Welcome!
I understand the "Post It Note" issue! They are a blessing and a curse, and it's so easy to slide right back into doing business that way. You are so smart and in tune with what you want to accomplish I have no doubt you will meet your November 1 deadline!
Obviously the big box builders who have their own free wheeling mortgage companies know they can't qualify every buyer who walks in the door anymore, so of course they are cutting back on starts. Smaller builders also know this. There's no reason to build the homes if buyers are having trouble qualifying. This is not necessarily BAD for buyers, since it requires them to be more credit worthy and thus more responsible in their home ownership. It IS bad for the economy due to the number of construction trade people out of work and the associated lumberyards and other businesses which provide construction materials suddenly suffering from a lack of orders, thus laying off people in that area. The Fort Hood real estate market has seen a mini recession in the construction trades/new home business, but builders are still building and the houses are still selling well in certain price ranges. Mary Ann Daniell, Licensed Texas Realtor www.goforthood.com mdaniell@cbunited.com