First of all, you will get used to the noise. I'd visit Mom in FL whose house was a half mile away from the train tracks and the first day, I'd hear every train, but after that, hardly ever. Second, I think you need to get to know your neighbors...sounds like they are friendly types which is a good thing. I grew up in the country surrounded by lots and lots of land and few children because there were few houses. When I married and moved to an acre lot, it was terrible for awhile....all the traffic, the kids, the dogs, the mowers... Then I got to know my neighbors. And trust me, the chain saw isn't so loud when it's good neighbor Tim doing the sawing and you don't mind asking John if he could not mow on Saturday as you're planning on a memorial service for your Dad with lots of people coming.... And neighbors can be a great help, like when your snow blower breaks or when you need someone to feed the cat. I know our neighbor was glad for us when the house next to her's caught fire and the firemen wouldn't let her go home that night, so she spent the night with us. Every lifestyle has it's plusses and minuses. Change your perspective, seek the good, and then see where you're at. You may be surprised. BTW, we are now back home on 11 acres, but the area is so much more built up than when I was a kid. Even on our 11 acres though, I know when Bill is sawing or Jimmy is running his back hoe or when Norma is out mowing, or when Jessica's kids are playing with their dog. It's comforting.

momo3... thanks for checking in! just so happens that lots has been going on in the last two weeks, but it's still very incomplete. For starters, we had lots more digging while the pb's landscaping crew came in and buried some downspouts and dug out the patio and planting boxes, etc....but still no sign of the actual pavers that will make up both patio and pool deck....so PB does a total 180, sends the plaster crew out and lo and behold we were pebbleteched on Thursday and water was added Friday. PB will complete the patio and decks within the next 10 days...NOW HERE'S THE KICKER...the whole family left town for 10 days at the Jersey shore on Thursday, and we won't see the pool until the 6th! It's sitting in the backyard all ready for us and we're not there!!! PB is minding the pool while we're away, brushing and balancing, etc...esp. since he's building the patio all week anyway. Murphy's Law or what? I'll post pics next week when I return....have to check the log to see if you've updated your pics too...hope you're all swimming now!

Yuck -- I'm sorry it's already so far along. The way it sounds, the process has put the appraiser in the position of having to defend his work, so now, instead of simply (and quietly) being able to say "Thanks - these comps are much better than anything I was able to locate" (in the 2-3 hours his $150 cut of the fee fairly compensates him for) --- Well, now he looks bad to his superiors and has to either eat crow or discredit your comps... At one point in my career, I used to do some commercial appraisal work related to a specific industry. For this type of appraisal work, in-depth knowledge of the industry was critical, and 'ordinary' appraisal knowledge was insufficient; so in the course of my work, we came across a number of grossly incompetent appraisals. Even though we could show how and why they were wrong, getting them 'ignored' in the minds of the lenders was exceedingly difficult. The lenders want the appraisal as a CYA document. So ignoring a low appraisal -- even if it's proved to be faulty -- leaves them vulnerable. If the loan were to ever go bad, anyone could point to that [bad] low appraisal and criticize them for making the decision to lend. Your best bet might be to switch lenders...

thanks cathyck! Good luck in your house build, I remember how many details need to be decided in a short period. Where in Rockland are you? We hired companies to spray the gunite and to plaster the pool (although we don't love the plaster job, my husband has been sanding it while using his scuba gear!) but pretty much everything else was done ourselves. Although we have saved a bit of money, its still pricey. We are happy because we have been able to upgrade all of our materials and to really customize to our specific needs. We've changed a few things on the fly. I'd say just the pool is around 50k (including the fence) - which doesn't include landscaping, decking, the curved brick walls or the staircase coming down to the pool, the bluestone stepping stones, the eventual pavilion and outdoor kitchen, furniture etc etc etc. In my head I'm hearing cha-ching, cha-ching ... I actually don't like thinking about it all together! There seems to be an endless way to spend money in and around the pool, but we feel the investment has been worth it so far. We've been able to see many of our friends and family over the summer as it was so easy to hang at the pool. That's why we can't wait to make entertaining easier with the pavilion. Good luck if you take on the challenge.