T-Minus 179 Days: Good Progress

 Some great progress was made in several areas. First, we wired our deposit to KB Homes and signed the Intent To Purchase. We will be building the Plan 3016 at Lake Ridge in Minneola. Next step: by mid-January, we will select our lot and sign the building contract. 

In other news, my parents live in an in-law apartment attached to our New York home. We offered to take them to Florida with us, but they want to stay in New York. After many many months of searching, they found a place that meets their needs and agreed with them on an open apartment. 

We continue to purge and sell items on Facebook Marketplace. We have a gym in our house and I've sold some items from there. I organized some sports cards to sell, a guy agreed to buy them, and then he contacted me and said the cards are worth 5 times what I am selling them for and he wouldn't feel right buying them. He agreed to give me the names of a few people who would give me a fair price. And then he never provided those names. So... was he just trying to back out of the purchase? Or is he right? I don't know.

Moving to Florida is very expensive. I have a goal for how much I want to contribute toward that expense by selling our stuff. Here is the progress: we are 50% of the way there!

 As we close out 2020, we are happy to report this great progress!

T-Minus 182 Days: Back To Purging

 We are back to purging!

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T-Minus 184 Days: The New York Window

 I have a 32" TV in my office that I call my Florida Window. It loops video of beaches and Florida neighborhoods. Some of the video is live webcams and some is video that I have taken from our many trips in Florida. Anytime during the day I can gaze out my Florida Window and imagine I am in the warm sunshine state.

I imagine that once I have moved to Florida, I am going to want a New York window to remind me about the many years spent there. So, I created the New York window, a snowy scene looking out at the farm field across the street from my house. 

If you have already left New York? Perhaps this window will help bring back some memories for you.

T-Minus: 187 Days: Crazy Florida Real Estate Market

 1000 people per day are moving to Florida and they need a place to live as millions of people are leaving states like New York. In fact, a recent study suggested more than one third of all NYC residents are considering leaving. Helping to drive this is the historically low interest rates and opportunities to work from home due to COVID. Florida isn't only a great destination for New Yorkers, it is also the number one destination for international buyers. 

You can imagine what this is doing to the Florida housing market. I watched one house get listed at midnight, first showing was at 8am, and it was sold at 11am. The inventory for existing houses is very low because Floridians have no place to move to. When a house does come on the market, it will often get purchased site unseen within just a few days. 

We didn't want to buy a house unseen and we can't react fast enough to house sales when we are 1200 miles away. We decided to, instead, build a house so that we could have a little more control over location and move dates. 

What we found is that home builders are challenged with keeping up with the demand. We went to one community and the seller told us the current phase was sold out. We asked when the next phase opens up and she said "that phase is sold out too". We looked at Ryan Homes on Grassy Lake: they can only build 4 houses per month. They have a waiting list of people who want to sign contracts. Haines City has capped builders, such as Highland Meadows, to submitting only 11 houses for approval per month because Haines City can't keep up with the demand.

Our plan is to go to a KB Homes site in Minneola. Before KB Homes has even nailed one board, 25% of the community is already sold! KB Homes raises the base price of the home every time they sell 5 houses. That means we can expect to gain $50K in equity by the time the community sells out! And that timeframe might be in just a year or two.

How long can this boom continue for Florida? Many people remember the housing crash in 2008 that wiped out Florida home values. Will that happen again? 

My uninformed prediction is that Florida is going to continue to see growth. Even before COVID, an average 376 people were fleeing New York City with 3.57 million leaving just New York City in 2020. There are many more people choosing to trade winters and skyscrapers for beaches and sandals. 

T-Minus 188 Days: KB Homes Delay

 If you have been following along, you know that we picked the KB Plan 3016 at Lake Ridge in Minneola. We met with our real estate agent yesterday to strategize our next steps before informing KB Homes. 

We learned that the Lake Ridge Development had some problems passing its inspection and needed some additional work done to it. That was going to delay the first home construction until December 15, however, because it was so close to the holidays, they decided to delay it until January. As a result, they are taking deposits but they are not writing any more contracts until they get the site passed inspection. 

Because KB Homes has to do additional work to Lake Ridge, KB Homes has to take on additional expense. KB Homes doesn't do a CDD, instead, they recoup their costs in selling houses. As a result, the additional expense going into this additional work will cause a price increase. At this stage, they don't know how much the price increase will be.

So... that is disappointing. If KB Homes doesn't work out, our Plan B in the Lynn Haven by Ryan Homes at Grassy Lake in Minneola (it is actually on the other side of Grassy Lake compared to Lake Ridge). The lot we want at Grassy Lake becomes available in January. The house is smaller, the lot is smaller, but the location is better. I think we'll "win" regardless of which one we get.

T-Minus 190 Days: House Decision Made

 We decided on the KB Homes Plan 3016 at The Reserve At Lake Ridge, which is located to the west of Grassy Lake in Minneola, on Rt. 27. We are getting the three car option and extended lanai on an upgraded lot.

It has been a long road to make this decision. We did a lot of analysis. In fact, we are still doing analysis (I am on page 40 of a 110 HOA contract). This will get us the most house in a good area for what we can afford. The cost is actually on the high side of where we wanted to be which means the pool might get delayed three to six months. 

Now that we made the decision, our next step it to talk it over with our Real Estate Agent. Then we'll discuss it with the builder's agent and get the paper work rolling. We hope to lock in a price before the next increase (increases seem to happen monthly). 

According to the estimated time tables, that should get us into the house at the end of August. We need to be in Florida by the end of June, so, we'll be renting for two months. It also means we'll have to load our stuff into PODS and pay to store them for an extra two months. There are many unknowns and it can be scary, but we are trying to deal with that with ample research and ample planning to reduce the number of surprises.

T-Minus 195 Days: Re-Evaluating KB Homes

 We had previously looked at the KB Homes 3203. When we started adding upgrades the cost became insane. We could afford it, but, I don't want to be house poor. I still want to go out to dinner whenever we want, go to Disney, and live comfortably. 

We decided to downgrade to the KB Homes 3016. It isn't all that much smaller but its base cost is $13K cheaper. While the 3203 had a cost per square foot (after upgrades) of $122, the smaller house unfortunately has a higher cost per square foot ($126), but overall it is cheaper. 

We considered going even smaller: the KB Homes Plan 2716 and Ryan Home's Crescent. The 2716 is significantly smaller than the 3016 yet only $9K cheaper with a very high cost per square foot ($137). The Crescent is a massive 25% smaller than the 3203, had a cost of $158/sqft, and had a layout I didn't really like. As a result, both the 2716 and the Crescent were crossed off our list.

We are now left comparing the KB Homes 3016 versus the Ryan Homes Lynn Haven. The 3016 is 219sqft larger and (estimated total monthly payment (including HOA and everything)) around $50/month cheaper, and $13 per square feet cheaper. 

We talked with a seller's agent about our plans to commit to a build soon, then put our house on the market in April, move to Florida in July, and (hopefully) have the house construction completed in August. She warned that we might not get approved unless we can either prove we can afford both mortgages, or, we say we will be using the New York house as rental property (not happening). That was unfortunate to hear. We had been warned several months ago by our sales agent that a builder might require our New York home to be listed. We can't list the house that early - the house isn't ready to be listed and we can't afford to have the house sell and leave us homeless. 

That news was a bit of a set back and we'll have to explore this issue with our real estate agent some more to understand it. I can't imagine we are the only people in this situation and I don't believe it will be a problem.

T-Minus 196 Days: A Move Story

 The following story was posted by Jojo Fisherman in Moving To Florida.

Ok here is our story of moving to Florida........

  *Sept 11 2020... we flew to Florida to find a home, put a offer in riverstone with lennar home, due to close nov. 4 th, 2020

  * Sept 30, 2020.. we loaded just my Jeep and hubby Hyundai sold the rest and hit the road to Florida..from SEATTLE

   * Got to Flordia 4 days later had reservations at the “wood springs” in Lakeland, upon arriving at this hotel, there is no one to check is in and only a garage door at the reception desk...

   *Booked a different hotel, stayed there for 30 days! Yup 30 days in a hotel....

   * October 4th, lennar financing says we can’t get the loan due to a overdraft on our bank account over a year ago....

    * October 5th put a cash offer on a new build in Belleview due to be completed Dec 8th..

    *October 11th,  I flew back to Seattle for our dogs and to close on the house..

    *Nov. 3rd we fly with 5 DOGS yes in carriers with us from Seattle to Florida, now we MOVE to a Airbnb...

    * Nov. 17th we MOVE to a different Airbnb...

    * December 8th, house still is not done and have to wait another week......

  *Dec 9th MOVE to another Airbnb!

 

FYI, Airbnb are hard to find with 5 DOGS.....

 

TODAY house is SUPPOSED to be ready but it has no power!!

PLEASE PRAY TO THE POWER PEOPLE!!

T-Minus 200 Days: House Search Update

 Check out this update on our house search

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T-Minus 205 Days: Selecting our house

 We started off with 35 possibilities, then narrowed it down to ten, and this weekend we arrived at our selection. What you'll see now is our top ten selections with #1 being what we will probably do.

10. Sand key by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont

This is an amazing house but it is too expensive for our budget.

9. Avalon 2 with Bonus by Dream Finders at Adamore Reserve in Minneola

Adamore Reserve is a beautiful area at the south east portion of Grassy Lake. The community has Dream Finders and Hanover builders. Unfortunately, the Avalon 2 with Bonus has a price that is very misleading. For the bonus, they add a second floor. The basic bonus is just a small room at the top of the stairs, and that is what the base is. Anything more than that is terribly expensive.

8. Bonair by Taylor Morrison at Lakeside in Apopka

Lakeside is located in Apopka with easy access to two expressways. The neighborhood though is industrial. The Bonair had a small master bedroom, the bedrooms were small, and there was an open area over the living room that went all the way up to the roof. That was wasted space. And there is no option to turn that open area into a room. The house is 2600 sqft feet and felt crammed for what we need. 

7. Carlisle by Maronda Homes at SolTerra Springs in Davenport

The Carlisle had a bedroom where we anted the lanai to be. We didn't like the dinning room and felt the owner's bedroom was too small. When I made the video and thought about this house, I liked it. However, when I saw the house I made a note that said "House wasn't spectacular". I don't remember why I wrote that, but, I need to trust my initial gut feeling. Also SolTerra's location would require us to drive I4 to get almost anywhere, and I4 is a highway to avoid.

6. Elle by Dr Horton at Sereno in Loughman/Davenport

Loughman is way out there. It is east of Davenport and south of Kissimmee. It is serviced by Rt. 17, a busy 2 lane road that badly needs to be expanded. Dr Horton has other locations, and their house bases usually have more features than other builder's bases which causes DR Horton prices to have a higher base price. The issue with the Elle is that DR Horton has decided not to make it anymore. And they don't have another design within our price range that could serve as a replacement.

5. Wayfair by Highland Homes at Highland Meadows in Haines City

We both love the Wayfair. However, we don't like Highland Meadows being way out in Haines City. Getting anywhere would require a trek up Rt. 27 to the busy and dangerous I4. Highland Meadows looks like it was once a large sprawling orange grove that is now getting cut up and built out as fast as possible. We were concerned about the CDD fee, and the requirement of a non-refundable 20% down payment up front. Never the less, if the Wayfair was being built anywhere closer to Orlando, it might have been our #1 choice.

4. Caladesi by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont

This house comes with a 3 car garage and a master bedroom whose size was... just OK. 

3. Amelia by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont

Both the Caladesi and Amelia appeared to be great contenders, in fact, the Amelia made it to our top three. The Amelia is a 1 story house with a tandem garage (the tandem could be a workshop or finished to be a room of the house). We were disappointed to find that Canyons is full, and the next phase for large houses won't open until August 2021.

2. Lynn Haven by Ryan Homes at Grassy Lake in Minneola

The Lynn Haven was a final contender. We love Grassy Lake and this community was on the east side of the lake with a nice overlook. The Lynn Haven had less square feet than KB Home's Plan 3202, but that was mostly due to the Lynn Haven having a tandem garage. That garage could be used as a workshop or finished off to be another room of the house. Many of the Lynn Haven rooms were larger, and it has more kitchen cabinet space. Unfortunately, they are only building 4 houses at Grassy Lake per month, and there is a long waiting list of people to get in. We were very disappointed when we heard this because we would be at the bottom of the list waiting for months for our turn. 

1. Plan 3203 by KB Homes at Reserve at Lake Ridge in Minneola

The Reserve at Lake Ridge is a valley just off Rt 27 to the south west of Grassy Lake. Most of Florida is flat, but Minneola has rolling hills. The lots at Lake Ridge are large (70'x135') that would easily hold our house with a 3-car garage and a pool out back. The house has a spacious first floor and a dinning area that pushes out into the pool deck. The house includes a mudroom and a laundry room that is larger than the Lynn Haven. The bedrooms are smaller than the Lynn Haven, but just by a little. And the master bedroom is larger than the Lynn Haven.

The decision comes down to the Lynn Haven versus Plan 3202. Do we wait on the waiting list to get into Grassy Lake? Or do we move forward with Lake Ridge now? We will be talking with the buyer agents of each place in the coming week, but as it stands right now? Plan 3202 is in the lead.

T-Minus 211 Days: End of the Quarantine

 After visiting Florida, we were required to have a two week quarantine. During that time, my wife and I were restricted only to our bedroom and office. Anything we needed had to be delivered to us and brought to our room.  That is the price we paid for going to Florida to look for a house.

We have been spending our time attempting to narrow down our home builder options. We have collected a lot of data and we have been trying to compare apple to apples between the wide variety of options. We are narrowing our search to the North West of Greater Orlando - into Lake County. Specifically, Minneola around the Turnpike. There are several builders in this area and we are happy with the lots and land we have seen.

As a promising next step, we have explored churches in this area and I had a brief conversation with a member of one of the churches we liked,

When looking at builders, they entice customers by announcing "Houses in the low $x00K", or, they'll show a fantastic house with a $x00K base price. Don't be fooled. All the houses in a particular area (Like Davenport, Clermont, Minneola, etc) will all cost, pretty much, the same per square foot. Some have CDD fees, some base options have more features while others are stripped down. When you get the houses to be comparable, the prices are very close. A house may have a cheaper base price, but that gets made up in the structural changes, the design center, lot costs, and other areas. 

One house that stood out from the rest in terms of cost was Highland Homes Wayfair in Highland Meadows. It has a final cost per square feet of approx $106. Before we went to Florida, the Wayfair by Highland Homes was at the top of our list. That changed after visiting the Highland Meadows development.

I still like the Wayfair. But I don't like where it is located, I don't like the high CDD fees ($139/mo), the community area that is a mile away (you'd have to drive to it), and I don't like their down payment process. Highland Homes requires 20% up front non-refundable deposit. They hold that deposit (earning interest) for the 8 +/1 months it takes to build the house before the deposit is applied to your closing. 8 months is a long time, and if something were to change your situation (getting laid off or furloughed, for example), you could loose $65,000 or more. That fact is ridiculous considering houses in Florida sells in days. Highland Homes would pocket your deposit, then sell the house in days to recoup their entire investment plus profit. I sent an email to their regional sales manager that I felt this practice was wrong. Of course, Highland Homes doesn't need to listen to me - they are selling houses faster than they can make them. This problem doesn't appear to bother other people because people are lining up to buy a Highland Home and they have sold something like seven phases just at Highland Meadows. Highland Homes have sold so many houses that the government has had to restrict how many they can sell every week because the government can't keep up with the building requests.

We are waiting on just a little more data from some home builders and then I believe we'll be ready to make a decision. Once we have that, we want to ready through the HOA documents, any CDD documents, lot options, and poor over the house blue prints.

T-Minus 214 Days: Design Center

 One of the tasks of building a house is a trip to the design center. The design center is where you select the flooring, door knobs, lights, and every option for your house. I am told people typically spend $20,000 at the design center, but, it is easy to spend $100,000.

I watched this design center video and I can completely relate to the husband in this video. I think that'll be me.

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T-Minus 215 Days: Sawgrass Drive Through

 Sawgrass Bay is a community between Kissimmee and Clermont that is rumored to be receiving direct access into Disney via the Western Way. Take a drive with us through Sawgrass and see the various developments.

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T-Minus 216 Days: HOA Versus CDD

When shopping for houses in Florida, there are three terms you need to know well: Home Owner's Association (HOA), Capital Development District (CDD), and Capital Contribution Cost (CCC). In this video I'll explain what these are, what you need to be aware of, and how they might effect your purchase decision.

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T-Minus 217 Days: Verde Ridge in Clermont

Join us for a drive through of the Verde Ridge in Clermont as we try to figure out where we want to move to.

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T-Minus 218 Days: Analyzing the house choices

 We recently went house hunting in Florida. To pay for that, we are now in a two week quarantine. Luckily, we are able to work from home during this time, but, we are stuck living in just the bedroom and the office. When we aren't working, we are pouring through all the house material we brought home from Florida. We have easily spent 25 hours pouring through the data.

I developed a spreadsheet to keep track of our research and I'll share some of that with you along with some sample data.

The first part of the tracker has the builder name, model, the community where it is built, the city, and the base price. Next are six features that were important to us so we decided to track it: the square foot of the house, whether the first floor has a certain configuration we are interested in, what floor the master is on, the floor for the laundry, the floor for the office, and the lot size. Finally, an area for some notes.

As I continue to scroll to the right, I capture some of the financials: the monthly HOA feeds, CDD fees, Capital Contribution cost, the cost of the lot, the required down payment, the present discount being offered, and a budget for upgrades. There are two kinds of upgrades: structural (like adding a lanai, a bedroom, 3 car garage, or another bedroom) and the other is upgrades to things like cupboards, carpets, and door knobs. The structural items are, of course, very expensive. The point is important: the base prices are very misleading because they might strip down the base model to attract you to take a look, and then make up the difference with all the upgrades.

As I continue to scroll to the right, I get into some more financials. All the white columns are formulas, so, I don't have to enter anything into them: The total cost of the house, the downpayment (20%), property taxes/mo, insurance cost per month, closing costs, the amount of the house loan, what the house payment will be, the cost of the house appraisal for the bank, total of the pre-paid amounts, and the amount of cash needed at closing. Next are two more calculated columns that are colored green: The total amount of cash needed and the monthly payments. I also have a "cost per square foot" column (not shown). 

Some of these numbers are estimates (like the home insurance) but I believe everything is realistic.

We are collecting the data for 14 houses (of the two dozen we selected) to help us make a financial decision (per month and total cash), the things we care about, and location.  This will help us to make a data driven decision. The data driven decision won't be the final decision because we can override based on any reason we want, but, it should help to narrow down our decision.

T-Minus 219 Days: Sawgrass to Western Way

 Western Way is the western entrance into Disney World. Someday, Sawgrass Bay is expected to connect to Western Way, giving all the communities within Sawgrass Bay quick access to the parks. Drive along as we go through Sawgrass Bay and find the area where it is likely to connect to Western Way.

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T-Minus 220 days: Sand Key by Taylor Morrison

 The Sand Key model by Taylor Morrison is an incredible house. Unfortunately, it is a little too expensive for us. We enjoyed investigating this house because it became the gold standard from which we compared everything else. When the cost of another house started to get too expensive, we simply said "For this price we could have the Sand Key!" and that helped bring everything into proper perspective. 

Check out this walk through of the Sand Key and I think you'll understand why this house is one of our favorites.

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T-Minus 221 days: KB Homes Plan 3203

 We looked at many home builders during our trip to Florida. And now we have some difficult decisions to make. Elements we need to consider include: Cost, lot size, and location.

Cost = it is very tempting to go over our budget. But we want to stick to our budget so we have money for Disney, for furniture, and everything else.

Lot Size = Many home builders cram all the houses onto 50x110 lots. That is barely enough room to hold the house much less anything else! We want a pool in the back yard and an area for our dog, and 50x110 is just too small.

Location = The north west area of greater Orlando has many newer highway options including The Florida Turnpike, Rt. 429, and (even though it has stop lights) Rt. 27. Unfortunately, many of these new highways are toll roads and it is easy to rack up $100/mo in tolls. On the other hand, the south west area of greater Orlando is tied to I4 which is one of the busiest and perhaps dangerous highways I have ever been on. Everyone in the area knows to avoid I4. 

The KB Homes Plan 3203 offers a good cost, great lot size, and a nice location in Minnrola.

The following is a virtual walk through of KB Homes Plan 3203. KB names their plans after the square foot of the house, so, Plan 3203 has 3203 sqft. KB has several plan, such as the 3016, 3203, and 3530 - they are all nearly identical, except perhaps one plan has a little bump out, or, a slightly different option. Once you go through this virtual tour you will have a good sense of what the rest of the plans look like.

You will notice several half walls. The half walls can be removed, however, the pillars they attach to can not be removed because the pillars are load bearing. A 3 car garage is also available. 

Enjoy the virtual walk through brought to you by KB Homes!

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=1DUiaUCP6Z7

Alternatively, here is a video made by Heart and Home Orlando

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T-Minus 222 days: Amelia by Taylor Morrison

 Take a walk through the Amelia model house by Taylor Morrison. This is a good house only if we can convert the tandem garage into an air conditioned game room for the boys.

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T-Minus 233 Days: The Reserve at Lake Ridge

 Take a drive through the Reserve at Lake Ridge by KB Homes in Minneola, Florida. We like this location because it is in the north west of Greater Orlando, it is near the Turnpike, the lots are large, and it is on a hill side (which is rare in Florida) so there is the possibility of having a view.

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Here is an areal view of it too:

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T-Minus 224 Days: Drive Through Northridge Reserve

 Take a short look inside Northridge Reserve in Davenport Florida by Maronda Homes. This was NOT one of our favorite sites because it took a long time to drive here. Besides, this phase is nearly completely sold out. 

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Site Map of the November 2020 Phase:

T-Minus 225 Days: Carlisle by Maronda Homes

 Take a walk through the Carlisle. I liked the Carlisle more than my wife did, and the low base price in many of the building communities makes this a very attractive house. I also like that it has over 3000 square feet.

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T-Minus 226 Days: Drive Through Grassy Lake

 Take a drive through Ryan Home's Overlook at Grassy Lake in Minneola, Florida. Grassy lake is about a quarter the size of Lake Minneola, but it is nevertheless, a significant lake. I liked how this community was built on a hill with the potential for views.

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T-Minus 227: Lynn Haven by Ryan Homes

 Take a walking tour of the Lynn Haven by Ryan Homes. This house surprised me and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. The base price a little high, but possible. It only has 2800sqft, but, I didn't notice that it was under 3000sqft as I walked through it - it felt very open. A downside for me is there is no dinning room. It is interesting to note that this house base price is $32,000 cheaper in Mt Dora compared to in Minneola. However, picking Mt Dora would mean you were comfortable with the extra 5 or 10 minute drive up the turnpike to get there. 

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T-Minus 228 Days: Drive Through Highland Meadows

 Highland Homes has a multi-phase development on the border between Davenport and Haines City in Florida. This is a drive through of the phase located on Ruby Lane.

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Highland Homes has my favorite house: The Wayfair. Unfortunately, Highland Meadows is way out in Haines City (south west of greater Orlando). Getting anywhere will likely mean driving I4 (which should be avoided due to the dangerous traffic conditions). The lot sizes are also fairly small. The community pool is a mile away, so, it is unlikely you'll just walk there. 

T-Minus 229 Day: The Wayfair by Highland Homes

 This house is a major contender.. if only they built it in the west or north-west of Greater Orlando instead of just in the far south-west.

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T-Minus 230 Days: Traveling to Florida

 We are headed to Florida to search for houses!

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T-Minus 231 Days: 30 Home Builder Questions

 We are preparing for our November Florida trip where we will be talking with several new home builders. In preparation, we have assembled the following 30 home builder questions:

1.      What makes you different from all the other builders?

2.      Do you only build from existing floorplans, can I modify your floorplans, or can I provide my own set of plans?

3.      What features are standard in the homes you build? What are the upgrade options? What is included in the price?

• Plumbing for appliances
• HVAC
• Electrical
• Cabinets
• Tile
• Countertops
• TRAX bug repellent

 

4.      When and how can I make changes or upgrades throughout the building process? Do all decisions need to be finalized before construction begins? What is the change control process? What is the charge for a change?

5.      What are the energy-saving features of the homes you build?

6.      Who will be overseeing the construction of my home? Who can I reach out to with questions as they arise, and how can I contact them?

7.      How do you ensure quality construction: What is your process for inspections throughout construction, final walk-through, and to address any matters that need to be corrected or finalized? Process for getting my home inspector to look at the house during construction?

8.      How long will it take to build my home?

9.      How and when will the final cost of my home be determined?

10.  Can I view a current project you’re working on? (Homes in the works are a great way to check for workmanship and material quality.)

11.  Can you provide me with references or testimonials from previous home buyers?

12.  What are the lot costs/lot premiums?

13.  Second floor framed with wood? If yes, 4” walls or 6” walls? If 6”, does that include more insulation?

14.  What is done to make the house be energy efficient?

15.  Resistance to storms: How is the roof attached/protected from hurricane winds

16.  What is your warranty? What is the process for warranty issues? How quickly will issues be fixed? What are we allowed to do that won’t break the warranty?

17.  Is Landscaping included? Is the landscaping part of the warranty?

18.  Process for getting an enclosed pool added?

19.  How is water run-off handled?

20.  What can to tell us about the design center?

21. Are you experiencing delays in materials or appliances due to COVID?

22.  What if the build is delayed extensively?

23.   What difference does it make when selecting which direction the house should face?

24.  Have there been soil quality tests? Tests for sink holes?

25.  Are there HOA and CDD feeds? What are the HOA rules?

26.  What are the steps in the process/what is a typical timeline?

27.  Schedule for when money is needed? When will I get the final quote? What are the assurances it won’t exceed my budget? Is there cost escalation protection?

28.  What are the estimated taxes on the completed house?

29.  Preferred borrower benefits?

30.  End of the year discounts?

T-Minus 232 Days: Planning the November Trip to Florida

 Video Link

The properties we hope to see:

Builder/Existing	Model/Address	Community	City
hibiscus	Venetian	cherry lake oaks	Minneola
hibiscus	belagio	cherry lake oaks	Minneola
hisbiscus	verona	cherry lake oaks	Minneola
hisbiscus	Bordeaux	cherry lake oaks	Minneola
Existing	Lake Douglas Dr 714	?	Groveland
KB Home	Plan 3203	Carriage Hill	Apopka
KB Home	Plan 3530	Trivoli Reserve	Loughman
KB Home	Plan 3016	Wilson Estates	Minneola
Taylor Morrison	Sandkey	Lakeside	Apopka
Taylor Morrison	Bonaire	Lakeside	Apopka
Taylor Morrison	Amelia	Lakeside	Apopka
Ryan Homes	Lynn Haven	Grassy Lake	Minneola
Highland Homes	Wayfair	Highland Meadows	Haines City
Dr Horton	Elle	Sereno	Loughman
Maronda Homes	Baymont	North Ridge Reserve	Davenport
Maronda Homes	Baybury	North Ridge Reserve	Davenport
Maronda Homes	Carlisle	North Ridge Reserve	Davenport
Dream Finders	Avalon 2 with Bonus	Adamore Reserve	Loughman
Lennar	Peabody	Providence	Loughman
Existing	Oakburn Ave 5184, 5221, or 5384	SolTerra	Davenort