linandvin, you are wise to limit your landscaping. We have a large corner lot and have to hire people to take care of the weeding, the lawn, pruning, feeding, adjusting sprinklers, on and on. Also, I'm so sad about pouring pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers into our acquifers. I haven't even mentioned how expensive it is to maintain and look halfway decent. Forget flowers, the Summer is too hot and the last two Winters killed everything, even palm trees. I see on HGTV that they have perfected artificial grass so that it looks real and although it is expensive it would save money in the long run but I'm sure that it would not be allowed and if it was allowed, it would be the talk of the town.
I'm working on convincing Mr. duffysmom to downsize to a CYV. I also love the privacy and pet friendly lifestyle of CYV's. Good luck on your hunt and keep us posted.