As of 18 September 2009, they have finally started on the house. Unfortunately, Avida is way behind schedule considering that the house turnover is slated for the 4th quarter of 2009 (according to the contract). Uh, that's supposed to be now.
But at least they've started. They told me that the earliest completion date is January 2010 and the latest is February. I'm betting more on March...
Out of curiosity, I called the customer care department of Avida and pretended to be a prospective customer. Here were some of my questions:
Q1.) Once the 20% down payment has been paid, how long does it take to issue the "Notice to Construct"?
A1.) One week.
Q2.) After the "Notice to Construct" has been issued, how long before Avida starts building?
A2.) It will take one to two months for the permits and they'll start building as soon as the permits have been issued.
Q3.) How long will it take to build the house itself?
A3.) Four to six months.
Let's compare that with what is actually happening:
1.) Down payment paid in January 2009. "Notice to Construct" was issued in June - five months later.
2.) September is three months after June.
3.) We will have to wait and see on this one...