Topsy Turvy

It was probably obvious, but I'll go ahead and formally spill the beans: we're building! This morning we closed on our construction loan and the busy-ness has started already. Rather than rattle off the list of to-do's that have been done and those that I can't even imagine starting, let's just say: it's about to get real crazy.


The important highlights to note are these: We're building a barndominium meaning that it's still your basic house but constructed out of steel beams and with metal siding. We're finishing out most but not all of it in order to save some moolah, and in the end, we're getting exactly what we wanted in the first place. No unsavory deals struck with banks just to comply with new regulations, and no more feeling jerked around. An entirely different builder is on board because of their experience constructing steel buildings and also because of their willingness to let us do so much of the work in order to, again, save money.

Heck yes we learned a lot (too too much) about the industry in general but also about patience. Obviously I have none, but being forced to wait worked out in the end. I truly wish there had been some resource on this subject of starting from scratch in the country on more than an acre. If I thought it were lucrative then I'd devote myself entirely to publishing scholarly books and journals on the subject. But, alas, people like us are few and far between either because some think land-ownership is a pipe dream, or because building a place in the middle of nowhere is sheer lunacy. Either way, here we are. And wherever you are, if you're itching to get out of your city or suburb, start saving those pennies and call your local land bank! Our biggest error was trying to make this scenario conform even though land banks exist for exactly these types of projects. Why did we wait so long to call them? (sigh) Long story, but let's just say that when I think about my reasons for not calling them for so long, it elicits a palm-to-forehead slap, an eyeroll, and the understanding that hindsight's truly 20/20. But that's behind us finally. And now it's time to play in the dirt. Buckle your interweb seatbelts, ya'll, it's about to be interesting.