18-10-10 Interim Occupation Certificate

In the mail I received the interim occupation certificate. The conditions on it are that landscaping and floor coverings are finished within 60 days, along with some general council conditions around preserving the street trees and ensuring the landscaping involves channelling the flow of water away from dwellings towards the street.

I went to the site in the afternoon to see if the tidy-up had happened as I hadn't had word from the MB if the valuation inspection had been conducted as Allworth had requested. But no cleaner than on the weekend so I am guessing no inspection.

Looking around all the internal taps are installed, a few minor touches such as the drain guards below the outdoor taps have been fitted to the pipes, and I noted for the first time the electricity earthing device which is located below the meter box coming up from the ground. I'm just happy I didn't kill myself as I had no iodea what it was went I bent over to read the tag and if it is anything unsafe it can't stay there as the dog will have a field day chewing on it.

I also noticed someone has kindly donated a microwave to the rubbish pile out front - it really makes me wonder when people do this as I am sure they wouldn't have been pleased had someone done it to them.

Also in an email I recveived a quote for landscaping, which included levelling the block, retaining the front and rear, providing garden soil and turf. No concrete though, no fences, no plants - so have a guess what it was... $12,500.00!!! I nearly fell backwards. So the hard work will be done by the family slaves, otherwise known as my uncle and my cousin's boyfriend, and me. With a 60 day dealine this will be tight, but since I have looked into it last night I'll be having galvanised steel H and C posts with treated pine sleepers as this is a matter of stringing, levels and concrete, and having soils delivered and renting a digger with a rotary attachment and a compacter and tilling it through. This will be preceeded by the concreting and the fences, which wil be done professionally.

From reading an excellent post on HomeOne I know the key to having a great lawn, despite the fact it is only going to be a small area, is firming the soil so as the avoid ditches developing as people walk over it (read earlier posts to familiarise yourself with my hatred of shoddy lawsn Mirvac is laying for the neighbours).

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter 3

I received a phone call from Allworth yesterday asking where we are at getting the letter of commencement when usually it should have been available within a few days. Read earlier posts if you do not know the answer to this. The problem however is that a price rise is scheduled for 15 June, being next Tuesday, which will affect the price by approx $2,000. Don't you love it! They've mucked us around a number of times to date, but when things happen outside our control we get penalized.

I let the Mortgage Broker know that the letter needs to be issued this week as Monday is a public holiday and then Tuesday is the first day for the price rise. He called me last night to let me know that CBA has prioritised my file for today and that the letter should be issued by close of business. He also asked would I be able to collect the letter from the HO in Parramatta and take it to the HO of Allworth, which is also in Parramatta, as the builder's copy will probably go in the mail and will probably not be actioned until Tuesday. So I've agreed to do this and currently I am waiting for a phone call to head off, but I am guessing it might not be until tomorrow.

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter 2

I was advised by the Mortgage Broker late last week that the JP who witnessed some documents used a middle initial in his signature, but failed to refer to the middle name in his printed name - WTF! This is apparently holding up the commencement letter from being issued. I mean seriously, refer to the other documents where he has signed and you would be able to compare the signatures and I know that somewhere along the way he did print his complete name. So word to the wise - dot you i's and cross your t's.

The dog has also been very antsy due to the continuous wet weather as she loves to have a good run around and play fetch, but her big paws churn the earth up when it is this wet. So to abate her boredom I took her for a drive out the Spring Farm and had a look at what progress has been made in the last fortnight. Our peach neighbour appears to have internal linings up and her doors are either hung or waiting to be. Two other houses have been started in the street, one either direction and both of these have been framed and windows installed. My friend's ex-husband who is building around the corner has been framed with the windows delivered but waiting to be installed. Today, despite being cold, experienced no rain, so I am guessing more work might happen later in the week, but really I am as jealous as hell and wanting to start.

Also becoming very conscious that it has been a while since we first signed off on contracts and the basis for which the FHOG was issued, so with the 12 month deadline coming closer they really need to start. I think I will call Allworth tomorrow and put them on notice of this fact.

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter

I've been sick and sleep late, so it was unexpected that this morning I was woken by a call from the Customer Service lady. She advised that there's been some phone-tag between herself and the Mortgage Broker regarding the fact that the Lender doesn't have a copy of the contract signed off by both parties, and so could I call our Solicitor as we were having held there for safe keeping.
Long story short is, usually contracts are exchanged by the purchaser having a copy of the page with the vendors signature, and vice versa. So my Solicitor was happy with that, had given the Mortgage Broker access to our copy and thought that Allworth should simply come to the table by providing a copy of their page, i.e. our signatures. But no, they wanted us to just sign our copy and be done with it.
Well I don't know who was right or if anyone was right, so I thought just to keep things rolling I'd go and collect our copy, sign off on it, and drop it into the Mortgage Broker. It makes me a bit cranky more so because I was happy for it to stay in safe keeping (that is a fire-proof safe where law firms generally keep original documents of wills, contracts and the like, either indefinitely or for an agreed period of time, which for us was as long as the builder's warranty was in play). Also I'm a little bit peeved that the builder doesn't just think of us as first-timers and give us explicit instructions along the way instead of assuming we would figure it out.
However, all done now, the contract and it's annexures are with the Mortgage Broker. He'll get it off to the Lender tonight/tomorrow morning, and we should have the Commencement Letter issued Monday!

Back on track

Despite a few obstacles we are back on track. Almost 2 weeks ago now my MB advised that CBA had withdrawn the loan for building the house, which left us with a block of land, lands on foot, a contract requiring us to have moved in by late September and NO MONEY.
So after feeling like the earth had fallen out from beneath me I collected all the paperwork and shot of an email to the MB with what I thought were good reasons to suggest that CBA were being unconscionable. Once I calmed down I realised that my over-reaction may ultimately lead me to cutting my nose of to spite my face and sent another one simply asking for the reasons and retracting my demand that an appeal be lodged immediately.
Well the good news is that one week later the MB emailed to say he had spoken with CBA and it was all worked out, so the loan was back on track and a new application was no longer necessary. But the CBA continues to have some concerns about the delay in commencement and want what documents are available now to be lodged as a sign of good faith from Allworth.

I called Allworth and spoke to our CSO and asked if she would be able to comply with this. She explained that typically the stamped plans, copies of insurances, construction certificate and fixed price contract are not provided to the mortgagor until the contract was signed and all documents provided as one lot. I suggested that because this was a bit to a back to front effort in any event that maybe something could be worked out to satisfy CBA. She is going to look into it.
Whilst I was on the phone I asked where everything was up to as the geo-tech report was provided 2 weeks ago and previously she had told me the engineer's report took 2 weeks, and the construction certificate then takes 1 week. She advised that the engineer's report has not yet been received but she would follow this up.
Since I had this conversation yesterday and I didnt hear back from her today, I will call tomorrow to get an update. But fingers crossed we will be in next Saturday week to sign off which will start the 20 day countdown and hopefully have a start date no later than the week of 7 June 2010.

Approved!

Yay! Approved yesterday 30th March 2010, and plans put in the mail today back to the builder. Now to hit Allworth up for the info to give to the MB.