"I'd say in the neighborhood of $450,000."
"How long will construction take?"
"I'm hoping to have it finished in three months so I can be settled before winter sets in."
"One more question; what will your heat source be?"
"I'm putting in a high-efficiency air source heat pump along with on demand propane-fired hot water heat. There will be an air exchanger as well because the house will be R2000."
"What about the roof construction?"
"Steel shingles because they are maintenance-free, timeless and more attractive than an ordinary steel roof."
"Okay. Just one more thing - I need the dimensions and then I'll have everything to put together your quotes."
Once Russ had given her the rest of the information, he made an appointment for Friday to come back for the quotes. He was really impressed with her professionalism and trusted that he would get the best possible coverage from her. Realizing that he was looking forward to seeing her again, he once more wondered if she was involved with anyone.
Melanie knew which company best met his needs, but she also wanted to give him some alternatives. It didn't take her long to put together the information and prepare the quotes for him and she too, was looking forward to Friday. He had arranged the meeting for late Friday afternoon and she wondered if he might ask her out for dinner after their meeting.
Russ had thought about taking her to dinner, but had come up with a much better idea. Friday arrived and their meeting didn't take long. The first quote she gave him was the industry standard - a builders' risk that would end when construction was finished. Then a homeowners policy would be put in place. The second quote was coverage from one of the Mutual companies. They had recently introduced a plan where the house would be placed on a homeowner's policy with an attached builder's risk coverage. The term for construction was a generous six months, and once construction was completed, the coverage would continue in force as a homeowner policy.
Handing him the paperwork, Melanie said, "I'll leave these quotes with you and you can let me know, after you've reviewed them, which suits you best."
Russ folded the papers and tucked them into his pocket. "Would you like to come and see my lot and the blueprints tomorrow?" He was grinning at her. "I could teach you how to put a worm on a hook."
"You have to be kidding! You know what I think of handling worms. But yes, I'd love to see where your house is going to sit. I have an image in my head of the building, but no idea what the surroundings will look like."