This is all so fast...

So, over these last few days, before our scheduled meeting with Elizabeth, the Ryan Homes sales representative today, I had been doing a lot of research on Ryan Homes, quality of homes built by Ryan Homes, and customer service satisfaction.  I spent a lot of time on their website, on blogs, on home building sites, and customer complaint websites.  Some of the information I found was very scary.  There was also an overwhelming amount of positive information as well.

To be honest, the negative reviews are scary to me.  I'm a limited income single mom with the hopes of finding a good quality home that will last the years for myself, my mother, and my children.  Money doesn't grow on trees around us.  I've always been a person to read reviews and to do my research, but I also to go to the horses mouth.  I knew that no matter what I learned that we planned to attend the appointment, if only for informational purposes.  Let's compare our process.  I found this on the Ryan Homes website:

RYAN SIMPLIFIES HOMEOWNERSHIP

1. Reserve a Homesite
2. Personalize Your Home
3. Make a Purchase Agreement
4. Apply for a Mortgage Loan
5. Complete Your Down Payment
6. Construction Begins
7. Go to Closing and Move in

When I walked through the model home's door I saw a very smiley face.  I introduced myself and my mother to the SR and peeked a little at the framed site map and model home floor plans, but it took 45 seconds for us to walk into the office and get right down to business.  Sometimes you just have to skip the fluff.  I didn't want to get too hopeful and wander too much around a model that may not even be within our reach.

Our Process

Step 1 - The PreQual.  I'm not sure if that's what Ryan Homes calls it but it's what I've shortened it to, it's quite fitting as it took no time at all.  It wasn't all that painful, either.  It took 5 minutes from printer to filled out in it's entirety.  We signed and dated the pre-qualification right in front of the SR.  She was quick to fax it off to NVR (more on them later) and walk us through what Ryan Homes had to offer us.  She excitedly explained that she was able to offer us the Home of the Month on another lot and pointed out the lot.

Financial Information Sheets

Step 2 - Incentives!  Finished Basement, Morning Room, Granite Countertops, 42" Maple Cabinets, Stainless Steel Appliances, Brick Front -- YES PLEASE!  Elizabeth walked us through everything that would be ours.  The excitement began to build up inside us.  If only that naggy - will we pass the PreQual - feeling would go away!

Our Home of the Month

Step 3 - Walk About.  While waiting for word on the PreQual we spent some time walking around the model home.  We knew that we didn't have an unlimited budget, so, we needed to consider our home priorities.  We started a list in our heads.  Although my mother and I are very similar in likes and dislikes we still have our own thoughts on our individual dream home.  We adjusted the cost estimate to include a few things we were interested in but didn't go overboard.  We didn't want to get too far ahead of ourselves.

Step 4 - The Verdict.  The call we've been waiting for!  The bad news - I don't qualify.  Boo!  At least not right now.  The odd thing about this conversation was not that I didn't qualify but what I could do to fix what's broken and causing the problems.  I wasn't expecting that.  I expected a thanks but no thanks lady.  The good news - my mother qualified on her own.  It's not what we wanted exactly but it allowed us to move forward if we wanted.

Step 5 - Decide and Reserve.  The person that was in the office before us was also interested in the homesite we were interested in.  If we wanted this house, we would have to reserve the lot.  That required $500 at that very moment.  That $ was a to hold the lot for 3 days until we made our final decision to either decline moving forward or sign the purchase agreement.  We decided that there was nothing to lose to hold the lot.  If we declined the money would be returned.  If we decided to move forward the money would be returned.  We wrote out a quick Homesite Reservation Form that simply stated that we reserved the site for 3 days and that we were not obligated to sign a purchase agreement and that the seller wouldn't enter into any other purchase agreement with anyone else until the 3 days were up.  Win Win maybe?  I wrote the check and signed my name at the bottom of the agreement.

Lot 47 - Reserved!

Now it's time to decide.  I will spend the rest of the night reading, researching, considering, and praying that we will make the right decision.