For anyone skeptical about NVR Mortgage

I sent an email to my Loan Officer and Underwriter earlier this week to double check what paperwork they might still need and to make sure we would have totals for the closing before we fly to Ohio four days before closing and are unable to access our bank.

I got an email back from the LO the same day with some of the information I was looking for, but today, I got a phone call from the underwriter who was out of the office when I sent my email.

She called to follow up (wut?!)

I have read so many posts about bad communication and poor follow through and she completely amazed me with her thoroughness.  She basically said we were all set to close and then listed off three things that were coming my way for signature and mentioned the one thing I would need to get her before we close.  Annnnnd we're all done! 

WOOHOO!!

Week 10 - Official Update from our PM

We got a very detailed and exciting update from our PM late last night.  I was not expecting it at all nor was I expecting what he said they had completed!

Things they got done this week:

- Brick work

- Paint prime (1st coast of paint) on interior walls

- Resilient flooring 

- Trim package

What he didn't mention was that they have started installing the stair railways (still need to stain the rails).

And our kitchen cabinets and countertops are in!!

For next week, they will be working on:

- Getting the siding up

- Drywall touch ups

- Installation of electrical and plumbing fixtures

- Second coat of paint

 

 

Week 10 - Brick and Lots of Activity

So the brick work started this week and looks like it has wrapped up as of tonight (Thursday, 21 April).

Other than that, we know that the cabinets and countertops have been delivered and there has been a lot of activity at the house.  I'll update more if our PM sends an update tomorrow (he's saving his thunder for when we do the pre-settlement walkthrough).

Thoughts on an NVR Mortgage

I've read a lot of things about working with NVR Mortgage and while our experience hasn't been perfect, it has not been remotely terrible.  I'll keep this short but wanted to share my thoughts.

• We have worked with four people - our first contact, our current loan officer, our underwriter and the settlement lady.  It has not been a nightmare.
• I asked early on who my main point of contact should be and was told our loan officer.  He has been fantastic to work with and very responsive to my many questions.
• Your loan officer should give you an idea of when you can start watching rates and when you can lock.  I am a bit anal, so I had them start sending me rates in March, knowing we would be closing sometime in May.  My LO emailed me the rates every day around 1:00pm.  Some days he forgot, but it wasn't a big deal.  I tracked the rates in an Excel spreadsheet (happy to share it with you if you'd like to see it) so I could watch trends.  We locked our rate about a week before we did our pre-drywall walkthrough.  It expires on June 29th and we are scheduled to close on May 25th.  
• There is a ton of paperwork.  That's just a mortgage period.  I keep asking my underwriter if I need to send her anything else so I am pestering her rather than waiting for her to hit me with something last minute (which still could happen).
• Be patient with the process.
• Be willing to be the one reaching out and asking questions.
• Tell them what you don't understand - they live and breathe mortgages, we do not.  I asked my LO to explain something and he was happy to do so.
• Ask the questions that come to you when they come to you.  I can't tell you how many times I've sent off a one line email because it was on my mind.

Week 9 - Drywall and Drywall

Not much to update this week as they have been drywalling.  It looks pretty good from peeking in the windows (hahaha) but we can't tell if they are done yet.

What was obvious was the brick that was delivered and strategically placed all around the house for the masons to start putting up on Monday. (Update:  They actually started on Saturday!!)

The other things we saw while facetiming with my brother is that there were a lot of young families and kids out walking and riding bikes.  Looks like it will be a good neighborhood for us to move our growing family into!!

T-Minus a few more weeks!!!  I'll update if I hear from our PM this weekend.

Week 8 - Insulation and pre-drywall walk through

This week was super hectic for us with a busy few days at work, an 8 hour drive to Ohio after work on Wednesday and our pre-drywall walk through Thursday morning.

So there's not much to say about the insulation other than the fact that our PM told us he wasn't happy with their work and was making them come back to fix it.  Fine by me!!  

He also had framers in while we were doing the walk through to frame out the basement bathroom.  This is one thing I appreciate about our PM.  When we originally had decided to do the basement bathroom roughin, our SR told us that we would also have all the framing and drywall.  That seemed odd, but I was cool with that.  At our pre-construction meeting, we were told we would just get the roughed in plumbing, and that framing and drywall were not included.  I was not happy about it, but whatever, ok.  Our PM ended up calling me a few days later and said he was going to do the framing for us at no additional charge.  No drywall because it wouldn't pass inspection.  I was ecstatic!!  And sure enough, they framed it while we were there, including a door in the main basement wall that we will just need to cut the drywall to get to!!

Now, on to the pre-drywall walk through.  I was super excited to finally see everything in person.  It was cool to see our backyard and how the house sits in the street.  It's one thing to see the Milan in pictures from every one else's blog.  It's another thing altogether when those pictures are your house and your land and your neighborhood!  

Ok, onto the pictures finally!!

Upstairs bathroom with a view into the master bath

Bedroom 3 (and you can see into the laundry room on the left)

The loft, as seen from the windows 

View out the front of the house

Looking into bedroom 2

Looking from the Windows of bedroom 2 toward the door

Looking at the loft and stairs from bedroom 2

View of back yard

Master bedroom, looking from the northeast corner into the room

Master bedroom, looking toward the bathroom

Shower and soaking tub in the master bath

Looking down to the first floor

Study

Foyer looking down to the living room

Dining room

Family room

Looking toward kitchen and morning room (and hubby, our two PMs and my brother)

My husband (l) and our PM (r) goofing off in the kitchen.  The new PM is afraid of what he just got into!

Morning room

Powder room

Garage

Garage service door

Week 7 - Framing, HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing! Oh My!

This week was a bit quieter than ones in the past, but there was still much accomplished.  HVAC contractors were in with the ducting and installation.  Plumbing and electric were also in.  What was cool is that my brother and dad were able to get a walkthrough Friday morning with our PM who showed them things and talked through his process.  My dad, who has been a Ryan Homes skeptic, was thoroughly impressed with our PM, his attention to detail, and the quality of the work being done in our house.  Look, if it passes my dad's inspection, I have all the confidence in the world that this house will be done really well! 

They were able to get a ton of pictures, which was amazing.

In the pictures, note the orange paint.  That means my PM doesn't like something and is making the contractor fix it.  When it's done, he paints it black.  If he still hates it, he paints it green and they fix it a third time.

Basement

Basement egress window

Furnace

Morning room

Door from morning room

Family room

View from kitchen through mudroom to garage

Upstairs bathroom

 

We also chatted with our PM Friday after work because he needed to confirm our availability to come in the week of the 4th for our pre drywall walkthrough (what?).  We will be going in at 9am Thursday to do the walkthrough, which means we have to leave Virginia Wednesday after work (4pm) to do the 9 hour drive.  If we had been able to have more notice, we would have flown, but will deal.