. Right now the weather is windy and cool, but I know if an few months that will change to unbearably hot and I'll be glad for the early morning walk time.

With this move, comes my other piece of news. I am tired of moving. This is a college town, so rentals would be expensive, not too mention no desire to repeat the pitiful renting experience that I had in Georgia.  Plus, I was just ready.  So, I took the plunge (with a little help from a small inheritance) and bought a house. It's a little bigger than I set out to get, but I knew when I walked into it that it was supposed to be mine. It's an almost brand new house in an established neighborhood, but it did need some work. Mainly on the outside - landscaping for the front and some type of porch and patio on the back. The house has a covered porch, but there were no steps down to the yard (and it was about a two foot drop) and no patio. I've done both of those and screened the back porch, something which has been on my wish list for years. The yard is huge and backs up to a wooded area. Fortunately it self maintains itself for the back part and I found a good yard service.

Between the tiny Georgia condo (though the peace and quite was wonderful) and the move and hurting my foot, my exercise routine flew out the window. And, along with it my weight maintenance. My big disappointment in all of this is the weight I gained back after keeping it off for years. I know with some structure and routine I can re-lose it, but my focus has been sporadic. That's one of my goals for the new year - get back to a routine that will allow me to lose the weight and maintain the loss.

I wish everyone nothing but the best in the coming year.

Sold...again....

And, this time it's final. The closing was last Monday. I did lose, however, I didn't owe anything at closing and for that I'm extremely grateful. Basically, within three days of re-listing the house, we had two offers. This was a bizarre experience. Offers were coming in above asking with the request that we pay closing costs. However, these were first time buyers, going FHA, trying to get the $8,000 credit. Apparently, closing costs or very little closing costs, can't be rolled into the loan if you want the credit. The house appraised below what they offered. No big surprise to me, it appraised where I thought it would. So, offer became the appraisal value. But, the first buyer (the one that backed out) still wanted me to pay basically all of their closing costs. Ummm... no. The second buyer wanted EVERYTHING, including the payment of the HOA dues (not the HOA transfer fee but the dues). I wasn't that desperate. Turns out when we said no and told them what we would do, his agent agreed. Seems she always asks for everything. Umm... big turn-off especially when the other offer was serious from the get go. They truly only wanted the refrigerator and a portion of their closing costs paid. That was it. Their offer was $1, 000 above the appraisal and FHA didn't buy that. So, it came down. My awesome real estate agent and friend, said then $1,000 less on the closing costs and they said okay.

There was a hairy moment or two with the inspection, but it was basically stupid stuff. I'm sorry, if the light bulb is burned out, replace it. This wasn't the buyer, but the inspector. Apparently, they couldn't be there during the inspection, which was news to me. I thought you could. At any rate, all was well. I had re-turned on the electricity and water, but not the gas, so I had to do that to finish it off. Big pain, but I'd want to make sure the gas worked too.

Then the papers got to me the Friday afternoon before closing. I noticed something amiss with the closing statement so I went through it with friend and real estate agent Friday night (I was right), then took it to the credit union for notarizing where needed, then stuck it in FedEx for overnight and prayed it got there before the 9:00 am closing. It must have, because by Monday afternoon I was no longer a home owner. Big Sigh.

I then had to make sure all utilities were disconnected, call my fabulous yard guy (we did pass on his info to the buyers) to discontinue the service, and cancel the insurance policy. I still have final bills for those left to pay, but then I'm done. I can now manage just one household.

We did it just in time. Three more foreclosures have occured in the neighborhood, which brings the value down further. More rentals. Friend says he's glad I'm out of there. This time I trusted my little voice to sell and while I didn't make money, it was the definitely the right thing to do.

Bummed...

The house is NOT sold. The appraisal came in at less than the offer, which wasn't a shocker for me. Buyer made the new offer, but still wanted me to carry all of the closing. I offered to carry three fourths of the closing. Apparently, with a family member facing foreclosure (more information than I needed) and prices down, she decided not to buy at all. So we're told. My real estate agent thinks there's a good chance the buyer will come back in about 30-45 days with an even lower offer. Which is so not right.

So, we're dropping the price. The appraisal won't change so there's no point in leaving the asking price where we put it. We'll see what happens. I hope I get another offer, but this has been rough. Last week I thought I was done and now I'm back to where I was. I believe things happen for a reason, but the reason for this is just hard to see.

Sold!

I'm happy, sad, a bit nostalgic and a bit shocked. In exactly one week, my Texas home sold! Closing is this Thursday. That means the last house payment has been made and tonight I had the pleasure of canceling the utilities. So, one bill left for each of those. That will make bill paying, among other things, so much easier. I love to watch the shows on HGTV and worried that the house was empty. They say houses that have furniture and/or are staged sell quicker. I guess not in Texas, which is totally fine by me.

I was also pleased that the offer was fair - I didn't get taken to the cleaners. I'm actually coming out okay. A little loss, but nothing really hurtful, plus I figure in the long run I'm coming out ahead. No more property taxes to pay, pest control to do, lawn care to arrange, HOA fees to pay, or anything house related. Right now, I'll just enjoy renting. One day I hope to have my own house again, but I have no idea where or when and I'm okay with that right now.

It's been a long road, but I'm at the end of it now. I'd wondered off and on (especially after bad manager stepped down) if I shouldn't have hung out a little longer at the job. I'm taking the quick sale of the house as a sign that I shouldn't have - that I made the right decision. Now, I can just move forward.

Up for sale...

Yes, the house in Texas is for sale. It was official last Sunday. I had briefly entertained the idea of keeping it and heading back there in a couple years, but decided that wasn't the best thing to do. Yes, I own the house and there are lots of pluses in that. However, the job here is good. The memories there, not so good. I gained one really excellent friend from the whole return to Texas fiasco, but that doesn't require I live in that house.

I also don't want to limit myself to that area of Texas. It's not bad, but if I do wind up back there, I'd rather do it with a clean slate. My visit back to view the repairs reinforced this. It was a hard decision to make and kind of sad. I enjoy owning my own home. However, I also enjoy the freedom that renting provides. Not just in the maintenance aspect, but in the ability to move aspect. It appears that I still have a bit of wanderlust left in me. I know that someday I'll hit the spot that I'll stay (hopefully) and be able to retire, but until then I kind of like knowing my options are open. That I could go where I want to... maybe. It all depends.

Until then, it will make life much easier not having to take care of a house from afar. So far, three showings. Cross your fingers for a quick sale.

Moving forward...

A couple of weekends ago, I made a day trip to Texas. The purpose was to see all the repairs that had been made to the house. A few days before, the new driveway had been poured. It was still marked off, but looked great. The outside repairs were done and they even re-sodded in places, though I spotted some dead spots in the yard. I'm not worried about those though as I know the grass will fill it in. The flower beds were looking a little sad, so I told my yard guy to go ahead and mulch the flower beds and around the trees. Finally pulled up the remains of the little peach tree. It had done so well and then just overnight it seemed to die. After all the cracks in the walls and ceilings had been repaired (I believe they had to totally replace the sheet rock in the ceiling in the entry hall) they repainted the whole house. I think they did a better job on the re-paint than they did when it was first built.

I had briefly considered the some what flighty notion of holding on to the house and moving back there. Eventually, I'll need to be closer to my Mom. However, seeing the house confirmed what I had already decided. As much as I liked that house and the area, between it and the job, mostly the job, there are just no really happy memories there. Even if I move back to Texas one day, I don't want to tie myself to that area or that house. So, once all of the little repairs are finally finished (there were one or two items remaining), friend BA will put it on the market for me. It just feels right. Cross your fingers. If I can't sell it, I'll rent it, but I'm really hoping I'll be able to sell it. It looks like brand new on the inside and thanks to the repair work has a life time warranty on the foundation, which in that area should be a selling feature. They were in the process of repairing two other houses and several more standing by in addition to those already repaired. I can't even imagine the bill for the builders.

The trip. The really good part: I got to have a hamburger at one of my favorite hamburger places and visit with friends. I caught an early flight out of BWI and was supposed to leave DFW at 6:25 pm and be back in my apartment by 11:30 pm. Nice plan. Too bad the weather had different ideas. Storms. So, delayed, then delayed, then canceled, then rebooked. I got home at almost 4:00 am on Sunday morning. It took me almost a week to recover. However, it was worth it. Hopefully, I'll repeat the day trip shortly (without storms) to sign papers to sell the house. Wouldn't that be lovely? Then I truly move forward.

The End is Near....

Or rather, Vindication X 3! The picture to the right is one of the holes that was dug in the repair of my foundation! Actually, it's also one of the holes that served one of the two tunnels that was dug under the house to place piers under the middle of the house. All together, 32 piers have been placed under my house and two tunnels were dug to access the middle of the house.

Are you surprised? I was. I had received notice from builder's nitwit that my foundation would not be repaired and also advised that I would not receive the offical plan of action since we had been "communicating." He listed three things as a plan of action that were no where close to a plan of action. One was "fix cosmetics." Umm.... no. Details, please. Of course, I e-mailed exactly what I expected from a plan of action and advised that what he sent me (he who has never been in my house) was most definitely not a plan of action. I didn't hear anything back for a couple days. He then sends an e-mail asking me to call him as he has an update. Grrr. I send him an e-mail asking him to send it via e-mail. The update - they received more results from the soil survey and my foundation does in fact need to be repaired. He attached the engineers drawing for the repairs, i.e. where the piers and tunnels would be, etc, advised who the company and the engineer were, said he would send information on the company and offered to set up a conference call with the engineer to answer any questions I might have. This was one of the best communications I've had. It was also the week before Christmas.

The next thing I know I'm getting a call from the foundation repair folks scheduling January 12th as the start date for the repairs. In case you haven't guessed already, I had received no information on the company, etc as nitwit had said he would. Fortunately, the lady from the company answered all my questions. Then there was a mini saga (which I will someday write about) over getting a key to friend B who has been an absolute angel helping me with all of this and who is the photographer of the picture. I could not have managed this without his help. I would not have given a house key to nitwit builder rep. Ever. In fact, nitwit left me a voice mail the Friday before it began (notice he didn't e-mail as I requested) saying he would be there on Monday and advising they didn't need access to the house and basically puzzled as to why I would have someone there representing me. I truly wonder what he would do if it were his house. Anyway, B was there and has done wonders with nitwit. I now even get daily e-mail updates from nitwit. For the curious, they did need access to my house. In fact, the plumber beat nitwit there the first morning (they do a plumbing check before and after foundation repairs) and today to do the leveling.

The one sad thing in all of this is I wish I could be there to see for myself. Turns out I'm totally fascinated by the repair process, as is B.

Utter Frustration...

With the builder. What else is new. A couple of weeks ago builder rep called. They determined my house had not moved enough to warrant fixing the foundation. They would fix the "cosmetic" items and then re-survey in the three months. I'm not sure if I was happy or not to hear this. Honestly, I think they just bided their time to make me think they were really checking it out. Basically, if they re-survey in three months and determine no major movement, then any new damage is all mine to fix. Good for them. We all know the continuing damage would be due to the house shifting. To make matters worse, this is a man I literally cannot communicate with.

Two days after that phone conversation, he calls me mid-morning. He's with the bricklayer at my house to fix the exterior and no one is home. I asked if maybe they might be, I don't know, at work?! He says there is a truck in the drive way. I say so? Well, he has the bricklayer. I gave him the renter's phone number as they had agreed I could the day before. He asks if there was brick in the garage. I said yes, but that I doubted the renter could drop everything and head back out there. I also asked if he could give me/the renters advance notice. Well, I agreed to this on Wednesday. I said I wasn't arguing that, but I'd still like notice. As I've said, I can't communicate with nitwit, it escalated and he hung on me. Basically forced me to call him back to ask him to do the work.

After that incident, I decided e-mail was the best form of communication. Seems reasonable, right? If he reads it he can respond to it. Umm, no. Apparently he has no reading comprehension skills. He gives one word replies that address nothing in the e-mail or sends back a document while ignoring three forths of the rest of the e-mail. He implied the brick had been fixed. I asked for confirmation. I got a copy of the last survey in reply. I asked about several other things in the e-mail as well, all of which went unaddressed.

The kicker was a flyer left on the door advising me to call them. He knows I don't live there, but I figured a lackey did the delivery and let that slide. Then I find the builder has left a much more offical letter on the door (very professional way to communicate with home owners) advising they've sold the remaining lots to another builder (like I care) but rest assured they will still address all the problems with my house. How on earth does selling vacant lots to another builder imply in any fashion that they would no longer be responsible for the issues or warranties with my home? The one they built. They also let me know, about three months after the fact, who would be doing the repair work and that I would have a letter by Dec 15th outlining all the work to be done with a timeline, and advising this work would start January 5th. Nitwit had led me to believe it would be done this month. My renter will be gone next week, so I'm in a quandry on how to coordinate the interior stuff. I mentioned the letter to nitwit in an e-mail to make sure the letter is mailed to me and not delivered to the house. He advises that there was no such letter that went out. I advise him to contact the VP of the Dallas office because not only was there a letter, but he, nitwit, was copied on it (it appears via e-mail). I also copied the relevant paragraph in the e-mail (thank goodness renter PDF's these things for me). So far, no reply and no letter from nitwit.

The issues with the house are a small part of my frustration. I understand that soil conditions, weather, they all contribute to what can go wrong. It's the utter lack of communication from this company that has me spitting nails. Nitwit seems to believe since it's warranty work he doesn't need to let me know when he's going to do repair work. I keep trying to tell him it's still my house and I want to know what is being done. If anyone has any suggestions for dealing with nitwits, I'm all ears, because apparently I'm failing miserably at communicating with this one.

Something to remember...

Today's Bible verse (from Christ Notes) was:

Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything.

Proverbs 13:3 (New Living Translation)

Alas, it would have been nice if it came yesterday, before I spoke with builder rep guy. I've just about decided I'll have to communicate with him solely by e-mail because he just sends me through the roof every time I talk to him. More on that later, as I'm only half-way down from the ceiling.

Geotechnical Survey...

Which is probably a fancy term for getting soil samples, which is what took place at my house yesterday. I could have termed this post Vindication times 2. Originally, Head Warranty Guy told me they would go by the soil samples taken from the neighborhood for the driveway issue. I didn't think that would be good enough and since at least two other homes had soil samples taken from around their foundations I was a little puzzled as to why that wouldn't be the case with me. Turns out I was right. Last week I got a call from Warranty Guy to say those samples weren't good enough and they would need to get samples, though they probably couldn't get me on the schedule until next month. Sigh. Then I got another call. Lo and behold, they could do my house this week. Yesterday as it turns out. The company said they'd need access to the garage and the yard. Okay, no problem, I was scheduled to be off anyway. Access to the garage was to actually drill a hole through the garage floor to get the samples.

They arrived right on time yesterday morning - 8:30 am. The driller didn't leave until after 5:00 pm and he worked straight through. Builder really ought to be better coordinated as Head Warranty Guy called yesterday morning to tell me they would be doing this this week. I told him they were already here. He paused, then asked if he could talk to the guy. Sure. End result. They wanted a sample from inside the house as well. My master bedroom to be exact. That's the picture above. Yep, they pulled back the carpet and drilled a hole through the foundation in my master bedroom. Kudos to builder guys for getting the carpet guys out this morning to properly tuck the carpet back in.

I was totally fascinated by this process. Most of what they are finding - fill dirt. And, apparently there is a clay around here that expands tremendously when it gets wet. Which would explain my problems. Also, it appears that one of the other houses that got tested about a month ago has a lot more problems than mine, including windows that have cracked due to the movement. Thank heavens I've not had that yet.

Today, a guy shows up and says they are doing more testing - apparently testing the moisture levels. So, I've got strange guys running around my house taking more samples. I'll be interested to see those results as the outside soil sample taking accidentally nicked one of the sprinkler lines, so it's been turned off. Of course, they'll fix it, but in the meantime, I can't run the sprinklers. And, we are in Texas in summer when here lately threats of rain are just that - threats. Not a lot of rain to speak off and it's been hot.

Future home found....

Well, future condo/rental home found. I house hunted last weekend. On Friday afternoon I looked at several rentals I had found online, with the help of a realtor. Only one really stood out. Good windows and very nice kitchen. I thought it was the one. But, I had time to think on Friday night. Couldn't get past the lack of storage. No outside storage at all. Two small balconies. I like it, but not enough to rush right out and sign the lease. Plus, a LOT of money upfront to move in and no window treatments.

A friend was kind enough to drive out and take a look at it and one other potential condo with me. We agreed that the one I liked was the best of the two. Still, I hesitated. So, we looked at the traditional apartments. Loved the access to a fitness center and the storage in the apartment. But, it felt like a cave. Good space, older trees, few windows. Also, TINY kitchen with much older appliances. I looked at a much newer complex. Very updated, but it didn't do a lot for me either. So, friend headed home and I drove back out to the one that stood out to get a feel for the drive. Since it had no access to fitness (I've found out that it did, the realtor just didn't know), I stopped at a local gym to get an idea of their monthly fees. Way too much for me. I also saw signs for an apartment complex that for some reason I felt I should go look at, but I didn't have time as I was due to meet my cousin for dinner. I'd purposely scheduled a late flight out on Sunday, so I still had time to think.

Dinner was great. I had Maryland Crabcakes for the first time and they were very good. At dinner I met my cousin's long time friend, who lives in Annapolis. She offered to go out with me Sunday morning to see what we could see. Oddly enough, she suggested the apartment complex I wanted to look at but didn't have time to. We thought they were closed, but they weren't. So, we looked. Judging by the floor plans I figured they'd be too small, but since we were there and they'd been newly renovated (it's an older complex; I figure built in the 60's, which does give it a bit of character). They have garden units and high-rise units, all with secure entry buildings. The garden unit was just a tad small. The leasing rep suggested we look at a unit in the high rise building. I didn't think I wanted to live in a high rise, but since I was there, I looked. Wow. The unit felt right. The picture shows a view of the living room from the front door. I will be on the 4th floor. And, yes, it has an elevator.

I've become a bit retrospective with this move. It's seems to be almost everything I didn't think I'd do or wanted, yet it all feels perfectly right. The apartment is a high rise and obviously much smaller than my house, but oddly, the layout is very similar and it feels roomy. It has a TINY kitchen though, something I swore I wouldn't do, and no laundry, another thing I thought I had to have. However, the laundry room is literally right next to my apartment. Plus, I line dry most of my clothes, so while I know I'll mourn the loss of my washer and dryer I think I'll be okay. (With these you can load money on a card, so you're not digging for change). It has good storage and a lovely balcony and awesome windows and light. I looked at townhomes and realized they are not suited to how I live. I'm one person and basically don't need/want a living space that is on three floors. This apartment is two bedroom, one bath. The one bath is actually very fine by me, but I will miss access from the master bedroom. Again, I'm one person and I think I can learn to deal with that.

It will be very different from what I'm used to. I used to to tease my Dad about his not wanting to change. Well, I realized last weekend that if I become too set in my ways someone could accuse me of the same thing. So, I'll embrace the new and move forward.

As for the house here, I think I'd just prefer to sell it. We'll see how that goes.

What to do, what to do....

Given that I've accepted another job in another state (some 1400 miles away), I've remained very calm about the house. Especially, considering that it's got foundation problems. I'm still basically calm. However, on Tuesday, I talked with the Head Warranty Guy. Now, I'm just plain po'd. He was a condescending, patronizing jerk, who freely acknowledged that I was ticked and that he wasn't going to try and change my attitude about him or the builder. He did add the company line - they'll fix it. So, I asked how long. I can't give you a time frame he says. I say based on information I have from the engineer (he didn't review anything with my current Warranty Manager because he was unaware the Engineering firm had been to my house once, let alone twice) and their general slowness it's looking like it will take six months. No he says, it won't take that long. Okay, how long I ask. I can't tell you he says.

I think he was more focused on the driveway situation than the house. And, that my friends has taken over 9 months to get any kind of response from the builder and we still don't have a game plan. He was darn proud of himself when he told me a guy would be out testing soil for the driveways so they could fix them. I'm wondering why they didn't do that 9 or 10 months ago when driveways were cracking left and right. Pretty much every house on my street needs a new driveway.

My house continues to have existing cracks which get worse, new cracks and seam bulges appear almost daily, and the sidewalk from my driveway to my front porch continues to sink lower and lower on the left side.

I think I've played nice for long enough. I called a Realtor friend. She was flabbergasted that it had gone on this long and nothing from the builder. She knows a Real Estate attorney and she gave me his information. My dilemma is how much do I want to spend pursing this? Would it be better just to sell at a loss and let someone else bully the builder. Since all of the repair work is covered my Warranty and must be done by the builder, a really strong person could get the house at a reduced price (not too reduced) and just have the frustration of dealing with the builder and living through the repairs. I just want to move on. And, honestly, I'm not sure I want to deal with it.

So, now, I'm trying to come up with some type of game plan. Which will probably involve at least one conversation with the attorney to find if I have any options and if it would be worth it.

Vindication...

Today, the drywall guys were supposed to come fix the damage that has occurred to my house due to the movement. I was hesitant about this as the house is still moving, which means more damage will occur. Whether he planned to or not (I was pretty strong in my suggestion that he come out today not just for the inside, but the outside as well), new Warranty Guy came out as well. Thank heavens he did. He's got 15 years experience with the builder, plus he's built homes in the past. He's gotten a lot of mixed information (and told me that previous Warranty Guy had resigned, which didn't surprise me as this is a lot more than I'm sure he thought it would be).

He had a copy of the most recent engineers report; the engineer was back out about two weeks ago. Based on that and the damage he saw, he knew immediately that the house is still moving and repairing anything would be somewhat futile. I said I was fine if he wanted to call the drywallers off. He was happy about that as that is exactly what he was thinking. Finally a guy who is not just spouting the company line of "don't worry we'll fix it." His words to the drywaller: "there is a boatload of work to do out here, including possibly some re-sheet rocking." Ya think? I'd been trying to tell him that, the drywaller that, even previous Warranty Guy. But, now that he's seen it, Warranty Guy knows there is a lot that will have to be done.

And, what did the engineer's report recommend. A geotechnical investigation to determine the potential and likelihood of future movement. Basically, it means they'll test the soil in and around the foundation.

They were doing two houses today up the street and there is a third on my street as well. I don't feel quite as bad about my house now that I know I'm not alone, though I'm sorry it's happening to others.

End result is I can't sell my house as it is. I think I knew this. I'm still calm. By the time it's been fixed and ready for repair on the inside, I should be moved out. Which, in my opinion, will make it easier for them (and me) to repair. I won't have to worry about moving my stuff and they'll be able to see everything that needs repairs. The good thing is once it's fixed, there will be a 20 year warranty for the new owners. And, hopefully, there will be new owners. I'd really rather not lease. I'd like to just be in my new place without any ties to the old. A clean break so to speak. Except for my friends. No breaks with friends; just property and state.

Progress....

The picture is of my peach tree in bloom! It didn't die! I'm so very happy that it survived the winter and is coming alive with the rest of nature. Even the rose bush that I thought I might have killed is coming out in fine form.

The past couple of weeks have been hectic. My Mom paid her second visit to my house over the Easter weekend. But, we worked. New carpet was laid in the living/dining room and the master bedroom. It was about as I expected. We had all the breakables packed away though and most of the small stuff out of the way. The carpet layers (whose English wasn't good as was expected) did a great job. I've never seen carpet being laid before and it was interesting. And, there is a carpet pad under there. I wasn't really sure. The best part though, is there is no longer a stripe in my living room where the carpet pieces didn't match. And, for some reason, which neither my Mom nor I can figure out, this carpet looks better and feels better. It's supposed to be the exact same carpet, but it just seems to be of a better quality. I'm not complaining, though. I'm just terribly pleased to not have to look at that stripe anymore.

Then this past Friday, the drainage was fixed! I finally contacted the Warranty Manager (builder rep guy) and asked what the deal was. I knew they'd been out to look at the yard a month ago, but I'd heard nothing. So, he and the irrigation guy came out the Thursday before last, drew up the sketch for the drainage and it was done last Friday. I got home at three and they had dug the trench for the left side of the house, which was the worst. The crew leader recognized this right away. He also asked me, almost immediately, if they were going to fix the driveway. They tell me they will, but apparently they haven't figured out how yet because I haven't heard anything on that. Though, honestly, until the drainage was fixed, it was probably best not to fix the driveway. Now it can rain all it wants.

Then the really interesting thing. A week ago Thursday the foundation repair guys also showed up to cut the post tension cable that wasn't. Their English wasn't good either and I couldn't understand what they were trying to tell me. Finally, they called their manager and he explained it to me. According to him, the cable was cut when the house was built. Something happened and it "popped out." There was no tension on it. So, they were supposed to come the next day (same day as the carpet guys) to pull the cable and put in a new one. They were also supposed to call before they came. Well, they didn't. After the carpet guys left, we were starving, so we went to eat. While we were gone, they came and apparently pulled the cable (I could see the trail from the cable). Since I wasn't here, I have to go on faith that they put in a new cable, because it is now sealed. I've asked Warranty manager for a letter stating what exactly they did. I'm concerned for when I sell the house. I need to be able to disclose these things.

Apparently, I've scared off Warranty Manager. He's assigning me to another Warranty Manager. I finally got fed up and said if folks were sent to my house and I wasn't here I wanted a letter or some other documentation saying who was here, what they did, and what actions would or would not be taken. I'm still waiting to get a report from the roofing company; apparently they were here the week of Feb 13th, but I wouldn't know for sure since I wasn't told they were coming so I was at work. We'll see how new Warranty Manager handles things. Hopefully a little speedier than old Warranty Manager.

In case you're curious...

This is my driveway, or half of it anyway. The crack goes all the way across. And, with each rain it gets worse. It's quite uneven now. Many of the driveways have cracks, but they are at the joints. Mine seems to be the only one that has cracked this way. The builder is trying to figure out the best way to fix this so it doesn't happen again. They've been at this for at least 4 months. Doesn't give one a lot of faith in the builder.

And, I haven't heard from the builder rep guy in a month, so this week I'll e-mail him again. We're supposed to get more rain tomorrow and Tuesday which just means all the various cracks and problems I have will continue to get worse. And, I've come to realize that unless I constantly nag, this guy isn't going to do anything. I'm fairly sure he's got a lot on his plate, but I don't think I should have to nag him. But, I will. I'm guessing he'll soon get very tired of me. That's okay. I figure I paid good money for this house, they can uphold their end of the bargain.

A little progress...

I just spoke with the flooring company. They are coming out next Friday to measure the living room and bedroom for new carpet. Yes, they will be replacing the carpet in both rooms. Which is quite a bit, as the living room is actually a living/dining room combination and includes part of the entry way.

I didn't think they could just replace the part that was off - too much time has passed. Then when I realized that the same problem was in the master bedroom (to a lesser degree) as well, I knew there were two options: replace all of it or replace none of it.

I'm thinking the actual install, with furniture moving, etc, is going to be a big pain in the rear, but, it will be nice not to have a stripe in the living room carpet.

Blooming Plants... among other things

After over a year, maybe even two, my African Violet has decided to bloom again! I got the camera out and did a little experimenting and came up with what I think is a pretty good photo. I'm hoping the second bud opens soon so I can try it again with the two blooms.

On the home front, it continues to move slowly. I got a call last weekend from someone wanting to schedule an independent carpet inspector to come to my house and check out the carpet. I didn't know there was such a thing or that one needed to come to my house. I thought the carpet guy had already been here. It appears that the flooring company that installed the carpet filed a claim with the mill and the mill requested the carpet inspector. Takes more time away from work, but it's gotta be done. She came out Wednesday. Nice lady. Apparently it was installed wrong; it's a dye problem with the carpet. And, if you look carefully, it's also present in the master bedroom. She says it's fairly common and that she sees it a lot. In all my years, I've never seen anything like the stripe you see in my living room where the two carpet pieces were put in. So, I guess I'll take her word for it. At any rate, she said her report would be turned in by yesterday (Friday) and I should hear something within the next couple of weeks. We'll see how quick builder rep is at getting that information to me.

It's been cold and rainy and just icky today, so I've pretty much holed up in the house. However, when I looked out the window at the rain earlier today, I noticed my driveway is much worse. One side of the crack is now noticeably higher than the other. And the rain won't make it any better. Builder rep supposedly has been out to my house with the folks who are going to correct the drainage. I hope it's soon. But, according to rep guy, they are still in discussion on the best way to fix the driveway. Ummm... rebar maybe?

I had a landscaper out to the house for ideas on the front flower bed and the back yard. His first question though was what was up with the driveway. He's done home construction before and has never seen anything like that. He got down and peered into the crack. Couldn't see any steel. The rebar comment was his. But, he's like the third person to say that. I looked at the driveway across the street, which was poured recently. They put steel in the end of the driveway but not in the part above the sidewalk. Maybe that explains why they've had to replace so many. At any rate, the builder has been debating since December on the best way to fix mine and the others. I'm ready for them to make a decision.

Back to the landscaper. I gave him my budget after we talked. He didn't seem scared off. He actually suggested that we focus on the front flower bed and the back patio, which I agree with and which was my get started plan. So, hopefully, this one will follow through.

New stuff....

The past month has been full of new stuff. First, a new vacuum cleaner. Yes, those of us with basically no life enjoy getting a new vacuum cleaner. Especially when the new one works! I don't know why it took me months to realize that the one I had wasn't working. I'd vacuum and you couldn't really tell. Of everything to do with house cleaning, I'm the pickiest about floors; I hate dirty floors or natty looking carpet. So, I did a bit of research. Consumer Reports now rates vacuums on how well they pick up pet hair in addition to their other factors. Having a cat that sheds just cause, I wanted a vacuum sure to get the pet hair up. Their highest rated was a Kenmore of all things. I'd just about decided on another high end brand (with awesome customer reviews), but CR rated it pretty low. So, I checked out the user comments for the Kenmore. Over the top. Well, it was cheaper than the other brand and that weekend was on sale, $100 off. So, I got it. Oh, gosh. How lovely to have a vacuum cleaner that actually picks up lint off the floor and the pet hair and the kitty litter. After my first run through the house, I checked the bag - it was full! Since I wasn't sure about the vacuum, I didn't get extra bags. I have extra bags now.

Last weekend, my new furniture arrived. I love the buffet! It's perfect where it sits and will provide awesome storage. I'm just tickled every time I look at it. The TV credenza and coffee table are great, too. Again, great storage. I'm put all my video's in the credenza and only used half the space! However, my bookcase and the TV credenza on the same wall is just too much, so I'll be re-arranging furniture. Probably going to move the bookcase into my home office, which I had given thought to doing off and for the past year.

My last new item is kinda little, but one I'm also throughly enjoying. A rice cooker, with a steamer tray. I debated on this off and on for quite a while and finally got one. Oh, gosh, it's great. Just put the rice and water in and it cooks up wonderful rice. This has been really good because with my move toward better, more healthy eating, I've been eating more rice and including it in the dishes I take to work for lunch. Being able to dump the stuff in and leave it is great. I'm hoping to try more varieties of rice as well.

And, speaking of the new, healthy me. It's not going as fast as I'd like, but so far I've lost 18 pounds. Some weeks are slower than others, but fortunately there has been no gain. And that makes me happy. Some of my clothes are getting very droopy, but I'm hoping to wait until I lose at least 10 more pounds before shopping for new clothes. Spin class is still the longest hour of the week, but I like the results, so I'm still going on Saturday mornings.

The Verdict...

I'm a little behind on this post, but I thought I'd have more to post. I spent the morning of December 27th dealing with various house issues, including getting the engineer's report from the builder's rep. Big surprise, the drainage needs to be fixed. The house isn't level, but it's not structural yet. So, the builder's going to fix the drainage. The recommendations were pretty much in line with what I'd been told by someone else. Course, I've not heard anything from builder rep guy since and he's out of the office until the 28th. Sigh.

There were some other things. Two were complaints I'd lodged when I first moved in - the water pressure and the carpet in the living room. The water pressure was low, but builder rep said it was the city. The inspector picked up on it again. So, since toilet issues in the guest bath, he had the plumber look at it. Well, it was set at almost half of what it was supposed to be! I have water pressure now! I'm thrilled and more than a little peeved that when I reported it in January he just blew it off. Then the carpet. There's a line where the two pieces meet in the living room. Kind of hard to miss. Last January's reply, Oh well. Reply in December was that the seams just needed smoothing. Carpet guy came out. Carpet guy took pictures. He has no idea how they laid the carpet the way they did. The naps for the two pieces are running in two different directions (i.e. one runs N-S and one runs E-W). One piece will have to be replaced. My question: this carpet has been in the house a year - how do you match it after a year? Still waiting to hear.

Guys also came to adjust the sprinklers. Very little English, but they did a great job. A/C guy stopped by to check the study, which is hard to heat and cool due to 12 ft ceilings. End result - they came back out and ran duct work to put that room on it's own duct. I was impressed and it's helped a bit. Some other minor issues were taken care of as well.

However, the driveway is still cracked (almost in two pieces), the roof and gutters haven't been looked at, and no one has addressed the drainage. The post tension cable that wasn't cut still isn't cut. And, of course, none of the interior damage from the shifting has been fixed because I'd like to have the cause fixed first. And, now I get to wait another week to hear from the builder rep. I'm getting more than a little peeved.

Decision made....

I've come to a decision regarding the house. I did look at others, both online and in person. The in person looks were for new construction. I looked at floor plans similar to mine as well as townhomes. I like the idea of a townhome, especially since the one I saw was geared more toward working professionals than families. The size wasn't bad, but by the time you account for stairs, and other layout features, the builders had sacrificed in the kitchen. Nice kitchens, just small. I'd prefer a bit more room in the kitchen since I like to bake and I'm trying to cook more.

The look sees were to help me determine what to do. What I decided to do was stay where I am... commit to this house. May sound strange, but given the current housing market and the fact that new homes are still available in my neighborhood, I don't think it would be all that easy to sell my house, especially with the problems I have right now. The only way that would work well for me would be if the builder bought it back and I don't see that happening. So, I'm staying put.

The builder is responsible for everything that is happening. Many neighbors have problems with their driveways, but most of their problems have occurred at the joints, where mine is cracked across the middle. The builder did send out an Engineer last Monday, after I stated in an e-mail that I was considering it. Actually, I think it was a technician and he had the personality of a limp dishrag. His demeanor reeked of "I've got better things to do than be at a new house determining if it's moving, but we have to accommodate the flaky female." He would have done the whole thing without talking to me if he could have. He only did a cursory look of the problems in the house. I pointed out the cracks in the brick of the house, but I'm guessing his "inspection" of the rest of the house was as lackadaisical as his "inspection" of the interior of the house. I asked his thoughts. He didn't have any. He said the sloping by the house was good. I just looked at him. He then said the sides did have some problems. His final statement. He'd take the numbers back to the office and someone (the way he phrased it, it's not him) would put them in the computer and then they'd know. The report should be to me this coming week. I won't be surprised if they say, nope, not a problem. And, then I'll probably have to go get another engineer, one that I pay, not the builder. We got more rain this past week. Several days worth and on Friday night it came down hard. As you can guess, the sides of my house are really soggy, I can see more seams showing up in the ceiling, one crack is wider, and one seam has now cracked. I'm not sure I want the builder to do the repairs as I feel some of them are due to poor workmanship. My alternative though, is to pay for it myself and I don't think I should have to do that. I'm really trying to hold out though until the cause of the shifting is complete, otherwise, I'll be repairing every six to eight months or so or figuring how large a crack I can live with while the house settles.

And, to firm up my commitment to the house, I celebrated my birthday by buying new furniture! Yep, three new pieces coming at the beginning of January. I got a new TV credenza (which should be much better suited for the size of the tv I got last year), a new coffee table (I've had my current one for almost 18 years and it was given to me, meaning it was old when I got it), and a buffet for the dining area. The buffet was the one piece I didn't think I wanted, but it's the one I'm the most psyched about. What storage it has! Of course, this means, I have to de-clutter some spaces, so that's what I'll be doing over my Christmas break. We have a week and half off, so after traveling to Louisiana for Christmas, I'll hunker down and organize my house in preparation for my new furniture. I'm also trying to program in time to visit with friends as well. Definitely looking forward to the time off.

And, for a kitty cat update. I finally got freaked enough about her and the bald spot she created that on my last visit to the vet I got a diffuser for Feliway. It's a hormone based product that is supposed to sooth stressed kitties. I call it kitty aromatherapy. I had no expectations, but was getting desperate. I think it's working! It appears she's getting fur in her bald spot and she's much more her "old" self. She's not hiding in her chair under the dining room table. She comes into the kitchen with me in the morning, follows me at night. And, last night, for the first time in almost a year, she helped me change the sheets on the bed. The Feliway isn't cheap, but if it works, I'll stick with it.