[graciegirl]

When shopping for a home, the two of us do better on our own and now that the internet offers so much information it makes it a lot easier. We had dependable friends who lived here and could and did tell us like it is and explained the bond and the areas, saying that the older homes were north and the newer homes were south and pointing out the area with the most deed restrictions. We wanted as much deed restriction as possible, we had lived with it and saw how it protected you.

The problem was what kind of home. Like many we started out looking for a snowbird home and thought we wanted to be in a walled village of villa homes. It seemed safer to go away and leave to us for some reason.

After touring villas, and ranches, now called cottages, we fell in love with The Camellia/Gardenia, a designer. One of the most popular styles at the time in 2008. We then were amazed at the difference in prices due to lot placement and view. It could be pretty much the same home but be priced 100K or more differently because of the view of the lot. We were also very surprised to find that a lot backing on a street was a superior lot and cost more.

We had looked at all of the homes on the villages site and on the MLS sites and changed our minds MANY times. We found our first home by seeing it listed in the paper on our lifestyle visit, walking around the outside without our agent and finding the garage door was unlocked and letting ourselves in. We loved that it backed to Odell rec center and we could walk out the back and use their pool and we loved the neutral interior and the price which I think was $229. We called the agent, said we wanted it, went in to sign the papers and I got cold feet and walked out. I couldn't do it. It was the most impulsive buy we had ever made. We drove around and went back to the house and saw an agent showing it to another couple and I said...OH no. That is my house. We signed the papers and owned it for four years and it was the dearest group of friends and neighbors that anyone could dream of.

When we decided on living here year 'round we decided to get a little bigger home with a little bigger garage for the three of us. We had Jim McLaughlin who patiently answered all questions honestly and helped us both times. The second time he showed us a lot of resales before we decided to build.