You can subscribe to updates from Middleton Green Home by following us on twitter:

http://twitter.com/MiddletonGH

You will receive updates for new blog posts and content additions as well as status updates.

There has not been any construction activity this week or appreciable change out at the lot. We are expecting that some of the excess dirt from one of the other lots in the subdivision (0.1 miles away) will be moved to our lot in the near future.

The appraisal is in. There was some fear that the appraisal would be low because the "green" features might not translate dollar-to-dollar. We were pleasantly shocked that it came back $80,000 higher than our contract price. Jim and Kristin at Wells Fargo have been fantastic in lining everything up for the most cost-effective financing.

Tomorrow I meet with Matt from Modern Heating & Cooling to review our heat-loss calculations and identify any opportunities for savings by adding insulation or sealing. We are currently considering under-slab insulation and enhanced sealing of the attic but want to make an informed choice.

We will be finalizing our contract with Acker Builders on Sunday. Jenny before, and Matt this week, have been great answering all my questions and getting quotes for all these wild ideas. We will also be finalizing our "Green Built Home" checklist with them, because this needs to be turned in before groundbreaking. The points need to be claimed up front.  One needs 60 total to be a "Green Built Home" (with some prerequisites and a minimum number of points in certain sections).  We believe we are solid on about 160 points, and it could go as high as 190 depending on "game day decisions."

More to come...

Today we paid a visit to our lot, which will soon see construction. The lot is overgrown with weeds, which is not a surprise. The conservancy is also in bloom behind the lot; although the trees hide most views of the pond, this will be a great place for our son to play and explore.

The rest of the pictures are available in the Empty Lot gallery.

We expect that next week, a builder who is excavating at a nearby lot will begin to pour excess fill in our lot. (Wayne has determined that our lot is "short" fill, and it is most environmentally friendly, not to mention cost-effective, to take excess dirt from a lot in the same subdivision, rather than to haul it in from far away.) Therefore, the next picture may well be of a growing dirt pile.

We had the opportunity to meet one of our new neighbors today. Our 4-year-old son was admiring the ceiling fan on her porch -- he loves ceiling fans -- so she came out to talk. It is great to know that there are other children in the neighborhood near his age.

We are currently finalizing all of the details, including preparing the Green Built Homes submission. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for Monday, July 13, assuming all goes well.