Yesterday I signed a sheet of paper, and one of my biggest adventures came to an end. A new buyer had fallen in love with my Palazzo, one whose cash trumped my contingency. So I had no choice but to officially void my contract. Certainly, I knew all along it could happen. The problem is, for four months I have allowed myself to live in a bubble of false security. Do I regret those four […]
Thank you to everyone who responded to my news of listing my Abbey. Your “likes,” comments, questions, and suggestions have been very encouraging. Some of you requested more information, which I am happy to provide. First, here is the listing, in case you read the earlier post before I added it. It includes lots of current photos of the home. Mine is the only Abbey available — either new or resale — for purchase for […]
When I moved into my Abbey in October 2010, I told everyone, including myself, there would be no more moves. It was my dream home. I planned to stay until I died or was carried out. And I meant it. I meant it so much, I would have staked my life on it. When I created this blog three years ago, it was so simple coming up with the name Home Sweet Abbey. Since then […]
Jan began a new tradition after moving here with her husband, Steve, in 2013. Each year since then, on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, she sits down at her computer and writes a letter to Jamie Wilcox, our builder. These letters are part thank-you notes, part accounts of her year, and part personal reflections. The letters are personal, yet not private. She shares them with others and has given me permission to quote from […]
Yes, we’re kickin’ ass-phalt here today at Maples at the Sonatas. Or rather, our contractor is. It’s seal coating day for half of our driveways. We’ve grown so much that it now takes two days to complete the job. As I sit in my sun room watching them work, I can’t help remembering another seal coating day four years ago. It was also my moving day… But let me start at the beginning. A week […]
I WILL NEVER MOVE AGAIN. I said these words to anyone who would listen to me when I was moving into my Abbey. I have heard them spoken many times since then as new neighbors have come in our community. Words spoken slowly with emphasis, spoken with heartfelt fervor, spoken with firm revolve. This is it. I (we) will never move again. I heard the words twice this week. Once from a new neighbor, Bill, […]
Hello. I’m Angie, Caryl’s cat. I’m here to give you my own feline view of this house where we live. If you want to get the unvarnished truth, always ask a cat. We’re known for our independence. I was not so sure about this moving thing when Caryl first brought it up. I liked where we lived just fine. It had been my habitat for nine years, and I was comfortable there. I had stairs […]
When I asked Cathie if she would let me blog about her experiences moving to her new home, I got a whole lot more than I expected. I thought I’d do perhaps three casual interviews with her and write up each as a post. The three posts ended up being eight, as her story took more twists and turns than either of us ever imagined. And there was no interviewing involved. Cathie emailed me each […]
Yesterday, after a 4+ hour closing, Cathie received her long-awaited keys to her new home. She is anxious to get settled but will write an update soon.
It has been two weeks since Cathie last updated us on her purchase of a new Portico here in Maples at the Sonatas and her move from Texas. At that time, she was still in Abilene but was about to load her belongings on a truck for the move to Woodstock. When I look down my street this morning, I see her home, but Cathie still isn’t there. She explains why in this latest installment […]
Today Cathie shares a quick update on her journey from Texas to Woodstock. Finally, the complicated move is about to begin. But that doesn’t mean that the problems have all been solved. Far from it! Here is the latest installment. I still have no closing date for my new home, but my soon-to-be-ex-husband and I are getting ready for the closing on the home we sold here in Texas. We need to come up with […]
Cathie expected to have closed, moved, and settled into her new home in Maples at the Sonatas by now. As she explained in yesterday’s post, it’s been a difficult and complicated process that isn’t complete just yet. While she waits in Texas for the final details to come together, here are her thoughts. Is buying this house worth all the trouble I’m going through? Absolutely! As Caryl mentioned in the first blog, I found Maples […]
When I asked Cathie last month if she would be willing to share her moving experiences for this blog, I had no idea what a saga it would become. She certainly didn’t either. Today’s post is part 3 of the story; part 4 will be coming your way in a day or two; and the final chapter has yet to be written. We both thank you for your interest in this story. If you are […]
Earlier this week, I introduced you to Cathie, my soon-to-be neighbor. She shared the complicated story of her preparations to move from Abilene, Texas, to Woodstock. You can find that post here. Today, Cathie updates us on her walk through of her new Portico home and upcoming closing. Again, I’ll let her tell the story herself. ••• Well, I have some great news and some horrible news. First, the good news. On Memorial Day my […]
It was looking like Cathie had made it through the hardest part of the home buying process without a hitch. Using online research, she had chosen Maples at the Sonatas as her new community. Also online, she had decided on a Portico home, which was available here, and had communicated with our sales consultant, Carol. In early April, Cathie flew in from Abilene, Texas, where she and her husband are currently living, to look at […]
Today’s post is another in a series of stories detailing how my neighbors found their way to Maples at the Sonatas. In 2009, retired librarians Joe and Sylvia were happy with their living situation. Their primary home was a townhome in Hoffman Estates, and they also owned a vacation home on a lake in Wisconsin. That March, they took a trip to Tucson, Ariz., and fell in love with the area and the climate. One […]
After I wrote my first post on how I came to buy my home, some of my neighbors began sharing their experiences with me. I soon realized there is a good story behind almost all of our purchases. From time to time, I plan to share their stories with you. Here are the first two. First, we have Art and Lynn, the couple I wrote about in an earlier post. Lynn remembers their many, many […]
Home Sweet Abbey 