This waiting for groundbreaking is painful. PAINFUL I tell you!
Mortgage Status
Haven't heard anything in a while from NVR. We continue to trickle them copies of documents they have requested as they become available. Still no formal mortgage approval in hand, so I'm taking the one-off "approval" email with yet another document list as our formal approval. Ha.
The Homeside website shows our status as still in underwriting. I'm really hoping they have their acts together enough so that NVR/Homeside has to give Ryan some sort-of "go ahead" for us to break ground in 12+/- days as scheduled.
All of this silence and waiting, however, given us time to ruminate on the two outstanding issues with the house. Both were discovered at the pre-construction meeting.
Baseboards
If you're following this blog, you may remember the first "baseboard incident". If not - catch up here.
This time, we were talking about the quarter-round issue with our PM and SR and realized that the gorgeous tall baseboards shown in the model were NOT included as part of the max-upgraded trim package we are paying extra for. Surprise!
We could theoretically purchase these tall baseboards for $1200-ish. But we were way past the change date, and were therefore out of luck. We found this obnoxious for several reasons:
1. The model showing the trim package we selected has the tall baseboards, it's not a crazy assumption to make that they would be included in that upgrade.
2. The tall baseboards are not listed in the selections sheet as a stand-alone upgrade option.
3. Doing it later ourselves would be an issue - since we're already paying for the top-level trim package, we get boxing detail in the dining room. The boxes are centered on the wall using the short, standard baseboards. Swapping them for tall later = re-do of boxing trim work to re-center.
4. Is it REALLY a huge deal to switch standard for the taller baseboards at this late a date? We still have months to go before that step.
Current status - SR provided regional SR contact info. Hubs had a conversation with him stating our concerns. We offered alternative solutions such as:
1. Buying our own tall baseboards and leaving in the house for the trim guys.
2. Cancelling the trim package, reverting to standard
3. Having the trim guys measure for the tall boards when installing the boxing.
4. Discounting the trim package we paid for
5. Ryan exception to allow late change order for tall baseboards (we pay)
6. Paying cash for the baseboard difference now, or at closing so as not to mess up mortgage paperwork.
None of these were accepted during the call. Regional SR promised to get back to Hubs. Stated that
"they did not mis-represent anything". Not sure how this comment was helpful to anyone. That was 3 weeks ago, and crickets. Hubs was unhappy, but is rapidly moving towards pissed as we get no follow-up and no resolution to an easy-to-solve issue. See long list of potential solutions above.
Egress
In our pre-construction meeting, our PM explained that our basement egress would be on the back wall of the house. We express strong concern - as we plan to add a deck/ patio, and the egress would land smack-dab in the middle of it. We didn't choose that wall for the fireplace to avoid having that bump-out in that space. We ask (strongly beg) to have it moved to the morning room bump out wall.
PM talks us off the ledge and promises he'll do his best to move it. This is more than a little scary - since we just met him, and we've built up no trust yet...eek.
5.12.16 update - Hubs contacted our PM to discuss both issues, since he hadn't heard back from the Regional Sales Manager. PM confirmed that the egress will be moved to the morning room (Yay!)
On the baseboard situation; PM will either be asking the trim guys to move up the boxing detail to center based on the tall baseboard measurement and/or just installing tall baseboard that we deliver to the house ourselves. He's really earning that 10 on the survey here!
Later 5.12.16 update - Regional manager is not my favorite person. Confirmed that Ryan is not budging on the baseboards. Insists again this was not a "bait and switch". I guess we'll see what magic our PM can make happen, if anything. We're annoyed. Well, I'm annoyed. Hubs is PISSED.
I feel your pain on some of this stuff. DEFINITELY the lack of whatever you wanna call it with NVR. They just irritate the hell out of me and I can't wait to close and just hope our mortgage is bought quick by someone else so we don't have to deal with them. This whole "seamless" deal? Not happening in our situation.
ReplyDeleteAnd the baseboard stuff for you guys-- sounds like the damn kitchen island with us. When I brought up the kitchen island issue and how I wanted the newer model island (which would have been a change order that I was willing to deal with).. they said no. It's a longer piece of granite and some table legs! But, they told me that it would require new blue prints, new permits, yada yada yada.
And when we met with our PM and discussed this, he pretty much said that RH sticks to what is on the blueprints and they don't stray from changes, and that's why their homes are done in the timeframe they are, and had a couple other reasons that I can't remember (haha!).
Keeping my fingers crossed that y'all get some answers and they work in your favor!!!!
I have heard that Twitter is a great way to get Ryan Homes attention. I would raise an issue on the trim. If it's in the model home but not available in the option selections, then that is bait and switch. They should remedy that for you and I think you all were more than generous with thinking up all kinds of solutions.
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