One of the differences was that you can hear the intense rain hitting the roof. In the apartment we were on the first floor so we would not here it.

Another difference is that it matters to you when there are gallons of water pouring off the roof onto your landscape (the gardeners took care of it at the apartment).

Not only was the rain bad the lightning was pretty intense. One clap of thunder was so load that it set the alarm off on of Camry.

Another result of the lightning was that our cable box got fried. It was plugged into the electricity regulator that keeps the current at the right level but I guess it came in through the actual cable itself. I have heard of this before but have never known anyone that it has happened to.

Lastly, there was quite a bit of flooding across the street. Fortunately, it is not on our side but I am going to bring it to the attention of the Superintendent in case they are not aware of the drainage issues.

You can check out more pictures of the storm here (You have to go to the last page to see them).

Technorati : Cable Box, Lightning, Round Rock, Texas, Thunderstorm, Time Warner

The reason for this is that I really want to get in-depth with photos and tricks that I learn about things that I do around the house. I want to leave this web site for family specific things like what the kids are up to etc.

Anyway, the address of the other web site is themastershouse.net.

Also, I have imported the posts about the house from this site to there so that there is a complete line of history. I will still make mention of the house on this web site but will probably link over to the other site for more info.

Enjoy!

Technorati : DYI, Home Improvement, New Web Site, The Master Family, The Masters House, Web Design

Our Superintended really hustled and got most of the major things done. The only things on the list other then paint touch-ups were -

• Hook up the AC
• Hook up the Gas
• Adjust the back door so the dead bolt locks easier
• Adjust the flow of the hot water in the bathroom
• Install the washer and dryer
• Install the refrigerator
• Install the window blinds

We are scheduled to do our final walk through a week from today and then we get the keys the next day.

Technorati : DR Horton, New Home, New House, Round Rock, Round Rock TX

The outside brick, Kitchen appliances, and carpet mainly. There are probably several things that we would not noticed also.

I guess the biggest change is that we do not get to go into the house whenever we want now. Ever since the carpet was installed the door has been locked (I still go by and peak in the windows though!).

We have our first walk through one week from tomorrow and we are scheduled to get the keys on the May 12th. Needless to say, we are very excited!

Technorati : DR Horton, New Home, New House, Round Rock, Round Rock TX

Last time I had posted they had just completed the texture of the drywall.

Well during the last 2 weeks all of this has been completed -

• Walls Painted
• Base boards, trim, and window sills added
• Kitchen and bathroom cabinets installed
• All faucets and toilets installed
• Bathroom showers, tubs, and tile installed
• Bathroom towel and toilet paper fixtures
• Air conditioning / heater unit installed
• All switched, outlets, and light fixtures
• Kitchen counter and tile back splash
• Floor tile in the Kitchen, closets, entryway, and bathrooms
• Closet and pantry wire shelves
• Outside brick has been started

Wow, that is a long list. I did not even realize how much had been done until adding it here.

Things that still need to be completed are the brick on the outside of the house, actually hooking up the electrical, the carpet, fence around the yard, and landscaping.

The foreman has let us know that our first walk through will be May 2nd and we are expected to have the keys on May 12th.

It is really exciting to see all the progress.

Technorati : DR Horton, New Home, New House, Round Rock, Round Rock TX

During that time we have gone from framing and windows to a roof, electricity, and insulation. They should be starting on the drywall this week.

Also, they have levelled and grated the lot so we have a better idea of how it is going to look when it is done.

There are more pictures in the photos page.

• Have someone actually come out to your house to give you an estimate.
  • Elsy and I are not movers and do not know how much truck space our house takes up. We ended up needing double the space which cost double the money.
• Get a firm date of delivery.
  • We were told 2-5 days (not business days). On the contract it stated 7-14 business days (which they held to when the furniture did not arrive on Monday).
• Know the distance to your front door at your new house.
  • Our “contract” only covered 75 feet when it was 75 steps to our front door
• Make sure the truck can get to your front door.
  • The moving guys where throwing around renting a “delivery vehicle” to go from the truck to our apartment if they could not get in the complex.
• Get service from a moving company, not a broker.
  • The people we purchased service from were brokers so they had to call the real moving company to find out where our stuff was.

Hind sight is 20/20. I would have just rented the Uhaul and done it myself if I had know it would have been so expensive and such a hassle.

Oh well, we were all so happy to see our beds that all the issues with the moving company washed away (especially Mikey when he saw OUR bed – I wish he would have been that happy with HIS bed). Anyway, the next few days will be for unpacking and settling.

The framing that you see went up in 1 day. It is truly amazing.

Also, I got a call from the apartment manager and our apartment is going to be ready on Friday.

I have just finished my second day at my job and I really like. I work with a bunch of great people. I have been issued a laptop that I take to the many meetings I attend and am trying to get up to speed as quick as possible.

Things are all falling into place nicely.

Click here for pictures.

We looked around several different areas around the Austin area and finally decided on Round Rock. In looking at the area and people you would think that you were in Orange County. The Round Rock area is about 20 miles north of Austin and is known as the “Little Silicone Valley”. Dell Computer is about 10 minutes from the house and they are building 2 new hospitals within 15 minutes (where Elsy will be looking for a job).

The specifics of the house are:

• Builder: D.R. Horton
• Square Feet: 2137
• Rooms: 4 including a formal dining room, regular dining room, and family room.
• Corner lot (so it is a little bit bigger the the standard size)

We had been looking at KB Homes but they were either too expensive or not in the areas that we were looking. Also, this builder offered a whole lot of things that were standard that were options with KB.

Some of the things that were included are:

• 3 sides brick
• Wiring for ceiling fans in every room
• Sod in the front / back yards
• Painted walls (instead of standard white)
• Tile in the entry, kitchen, baths, laundry, and baths.
• All appliances – gas stove, dishwasher, fridge, washer and dryer
• Covered patio

The house is scheduled to be finished in June so we will be looking to move about that time.

We are really excited!