Unless you have a big box phobia check Home Depot or Lowes. We used a Schlage brand. We found in stock 4 sets all keyed the same....there is a number on the box indicating what the key is. They said they would rekey the rest for $5.00 each. We ended up just putting the 4 keyed alike in the regularly used entries. I got a cheap keyless doorhandle for one door, but the batteries went dead pretty quickly and I haven't bothered to replaced them. Doing it over again I would get one that requires no batteries or power.

I've never heard of Gold Key or Oberer, but I had a house built 4 years ago by Ryan. I know Ryan has pulled out of a lot of subdivisions down in Cincinnati. I'm not sure I would want to build if I wasn't sure the development was going to be completed. I know lower cost builders came in and bought some of the lots where Ryan left, which upset the people who already built. As for Ryan, as I'm sure most spec builders, you definitely have to keep an eye on them. I had a good friend who was a contracter make sure they were doing things the correct way and not taking shortcuts. In the end it all worked out ok. They did do a terrible job with the final grade, but nothing major wrong with the house. I would just do some research on the companies and maybe talk to some people already that have built in the development. I would just want some assurance that the development would be finished.

That's nearly exactly how we did our build. I found a GC who was willing to take things to the dry-in and then I was going to use all my subs that I had worked with before along with my own labor to finish out the build. My family has also been involved in more than a few large remodels with many subs and lots of our own labor so I felt like it would work well. In the end, I ended up using quite a few of the GC's subs for jobs that I planned to sub out myself because the quotes were good and he vouched for their work. Get as many quotes up front as you can and make sure that not using the GC soup to nuts will save you money. In the end, I don't think I saved much if any money. Mostly because we did not have the luxury of time that you did, so I had to pay people to get things done even though I could have done them given enough time. The nice thing about our arrangement though was that the GC never felt like he had me in his grasp. He knew that there was a limited amount of work agreed upon at the start and if things didn't go well, that would be it. It helped me a lot too to not feel like I was locked in if things did not go well. In the end, they went great. I couldn't be happier with the GC and his subs, it was more my subs that were annoying (late, over their bids, sloppy, etc.) whereas my GC stuck to his numbers (in all but one or two cases) and the quality of work was very good. If you can find a GC willing to do this kind of work, I think it can work well, but be sure to get bids for all stages, as it might make sense if things are working out, to just have the GC continue on. That was something I was not expecting, but it did work out well.

Yes I have experience with this. About ten years ago we did an addition. The builder showed up less and less towards the end. And we realized the windows were installed wrong and leaking. I consulted an attorney. He advised that I try to handle it without him, and write the builder that I need the work completed by x date or I will hire another builder to complete the job and be paid from the remaining payout I had left. The attorney advised me to mention the last date of work in the letter, since there is a rule that a construction lien must be filed from x days of the work. (attorney was a friend but willing to take the case if it proceeded to court or a case), The builder did not finish the job by the date I gave him. I wrote another letter telling him he was off the job and was not allowed on our property. He had already removed anything of his. I brought in a new contractor who finished the job, reinstalled the windows. What a mess. Luckily there was a enough payout to cover the repairs and still have a little left over. It was about 12,000$ as I recall. When the job was done, per the attorney, I sent a letter to the original builder telling him the job had been completed and I was deducting the costs from the other contractor, and here is check for the remainder of our contract in full. It was under $500 and the builder never cashed it. I still run into him from time to time and we both avoid making eye contact. It was so awkward. Our kids went to the same school. He was a nice guy, he just got over stretched building his own home and with family issues. You have given this builder enough time. I see no reason to not get the repairs done, paying from the 10,000$. But these sound like construction defects so I would consult an attorney since the original builder may be liable to pay for repairs and faulty construction. I would not want to have any work by the original builder and this is where the laws and an attorney come in. You have some paper trail. Perhaps a letter from an attorney is important especially if there are statutes of limitations. You really can not wait on the mold and water issues! They will only get worse with time. And you can not simply move as you will have to disclose defects the the buyer. I am sorry for the stress in what should have been a pleasant experience of getting a new home! lafdr