Day 165 - Meeting

Progress:
So a couple days ago we got a call regarding setting up a time that we could go in for a meeting with Jayman in regards to the progress or at this moment lack thereof.  They (construction manager, superintendent, and the area sales manager) mostly apologized regarding the extreme delay and the construction manager took the full blame for it.  It's made us feel a little bit better that they took the time to meet with us but to be honest I think the thing that will make us feel the best is seeing progress.  The area sales manager promises that he'll call us every week to give us progress updates which is another nice thing.  They answered the questions that we had but the biggest question we have right now is when will the house be done (it's understandable that they can't answer that one as there are so many variables) and especially how much will the interest in our mortgage go up because we'll have to get a new rate.  To put it in perspective we were approved at 2.25%  and even if it were to go up a percent it will be an extra $224.89 per month.  That doesn't seem like a lot but lets give you more numbers: it will be an extra $2,698.68/year and if we didn't pay off the mortgage early it's at 30 years which would be an extra $80,960.40 in the lifetime of the mortgage.  That $224.89 adds up quite fast.  Also doesn't count for every month they go on is another month putting rent into someone else's pocket instead of paying towards ours.  Anyhow, enough of the number talk.  In the end they were kind, informative, and they called us for the meeting instead of us hounding them.  We will see how things go because actions speak louder than words.

On the brighter side there has been progress to the house itself.  They have put the fourth wall up which is extremely good for the house but bad for me being able to take photos of it.  You can see through the windows that there seems to have been a lot done on the second floor.  It is very hard to see the progress through the second story windows though ha ha.  We were at the house the day before yesterday so I saw what the second floor looked like.  I just forgot my camera which is too bad.

Our eyehole to the second floor.

The window in the stairs.

Look!  It's the starting of our balcony!!

Day 160 - Going Jayman Speed

Progress:
Well, I can honestly say that Jayman is consistent.  They are consistent with lies and also with being slow.  It is to the point that we have stopped putting stock into what they say.  At first it was "oh you're framing with be started in the next two days"..."early next week"..."in the next couple weeks" and so on.  After four months of that it is now "Oh we'll call you next week regarding this or that" (the most recent that is to call regarding the very turtle pace of our framing).  We were "told" that framers should be able to frame a house in 14 days.  I ignored the "it'll be done in 14 days" and just hoped for MAYBE getting it done in a month. 

Well, it was a month on the 24th.  Yes, granted that there have been the Christmas holidays as well as New Years.  What I do not get though is the work ethic (note: I still very much like the framers as people i'm just concerned with the time it's taking).   If it was a very uncommonly warm winter and you knew in two weeks we were going to have a very VERY cold snap, would you not work longer hours so you can get more done knowing that you wouldn't be able to frame much while it's -42 with wind chill?  I sure would!  Give me 12 hour days in the warmth that even 4 hour days in the cold hands down (I would know, i've worked in -47 BEFORE wind chill one night on a 10 hour shift and believe me it sucks Only Siberia Was Colder).  Plus another thing I don't get is these people are paid by completion.  The longer they take the longer it takes them to get paid.  Who knows, maybe we don't even have the same framing crew anymore...it's Jayman and they pay them crappy so maybe they said "heck with this job, i'm going to find a new one that will put food on my table". 
 

Day 146 - Second Floor First Wall

Day 144 (yesterday) - Stairs and Windows

Progress:

Day 139 - Secure Foor/Roof

Progress:

Day 131 - We Have A Wall

Progress:
Today when we went out to see the house we were very pleased to find that we now have a wall.  By the end of the day I wouldn't be surprised if they finish at least one more wall.

We brought them coffee and timbits and we really do have a fantastic crew for our framers.  Bob The Builder is actually a retired (although must be young retired or he's aged very well) airforce guy.  So far we would recommend this crew to anyone.

Day 130 (Over 4 months) - 114 Days of waiting

Progress:
So since the last time I updated the blog it was Oct 21, 2011 so it's safe to say FINALLY!!!  Last post was done after a month of waiting and after over 4 months of waiting for Jayman MasterBUILT to get framers it's also safe to say it's about time, it shouldn't have taken this long, and we are rightfully frustrated.

After a long time of Jayman telling us "Oh it will be next week" "It will be in the next couple weeks" to "We can't find framers" we finally have them.  Supposedly everyone was having troubles finding framers from them all going to Slave Lake (because of the fires) to there not being many.  From the outcome of everything it just seems to me (yes, there is a shortage of framers) that Jayman MasterBUILT is very very cheap.  It took them 3 months to start THINKING about paying the framers more and offering a more competitive wage.  They said they would be raising the prices of what they pay the framers and in the end they'd "have" to raise the prices of the houses because of it.   In the end though they did not give the framers competitive wages per sq/ft and are paying less.  They are paying $6 per sq/ft while the competition is paying $7-8 for the same thing.  To be honest I don't know why the framers that they do have now are working for less.

I sent them an email on Christmas Eve regarding since this was a very unrealistic waiting time without anything being done to the house if there were to be any consideration in regards to the framing as well as inquiring about the survey they've been telling me about for the past 4 months that I have not received (at this time depending on the questions they ask they might not get the best answers).  Either way those parts of the email were ignored in their reply back about the framing. 

We talked to the framing crew today and they seem exceptionally nice.  At first when we were talking to them they didn't know we were the people whose house they were building (very personable).  They joke about how they call themselves the ABC Crew as their names are: Amanda, Bob (yes, we have our own personal Bob The Builder), and Cameron.  They were also very open to answering all our questions about what they were doing and how they do stuff and what they plan to do next.  On the bright side they did mention that the people that poured the frame did it very well and that they wouldn't have to alter any of the framing because everything was already perfectly straight.  I think tomorrow we will bring them coffee and doughnuts (keep them warm and energized).

I am very thankful that we have a very relaxed landlord where we are as it would make this wait a bit more difficult nor are we having the hassle of selling a house.  I can't imagine if this was happening and we had to line up a house or move because of a lease ending.

I'm also excited to say that I have officially stood on the main floor of the house for the first time!  It will be where the back door is.  Hopefully the good weather keeps up so we can get the outside of the house finished fast.  It's been such a good winter for building houses (not for White Christmas' though).