Question
I live in North Carolina and we have built a new home. We have lived in the new house for about 9 months, since Feb. I sowed grass when we first moved in and again at the end of March, I used a spreader and spread about 400 lbs of Kentucky 31 tall fescue. I put straw down right after I fertilized. I did this on about 1.5 acres, the soil was loose at that time and there was no grass at all. The grass came up a little spotty and fast, around the first of April when the High temp was still around 75 degrees. And now to the question, After and 3 or 4 week dry spell and the 95-100 degree summer the lawn look very bad. It is very thin and dry, when i mow it is like being in a dust storm. How do I it a thick green lawn and do it by myself? This is the plan I have came up with and I was hoping you can tell me if I'm on the right track.
1. Detach the dead grass
2. Aerate
3. Slit seed
4. Use Starter fertilizer
5. water

What you think? Also how much seed should I put out?
Thanks for your help.

Answer
Your narrative tells me that lack of moisture was the limiting factor. Everything else seems to have been done right.
So, if you plan to do it all again, eliminate that limiting factor.
A seed in the ground starts to absorb moisture from the surrounding soil; so there must be enough moisture in the surrounding soil to start this process. If the surrounding soil is allowed to dry out, the moisture will move from the seed to the soil and the seed will dry out.
Prompt watering might enable a recovery but if not the seed will die. As the seed takes up water, it swells to indicate that the stored nutrients are now available to stimulate germination. the plumule pushes upwards towards light and turns into green leaves which start to manufacture plant food. It time they will form the top or canopy of the plant.  Meanwhile the radicle is pushing downwards to make a root. In time this will form the root system of the plant.
Time & Moisture are what the seeds/seedlings of any plant need to germinate/grow. When we see those first leaves, it is the commonest mistake to think that the plant is able to function with out much more help. It is not true.
If moisture is short or too much at this stage, you can have 100% failure.
So the best advice I can give you is to keep track of the moisture in the soil - DAILY - until you are quite sure that the plants are rooted well enough to function on their own. After that, you will still have to continue checking; but not nearly as rigorously.