LisaKinVA Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Our local Planning Commission was debating a "Comprehensive Impact Fee" assessment for all new construction... totaling $90,000 per house to help cover roads, bridges, parks, schools and public safety (I thought that's what I was paying property taxes for?), regardless of the size of the home. :confused: Anyhow, the measure has been tabled for now (Whew!!!), THEN, I was told there was still a standard Transportation Impact Fee ($26,000). Upon further investigation, it looks like we have avoided THAT too (our house is south of the dividing line between homes which have the fee and homes which do not). Perhaps this is the reason why all of the lots on my parent's side of the highway are selling for $75k more than what we paid for ours... I can go back to my house plans now :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in IN Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 That is great news! :grouphug: That would have been an unreal amount of money for them to tack on. Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 I read about that!! Your proffers are high enough as it is! Why they wanted $90K is beyond me! We're hoping to move into the Fredericksburg area proper and we're just waiting for the market to improve a little more so we can break even on the sale of our current home. Right now, we live about 30 miles outside of Fredericksburg and we were afraid that your county would be off our 'potential counties' list because of the 'impact fee'! Happy house planning!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Our local Planning Commission was debating a "Comprehensive Impact Fee" assessment for all new construction... totaling $90,000 per house to help cover roads, bridges, parks, schools and public safety (I thought that's what I was paying property taxes for?), regardless of the size of the home. :confused: Anyhow, the measure has been tabled for now (Whew!!!), THEN, I was told there was still a standard Transportation Impact Fee ($26,000). Upon further investigation, it looks like we have avoided THAT too (our house is south of the dividing line between homes which have the fee and homes which do not). Perhaps this is the reason why all of the lots on my parent's side of the highway are selling for $75k more than what we paid for ours... I can go back to my house plans now :D That is great news....so what is your house going to be like? I love house plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 What a relief...:party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted November 25, 2008 Author Share Posted November 25, 2008 It's big (okay, a 2,000 sq. ft. house to me would be BIG right now), but it's still BIG (but most likely, my father will be coming to live with us in a few years... so we need to make sure there is room for him too!) 2 stories, plus a basement. The shape isn't anything fancy, pretty much a standard rectangle with a side-load garage. Aethstetically, it will be a country-version of a colonial... manufactured stone and siding to give it a pleasant exterior, wide front porch... no railings and craftsman-style columns with stone bases. Main floor -- Living Room, Dining Room (both generously sized, the Living Room for the baby grand we're inheriting from dh parents, the dining room for my mom's large dining room set. My study/craft room, the family room and the KITCHEN! 6 burner cook top, Advantium and Trivection ovens, a full size fridge and full size freezer, a 5x7 island (one side is my baking center, with pop-up shelf for my mixer), plenty of room to roll out cookies, make layered cakes -- and spread out. The breakfast area is 10x16, which is plenty of room for our table for 8 (the table for 10 will be in the dining room, which is 18x15). Fireplace in the Living room and the Family Room. 2nd floor -- Master bedroom, bath, closet, sitting room (which will initially double as the nursery). Girls' bedroom with full bath (double sinks), large walk-in closet, Boys' bedroom with a nice walk-in closet, 4th bedroom, with walk-in closet and hall bath with a 6' vanity and double sinks, linen closet and compartmentalized tub/shower & toilet. My laundry room is also upstairs... 9t's 11x12 -- with plenty of room for two washers & two dryers (He5's or something like that stacked). The basement will have rough ins for a kitchenette, the walls will all be up for an additional bath, bedroom Mechanical, Playroom and the big rec room. DH has a workshop in the basement (20x20), and we have a storage room/exercise room under the garage (using lite deck). We're building out of Insulated Concrete Forms, there will be radiant in-floor heat in the basement area, plus under-floor heat for the kitchen and upstairs bathrooms. Hardwood (or engineered... budget thing) throughout (with tile in kitchen, mudroom, laundry room & bathrooms), carpet in the basement. We will have sola-tube lighting on the 2nd floor, and may try to work some into the remainder of the house as well. Our goal is to have a very energy-efficient home that isn't a monster to heat & cool, so we've got a lot of special things planned to keep those monthly costs down. We don't plan on leaving this house for a very, very, long time (we'll be there for 20-30 years). We've been waiting for this house for just over 7 years (we call them the 7 lean years... he, he!) Our lot is beautiful 3 acres wooded -- and we got it for just over $100k. Most lots in our area are running $185 and up. Based upon our quotes to build, we should come in right around $425 for everything (house and lot), the appraised value for our house and lot is $625 -- so we're well below the 80% LTV (thankfully). Now, we just have to get everything approved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 It's big (okay, a 2,000 sq. ft. house to me would be BIG right now), but it's still BIG (but most likely, my father will be coming to live with us in a few years... so we need to make sure there is room for him too!) 2 stories, plus a basement. The shape isn't anything fancy, pretty much a standard rectangle with a side-load garage. Aethstetically, it will be a country-version of a colonial... manufactured stone and siding to give it a pleasant exterior, wide front porch... no railings and craftsman-style columns with stone bases. Main floor -- Living Room, Dining Room (both generously sized, the Living Room for the baby grand we're inheriting from dh parents, the dining room for my mom's large dining room set. My study/craft room, the family room and the KITCHEN! 6 burner cook top, Advantium and Trivection ovens, a full size fridge and full size freezer, a 5x7 island (one side is my baking center, with pop-up shelf for my mixer), plenty of room to roll out cookies, make layered cakes -- and spread out. The breakfast area is 10x16, which is plenty of room for our table for 8 (the table for 10 will be in the dining room, which is 18x15). Fireplace in the Living room and the Family Room. 2nd floor -- Master bedroom, bath, closet, sitting room (which will initially double as the nursery). Girls' bedroom with full bath (double sinks), large walk-in closet, Boys' bedroom with a nice walk-in closet, 4th bedroom, with walk-in closet and hall bath with a 6' vanity and double sinks, linen closet and compartmentalized tub/shower & toilet. My laundry room is also upstairs... 9t's 11x12 -- with plenty of room for two washers & two dryers (He5's or something like that stacked). The basement will have rough ins for a kitchenette, the walls will all be up for an additional bath, bedroom Mechanical, Playroom and the big rec room. DH has a workshop in the basement (20x20), and we have a storage room/exercise room under the garage (using lite deck). We're building out of Insulated Concrete Forms, there will be radiant in-floor heat in the basement area, plus under-floor heat for the kitchen and upstairs bathrooms. Hardwood (or engineered... budget thing) throughout (with tile in kitchen, mudroom, laundry room & bathrooms), carpet in the basement. We will have sola-tube lighting on the 2nd floor, and may try to work some into the remainder of the house as well. Our goal is to have a very energy-efficient home that isn't a monster to heat & cool, so we've got a lot of special things planned to keep those monthly costs down. We don't plan on leaving this house for a very, very, long time (we'll be there for 20-30 years). We've been waiting for this house for just over 7 years (we call them the 7 lean years... he, he!) Our lot is beautiful 3 acres wooded -- and we got it for just over $100k. Most lots in our area are running $185 and up. Based upon our quotes to build, we should come in right around $425 for everything (house and lot), the appraised value for our house and lot is $625 -- so we're well below the 80% LTV (thankfully). Now, we just have to get everything approved! No bedroom on main floor? Wow...your kitchen is making me drool! $100K for a 3 acre nice lot in a premium location is about average for my area. There is a 1 acre lot on my street for sale (last one) for 90K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted November 25, 2008 Author Share Posted November 25, 2008 No bedroom on the main floor... we're limited to 4 bedrooms right now, however the current study/craftroom would be the place we could expand to add a 1st floor master suite, but that would also require expanding the septic field, drainfield, and getting the house certified for 5 bedrooms (something we didn't want to pay for right now). With all of the little children, I didn't want to be on the 1st floor with the kiddos on the 2nd floor -- nor did I want to have our nice master bedroom be the guest room for 5-8 years (I suppose after sharing a bathroom with all of these chidlren for 7 years, I'm ready for my own private space... no longer having to ask, "who didn't flush the toilet?" or "okay, who used my toothbrush again???" Being able to take a shower with the door LOCKED, not having the morning -- "But i have to go BAAAD!" with 5yo resorting to peeing in the tub:tongue_smilie: And, we won't even talk about what happens to my make-up :D Yeah, someday, we'll look back at these days and laugh fondly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 No bedroom on the main floor... we're limited to 4 bedrooms right now, however the current study/craftroom would be the place we could expand to add a 1st floor master suite, but that would also require expanding the septic field, drainfield, and getting the house certified for 5 bedrooms (something we didn't want to pay for right now). With all of the little children, I didn't want to be on the 1st floor with the kiddos on the 2nd floor -- nor did I want to have our nice master bedroom be the guest room for 5-8 years (I suppose after sharing a bathroom with all of these chidlren for 7 years, I'm ready for my own private space... no longer having to ask, "who didn't flush the toilet?" or "okay, who used my toothbrush again???" Being able to take a shower with the door LOCKED, not having the morning -- "But i have to go BAAAD!" with 5yo resorting to peeing in the tub:tongue_smilie: And, we won't even talk about what happens to my make-up :D Yeah, someday, we'll look back at these days and laugh fondly. Oh I totally understand not wanting to be downstairs with your kids up...I'm thinking more along the lines of an elderly parent coming to live with you. A downstairs bedroom and bath (ideally a suite but at least a bathroom on the bottom floor) is almost a necessity...so your plan is to convert the craft room and add a bath when that time comes? Wouldn't that be much more expensive to do later than now in the initial plans? Listen to me, questioning things I'm sure you've spent years thinking through. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted November 25, 2008 Author Share Posted November 25, 2008 No, the basement has a separate entrance, and there will be a drive going back behind our house to that... along with a kitchenette, full bath and a room that has an egress window (not window well -- but literally step-out), all right there. So, it's really a basement apartment. He'd have to share the rec room though (because that's our planned school area). My dad wouldn't mind, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 No, the basement has a separate entrance, and there will be a drive going back behind our house to that... along with a kitchenette, full bath and a room that has an egress window (not window well -- but literally step-out), all right there. So, it's really a basement apartment. He'd have to share the rec room though (because that's our planned school area). My dad wouldn't mind, though. Oh, that sounds perfect. I would love to have such a set up for my own parents if they ever needed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 So if they tabled the 90k how much are the impact fees, anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Those were new impact fees, not imposed before. Right now, we pay fees based upon the square footage of the house, I'm not sure what they are, but they don't total anything close to $90k. Most of the proffers, and fees, etc. have been geared toward big developments -- this was a new one which hadn't been done before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Well that's sounds much more reasonable. 90k would have been a lot. You know the developer would just pass it on to home buyers, which is crazy considering most new developments have houses so close you can see the neighors' breakfast cereal on the table. This is the case with a friend in a new neighborhood in Prince William. She can see what cereal they eat. Unfortunately, they also like to forgo clothing on occasion.:blushing: Lisa, I'm telling you I went to her house and stepped out the back door and was shocked. The back neighbors' house was elevated and their deck was towering over her back yard. What in the world???:blink: I think you did quite right to buy a lot and take your time and build a house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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