Groundbreaking!

We broke ground and closed on our construction loan yesterday. (Many thanks to Buddy Schneider at Traditional Bank and Josh Markham, the closing attorney from McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland PLLC. They made the process so easy and quick!) It was a very exciting day in the Fields house, but now it’s 4 am and I’m wide awake thinking about…brick! I’m like a kid at Christmas except I’m not thinking about toys. What color are we going to pick? Do we go light or do we go dark? Do we go with the oversized or the regular sized? White mortar? Buff mortar? Gray mortar? How are we ever going to decide? But wait, before I go any further, let me share a little about how we got to this point. It has been about 6 months in the making. We started with a few ideas. We gave Jimmy and Jim Turpin (aka Design Team Extraordinaire) some photos of newer and older homes we admired. They were able to combine some of the design aspects that we loved about those homes with the footprint of one of Jimmy’s existing plans, added a little here and there and came up with a plan that fit our every need. Now, that's what they mean when they say custom! I have to tell you, Jimmy and Jim don’t tell you “no” to anything, which made it so much fun. “Can we add a little bump out here in the master bedroom? Sure! Can we widen the breakfast room so that my table will fit? That’s a great idea! What about a window seat? That’d be perfect! Can we add another foot to the den? Of course!” Ok, I have to be honest, they didn’t say “no” but they were great about keeping us informed on what would work within our budget. They were also able to offer alternatives that would give the same overall “look” without breaking the bank. Since Cliff and I are first time home builders, their experience and eye for detail was invaluable. Who knew designing a home could be so much FUN? Oh, and the brick? You'll have to come back Friday to see our selection!

And this is what it's going to look like...

SOLD! Coming soon from Jimmy Nash Homes!

Who in the heck bought that lot in Andover Forest?? What kind of house can you put on a lot that skinny?? What’s it going to look like?? Well, I can answer all your questions. My name is Polly Fields, and yes, my husband and I are the ones that FINALLY bought that lot. You know, the one at the end of the road that was for sale FOREVER! I’m originally from Tennessee but have called Lexington home for almost nine years and love it like it’s my own. I lived in the Andover Forest neighborhood on Andover Forest Drive and recently sold the home that we lived in for eight years. Right now, my family and I are in a rental while our home is being built. The best part is we’re moving back to Andover Forest Drive in about 10 months, and we can’t wait. We miss our neighborhood and our neighbors! The decision to build was one that we made with care. We love the Andover and Hamburg areas. We love our church and our kids' school. We are active members at Andover Golf and Country Club and wanted to remain on the golf course. All of these things guided our decision to stay in the area. For several years, we cruised the neighborhood from time to time looking for a house with a little more room and a different layout. We loved our first Andover Forest home and put a lot of TLC into it, but there were things about it we couldn’t change. For example, my husband Cliff works out of the home and he needed a quiet space for an office. Maybe there was an existing home that would suit our needs? Well, we couldn’t find it. So last summer, my husband and I took a leap of faith and bought the last remaining lot for sale in Andover Forest. Since I now work for Jimmy Nash Homes and The Realty Company, I thought it would be a great idea to let all our friends and neighbors join in on the build process from start to finish. So whether you’ve thinking about building a house, you’ve built a house, or you just want to see what the heck is going on down the street, I hope you take away some good ideas, inspiration and maybe even the desire to build your own dream home someday. I hope you like it…