We Finally Closed on Our New Home!

After a long journey filled with both highs and lows, we officially closed on our new home—and what a day it was! While the process had its challenges, overall, it was a positive experience. We’re especially grateful for Kristi and Zach, who were consistently helpful and understanding every step of the way.

Closing Day: May 28th

Our closing date was May 28th, and of course, Texas weather had to make it memorable. It was storming badly that morning, and we had a bit of trouble locating the title company office. Thankfully, we made it inside just before the skies opened up in a full downpour.

It was also the first time I got to meet Meagan Harrison in person—she came from Natasha Tessier’s office and had been my main point of contact via text for weeks. It was great to finally put a face to the name. Sharon Larson from Priority Title handled the closing process, and wow—there was a mountain of paperwork to sign! We had heard it could take up to three hours, but we were out in just under an hour, which was a pleasant surprise.

A Few Kind Gestures

On our way to the title office, Jessica from MCTCU called to congratulate us, and she called again afterward to celebrate with us. She has truly been a joy to work with throughout this process. Even though the weather stayed gloomy for most of the morning, it eventually cleared up into a beautiful day—just in time to continue checking things off our list.

Settling Logistics

Back in Magnolia, we got a P.O. box at UPS (a decision we’re now very thankful for). Then we stopped by the gas company to get our final utility in our name, followed by the post office to sort out our mailbox. Unfortunately, that part was a mess. The clerk couldn’t give us our mailbox number or key. Apparently, the builder now holds the keys, and the post office will eventually leave ours under our doormat—definitely not the smoothest process. Thankfully, having the P.O. box gave us peace of mind.

Waiting Game

Still no word from Kristi, so we grabbed breakfast at Magnolia Diner. Later, Jessica let us know she had received and approved the final paperwork for the title company, which meant we were officially funded and ready for keys! We stopped by the office, but Kristi hadn’t yet heard back from the title company and couldn’t release the keys until she did. However, she did give us our new homeowner gift baskets—one for us with coffee, treats, and home décor, and a sweet little one for the dogs with snacks and a blanket. It was such a thoughtful gesture.

Finally—Keys in Hand!

After some more waiting (and a quick drive to town), we finally got the call from Kristi: everything was official, and we could come pick up our keys! We rushed back, only to find the cleaning crew still finishing up at the house, pressure washing the driveway and garage. Once they wrapped up, we were finally able to start unloading and begin the next chapter in our new home.

We drove out today for our house inspection and introduction, and everything is looking great! There were only a few minor items to blue tape. The air conditioner was cooling much better than on our previous visits, which was a nice improvement.

A couple of things still need attention—the back door hasn’t been fixed yet, and one wall in the master bedroom still has outlets that aren’t working properly. Zach will get these issues addressed with the crews, and we will do a second walkthrough on the 27th, and if all goes as planned, we should be able to close on the 28th. Ricky is worried about the outlets that aren’t working, but hopefully it’s not a major ordeal getting it corrected.

Natasha met us at the house and brought us a beautiful welcome mat for the front door.

Afterward, we headed to Lowe’s and ordered our refrigerator, washer, and dryer, which are scheduled to be delivered on June 2nd. Exciting times ahead!

The Home Stretch: Our Closing Date Is (Almost) Set!

We thought we were locking in May 15th as our official closing date… but of course, in true new-construction fashion, there was a hiccup. The gas meter hadn’t been installed yet, so the date had to be pushed back. After a bit of a wait (and some crossed fingers), the meter was finally installed, and we got a new closing date: May 28th. Not ideal, but at least we’re moving forward!

The builder has already completed their initial blue tape walk-through, checking for any major issues or final touch-ups. Next up, we’ve scheduled our third-party inspection for May 12th to get an independent set of eyes on everything—just to be safe.

Then comes our turn. We’ll be doing our own blue tape walk-through on May 20th. Zach takes this process seriously and is known for being extremely thorough, which gives us a little peace of mind that we won’t be left hunting for flaws with a flashlight and sticky notes. Natasha will be joining us for the walkthrough too, which will be great to have another sharp eye.

We’re so close now—we can almost feel the keys in our hands!

Ricky and I hit the road to Magnolia, packed up with my desk—handcrafted by either Daddy or PawPaw—his hallway dresser, and a few totes destined for the storage unit. After unloading, we made our way out to the house to see how things were coming along, and wow—it’s really coming together! The fence is up, the yard is covered in fresh sod, the landscaping is in place, and there are even blinds on the windows now. It’s finally starting to feel like a home. There’s still some finishing work to be done inside, but it’s so close to being ready, we can almost see ourselves living there already.

We got our weekly call from Zach and Kristy on our ride home. Zach mentioned that the gas line wasn’t in and he doesn’t know how he missed that. The sod will have to be pulled up to put that in but he assured us that it will all be replaced good as new.

We drove out to Magnolia on the 5th to check on the progress of the house and meet up with Ryan and Sara for their first look. Things are beginning to settle down in terms of major changes. The flooring has been installed throughout most of the house, with just the bedroom carpets still to go. On the side of the house, the generator slab has been framed and is ready to go.

The floors were already covered with protective paper to prevent damage from ongoing work, so we couldn’t see them in their full glory—but I did peel back a section and absolutely loved what I saw. I get more excited about it every time we visit!

The tile in the master shower looks beautiful at first glance, but we did notice several grout flaws and an alarmingly sharp corner that could actually cut someone. Zach, our builder, has reassured us that all of those issues will be addressed and corrected.

I’m excited to make another trip!

Lori went out to the house since we haven’t been able to make it this week. They are making great progress. The kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and bathroom tile are all complete. They painted the garage doors, which really brings out the brick on the house. There’s a big pile of dirt in the driveway for them to get started on the landscaping. Our front door also got installed and looks nice.

Woohoo! We have brick on the whole house now and cabinets have been placed inside. We haven’t made it to see it in person, but Lori and Aaron went Sunday and the builder posted pictures on our website.

We weren’t able to get to Magnolia this weekend to check on the progress of the house, but Lori drove out and took some pictures for us. The brick is up on most of the house, the french doors are on in the office, the pantry has shelves, the master closet has shelving, and baseboards are in place. It’s really coming along.

https://www.facebook.com/ricky.brannen/videos/1369440991079803/

Drove out to the new house Saturday in hopes of checking the brackets for the ceiling fans. All the sheet rock was installed so we weren’t able to check the brackets. We’ll just have to trust that Zach put in the screws that he said he would. The house is really starting to take shape. I believe the brick will be on by the next trip we make over there. I can’t wait to see how that looks. I’m praying I didn’t choose one I won’t like. It looked good in the small sample we got to see for picking it out, but who knows what it will look like on a big surface. I didn’t take any pictures or anything this time. Ricky took a video so the link at the top will take you to it.