DAY 1 - Preliminary Staking of the Pasture for Modern Farmhouse Construction

So many things I had absolutely no idea about (understatement of the century!)  I thought the first construction activity would be digging the foundation, WRONG!

Our builder arranged to have his topographic surveyor come over to the pasture today to take a detailed elevation survey of the land.  This survey will be used when applying for the permit--the permit needed to start digging.  As a side note, I was super impressed when I learned that the survey crew took all these measurements during the day today -- when it was raining!  Here are the guys making plans without me...bless their hearts :)

The coolest thing about today was that the surveyor put stakes in the corners of the house plan in the pasture.  After work, Matt, Mom, Charlie, the builder, the surveyor, and me met up to see the stakes in the ground.  I expected to just show up, have everyone say "Yup, that looks good!" and go home. Was I wrong!

First, the builder wanted us to really analyze the existing grade to see if we could work with the topography more efficiently.  He also wanted us to look at the distance we were from the street and from our property line.  We talked about how we would use the side yard and compared the other houses around to see where their homes were located.  For example, our builder asked us if we would prefer to have our driveway located across the street from our neighbor's driveway or offset.  To be honest, I never even thought about that!

We then looked at the orientation that the house was placed on the lot.  Specifically, should the house be in-line with the road or should it be oriented at an angle.  I was very impressed with the amount of time and consideration the builder and surveyor put into that decision.  They considered every outside area (the covered deck, screened-in deck, and the wrap around) and we talked about the views from each.  Matt pointed out that if we skewed the house too much, then the wrap around would not have the best view.  Good call, babe!

Finally (and perhaps, most cool-ly), the surveyor staked the center of the front doors and the rear of the house and the corners (as shown in the red "X's" below).

This perspective let me actually see what our guests will see when they walk in the front door.  The architect designed the house to have a see-through concept.  We got to pick the orientation so we saw our favorite trees (the cottonwood grove).  Such a smart thing to do that I would never thought to do...guess this is why they are the experts!  Here is the view (the stake in the foreground is the front door and the hard-to-see one behind is the rear of the house).

Here is the view from the wrap-around (where we will look at those cute belted galloway cows):

Here is the view from or master bedroom:

Here is the view from my parents' master bedroom west windows (stake is mislabeled front door):

And here is Matt and me...happy as can be  :)

On a side note, thank you so much for all the sweet messages and thoughts you have sent me!  Seriously made my DAY!!!

The Evolution of Design - Early Sketches of the Farmhouse

The first meeting with the architect mainly focused on my parents' side of the house...after all, Matt and I were convinced we were going to replicate a model home we had walked through on our side so, in Matt's words, "why mess with it?"  

As an aside, it was so incredible to watch the architect just sketch out this vision.  I never would have come CLOSE to this idea.  You can see from the drawing that the two side of the house will share a screened-in porch and will also be connected by a back hallway.

Some initial design considerations that went in the drawing above included:

• Oversize garages - Although the garages were oversize and included storage areas, Matt was still wondering where he would put his big mower, john boat, welder, moped and other items.  Stay tuned for that solution!
• Separate entrances - My parents have worked hard and still like the idea of having their own house.  This solution gave us that and more, although I worried that guests may get confused about which door is the front door.  That solution came to us in a later version of the design :)
• Access to the unfinished basement - Both my parents and us wanted stairs access to the basement, but a single long flight of stairs is not safe for anyone (especially age-in-place parents).  Thus the idea of the landing....
• Laundry - My parents loved the idea of having laundry right off of their closet, which is a frustration they have right now.  Solved!
• Tub - My parents have never really been "tub" people.  Their preference was a larger walk-in shower and eliminate the tub.
• Fireplace orientation - My Dad has never been a fan of TV over the fireplace.  We watch a lot of sports, so the solution was to place their TV opposite the kitchen island.  The con was that they lost some windows (where the fireplace is located now), but all in all, a great solution.
• Main floor guest room - My parents wanted a main floor guest room in addition to an upper floor guest room.  We thought that this room could either be used as an office or guest room, so we included double doors out to the screened in porch...man, I would like to be a guest here!  Haha!  Can you tell I am trying to lure friends and family to visit?

One of the main drivers of the design of the house was square footage.  In a nicer home, we were told to expect anywhere from $150 - $175 per square foot (or more).  To keep the project on budget, we were very very strict about square footage, so you will see in later versions of the design things we ended up eliminating or changing to keep the job in budget.

Modern Farmhouse Art - the cow :)

Full disclosure, I'm obsessed with modern cow art :)  In fact, I believe we are going to decorate my young little Madelynn's nursery in pop-art cows.  That gives you an ideas my love for them.  While I still hope to get an original painting someday, here are some pieces that I am considering:

http://www.pier1.com/belle-of-the-farm-cow-wall-art/3109000.html#q=cow&start=1

http://www.grandinroad.com/bessie-wall-art/686480?SourceCode=ZZ51121&cm_mmc=Comparison+Shopping-_-Google+Product+Listings-_-NA-_-NA&intlShippingCtx=US%7CUSD&CAWELAID=120245400000016759&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=10623551741&CATCI=pla-106990313381&catargetid=120245400000147245&cadevice=c&gclid=CKjEkvnh6c4CFQsbaQodNB8HRQ

http://www.kirklands.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=195967&type=product#.VljfvgEG9B4.pinterest

And perhaps the best for last, I just love Betsy McClellen's style.  You can buy prints from her at her etsy store here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/betsymclellanstudio

I just hope to commission a real one in the future:

New Home Construction Contract - Details for the Specifications

Building specifications and allowances - more of an art than a science!

Every builder will have their own standard specs that they use to bid your project.  Here are some areas where clarifications are suggested that we negotiated for you to consider:

• Utilities - Most builders will assume a certain length of water/gas/sewer/cable lines.  I would clarify what is included in the base bid and discuss whether these lengths are reasonable.  In our case, our house is planned to start 100 ft off the road with meters located further back. 
• Driveway - Since the cost of the driveway is included in the base, I wanted to confirm that the base price included the driveway as drawn by the architect (and not based on a smaller, more typical driveway)
• Windows/doors - Because these were included in the base price, I want to clarify the brand/model number for the windows.  If the builder provides an allowance for these items, clarify how the builder came up with the allowance price.  In our case, the allowance was based on a bid for a particular door, so I had that model # included in the specs to confirm that we could actually get that door for the allowance listed.
• Trim/Interior Doors - Have the builders specify what size of trim is included and where those sizes are included.  We also asked the builders to confirm the amount of crown/ceiling trays that are included and the locations of each of those items.
• Countertops - We asked each builder to specify what material and level of countertop is included and which areas are included.
• Plumbing - Some builders will provide a total allowance for all plumbing and some will provide an upgrade allowance.  The upgrade allowance contemplates that the buyer gets a certain level of faucet included in the base price and the buyer can use the upgrade allowance to, well, upgrade.  I asked the builder to list out the base brand/model number for the fixtures that were included in the base.
• Electrical - Builders will likely include some or all of electrical in the base price.  Given this trend, we asked the builders to list out specifically what was included in the base price.  From a lot of builders, we were told "we priced per code."  Well, I'm not familiar with electrical code, so I pushed the builders to provide a list of exactly what was included.  I was happy to finally get a breakout list of the base price for electrical, including #can lights, # outlets, etc.  
• Exterior stone - We asked the builders to clarify that the base price included the stone as is shown on the architectural drawings.
• Interior stone - We asked the builders to clarify that the builders included fireplace stone in the base price and, more importantly, the height of those fireplaces.
• Cabinets - This is a difficult item to compare between the builders.  We ended up touring various builders' model homes and asked each to tie the quality of the cabinets to those offered in the model homes.  We also had them specify that each had the hidden hinges and soft close throughout the house.  I also asked each to specify that the base price included enamel paint and two-colors for the island and cabinets. We also asked each to specify that the base price included all lower deep drawers rather than cabinets.  Consider whether you intend for the vent hood to be enclosed, because that is typically an extra unless it is specified.
• Mirrors/shower doors - We asked the builders to specify that we wanted frameless glass shower doors.

I would also suggest pushing the architect to include as much detail as possible in the plans and require the builders to include the plans in the contract.  For example, our architect designed all the mudroom and dropzone cabinetry and I wanted to make sure all of that was included in the base bid.

It was difficult for us to select a builder because so many were awesome.  Although it was a lot of work, it was extremely helpful to get all of the builders to clarify each of these areas so we could accurately compare them against each other.  

New Home Construction Contract - Basics and Changes We Made

Sadly, I think it is very common that home builders send over the construction contract expecting the buyers to make no changes.  In fact, every builder we interviewed in Kansas City simply sent over their contract as a PDF, as if to say that the contract is not subject to discussion. 

It is important to get input from your legal counsel regarding the terms of your agreement, the particularities of your home construction project, and any state-specific requirements or case law.  Here are some general items that we encountered during our builder selection process and negotiations.

When I looked at the new residential construction contracts sent to me by builders, I was evaluating several issues, including:

• Payment - what payment structure did the contract contemplate
• Changes - how are changes orders or differing conditions handles
• Insurance - what type/level of insurance is provided
• Warranty - what is the length of warranty and any exclusions
• Indemnity 

Payment - I don't mind anybody I hire making money, and in fact, I WANT them to make money.  After all, how hard or careful would you be on a project where you were not making very much $$?  However, I do want to know where the contractor is making their profit.  There are many different compensation models out there, but most residential home construction contractors either offer to build based on (1) fixed price, or (2) cost-plus.  In general, fixed price means the builder provides a price that the builder expects based on certain assumptions.  You (buyer) generally does not know what amount the builder pays any subcontractors nor do you really know what amount of profit the builder makes.  Cost-plus means that the builder will provide the buyer with the actual invoices from the builder's subcontractors, and mark them up (with the builder's profit).

What surprised me, and what is worth reviewing, is how allowances are handled.  Most builders will provide the buyers with a set amount for allowances (such as $6000 for appliances, $5000 for landscaping, etc.).  Most builders explained that the term allowance means that we just shop for what we want--we get a credit for spending less and we pay out of pocket for going over on our selections.  Makes sense, right?

Well, consider this:  if the builder states that your appliances are to be purchased from a particular vendor, does that mean the builder marks up the price of the appliances?  Most builders answered no but their contracts read differently.  Specifically, every contract we were provided by builders referred to allowances as reimbursable costs, which included the direct price for the item plus an amount for reasonable builder profit.  If I was going to pay markup on appliances, my preference would be to just remove them from the builder's contract and buy them outright.  For example:

$6000 allowance for appliances WITH a 15% markup would mean that I would actually get $5,100 in appliances and pay $900 in markup to the builder.

Carefully read your contract and really have the builder explain how the words mean what he/she describes.

Changes - I noticed that every builder contract I was provided stated that the builder was going to be paid a flat fee (ranging from $150 to $500) for EACH proposed change we asked the builder to price during construction.  Um, NO!  Also, I wanted to make sure that all changes required both parties to sign prior to executing the change.

Insurance - During construction of a house, the builder will generally provide builder's risk insurance.  This insurance will generally cover any property damage or bodily injury that occurs prior to substantial completion (final walk through).  However, it is important to clarify that any builder supplying this insurance should take the risk of paying the deductible and should take the risk should a claim not be covered.  Also, many of the contracts that were sent to us required the buyer to be responsible for losses in excess of the builder's risk insurance.  Again, I struck that language for several reasons: (1) what if the builder does not get enough builder's risk insurance or buys a low-cost policy with tons of exclusions?, and (2) there are many normal exclusions from builder's risk insurance coverage that I still don't want to be responsible for paying.  Imagine this scenario:  you are building a house and the builder's electrician starts a fire.  Then the builder calls you (the buyer) and says "there was a fire by my sub, so I am going to need an additional $25k to cover the deductible."  Yeah, no.

Also, I wanted to make sure the builder named us as an additional insured on his casualty insurance policies.  If an employee of a subcontractor is injured during construction, the last thing I want is for me to be paying legal fees to defend ourselves in court.

Warranty -  I specifically wanted to know what the warranty period was and more importantly, what the exclusions were.

Indemnity - It seemed like many of the construction contracts that were sent to me required us (the buyers) to pay to protect the builder in the case where we (or someone we invite) to the construction site is injured by the builder. I made this mutual.

Other considerations - My main experience with construction contracts is that disputes mainly arise in two different areas: (1) is something an adder or included in the base price; and (2) how did the defect arise (was it poor workmanship or caused by someone/something else).  On the first, it is very very important to lay out base items specifically.  I will write a separate blog post to refer to all the items we had to clarify in the specs.

Our pasture - Day ZERO of the Modern Farmhouse Construction

This sweet little field  is not going to know what hit it!  Some basic stats on the field:

• Located in Bucyrus, Kansas (or south Stilwell, depending on some maps)
• 10 acres
• Rare square-shaped lot vs. the common rectangle
• Mostly pasture but there is a creek near the west with some wonderful cottonwood trees and some not-so-awesome locust trees

There is also a super-old hand dug well on the property, which will hopefully provide some drinking water for our future belted galloway herd.  There is no fencing unfortunately, so a future blog post will chronicle the adventures of locating a barbed-wire fence contractor (it was more difficult that you would imagine).

Our goal with this blog post line is to document the new home construction build process.  I was considering putting together a coffee table book at the end that would take a reader through this adventure...

Here is the lot from three different set locations and I hope to take pictures from these set locations during this homestead build process:

Designing a Modern Farmhouse - Hire an architect, purchase plans online, or just build a spec home?

I will be honest -- between Pinterest and other websites, I was overly confident that we would not need to hire an architect.  It really just seemed like our project was not so unique as to require someone to specifically design a house for us (after all, how unique could we be)?  We looked at tons and tons of plans online, and even though some were close, none were perfect.  The mutligenerational aspect of the house eliminated so many designs.  All of the multigenerational home plans that we saw only considered a one car garage (if any) for the parents' side of the house.  My parents have two cars and will likely ALWAYS have two cars, so this was a quick eliminating factor.  Also, my parents did not want a kitchenette...they wanted a gourmet kitchen and deserved one!  Therefore, the use-online-plans approach just never got off the ground.

Money is definitely something to consider.  We received a range of quotes from architects locally here in Kansas City, but generally you could either pay hourly or pay per the square foot.  Every architect we talked with expressed a profound preference for the square foot payment structure.

In general, it appeared that you may choose hourly if you already have a set plan and you need small modifications.  However, consider that most architects (at least ethical ones) will not start from another architect's plans because they are copyrighted.  In our case, we walked through a model home that we liked, contacted the builder, and then the builder referred us to the architect that designed that home model.  Then with the builder's permission, we could modify that plan.

Hourly rates are difficult to track and, after having used an architect on the square-foot pricing, I am definitely glad we chose that path.  Our architect spent countless hours just thinking about our home, emailing ideas, and responding to questions.  With an hourly rate, we may have been tempted not to ask certain questions so as not to spend money getting the responses.

While all the architects we spoke with were each unique and very approachable, Tom McDonough was the right fit for us for many reasons, including:

• Creativity - Admittedly, we thought we knew exactly what we wanted before we arrived at our first appointment with him.  We told architects that my hubby and I liked house model XX and my parents liked floorplan YY and we were looking for a sun room to connect the two.  The other architects said "Yes, let's make that happen!"  Tom said "We can do that for sure, but I know we can do better."  And he did.
• Questions - I was blown away by the questions Tom asked when designing our house.  Rather than "# beds/baths, square footage, etc.", he asked those AND also asked "think about houses you like that you have toured.  What did you see when you first walked in the door?"  "What is the first thing you do when you wake up?"  These questions really helped Tom identify things that we didn't know we wanted.  For example, my parents wake up and grab coffee/tea first thing.  Their current house has the master bedroom on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen.  That small insight helped Tom know to put my parents' kitchen close to the master (or put a coffee bar around close).
• Pros and cons - Because I work in the construction industry, I think it is common place for my clients to weigh drawbacks and benefits (i.e. costs more, lasts longer).  Embarrassingly, it was so easy to forget that with design decisions. Tom was remarkable and reminding us of the pros/cons when asking questions.  For example, asking whether we would like a pocket door in a particular location.  Rather than just considering the looks, he would also point us to the benefits of a pocket door (floor space saving) but the draw backs (sometimes difficult to operate).  We ended up skipping those pesky pocket doors and opted for the oh-so-cool sliding barn doors instead.

Either way, it is just so important to consider how you live.  Everyday, Matt and I come home from work through the garage.  We often have the kids in tow, so we have briefcases, backpacks, cell phones, keys, random things, etc. that we are lugging into the house.  Tom designed a drop zone for us that would allow this mess of items (which have always previously resided on my kitchen countertops/hallways) to a relegated and somewhat hidden location.  Tom also was so keenly aware of light and sought to get natural light in almost every nook of the home.  

As you can tell, we were smitten with Tom.  The architecture process can take a while but man, when it is done, YOWZA.  We are in love.  Contact Tom through his website if you need any help!

http://www.kcarchitecture.biz/

Ownership of the farmhouse - Who owns what in a multi-generational new construction project?

In an earlier blog post, I mentioned that getting a loan for unimproved land (i.e. pasture land with no house) is difficult and typically requires a large down payment.  AS IF that wasn't tricky enough to manage, there are many other things to consider:

If you and your parents decide to build a multi-generational house, presumably each part is coming to the party with some money.  If your parents are paying for "their half" of the house and you are paying for "your half", who owns the house?  While this is definitely not an area that I have thoroughly researched, but here are some options/considerations.

First and foremost, the zoning classification of the property will likely govern a lot of the ownership matters.  With a lot that is zoned "single family residential", and after conversations with the county, that classification meant we could not split or divide the property into separate tracts.  My parents were leaning toward building a small guest house potentially on a separate tract of land (so they would own the house, own the land).  This option would have been the best because they could have retained ownership and we would have just wanted a right of first refusal (which would essentially mean that we would get the right to buy from them first if they decided to sell).

Johnson County officials indicated that land zoned agricultural, rural or otherwise (basically anything but single family) can typically be easily subdivided.  However, consider that you will have to pay money for this process, including have new proposed plats done by a civil engineer and any fees associated with approval.  And the county could choose not to approve the split.

The below options for ownership/financing are considering that the land is not able to be split ownership-wise:

One party contributes all cash, other party contributes cash/mortgage

This option seems to make financing the easiest.  Most banks will want to have the priority lien rights (and this option will likely lead to the lowest interest rates).  Often the bank will want an affidavit signed indicating that the cash portion was a gift and not a loan.  However, this option may have some implications to consider:

• tax - Tax-free gifts have limits, so please consult a tax professional.  There may be options where this portion of the property funding is a loan that is paid back through rental payments over a period of time (which is reflective of the actual situation).
• ownership - The property will likely be owned by the party getting the loan.  

Each party needs some type of loan for their part

This option may be difficult unless one party is not getting a mortgage but rather a personal loan or a HELOC or other loan secured by a different property.  It is difficult (perhaps impossible) to get a mortgage when you are not an owner of the subject property.

Both parties contribute all cash

This option is obviously the easiest from a financing standpoint.  However, there are protection concerns that apply to all of the options (discussed in the following section).

Parting thoughts - protecting the non-landowner Party

What if your parents end up not liking the property or living together?  What if you end up getting into a big fight and need one party to move out?  What if there is a divorce/death with one of the parties?  These are all discussions that should be had before making this commitment and there are different ways to solve these concerns that should be discussed with an attorney.

Buying land or a pasture - Researching the land, the owners, and the neighbors

I'm definitely not a stalker.  I'm definitely not a stalker.  I'm definitely not a stalker.  I'm definitely not a stalker....

But if I was a stalker, this is what I would do to research potential properties to buy.  Or I could tell myself that this is just due diligence.  But whatever it is called, here is how I did it:

• Learn about the Owner - Johnson County, Kansas has an online property mapping tool called Automated Information Mapping System (or AIMS).  Many other counties/cities have the same or similar tool.  Essentially, this allows you to type in any address and get great facts on the property you are considering.  First, you will get a screen that looks something like:

http://maps.jocogov.org/ims/

Then in the upper-middle white bar, type in the potential property address.  The map will automatically center on your address and a white information box will pop up with the current property owner's names, mailing addresses, and other information.

Armed with the current owner's names, you can google them to learn more about them.  If the owner is a business/LLC, you can go to your state's secretary of state website and perform an business entity search.  You may be able to learn the name of the incorporator or members to figure out who actually owns the property.

• Learn about the property

On the left-hand menu, there are options for "flood zone" and utilities.  These options are immensely helpful and actually saved us from buying a lemon of a property.  It is nearly impossible to build on any land that is included in a flood zone (and for good reason).  Therefore, if there is a portion of the property in a flood zone, its value should be reduced (per acre) substantially from a non-flood zone acre.  Second, flood zones may limit your access to property.  For example, we considered a piece of land where the flood zone was near the road and the "build spot" was off the road.  We would have had to get a very expensive permit to install utilities and other improvements on the flood zone area just to get to the build site.  NO THANKS!  Finally, we were again saved by noticing a wastewater line that was located squarely in the middle of a build site we were interested in.  Luckily, we called the county and learned that the wastewater line had a 15 ft no-build easement on either side, so essentially the build site was worthless.

• Learn about the neighbors

You can use the blue "i" icon on the top menu of the AIMS website to get information on any property.  After clicking the icon, you can click on any neighboring property to learn who owns the land.  This has been an invaluable tool for Matt and myself in determining if a property was right for us.  We were interested in a small acreage in south Overland Park.  When I clicked on the massive piece of land surrounding our smaller acreage, I learned that a local developer owned the whole chunk.  We called that developer and learned that a huge neighborhood development was planned, which really wasn't our style.  

Decorating a Modern Farmhouse - Selecting Unique Art Part 1

I have this affinity for unique pieces of art or decorations, much like all of us do.  I have found the difficulty being narrowing it down and not having TOO much.  Joanna Gaines would not like a lot of clutter, and I am channeling her!

So here are some pieces I purchased so far (I'm not that creative, they are ALL from Magnolia Market!)

The romantic pics for the master bedroom.  I am not sure why, but man these two spoke to me.  Also, since I hope that have shiplap in the master, I thought these looked so striking.  Make me want to kiss that handsome husband of mine :)

https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/collections/wall/products/i-love-us-sign

Having two girls and being a strong willed one myself, I want to make sure my girls are constantly reminded that happiness is not as much luck as it is planning and determination.  This heavy metal sign will hopefully remind them that their Mommy designed this life that she loves, and they can do the same :)

https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/collections/wall/products/she-designed-a-life-of-love-sign

Both my dining room and my parents' dining room will have a lot of windows and a long table.  Both of us needed this unique trough.  It is wonderfully lined so you can actually plant herbs and water them without fear of ruining your table!

https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/products/wooden-trough

Maybe is it just the softy in me, but living in a multi-generational house makes this metal art (below) all the more meaningful :)

https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/collections/wall/products/jimmy-don-walt-whitman-sign

And here are others that I am considering...dreaming of:

Okay, custom chicken footstools.  Yes, that is a thing and I'm obsessed!!!  Thinking about getting one in a belted galloway pattern...

http://thecitygirlfarm.com/collections/chicken-footstools

There is a local furniture maker that is incredible.  Unruh makes such well made items custom and is such a good company in general.  Dreaming about having them make my new dining room table and two metal captain's chairs below...

https://unruhfurniture.com/product/waldo-metal-chair/

Designing a Multi-Generational House - Considerations

When we embarked on this journey, I never realized how much was involved with multi-generational houses and planning a design around aging parents.  Consider reviewing the ADA requirements and suggestions to come up with great ideas to help make a happy home for a parent in a wheelchair.  We are lucky to not be in that situation now, but we are trying to plan for the future if/when that may arise.  Some quick things we considered:

• first floor living - My parents did not want to live in a finished basement or second story for many reasons, but mainly due to the age-in-place concept.  That left them with the option of either building a guest house or building an addition onto our house.

•  zero-entry - You can have zero entry from the garage to house, into the shower, onto patios, etc.  The cost difference for each was a bit dependent on the design of the house, but here were some preliminary estimates ( $750 for zero entry shower, $3000 for zero entry garage, varied for patio depending on grade)

• wide doors/halls - This was a big cost adder because larger doors were non-standard.  

• window latches - Look into different types of windows because some have very easy-to-open latches.  We selected Milguard windows because they are specifically for the age-in-place concept (and they were not that much more expensive).

https://www.milgard.com/learn/protecting-your-home/smarttouch-innovation

• grade - We wanted a lot that could offer both a walk-out basement and a walk-out-on-grade option for my parents on their side of the house.  My parents really wanted the ability to exit their house into the backyard onto grade (or close to it) rather than down a long flight of steps from an elevated deck.

• flooring - Thick pile or plus carpet is very difficult for wheelchairs.  Plus, it really did not jive with our Modern Farmhouse feel!  So we are installing all hardwoods on the main floor, including the in-law suite.

Thanks and share any other ideas you have!

The ONE - Falling in love with a pasture while still using your head (a bit)

How do you know when you find "the one"?  Your heart skips a beat?  You can stop giggling?  You finally find your soft place to land?  Here are some pics why my hubby needs more land...

Well, our experience with finding land was the same.  Perhaps we were a bit more pragmatic than a love-struck teenager.  But at least in the Kansas City area (Johnson County), you almost HAVE to be if you are not independently wealthy and enjoy overspending.  What I learned quickly was that land prices varied substantially!  

There appear to be 2 types of people that sell pasture-land:

1. Those that actually want to sell and therefore will sell that a reasonable per-acreage price in line with other land in the area.
2. Those that are passive sellers.  Many people that list land have the attitude "well, if I get $XXX (crazy amount) for my land, then I'll sell."  They have no interest in comparable land that actually sold.

I had a great friend who is a realtor in the area, so she created a couple search engines of list/sold prices in the area.

http://www.movewithplatinum.com/-/AgentDirectory/agent_profile/?agent_directory_id=20116

Love her!  Essentially, she sent me land listing that looked similar to the following:

I ended up sorting this list and creating a table to track the per-acre value of various acreages that went for sale.  First, while I think a shorter time period is appropriate when valuing houses, I would suggest considering sold values up to 10 months prior.  The truth, in our area at least, is that there just aren't as many properties with land only that sell, so you don't have as many comps.

I clicked on the "S" at the top to sort the entire list by those properties that have "SOLD", those that were "PENDING", etc.  Then I created a chart to help me quickly categorize and analyze the land that was for sale (see what I mean, more pragmatic than emotional)  :)

This chart will become invaluable to you when you start considering what land is for sale, whether it is a reasonable price, and when you justify your low offer to a seller :)  We were able to see that in Johnson County in the Blue Valley School District, recent properties sold between $11,500/acre and $30,000 per acre.  The main factors that drove the spread were the amount of land sold (a large 100-acre tract typically had a lower per-acre than a smaller tract, the Costco effect!).  Also, access to utilities and blacktop was a big driver in cost.

• Spring Hill properties - price per acre ranged from $8800 to $13,250 
• Stilwell properties - price per acre ranged from $15,882 to $30,000
• Bucyrus properties - price per acre ranged from $7,000 to $11,650

One last thing on this small topic (I will write more posts on searching for land, researching land, etc.) is that charting list/sell price made us much more brave.  If we had not tracked the disparity, we would have completely ruled out many acreages that were for sale due to their list price.  Our experience was that often the list/sell price varied by 40%!!!!!!  In other words, the sellers of land often did not drop the list price (like they do with homes typically) but rather just waited for someone to low-ball them and wait for a negotiated deal.

Equipped with this information, we were able to confidently approach sellers with actual documented sales in their area.  This would, at a minimum, give our low offer more credibility than simply a young couple looking for a deal :)

Decisions, decisions - Renovate an existing farmhouse or buy land and build?

Pros and cons exist for every decisions.  In my limited experience, it seems like the right answer would totally depend on the following (non inclusive factors):

• Financial - land without a house is difficult to buy.  Typically only local banks will lend money for "unimproved" land and the loans often require a significant amount of money down.  Even with great credit, we received various quotes from 20% to 50% down.  Land with a house is much easier to finance, although depending on the tax appraisal zoning code, you may need an agricultural loan vs. conventional.  We were able to find a local bank that offered a construction-to-perm loan.  I'll write a separate blog post about zoning issues and financing matters and how they impacted our decision :)

• Permitting - Existing house does make the permitting process much easier.  For example, in unincorporated Johnson County, KS where our land is located, new regulations went into effect requiring an evaluation of a new septic system.  The evaluation was $500 to have the septic contractor dig some holes and an evaluation fee of $450 for the city to evaluate the soil.  If we had simply purchased a house with an existing septic, the only requirement would have been for the inspector to evaluate and have to seller make any changes (much easier).  Helpful links for more information:

http://www.jocogov.org/dept/health-and-environment/environment/septic-systems/residential-systems

Soil profile analysis form:  http://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/documents/DHE/ENV/SPA%202016.pdf

• Customization - Definitely leans in favor of the new construction avenue.  Some of my friends find that customization can be a benefit and a curse :)  Analysis paralysis is definitely real!  But if you take it one bite at a time, you can certainly manage!

• Reuse - It can be helpful buying an existing farmhouse if you can reuse some of the construction items, like foundation, septic, roof, etc.  However, analyzing and demolishing existing structures can be costly and long-term.  If the house unexpectedly has asbestos or other improper items, new codes will dictate whether the contractor can leave-in-place or must remove/dispose.

• Location - In the Kansas City area, much of the land within a reasonable commute, which is also in a better school district, is built upon or has an ungodly price :)  So you do have a cost/benefit analysis to do...it is hard to find unimproved land within our drive distance.

For us, I think we would have been open to either option.  We actually put an offer in on some west Lenexa land with a farmhouse but could not come to terms with the seller.  Our situation was more driven by availability rather than preference.  In the end, we kept coming back to this piece of land and the sellers decided to make us a deal.  Seriously, thanking my lucky stars they did!!!!

Multi-generational living - Why it works for us :)

We often get the same response:  "you WANT to live with your parents?"  So, in hopes of heading off people's concerns/questions, I thought I would just share why we chose this lifestyle, growing pains and solutions.

1.  We seriously enjoy each other's company and we work at it.  My parents are always conscious of overstepping, and we work at not impeding on their much-earned lifestyle :) 

2.  The current living situation is not ideal (all in one house, one kitchen, one garage area, etc.).  When we do the post on the house design, you will see how we aspired to solve these concerns!  In short - two separate full kitchens, living areas, master bedrooms/baths, laundry, and garages.  

3.  Schedule - Matt and I have demanding careers and wonderful kiddos, we are so grateful for the love and help from nearby family members.  The idea of moving further away from our jobs seemed unmanageable at first, but with my parents' willingness to move to the field, we are more easily able to manage.

4.  Age-in-place - There are so many articles, first-hand stories, and other resources that discuss the difficulties of taking care of parents as they age.  The main struggle for me is that we really wanted to be able to help out as much as we could.  Living in the same location makes it so much easier!

5.  Seeing those grandkids - Well, the header says it!  My parents really wanted to see the grandchildren as much as possible.  They still travel and have their own lives, but being close makes it so much easier!

6.  Reduction of redundancy - There are so many things in each house that is frustratingly necessary:  snowblower, woodchipper, cable bills, vacuum cleaners, serving platters, etc.  Living on the same property allows us to streamline our lives, our objects, and make the most out of the income we all earn by sharing items when we want to (but having our own items when we don't :) )

Multi-generational living?  In-law suite?  Guest house?  Keep following to learn how we arrived at our solution and the pros/cons we learned along the way!

How this whole crazy lifestyle got started...

The Modern Farmhouse...

It was always chasing a dream.  We would gather with friends and family and joke about creating a 'compound' (not so much Branch Davidian), maybe a subdivision, where all our friends and family would live.  We would joke about pranking each other, borrowing tools, stealing beers from the full refrigerator.

Matt and I met in mechanical engineering school and the University of Kansas.  Five years practicing, two professional engineering stamps, and a couple years of law school later, he was still engineering and I started legal-ing.  Matt was always outside, a true eagle scout.  After getting into law, I realized that he needed a litigation-buffer zone as it seemed that his bonfires were getting bigger and bigger :)

Our little girl Charlie was born and it made us talk more and more about having some land.  Having some cows, being outside, loving our life even more.  After we found out we were expecting our little Madelynn, we decided to stop talking about it -- DO IT!

Fast forward until today, here are the crazy yet exciting steps we have taken toward this goal:

1. Sold our house with several acres in hopes of larger spaces to roam.

2.  Moved into my parents' basement with our little princess Charlie and our new little princess Madelynn.

3.  Located a piece of land in the best Kansas school district that was in our budget.  Seriously, you could throw a rock and hit a different school district, but we snuck into the one we wanted :)

4.  Closed on the land.

5.  Walked through model homes, found a builder we liked.

6.  Convinced my parents that they should build an in-law suite/guest house.

7.  Builder sent us to an architect...well, two actually!

8.  Designed the house

9.  Got bids, scaled back design to meet budget, selected a different builder.

AND GO....