We decided that the house we were considering just wouldn't work for us. The loft was a little too exposed to the rest of the house to use as a bedroom and the backyard (where most of the 1.1 acres ended up) was well over 45 degrees of incline (which we would have to clear periodically). We tried another house that we had seen previously, but seeing it again just brought out more defects (roof, carpet, tiling, etc.).
At this point, we're looking into a brand-new construction in that same community. It has the walls up, but without any drywall or anything so you can see right through them. Assuming we'd get to pick out tile, carpet, paint, and whatnot, this might be a good alternative to building the whole house. It also has a set price, which means that we wouldn't need to worry (as much) about a runaway construction project.
Now, the hard part: waiting. I'm working today and tomorrow... why can't mortgage brokers do the same? Bastards...
Posted by pcg at November 23, 2002 9:18 PM