Post Easter Update; Appraisal Status, Paint Concern, Cabinets, Ceiling Fans, Pics and More

First I hope everyone had a great Easter.  The weather was beautiful for a late March Easter, couldn't have asked for better weather.

Now on to our appraisal update.  It's supposed to happen today.  For over a week and a half we saw the appraiser and RH homes go back and forth on what each other won't do.  RH stood their ground and would not send out an electronic copy of the blueprints as it was against their company policy.  The appraiser wouldn't go unless they had the blueprints.  My wife and I read emails for a week and half that basically sounded like two 5 year-old kids arguing over who was going to get to play with the new toy first.  Neither the appraiser nor was RH going to budge.  UGH! Thursday afternoon I stepped in and told our mortgage company that after watching this scenario and nothing being resolved that it was time to get a new appraiser that will meet the conditions of the builder and that I expected a new appraiser to be contracted out by end of day.

This was very frustrating because we have two entities, our mortgage/relocation company and the builder who both could have done something sooner to get the appraisal done closer to the original appraisal date.  But instead, everyone involved was more concerned about their processes than the actual CUSTOMER buying the home.

Sirva responded to my email saying that they will get it resolved that day.  No resolution Thursday evening came across our email. We gave Sirva till 12:00 PM Friday to provide an update.  Noon came, no update.  My wife emailed asking for a status update.  Update came, and the appraisal was scheduled for today.  We shall see.

As for the house, here is where we are at.

So first, we were supposed to have the granite installed this past Saturday, so we thought we would drive by after our Easter lunch with the family to see if by chance they left the door unlocked.  They did, but that is because they didn't install the granite.  No biggie, I'm sure it will be done this week.

 AC

AC installed.  My concern is that the size of the unit will not be efficient enough.  Our home will be 2300-2400 sq. feet above grade.  The unit is a Goodman system. Never heard of them till I saw the unit.  But research shows that they appear to be a decent system, heavily favored by builders because of the lower costs, but they appear to be built using the same components as the name brand units.  I will have to get the model number off the unit to see what the tonnage is and its capacity.  I know the finished basement will put our house closer to 2800 - 3000 square feet, but basements are usually more moderate in temperature.  The other thing to consider is that RH builds a very efficient and air tight home.  So the AC unit shouldn't have to work as hard.

Paint

We love the color we chose.  It's not "Ryan White" (RH's default paint color).  It's a beige/tan color that is very neutral and works well with the white trim.  We really like the color. Why RH charges $1900.00 to paint a different color, I don't know.  The paint is not upgraded.  We don't get to choose, satin, matte, or any other finish style.  It's just a different color.  What is odd is that they paint the inside of the closets with the Ryan White option.  Very strange.

I am concerned however.  Upstairs we noticed that there are several areas where the drywall was not sanded well, and then painted over.  The paint makes it stick out like a boner in sweatpants, and it doesn't look good at all.  The painters have also applied their two coats of paint to the walls and are technically done except for some touch up work.  This means that the walls will need to be sanded and repainted all over again and there are many places that need fixed.  I have texted my PM so that he knows that we know.  Perhaps he is aware of it and has it planned to be fixed.

Ceiling Fans

In all we have 6 ceiling fans installed; living room, morning room, and all 4 bedrooms.  We opted for the brushed nickle that looks very nice.  Another great feature that RH adds is that they mount fan speed switches right by the light switches.  I should have taken a picture of it.  It's a great feature that is included with the fans.

Fireplace

We really like the fireplace.  We added the fire place and basically went with the default options.  There are a bunch of options available, but since we didn't want to push the budget too far, we opted for the basic slate.  We I really enjoy most about the fireplace is that actual face is very large.  This is a newer fireplace that RH is using.  The finished Venice that we toured (3-4 years old) had a smaller fireplace.  Our SR said that it was bigger, but we are really excited about how much bigger it is.  The hearth also comes out about 18 to 24 inches from the wall.

Kitchen Cabinets

I know I already posted pictures of the cabinets.  I do want to add a few details.  The cabinets are all nice and deep.  Especially the cabinets that make up our "pantry" that surround the fridge.
We also get a Lazy Susan and all the other cabinets in the island and around the wall have pull out shelving! This is something we didn't know we were getting and are very pleased. I don't know if the pull out shelving is something that is standard with all the cabinets or if they are included with upgraded cabinets.  Ask your SR if you are looking at buying through RH.

By the way, you will notice that we have hardware on our cabinet doors.  This is not standard.  But, we did get RH to throw them in free of charge.  Just smile and give your SR a wink.

The Double Oven.  Can't wait for Thanksgiving.

This week will see counter tops, carpet, all faucets and sinks installed, guardian, and the majority of all the other mechanicals done.  Then touch ups and fixes before we close.