Just a brief update… Teresa and I are “on vacation” now. We ain’t on no sunny beach or some beautiful mountain though. We are in our own “backyard” so to speak, at sites around Atlanta. And Teresa and I are up at 6:30 am every day to meet up with our Southface homebuilding school class. It’s 9 days in a row, so I don’t even get a weekend off before I head back to work.
Thus far, it has been a GREAT experience and I would recommend it to anyone. We’ve had lectures from general contractors, mechanical engineers (home system efficiency), builders, EarthCraft house inspectors, and plumbers. We still have lectures from expert electricians, designers, and HVAC (heating/AC) experts on the docket. Southface takes a very pragmatic approach to homebuilding; they include energy efficiency techniques and techniques to improve occupant health. Some might say we are missing out on some of the more radical approaches (like straw bale, cordwood, etc…), but this is still a GREAT start for us. (Once we decide what part of the country we like, then we can choose our style, including some of the more “radical” techniques.) Anyhow, our brains are overflowing, and it is anything but a “vacation,” but we are learning tons.
On the home front, things are still rolling along towards sale. We have signed off on the inspection todo’s with our buyer. We basically need to bring in an electrician and plumber to correct a few things, but nothing major was requested. Tomorrow, the appraiser is coming out. If the home appraises, we will have done everything we could have done to guarantee closing on time… all we should have to do is sign on the dotted line. I am not giving my notice till that pen hits the paper though! This means a takeoff date just after December 16th (which should be my last day at Nexidia). We plan to start with Florida for family obligations and some fun in the sun. Then we’ll spend some time a friend in Valdosta, GA (just north of Florida border), then heading West to Colorado and SW desert. I hope to finish my blog software during this time.
Finally, you’ll notice that I have installed the WordPress e-mail notification plugin. This is especially for those of you without RSS aggregator software. Now you can be notified when I make a blog update.