Securing Funds

When we bought our lot, we basically cleaned out our bank account.  That's why we thought we'd need to wait at least a year before building - to save up some money to put towards the house loan. We figured the smaller the loan we had to take out, the better.  When we were discussing this with Nate (our builder), he pointed out that it might be smarter to just take a loan out for the entire house cost and then put our funds towards debts w/ higher interest rates (which we have plenty of).  Hmm....good point. 

We realized that Nate was completely right, but that brought us to obstacle number two - getting approved for a loan.  Well, little did we know that Nate was already doing everything in his power to get us that loan (he really wanted to build!).  He found us a bank that was willing to offer us a loan, despite the fact that we had very little money to put down and the fact that Nick had only been working for 1.5 years.  He also worked with the bank and the lot appraisers through every step, pushing them and using the business he'd bring them as leverage, to make sure we were approved and given a good deal and just completely taken care of. 

We were hesitant all along the way, not believing it would really happen, and not sure if it really should happen.  We spent a lot of time discussing our options and praying for guidance.  We set some basic financial goals and guidelines that we felt would keep us within our means, and decided that if the loan were to be approved according to those guidelines, then now was the time for us to build.  Much to our surprise, it actually happened.  We were approved for a loan that fit our requirements in mid-November. After the actual approval we still felt good about our decision to build, so we made things official and signed our lives away on Thursday, November 17. Nate didn't waste any time. The paperwork was signed on the 17th and he had dirt being cleared the very next day. That was a bit of a shocker, but also made us realize that we weren't still dreaming - things were really happening!

October and November were a whirlwind and a roller coaster of emotions all rolled into one.  We went from owning a lot & thinking we'd be building in a year to having home plans put into motion all within two months.  Craziness....but happiness and extreme excitement too, as well as a time for us to again see the Lord's hand working in our lives.  At times we still feel a little shocked that we're actually building, but then we remember the many prayers and the guidance given, and we again feel reassured about our decision.  What a blessing it has been to be able to come closer to the Lord through this process.