Ughs...
So, I got a call on Friday from the builder of the community where we bought our new house. Apparently, they've decided that they are unable to build the community at all. Partly it's because sales have been very slow and they can't compete in that location in this market. Mostly, though, it's because some other builder got permission to build a massive community of 500+ condos and apartments right next to us and turn the main access into our community into a private road.
It was a real kicked-in-the-gut feeling, let me tell you. But I guess the builder did us a favor -- we'd have been really pissed if we'd been bound to our contract and then found out later that this monstrosity was going up next door! They've offered us our deposit back (obviously), or a "good deal" should we choose to buy in another of their communities. I think that much more than angry or upset, we're just frustrated. We had a lot of time invested in picking out options and all the other stress and hassel of building a new home, and now we're going to have to go through all of that again unless we decide to wait a while and then buy an existing home.
We visited two of the builder's currently-under-construction communities in Pasadena, MD yesterday. One of them was right on the Bay with a water view, but just looked so out of place next to all the older houses around it. They were smaller than the model we'd purchased in Willowbend, but even still they seemed McMansion-like next to the 40-year-old houses that surrounded them. The other could work better for us, as there are a couple of models there we kind of like, but the location kind of sucks and the schools are awful. We'd pretty much have to move again when we have school-aged kids, and we had really hoped to build a home we could spend most or all of our lives in.
On the other hand, there is a piece of land the builder owns in Millersville, where Shari's family lives and much more conveniently located. We're not sure when or if they will start building that community, but it's supposed to have the same models as Willowbend did so we could get the house we'd wanted. The builder said they'd get back to us next week with more details. The big problem with that one is that it backs up against an athletic field and a Catholic school, with all the noise and activity that a school implies.
Fortunately, we're not in a massive rush to move, so we've got time to figure out what our options are. We'd really like to stick with the same builder, but if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. We'll just have to wait and see.
It was a real kicked-in-the-gut feeling, let me tell you. But I guess the builder did us a favor -- we'd have been really pissed if we'd been bound to our contract and then found out later that this monstrosity was going up next door! They've offered us our deposit back (obviously), or a "good deal" should we choose to buy in another of their communities. I think that much more than angry or upset, we're just frustrated. We had a lot of time invested in picking out options and all the other stress and hassel of building a new home, and now we're going to have to go through all of that again unless we decide to wait a while and then buy an existing home.
We visited two of the builder's currently-under-construction communities in Pasadena, MD yesterday. One of them was right on the Bay with a water view, but just looked so out of place next to all the older houses around it. They were smaller than the model we'd purchased in Willowbend, but even still they seemed McMansion-like next to the 40-year-old houses that surrounded them. The other could work better for us, as there are a couple of models there we kind of like, but the location kind of sucks and the schools are awful. We'd pretty much have to move again when we have school-aged kids, and we had really hoped to build a home we could spend most or all of our lives in.
On the other hand, there is a piece of land the builder owns in Millersville, where Shari's family lives and much more conveniently located. We're not sure when or if they will start building that community, but it's supposed to have the same models as Willowbend did so we could get the house we'd wanted. The builder said they'd get back to us next week with more details. The big problem with that one is that it backs up against an athletic field and a Catholic school, with all the noise and activity that a school implies.
Fortunately, we're not in a massive rush to move, so we've got time to figure out what our options are. We'd really like to stick with the same builder, but if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. We'll just have to wait and see.