House Roots

Julie & Me on Audubon Rd

Have you ever gone back & looked at the homes you grew up in?  Curious to what they look like now?  Did they seemed so big when you were young, and now you realize how tiny they were?

Some people are able to know what the home they grew up in is like because perhaps their parents still live there.  Or maybe they still live there.

In years past, while I was a Realtor, I did "look" at a few of my "growing up" homes via the internet when they were listed, but never actually walked through one.

Lately, I have been thinking about them.  What if we stayed here or there? Would things have been different? Would I have taken different paths? 

The four homes my parents had during my childhood were close in location. I went to one school for Kindergarten and 1st grade, then stayed in the same school district for the other two.

I remember all but one. The first home I lived in, I was quite young when we moved and much was happening in our lives that caused us to not have many photographs. I know the name of the street but do not know the exact address.

I google mapped th remaining three and zoomed in (such a creeper!).

This first one is sad... The house has been in ruins and someone has recently bought it and has repaired it.

Windsor Drive

When I lived here as a little girl, I remember shrubs in the front of the porch giving it much privacy, and the most beautiful Iris'. I imagine that is why I favor them so much. Mom's were so lovely. This tiny hill seemed huge as a little girl. The drive way was dangerously steep & my folks walked our tricycles down it for us. A large tree sat in the side yard, where I learned to climb trees. My parents made this house a home of love. Mom babysat children here, my Sis & I had double birthday parties, we always had fun. It was a wonderful home.

Audubon Road

My parents moved us to this home the summer before starting second grade. Excitedly, my Sister and I embraced our beautiful home, new neighborhood and new school. Shortly after moving here, my Grandmother Mellie, moved in with us. (I had my own room for about a year, then happily moved in with my Sis...she probably wasn't as excited). That was home for just three years. Unfortunately, not a lot of great memories there.

19th Street

This was home. This is where we moved while in fourth grade. I lived here until I moved out on my own. This was the neighborhood house. My Mom found it when Julie was at a slumber party around the block. My Sister and I were always spending the nights over in this neighborhood. This house had 5 bedrooms believe it or not. Two upstairs, and three in the basement. Over the years, I moved through 4 of them! In high school, I had the rooms above the garage. (Imagine me climbing out that window, up to the top, where I sat many nights to think, pray, and just have some air. I also may have gone over the other side & down the awning to "escape" a few times...shhh!)  My parents kept this house for many years after Julie & I moved out, later downsizing to a one story home.

After I moved out, I lived in many, many homes. A dormitory during college, a few apartments and duplexes until my life began with Sergio.

Sergio was smart with house purchasing and together we worked our way through 10 homes in 25 years! Amazingly, we stayed in one home for 10 while the girls went through most of their school years.

We were fortunate with the housing market. We lived in wonderful homes. My girls, particularly through their school years, had the best neighborhood, pools, basketball court, cul-de-sac, and tons of neighborhood kids to play with.

While I love the house we currently live in, I know, we will move again. We hope to move just one, maybe two more times. This time we are considering going further. We want beaches or mountains. It's a big move. I want to be in a location that my kids will want to come often. I hate the thought of being away from, but I know they are only beginning their own adventures of adulthood.

I am not so sentimental to houses. It's the memories which were formed there. I take them with me. Any house can be a home. It's our job to make it that. I wonder what it would be to let my roots go deep and stay put, but we are so content with pulling them up and re-potting them to new soil.

Now, what about you and your roots?

Ahh! To Breathe Again

The is something to be said about, "Home Sweet Home". I love this home. Feels like home. I am comfortable. I am happy. I am even sleeping!

The funny thing about this house is it was on the market for over a year! We had chosen not to look in this neighborhood because of the strict covenants. Also, our "list" had certain amenities that we tried to meet. This fell short of the list on paper. Finally after looking at over a hundred homes (yeah, crazy! At least I could look without another agent, since I still have a Real Estate license, I never worked with a client that made me show this many, and ALL OVER THE MAP!). Anyway, I finally told Sergio, after countless homes that were not fitting, lets just take a look. I knew the work of the investor that had bought this property, and although, working with him could be ...difficult, I knew he did beautiful work pulling a foreclosed home back to its beauty and stature.

Luckily for us, his Realtor, did not do this home justice. He failed to mention it had two masters and a perfect "In-Laws' suite. He failed to mention all the fabulous features and the beauty this home held. It is now understandable why the agent and seller were at bad terms in the closing. We got a great deal on this home.

For we feel in love at first sight.

This house is build just right for us. It is the kind of home we have always wanted, and hope to keep till we die. Plenty of room for guest, plenty of room, need one of our oldies or daughters later need a place to share.

I am feverishly laboring away. Putting my stamp on the home. Finding places for everything. Still looking for some "lost" items from the move.

We have a few issues that need to be dealt with. Nothing we can not handle. Some good blogging on this later. It has been a Hell of a couple of weeks!

For now, it's good to be home.

Because once again, "There is no place like Home!"