Housing Update...the Real one

For those of you who've followed our Arkansas housing adventure, here's the second installment (and hopefully the last until we post pictures of the house once we've moved in). 

After returning from Arkansas (heretofore abbreviated to AR...it's just too annoying to type it out), we got the floor plans for the house we love (house #1) and a few other floor plans by the same builder. We found a floor plan that was virtually the same as house #1, but it was a little smaller (3000 vs. 3200) and, therefore, $25,000 less (I only understand this jump in price after learning all about "price per sq. ft"....it's fascinating, I assure you). We asked if the builder could build the smaller house (house #2) in Creekwood. He agreed, provided we put down earnest money. That's normal, however, he wanted significantly more money than is reasonably expected for earnest money. So back to drawing board. After comparing house #2's plans to a house the builder had already started (house #3), we found that they were virtually the same, expect no study in #3. After talking to the builder again, he said house #3 was ready for interior elements and could be finished by July 1st. That was good news and we decided to go with house #3. So, we put in an offer, it was accepted (with a little more earnest money than expected but still way lower than House #2), and away we went. The beautiful part of all this is that the builder agreed to several things (those arkansans, they include sprinkler system, landscaping, and a fence in the house price): 1. A fridge, which is abnormal for builders to put in a fridge. 2. Blinds, also abnormal. 3. We could move in on July 7th and pay rent until our Provo condo closes (essentially, we're paying his construction loan payments). Once we square that away, we can close on our new house and we're good to go. At first, I was hesitant to agree to that, because I hate throwing money away on rent, but I realized if we built a house, we'd be renting for at least five months anyway. At least this way we only move once and get to enjoy our beautiful new house. So, here's parts of the house (I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures. They were taken with the interior designer's iPhone).  I don't have pictures of all the rooms yet. These pictures were taken mostly to show us progress on major interior design elements.

View from the front. We'll obviously have garage doors, a driveway and a landscaped yard. We're hoping they leave that gorgeous tree.

View from the backyard. No outdoor fireplace, but we will have serious outdoor fans (a mus in the crazy humidity of the south)

Closer view of the front door and dining room.

Kitchen (iPhone photo, so it's not crystal clear...as a random side note, Ronell says these pictures would be clear if our designer had the "new" iPhone...he's such a tech snob)

Closer view of the backsplash. The gas stovetop will go here, too. 

Dining room (all the major wood in the house is the same as the beams).

Master Bathroom sinks. Still missing faucets, mirrors, and lighting. 

So, that's the story with the house we're buying in AR. We're very excited to get everything finalized and get out there, but not without a seriously relaxing visit to OR to see my little brother come home from the mish and the rest of the family, too. :-)