Maybe????

I feel like I've been such a downer about this house lately. We just can't seem to get it off the ground. As time clicks by we loose patience and money. The hold up has been this disconnect over one issue with the Village, managing water on the property. Simply put, it's green management vs. non-green management. It is still a problem, but I was put in contact with one Village employee who makes me feel like there could be a little glimmer of light a the end of the tunnel. Maybe we should take the chance that we can work it out and not sell the property. My biggest fear is if we come to an agreement on this system, what obstacles will we encounter during the rest of the project. It's the unknown path that causes me sleepless nights.

Anyway, while we work out our issue, I'm hoping maybe the Village would issue us a permit (or a partial permit) so we could get started on the tear down and the building of the house. The issue isn't with the structure of the house and the review process for the building itself was complete in under two weeks, so why couldn't we get started? The water dissipation system really shouldn't even be put in until after all the heavy equipment is off the property anyway. Crazy idea? We'll see what they say....

Our Contractor

This is Tom Molidor. I met him a few years ago when I took a class through LT's adult continuing education. He was teaching the ins and outs of building a custom designed home. I really like what he had to say and the patience he had with me and my one thousand questions. (Most people are not so patient.) At the time, we were living in a little house on Bluff Avenue in La Grange that we renovated. We loved living there. The neighbors became some of our best friends. While we loved our little house, the kids got bigger and so did their stuff. It was time to go. Then we bought the tear-down house at 324 S. Peck. Tony and I interviewed a few builders, but we both really like Tom so we partnered up with Molidor Custom Builders and built our first house from the ground up. I think we all worked well together. One of the things we like about Tom is his focus on building with healthy home materials. When we met with him a few months ago to talk about our latest purchase he was as excited as we were to be building green. I think he will have a lot to offer. I'm glad we going to be working together again. We can't wait to get started!

What Makes a House a Home?

It doesn't matter where we live, the important thing is that the four of us are together. That makes any house we live in a home. Even though the past 6 months have been tough to get this house project off the ground, I am happy that we stand strong as a family. The best gifts my father ever gave me was the understanding that family comes first. He worked hard for us and gave my sister and me a great childhood. Sometimes I can't believe he's been gone for 11 Father's Days now. Today I would like to take a minute to post a thank you to him for 34 years of parenting and for teaching me the value of family.

Happy Father's Day!

Unwanted Guests in the Spectacular Rental

They are putting in sewers, aprons, curbs, sidewalks and streets on Bluff Avenue. A much needed improvement. The construction on the block has sometimes made things difficult. Most weekdays the cars need to be off the street or driveway at 6:30am and we can't come back until after 4:00. The house is in the middle of the block so if I have to lug things in and out of the car it can be a pain. The construction workers have been really nice. On occasion they have even helped carry groceries down the street. The Village has been good about keeping us informed and when there have been issues, they are on it and make it better. It's nice to see things working so smoothly. All in all, it will all be worth it when it's finished. There has only been one problem. Well, actually, a million little problems.... ANTS IN THE HOUSE! All the construction has stirred up these little buggers and their making the spectacular rental their home. I declared all out war today and dropped ant poison everywhere. DIE YOU PESTS!!!

When will it begin...

I wish I had an answer! After 4 site reviews with the Village we still do not have a permit. It's been so frustrating. At this point I have such mixed emotion about even building in La Grange. We are going on vacation for a few days. While we are gone our realtor is showing a few builders the property. If they're interested in buying it, we may just sell and look for another town to build this house. We need to make a decision and get on with it.