Peggy Smith

Yesterday I attended a memorial service for my friend that died from ALS. I have never known anyone with this disease. My friend was also my lawyer and we saw each other everyday for 20 years as we worked in the same building. He was diagnosed with this disease back in November. It was hard for me not to want to say, “oh I am sure there will be some drug that they can give you to make you better.” I think he kept hoping for the miracle, but none came. Over a five month period I watched as he lost a little bit of himself each week until he could not eat, speak or move a finger. It was more than I could bare to see my friend trapped in his body, still with eyes that recognized you but no ability to tell you.

I thought during these moments when I would visit him, there was not much I could say to him to comfort him. Even reporting the news, or talking about some real estate problem seemed ridiculous when I am sure these worldly problems seemed trivial to him. But what I mostly thought about was Vermont’s struggle to bring about the ” Death with Dignity Law.” If ever there was a time where this law would have been a blessing for my friend, this was it.

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ASSEMBLE A TEAM;

1. Determine how much you have to spend:You have decided that you are going to build. Now what is the next step? Before you go any farther you should sit down with a financial counselor from a lending institution and get an idea of exactly how much money that you will have to complete the project from the purchase of the land to the final nail being pounded and the landscaping completed. Once you have that number you can begin.

The very first question you need to research is: how much is it costing a square foot to build a house. This will vary from modular to stick built but with a few quick phone calls to local contractors and modular home companies you can get a ball park figure. Next you should have some idea how large a house you would like to have. Once you have figured that out you can multiply the dollar per sq. foot figure you got, add another 20% and that will determine whether you can afford to buy land and build a house. It will also determine how much you should spend on land.

2. Find a mortgage lender: You can ask your realtor for a recommendation. Usually they are the best source of knowledge because they usually know who is lending for construction loans, who has the best rates and who they trust. Once they give you several names you should call and see whose personality fits your style. They will work hard to get you a loan at the best rate that they can find.

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