On Apr 7, 3:16*pm, wrote:
Ok, year #2 in the beautiful newly built house in the NE with the
crappy lawn. *Builder half-assed it and the lawn is sparse with a lot
of crabgrass. *I don't need a "home and garden" lawn but I'd like some
grass !

Lots of good advice in the posts here, but lets get down to the
basics: 1) Most of the soil in NE is absolutely terrible. 2) Too many
new houses (and likely yours) are built on graded subdivision land
where the already pitiful topsoil is carted away since it interferes
with getting the structure built. 3) Weeds will grow on almost
anything that isn't impermeable rock and that's what you now have.
Given these conditions, you first need to truck in some decent
topsoil, like something from an ancient woodlot that has been
clearcut. Lawn services will siphon off your money for years dumping
chemicals on your sterile surface, and a decade hence you will still
not have a stable topsoil. If the budget is slim, buy topsoil annually
to improve selected areas and let it build up to a nice 6" over time.
Then check prices on sod at the box store and put it down quickly to
protect the precious topsoil. Feed it. weed it, trim it high and
expect to spend three or more years getting it in the shape you want.
It will be an exercise in persistence, so good luck.

Joe