A: Ask for references from previous clients. Study the builder's ability to communicate with you on an ongoing basis. Is the builder going to be as congenial after signing a contract as he was before signing a contract? Is the working atmosphere/relationship professional and personable? Call references to develop a comfort level with a particular builder. The project life cycle for building a home can be anywhere from 3 months to a year. Developing a good relationship with your builder will ensure the smooth flow of your project.

A: Try to find a reputable, reliable, trustworthy, personable and professional builder who follows through on his commitments.

A: It takes Oxford 90 to 120 days to build a home, once the foundation has been poured.

A: "Build on your lot" means that Oxford will build a custom home of your choice on property owned by you.

A: In general, assuming you have purchased a lot, you should allow the following to build a true custom home. However, depending on your requirements and priorities the following can be compressed to a total of 5 months.

• 30-45 days for designing and generating house plans based on your requirements/wish list and the topography of your lot
• 15 days for designing a foundation and coming up with a price estimate
• 10-15 days for all contract formalities, assuming a loan has been approved
• 10-15 days to obtain a permit
• 15-30 days (may be less depending on weather conditions) for building a foundation
• 90-120 days to build a house with 5,000 square feet or less (depending on size and details of the house)

A: The financing obtained to build a custom home is generally referred to as an interim loan for new construction and is obtained the same way you would get financing for an existing home. Talk to a mortgage company or bank to answer any specific questions you may have.

A: Once you have been approved for a set loan amount and have signed a contract with the bank and the builder, the process becomes quite simple. The builder/owner makes a request to draw a portion of the money based on the work completed to date. The bank then verifies the completion of the work through their inspection process and honors the draw request accordingly.

A: You'll need a builder's risk policy to the extent of the loan amount and also a general liability policy.

A: In addition to providing your builder with a wish list for your future home, you should have a survey plan of the land, covenant or deed restrictions if there are any for your property, and any other documents provided or generated concerning the soil condition and topography of the land.

A: You should have contact with your builder at least once per week. After the construction process begins, Oxford will keep you informed as often as necessary to keep you apprised of your home's progress. As your home nears completion, the amount of interaction will naturally increase.

A: A specification is a document developed and submitted by Oxford to the prospective buyer, which details the scope of work to be performed, builder's obligation, materials to be used in building the home, and all other details that have been agreed upon.

A: We are a very reputable, reliable, trustworthy builder, commited to building a true custom home. Based on our management abilities, we continuously strive to provide an excellent value to our customers on an ongoing basis. We follow up with our commitments, and our project management style ensures that you are a part of the team during the project life cycle. You are not left out in left field while we are building a home for you. We communicate well with our customers professionally and otherwise. Customer satisfaction is the number one priority in our philosophy of doing business.

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