CONSTRUCTION LOAN BASICS
by Mercedes Hayes
It might
not be too big of an exaggeration to say that the construction loan is
one of the more daunting aspects of building your custom home. Before
we started our project, I had nightmares about trying to pay two full
mortgages at the same time (our existing mortgage and the construction
loan), and I didn't see how it was at all possible. However, the
reality ended up much more reasonable than I dared hope.
COLLATERAL:
Many – but not all – mortgage companies require you to own your land
first before you apply for the construction loan. That way, if the
borrower defaults, the bank has a way to recoup their investment. Some
banks will let you roll in the land purchase with the construction
loan, but you may have to pay a premium.
TIMING:
Your standard construction loan will be based on the one year plan.
It's perfectly reasonable to expect to finish within a year, unless you
are building a handcrafted log home. The good news is that you aren't
obligated for the full construction loan amount from day one. You only
have to pay interest for the amount of money you actually borrow from
each draw. So you won't really be carrying the full mortgage until the
end of construction, at which point you will roll the construction loan
over to a conventional mortgage.
BUDGETING:
Before you apply for the construction loan, you must get all your
quotes in order. Banks are not happy about increasing the amount of
money you ask for. Be sure to account for all the sub-contractors
(plumbers, masons, electricians, excavators, landscapers), the well and
septic, the windows and roof, the painters, and even the grass seed.
Your mortgage representative will expect you to have a handle on all
your financial needs (see my article BREAKING DOWN THE BUDGET OF YOUR
LOG HOME for more specifics). If some of these expenses will be out of
pocket, it wouldn't hurt to include them in your construction loan
request anyway, so you have a cost overrun buffer. And get more than
one quote if possible, then use the highest quote in the construction
loan request. If you go with the lower quoted job, you'll have another
buffer in your favor.
Before
the mortgage company agrees on the loan, they will require a copy of
the floor plan, permits, and survey. Then they will send out an
appraiser who will inspect your property and determine whether your
project will appraise for the amount of money they are committing to.
Luckily, more and more banks are giving log homes a fair appraisal, but
it helps to choose a company that specializes in log homes or your
market value may come in too low.
DRAWS:
When you've itemized your anticipated expenses, you can share this with
your mortgage rep., who will then ask you how you would like to break
down the disbursements (or "draws" as we commonly know them). This will
be your decision (with a little hand-holding). At first, you might want
to schedule a couple dozen draws, until you realize that there is a
service charge attached to every draw. For instance, every time the
bank releases a draw, you have to notify them a few days in advance.
The bank sends out an inspector to verify that the promised work was
performed. Then they order a Title Search to verify that you haven't
had any liens put on your property since the last draw (this costs
about $125 each time).
This
leads us to the next issue that pertains especially to building a log
home. Normally, banks release a draw after the work has been completed.
However, log home manufacturers require COD when the logs are delivered
(or ideally the day before). Historically this had been a bone of
contention between the banks and manufacturers, until certain banks
took the lead and set up accounts directly with the log home companies.
This expedited the whole process. These direct deposits become draws on
your construction loan.
EXAMPLE:
In our case, we ordered a total of 11 draws. On settlement of the
construction loan, the bank started us with about $38,000 for misc.
expenses. We used much of this to bridge the gap between draws (the
contractors want to get paid regularly). There was a draw for the Log
Kit deposit. There was a draw for our Superior Walls precast foundation
(another direct deposit). Another draw paid for the COD log delivery;
another draw paid for the window delivery.
Then
things got more tricky, because the next draw covered the well and
septic, which had to be completed first. Once the log walls were raised
another draw came, another when the "weathered-in shell" was complete,
and another draw when the mechanicals were installed. The last draw
came at the end of the project, but the bank wouldn't release the money
until we had stained the house and planted grass seed. They wanted to
make sure the house was ready for sale.
With
luck, you won't be delayed by weather or on-site errors, which could
derail your whole plan. However, if you don't have some extra money set
aside, your contractors might quit working until they get paid, knowing
full well that you won't get paid until the work is finished. Coffee
and donuts help to keep relations smooth, but nothing works like cash.
And
remember: if by some miracle you don't use all the money you requested
in the construction loan, you can always give the rest back. So don't
cut corners. Estimate high, spend less, and you just might have enough
left over for that luxury item you always wanted.
Mercedes Hayes specializes in Log Homes and Residential Real estate in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She lives in a log home she designed
herself, which is featured both in "Log Home Living" and "Town and
Country" magazines. You can learn more about log homes and the Delaware
Valley at www.MercedesHayes.com
Mercedes Hayes may be contacted at http://www.MercedesHayes.com or mhayes@patmedia.net
