As of now, yes. I say as of now because one never knows.
We never expected to leave the PA area and here we are in the DC area.

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Still working on it. Working on the den right now.

JuliePurplehead said:

SCNDLS said:

I built mine and I'm LOVING it five years later.

I was in my previous house, my first, for 7 years and totally knew it was not my "dream" home. Great starter house but not a forever house for me. During that time, I spent hours and hours looking at neighborhoods and model homes to find the design elements and features I wanted. I had a laundry list of must haves and nice to haves.

When I was financially ready to start construction, I studied the floor plan for over a year and knew every change I wanted to make. During construction I was on site 3 times a week for 10 months cuz luckily my other house was only 3 miles aways. That was a great benefit because since I was so familiar with my changes I was able to spot several mistakes during framing and throughout the building process. The construction manager remarked several times, "I've never had a female be this familiar with the building process and specific about what she wants."

I'm obssessive about everything I do especially when my money is involved. I had been buying, selling, building houses for a few years, so I educated myself about construction. It's important to ask the right questions and have a good understanding about what they are doing. I caught LOTS of mistakes and attemped shortcuts that are standard but most buyers don't even notice.

The interior design was also planned for a year and I selected and bought everything while the house was being constructed. I didn't bring any furniture from my other house and chose most of the pieces online. So, everything I got for the new one was pretty much purchased sight unseen and I just prayed the shit would work together when I saw it in a room. Thank God it did.

Then there was changing out every lighting/plumbing fixture from the builder's crap and doing the designs for the concrete floors and having those done before anything could be installed. It was a lot of work and it took me a month after closing before I could move in. Luckily, I wasn't in a rush to put my house on the market so I could stay there until everything was done in the new one.

For me, it was a true labor of love. I had an excellent builder (one of the best in the country) who allowed me to customize my home without charging me up the wazzoo. I take great pride in the fact that every wall, window, fixture, piece of molding is where it is because that's where *I* wanted it. It wasn't so long ago that black people and other minorities couldn't live where we wanted and we're STILL excluded from certain areas regularly. So as a single, black woman surrounded by white folks trynna figure how I did it, I think it's a great accomplishment.

I say all this to say, that if at all possible take your time. Make a list of what you MUST have and what you'd like to have. Spend a lot of time looking at houses/builders to fully understand what's available and what your money can buy.

Good luck on your search.

Your home is beautiful. I remember you showing pictures of it when you were finishing up on it. And of course, the ones in the "your room" thread.

My house is not my dream home but I'm slowly fixing it up and making it as close to my dream home as I'm probably going to get. I still love it after 6 years of living here.

Thank you, ma'am.

I think, regardless of where you are at the time, it's very important to make your home comfortable for you and welcoming to others, even if it isn't your ultimate. I've always taken pride in my personal space, from my dorm room, to first apartment, to first home. Even if nobody else ever sees it or comes to visit, I take great joy in looking at and living in the environment I created from nothing.

[Edited 1/23/11 13:36pm]

chocolate1 said:

chocolate1 said:

It was my dream to own my own home.

It needs some work, but it's comfortable and I like it a lot. I live on a dead end street, and the neighbors are nice.

It's been 2 years as of this past Sunday!

Maybe one day I'll get something else, but I don't think so. I like it here.

This was taken shortly after I moved in- the old car is in the driveway....

[img:$uid]http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l256/Teacher_06/Home/SunnyDay.jpg[/img:$uid]

January 2010 Blizzard...

[img:$uid]http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l256/Teacher_06/Blizzard%202010/February1010.jpg[/img:$uid]

So, yeah, I think my dream has been fulfilled...

Not yet but Im gathering ideas for when I do decide to build. I'm still young well ok not really at least to my mind and have lived in the house now for 2 months already but feels like 2 yrs lol. Hopefully will find a place to buy end of the year if work goes well for me at least enough for a deposit.

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[img:$uid]http://digitaldiaper.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/teepee400.jpg[/img:$uid]

connorhawke said:

Yup.

Something tells me I'll never be able to afford it though

[img:$uid]http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater-pictures/fallingwater-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Falling Water! It's mine too. Amazingly beautiful house.