Holloween Trip to Puerto Vallarta - Part 2

Two other kids are Kylie and Jarrod from Seattla, WA. These are two kids that Ryan & Erika met the 1st day in PV and were the same ages. They spent nearly the entire week together and the two families joined each other for dinner 3 evenings.

Holloween Trip to Puerto Vallarta

New pictures

Closing date set!

Received a call from our sales guy and project manager. The date for closing has been set to June 23, 2006. This is nearly 1 year to the day that we went into contract and 3 months later than what we were expecting. We have a "walk through" scheduled for June 16, 9AM. This means they will have one week to resolve issues between walk though and closing. Not sure if this is doable. Should we hold our breath?

On a high note, they have completed:

1. Installing master bath tub
2. Sconce lights in stairwell
3. Appliances nearly completely installed.
4. Fixed some lighting probems
5. Blew in insulation in the attic space
6. Fixed some (not all) holes in wall

Carpeting is to be installed next Tuesday. They should have started the landscaping but heavy rains precluded them from getting started on that. Maybe today they can.

5/24/06 No Closing date yet

5/24/06 We really thought we'd get a closing date by now but work has been soooo slow. What is up with these guys? Don't you want to get your money? Unbelievable! Today, a tile guy was there putting in the rest of the floor tiles in the Master Bath and Kitchen. But unfortunately, he was give the wrong shade tile for the kitchen floor so he couldn't finish his job.
5/22/06 Had a status update meeting, said we should get a call from Ethan this week. Could this be a bluff? The address (number) was put in front of the house. A man was there checking the windows to make sure it doesn't stick. The laundry room sink was installed. The kid's faucets were installed but in the front left bath, water sprays from the bottom when water is turned on! The blocks to cover the outside A/C unit was painted grey and the rest of the underpinning. When we went to check on the house at 6 pm, since the front door was locked, we went thru the one car garage and there was a baby rattle snake stuck in the garage!!!! Luckily, hubby was there to save the day. After a good 15 minutes, he was able to get the rattler out. He just kept coming back in. EEEEK!
5/19/06 A new GE Monogram range was delivered today. But it is the wrong cooktop. It is a grill cooktop not a griddle! This is now take 2 on the stove. Mirrors were installed today and guess what, in the Master Bath vanity, they didn't move the electrical outlet and the mirror was put over it. Which means, I'd be sitting down looking at an outlet! The glass shower doors were installed in the master bath.
5/18/06 Saw Jason on the job early in the morning. He said that electricity is in but just shut off. Jason asked me if I took the toilet seats! What's up with this guy? Does he think I will steal a stupid toilet seat? For what? In the afternoon the lights were turned on so at night we came back to check how the house looked with the exterior hilight package. Many of the light switches don't work. Like in the left rear bath, the light was left on and there is no way to shut it off!
5/17/06 The appliances were delivered today, the hood, microwave, separate oven, dishwasher including a cooktop! Cooktop, we don't get a cooktop but we get a range! The garage door opener was installed!
5/16/06 They dug out the side behind the driveway looks like to put in a retaining wall.
5/15/06 The integrated marble sinks in the kids bath were put in. But in the left front sink, it's already chipped! The marble in the vanity area for the Master bath was put in but it is far from matching the other marble which was already put in months ago!
5/11/06 The Master bathroom shower area tiles were ripped off the walls again! By evening, it has been re-installed. Topsoil was brought in for landscaping. The front door was stained!
5/10/06 The electric meter was inspected and passed!
5/9/06 The sewer line passed inspection!
5/8/06 Ashley left a message about a new Toll Brothers policy! All homeowners have to be escorted to see their homes. Stop by the office to make an appointment! This is because of people getting hurt on the job and homeowners stopping the job and workers walking off the job! What bull! Spoke to other homeowers also building and no policy like this was ever mentioned to them!! A crew of painters were in doing re-touch on the walls and doors!
5/5/06 New tile guy on the job re-doing the wall tiles in the shower! They removed the tiles to reinstall since we were not pleased with the job! But tiles will still not line up around the tub!
5/4/06 The central vac unit was installed. The new vanity cabinet was installed in the master bath
5/3/06 Sewer line was being installed in the backyard! But guess where the plumbers decided to put it? Smack across the backyard! Ok, what does this mean about getting a pool put in! Forget it now unless I pay for it! But the plumbers happily moved it! Nice guys! Master bath tub was put in but no jets!
5/1/06 The water tank was installed in the garage!

4/28/06 Slow progress

4/28/06 It has been a slow and stressfull week. More grading was done in the side and back of the house. It is raining today and there is an area by the front porch (right) were the gutters aren't catching the rain! Who are these bozos?
4/27/06 Window screens were put in. More dump trucks coming in to bring fill.
4/26/06 The central vacuum outlets were put in. Lots of dump trucks came almost all day dumping fill in the back. The Devouglers closed on their home today and their right most neighbor closes tomorrow. Everyday this week, workers have used the toilets, ripped off the tape, I have replaced them and they still keep using them! I printed out signs in English and Spanish not to use the toilets due to no sewer hook-up and let's see if this works. A couple from Seattle (Kate and Scott) came and took a look at the house. They were thinking of the lot next to us. They were back the next day in the sales office.
4/25/06 The gutters and downspouts were installed today. Frustrating day as 3 of the downspouts were put in the front of the house rather than the front side! Since
4/24/06 A man was there putting in the gutters, the couple were back sanding down the drywall patches. I showed them a large hole in the basement but they didn't fix it! Also new stucco was applied in the lower areas (called underpinning). But the first layer was already cracking! At the status meeting today, the tilers were suppossed to come back and fix the master bathroom.
4/22/06 There was a couple that patched the drywall holes.
4/21/06 A crew came in today to clean up the inside of the house including the basement. I had them clean the cabinets and they cleaned the tubs and removed all the cardboard covering the tiles.
4/19/06 Plumbers were in the house today to put in the fixtures and the toilets. Still no sinks in the kids bath. I put tape on the toilets to prevent workers from using the toilets as there is no sewer hookup!

4/18/06 Security system/Electrical

4/18/06 The security system panel was installed today. Some marks on the wall were done in the first wall where repainting/repairing is needed.
4/17/06 Some grading was done in the backyard. Throughout last week, truckloads of fill was brought in. By Friday, the dozer had a flat.
We met with Ashley and brought up issues about the poor tiling job, electrical work/concerns, the kitchen desk delivered was not a right match, and the laundry room cabinet had a crack on the base. The house still doesn't have electricity and no schedule for the plumbers to return.
4/5 thru 4/14/06 3 Electricians were there, Randall, Dale and Jose putting up the electrical fixtures. By the end of the job, still missing were 2 master bedroom closets and the 2 car garage. Many lightbulbs throughout were missing. Very disappointing, one of the electricians enjoyed chewing tobacco and spat all over the house and the new deck! This was gross and very upsetting. Also, learned that it was the first time the 2 electricians have ever installed from scratch a panel/meter on the outside. Yikes!
4/5/06 The fireplace hearth was put in.

3/31/06 Tiling

3/31/06 The front door was delivered and installed today. No other new work. The water was hooked-up to the street. Perhaps this means the plumbers will come back next week.
3/30/06 Thursday, the tiling was finally completed in the kitchen backsplash and master bath. The central air conditioning units were delivered and installed today. The electrical fixtures were delivered today and stored in one of the closets.
3/29/06 Jason came by to talk to us about to resolve the master bath problem with the knee space. Also went over other stuff concerning the kitchen back splash by the desk area. The deck was completed today.
3/28/06 Rained today. Geronimo the tiler came late this afternoon to put grout on the foyer tiles. No other work done.
3/27/06 Deck was being started today. Looks small. Some work in the kitchen backsplash was done. The windows were cleaned inside and out over the weekend.

3/24/06 Tiling

3/24/06 Three men were tiling, one in the boy's bath, one in the kitchen and one in the foyer. At end of the day, kitchen, girl's bath and boy's bath were completed. Earlier in the morning, men were removing the wood around around the driveway.
3/23/06 Men finished laying the thin set or wonder board in order to lay the tiles. At the end of the day, all the boards were laid. The sunroom and eat in kitchen have been tiled. It rained last night so some of the driveway brush lines were gone by morning. Told Ashhey about concern in MB knee space and in the powder room where the cabinet should be removed so that they could tile properly.
3/22/06 Some of the tiles were delivered and men started laying tiles in the master bath. Some men were installing a special board which was needed before laying the tiles. The driveway and front porch were poured today. The kids wrote their names by the driveway apron.
3/21/06 The granite in the kitchen, powder room and marble in the master bath were installed. It is gorgeous! I noticed then that the knee space was too tight in the master bath.
3/20/06 No work today. It had rained over the weekend so the driveway was not poured. Met our new project manager, Jason. Met with Ashley and Jason at the house to discuss many concerns and questions. This is where we had our status meeting.
3/17/06 The trim and doors were painted white! What a mess! Now the walls also have been painted white! And so have been the kitchen cabinets and the railing!

3/15/06 Interior Painting

3/15/06 Oh what a mess! One painter was spraying Spanish Sand, a brownish tanish color in all the rooms, one was spraying white paint on the shelving and doors. One man was caulking around the trim work. Then a small bulldozer was spreading sand all over the front of the house levelling the dirt getting ready for the driveway.
3/14/06 A man was caulking around the doors and filling in the cracks and holes in the trim work getting ready for painting. One man was staining the wood on the wrought iron stairs. He used a Spanish Oak stain. A man was installing both garage doors. More clearing was done in the lots in front of the house and towards the cul-de-sac. The granite people came by to template the cabinets. Said they should have granite done tomorrow!
3/13/06 No work going on except a delivery of sand in the front driveway and dirt was brought in the right front side to fill in the slope. Today, our current neighbors, the Edward's signed a contract to buy a home 2 doors from us on the same street. They are a wonderful family and we look forward to having them closer instead of 2 blocks away. We lost Jeff our sales contact and Jeff our project manager which was promoted. We have no idea who will replace him but will still oversee our site since he is now responsible for all of the Reserves. Ashley is our new sales contact.
3/10/06 Looks like they finished installing the wrought iron stairs! How gorgeous!

Exterior painting done/Cabinets in 3/9/06

3/9/06 Work is progressing very well. Finally. Painting of the exterior is complete. They were doing retouch this morning. We like to color. It is better that we thought. They used Sherwin Williams' Chadwick and the accent is Swiss Coffee. The kitchen cabinets were being installed. Looks like the bathroom cabinets, laundry room were already done. Also, the wall texturing in the house is done! The doors were in place, looks like they were getting ready to install them. Also men were laying the trim to get started. The powder room cabinets are not stained but the cabinet installer said they were going to be stained later. Also I pointed out that one of the kitchen cabinets were suppossed to be a desk. Didn't I already point this out to them at least 10 times? At the end of the day, all the interior doors except for the main front door were in. All the trim upstairs and the shelving are in. Most of the trim downstairs were put in. The kitchen cabinets were all completely installed except for the desk in the kitchen and knee space in the MB bath. Luis the trim carpenter says he should be done by tomorrow Friday.
3/8/06 At lunch time, a man was putting sealants around the accents around the windows. Then by afternoon, they were painting the right side and back of the house! It is a very pretty color. One worker is spraying and 3 others were painting the accents. They were still sanding the spackle inside. Then by 3 pm a man was taping the inside of the windows by 5 pm Doug said they were already texturing the inside walls! Wow they were fast. I didn't even get to see them. And they had already painted most of the front, exterior. The interior doors, trim and cabinets were delivered today! Yey!
3/7/06 Spackling continues. They finished the 3rd layer of stucco. They have removed the scaffolding in front of the house. Why? When this is needed for painting. They also started clearing the lots across the street to the beginning of the cul-de-sac.

3rd Layer Stucco/Spackling 3/6/06

3/6/06 3rd layer of stucco complete in the front, left and right sides and behind sunroom and kitchen. Spackling continues and worker says they should be done tomorrow (3/7), then texturing on 3/8. Received a call from Jeff and Jeff to let us know that painting of inside and outside will begin the end of this week.
3/4/06 Sat. Workers were there spackling, putting the corner strips for walls and windows then spackling over them. Men were on stilts and the kids watched them work on them. We notice that the extra band around the garage columns and the gameroom box below columns were missing.
3/3/06 Workers continued to spackle and tape the house; exterior workers applied stucco on right side of house including right side front of house. By end of week, all of front, left side and right side was complete. More outrageous stressfull news! At lunch today, the workers were kicking football around the garage, a makeshift ball made of red tape used for taping plastic on the windows, at the end of the day, they had put a hole in the garage wall!!!!! Boy was I mad!
3/2/06 Workers started taping and spackling the house. Started applying the 3rd layer of stucco which is this white cement applied by hand to put additional texture to the house. Started on left side front and left side of house.
3/1/06 No inside work today as the inspector came and approved the wall board (drywall). Inspection must pass prior to taping/spackling.
2/28/06 Finished drywalling the garage today.
2/27/06 Inspector came but drywall was not complete. Delivered more drywall for the garage. 2nd layer of stucco was completed today.

Begin Stucco 2/22/06

2/22/06 The first layer of stucco was applied today. At 2 pm, the men took a break after they completed the entire house already. The front porch, arch and columns on either side is not how it is suppossed to be. This is after they forgot the arch, then they forgot the columns, now the columns were put in yesterday but the arch was not fixed! Urgh. They finally put the accent on the game room window. A team of drywallers are now installing sheetrock in the first floor. Looks like they will be done today.
2/21/06 A crew of 3 people were in the house installing drywall. At the end of the day, they were almost done with the upstairs. The downstairs has not been started. Another crew came in the afternoon to finish putting the plastic around the windows and roof, getting ready for applying the stucco. Looks like they came in early today to frame out the front porch, they put in the columns. But they still need to redo the arch to be curved into the columns. The electrical for the front porch lights were moved into the columns.
2/20/06 President's day and men were working. We went to the house to do more sweeping before they put the drywall so that sawdust and debris would not be trapped within the walls etc. Early in the morning, 2 men were fixing the wood frame by the dining room. With my little spanish, he explained to me that some wood frames buckled due to the cold and when sheetrocked, the wall would bow out. About 7 wooden frames had to be fixed. This had to be done before sheetrocking obviously.
2/14/06 The arch for the front porch was put in today. But where are the columns? They are going to stucco next and the columns are missing!
2/16/06 Cement bags were delivered and sand was delivered yesterday.
2/13/06 OUTRAGEOUS! Men continued to work on the accent pieces on the exterior. Two men extended the roof out from the gameroom window. As I watched them complete, one man went to the garbage pile which was held in place by 4 pieces of plywood nailed together. As he took his hammer, I thought he was trying to move the pile to make room for stucco work. Next thing, he had taken one plywood, which held the garbage, then cut it with an electic saw. Then placed this WARPed wood on the roof part of the gameroom window! I was outraged by this sight. Using the garbage for materials!!! This was brought up to Jeff and Jeff but I know that this was never replaced.
2/11/06 Insulation was installed today, Saturday. I brought cookies to the workers and thanked them for working on a Saturday. A crew was also working outside finishing the wire on the exterior.
2/9/06 Insulation was delivered today! Hurray. Almost a month since they ordered it.

Exterior work - 2/8/2006

2/8/2006 Workers were putting wire mesh at the back of the house and black plastic covering. Some wire mesh was installed on the right side of the house. The left side is completely done.
2/7/2006 Workers have installed wire mesh on parts of the front, and left side of the house. Others are putting up the scaffolding in the back of the house. They poured the cement for the front porch. 2 workers were in the study removing wood from the ceiling. They have to replace the wood with a larger beam to secure the roof. Worker said this was caught by them and needed to be replaced in order to pass inspection.
2/6/2006 Workers started putting scaffolding up in front and the left side of the house preparing the sides for stucco.
2/4/2006 We covered up the ducts to prevent dust from the drywall. Also cleaned up sawdust in the wood crevices so that it doesn't get covered up by sheetrock.
2/3/2006 2 workers were drilling in the basement, what? I have yet to determine.

Marbella Update - 2/2/2006

The past few weeks have been slow, most days, no activity. Today, there was a crew there digging a trench by hand and by small backhoe. I believe this is for the water line.
2/1/2006 A crew was working on the front porch. They were putting sand in bags, putting rebars across, getting ready for pouring. A delivery of drywall/sheetrock came today. Okay, drywall there but still no insulation.
1/31/2006 We received a call from Jeff that the exterior should be getting started by the end of the week. Insulation delivery will be made next week. If that happens, that will be awesome.
1/30/2006 There was evidence of some work done today but cannot pin point exactly besides the door in the powder room, the last one, was reframed for 8 ft. doors.
1/28/2006 It looks like the vents in boys room (rear) have been reframed (larger and the ceiling was reframed to look almost like that of the dining room to give more room for the vents). Front boy's closet was also reframed so that there will be more room for clothes. We checked the windows and found that more windows needed to be fixed, either bent frames or hard to open/shut.
1/27/2006 This past week, the garage was framed around so that the wood is flushed with the decking. I met with the electrician who spoke to me about the backyard flood lights. We spoke about the exact location, etc.
1/20/2006 We had our pre-drywall inspection with Jeff. Went thru the extras and made sure that they were up to par. Checked locations of light switches, telephone/cable/internet boxes, etc. Here are some items that were pointed out:
- Relocate the speaker wires in the family room (2)
- Relocate the sconce switch from the family room to near the art niche
- Retape vent in family room
- 1 powder room door needs to be reframed for 8 ft. doors.
- Upstairs bath (girls) light switch is on the outside wall rather than inside
- Reframe vents in boys room (rear)
- Reframe vents in boys closet (front) to give more room
- Bent windows and some hard to open/shut
There is still a shortage of insulation (going to Louisiana) but ours have been ordered. House is going thru inspection and should pass in a week.
- Missing backyard flood lights
1/19/2006 1st floor doors have been reframed for 8 ft. except for the powder room.
1/17/2006 Attended the HOA meeting at the club house. Found out that the Marbella with tile roof, in the cul-de-sac will be closing in March. The other cul-de-sac with 4 Marbellas, the one on the right should be closing next month, the one across the street, I spoke to the wife will be closing in April. This means that we will not be closing till May! Urgh!

Marbella Update 1/16/06

1/16/06 The central vacuum was being put in today. The water in the bath tubs and shower stalls have drained.
1/14/06 The steps from the single car garage into the house was put in. There is a huge landing which is suppossed to be according to code. The broken step in the staircase to the basement has been fixed. Young Jeff told us that he would reframe the 'headboard' in rear boy's room. We cleaned up a bit, picking up worker's debris and construction debris. It was a family effort and the kids did a great job! Checked out a Marbella in Hensley Ct. (brown/tile roof) and looks like they may close by next month. Missing appliances, carpet and landscaping. Lot 73 has stalled and looks like we are on the same schedule or it is a little behind. Workers are putting in installation in the homes next to Lot 73. There has been a shortage of insulation and a few homes have been left idle due to this.
1/11/06 The low voltage crew were in to install the security system, phone lines, cable and surround sound. Looks like the high voltage crew came in to do some little stuff on 1/12. Still missing, the outlet in the middle of the family room (for lamp). All the tubs have water in them, looks like this was done by the inspector. Windows in the Master bath were in, including the last Sunroom window. There is one broken window in the Master bath, and more in the garage, not sure why there are extras.

Electrical work begins 1/9/06

1/6/06 Electricians came to start putting in the electrical boxes, boxes for outlest, light switches, light fixtures, etc. Noticed that the last window was put in rear boy's room. In front boy's closet, we noticed that they framed the ducts too big that his closet has become so tiny. We opened a complaint ticket for this. At this time, rough plumbing has been completed.
1/5/06 The columns for the front of the house have been framed. The master bathroom tub has been framed including the ceiling to the toilet room.
1/2/06 We haven't been in the house in at least 2 weeks so here is the progress we noticed.
The roof shingles have been put in. The 2 back doors (main floor) have door knobs which lock from the outside; probably to deter people from walking out to the drop off since there is no deck yet. The arched windows in the sunroom and game room have been completly framed. The gas line has been installed (yellow hose). The plumbers were working when we got there. The tubs for the upstairs bathrooms are in. The master shower stall is in. The master bath windows were reframed and they had to rip off some outer sheathing as a result. Apparently, the plumbing started on 12/27/05 when we got a call while at Magic Mountain, CA.