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For those of you who went the new construction route when moving to St. James, I'd be interested in learning if you decided on your lot purchase first or picked your flr plan/builder first, then looked for land that best accommodated your plan? We are probably 18 to 24 months away from a move. Any suggestions or guidance that you can provide regarding the new construction process, based on your own experiences, would be appreciated.
We bought a lot in 2003-it was a re-sale from someone who no longer could move to NC—and didn’t build until 2006. We had builder recommendations from our realtor, talked to three and ended up choosing one that wasn’t as great as promised. Maybe that company is better now.
We love our lot, though, so buying it early was fine. We have woods in the back beyond our lot line, so lots of privacy, we’re close to the main gate, chapel, library, fire station and dog park. Only thing I wish we had is sidewalks on our street.
We bought our lot first (about 2011). We knew that our lot size required a minimum sized house. Be aware of the size of the house that you want and match it with the size of the lot. Knowing that you can plan accordingly.
We bought our lot first (about 2011). We knew that our lot size required a minimum sized house. Be aware of the size of the house that you want and match it with the size of the lot. Knowing that you can plan accordingly.
Your post reminds me that people sometimes assume they can build to the side lot lines. One neighbor planned to do that next to us and was disappointed to find out there are requirements for distance between the house and lot line. Not sure where they moved from that they assumed it would be ok.
There are very few developer lots left here in SJP, so in the future it will be resale only till they're all gone with build-outs. In fact, in 2020, they predict under 50 developer lots left and then they turn everything over to the POA including the sales office and the POA board will be 100% property owners.
As for size of house, POA has minimum setbacks that must be met or no approval. Any of the major builders are aware of this and will stake out home to see if it will fit. My home for example had to have minimum of 5 ft on side property lines, 30 ft in rear(we back a pond), and 28 ft in front from street. Sure it varies by lot based on things such as ponds, golf courses, wetlands, configuration of lot, etc.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and providing guidance. Looking forward to planning this out and moving forward. Biggest concern with going with new construction is being absent/remote during building process. If any of you managed the process from afar, any suggestions on how best to do that would be appreciated. . I'm hoping with todays technology of having access to pics and video in near real time, communicating with contractors and making on-the-spot decisions could be a little easier than in the past.
Last edited by Retire Sooner; 01-21-2019 at 09:04 PM..
We knew the size house we wanted and max budget. Picked the house based on that. Not the best sized lot but the other two met the requirement. Current price per square foot to build is high currently. Next recession will bring it back down. No telling when that will be.
We are building from a far currently. So far, so good.
We purchased a developer lot 2 years ago, as we had a specific facing that we wanted for the back yard, wanted privacy, and did not want to be on water or backing up to another home. We feared that if we did not buy then, we would be very limited on choices by now. I think it was a good move, as we are breaking ground next week and project to be completed my Aug 1, 2019.
If you want to be in SJP, I would not dilly-dally on picking a lot. It is relatively inexpensive to carry the undeveloped lot during the interim before you build--less than $1K per year covers taxes and non-resident dues and a small food minimum.
We then interviewed multiple builders and selected Hagood and went through their process. Agree with others up-thread that the builders know the set-backs, etc., and can place your projected home on the lot so you can make sure you are satisfied.
I have a flood insurance question. Our lot is not in a floodplain area (Seaside) but considering insurance since our home is on a slab and not elevated. For those not in a floodplain how did you decide to carry or not carry flood insurance? I’m waffling on if the coverage is worthwhile.
I have a flood insurance question. Our lot is not in a floodplain area (Seaside) but considering insurance since our home is on a slab and not elevated. For those not in a floodplain how did you decide to carry or not carry flood insurance? I’m waffling on if the coverage is worthwhile.
Whats your lot elevation and what is the elevation of the nearest floodplain? How does the elevation of your lot compare to neighboring lots? Where does the water flow around your lot? Are there any ditches to carry water around your lot? Those are the issues to consider.
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