[travelguy]

we did it by mail; very easy. don't rush to fly here. fog, rain, etc, has a way of messing things up.
soon enough you will be living here.

[Lpierleo]

For what it is worth, I would recommend you close by mail. It is very efficient and then you don't have to worry about getting there at a specific time on the first. I have been told approx. 60% of their closings are done by mail. Not only is there potential for weather and traffic delays, but we were delayed at the airport almost 3 hours due to a mechanical failure on the plane our last flight. We finally deplaned and then they put us on another plane.Jusy my opinion. Congratulations, I am sure you are very excited.

[poromo]

Originally Posted by hotrodgirl

Poromo, I was sent all the closing papers about 2 weeks in advance, though I made an appt for my closing in person. I went ahead and FedExed the paperwork back to the closing dept even though I intended to be present for the closing. I wired the money 2 days prior so I would be certain it was received. I asked for the last appt of the day as I was driving from south Fla after having closed up my home there. On the way to The Villages, the turnpike was completely shut down for over 2.5 hrs due to a horrible accident. I was totally freaked out knowing there would be no way I would arrive timely for my walk through with the builder. I contacted my agent who arranged for him to come the next morning. The time stretched on and I soon knew the inevitable was going to happen and I would miss my closing altogether. And that is exactly what happened. I did not make it to TV until 5:30 PM. I was in constant contact with my agent through all of this. However, because my wire had been received in advance, along with the closing documents, they treated it as a closing by mail and all was well. The next day I had my walk through and went to the closing office to get my ID and copies of all the documents! So I might advise you to do the same if you wish to make the trip down. hope this helped!

Hotrodgirl, Thanks for this advice. I will plan to close by mail and make sure the funds are wired in advance. If we can't make it to the closing it will go on as planned.

[graciegirl]

Good call Poromo.

And for those new to building in TV, they give you the date of your closing on the day you sign to build and unless there has been some hitch in buyers getting financing...they make it on time every time.

Wows me.

[CFrance]

Totally concur with closing by mail. So easy and no chance for travel mishaps getting in the way.

[cgalloway6]

Originally Posted by anarick

Thanks Hotrodgirl
Can you change the date if it is not convenient?

If you change it before you sign the contract - should be okay. If you change it after signing the contract there is a $250 change order fee. If there are other things you want to change after the design meeting and contract signing, do one change for $250 for everything. Otherwise if you do changes twice, it's $250 each time or $500. Just don't wait too long or they may be past the point of being able to make your modification.
The builder usually has a week or two built into the schedule for unknowns so most homes get finished a week or so before closing. You can move the closing up for $250 change fee if your home is done and a COO issued but then you have to make sure all your financing and insurance can meet the new date as well. The lenders won't close without insurance coverage on the day of closing.

[janmcn]

The problem I see with closing by mail is that you are not there to make sure everything you ordered is correct. Once they have your money and you have signed all the papers, it becomes your problem to resolve. This is different than routine warranty issues.

[Rbgold]

Originally Posted by janmcn

The problem I see with closing by mail is that you are not there to make sure everything you ordered is correct. Once they have your money and you have signed all the papers, it becomes your problem to resolve. This is different than routine warranty issues.

After we signed our contract to build, our designer told us that she personally does a walk thu of the home to make sure all is what it is supposed to be prior to closing. Also receiving pictures from your agent lets you see if anything might be amiss. We closed by mail and had no problems.

[hotrodgirl]

I know that both my designer and agent did a walk through several days prior to closing. Even though I had intended to be there, they both checked it out against the orders. Then after you arrive, you will do a walk through with your builder and will be able to report any discrepancies within a week or so. No worries!