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A Week of R & R

June 29th, 2008 at 04:15 pm

Today we woke up in beautiful, scenic Idaho. DH and I made the 12-hour drive yesterday, although we usually fly. We’ve owned our second home in ID, where my two DDs live, since 2006. We’re grateful that DD2 and SIL keep an eye on the house for us since their home is nearby. During the growing season, they mow a small patch of lawn in the front and back. Everything else is automated (sprinklers, heating/cooling, lights). SIL and DD2 do a great job as caretakers and best of all, they do it willingly. We’ll be here about a week, and then drive back to our main home in CA to get ready for our NYC trip.

We love the slower, more relaxed pace here… not to mention it’s more affordable, especially food, gas, and utilities. There’s an abundance of outdoor activities and cultural events, so we never run out of fun things to do. Most importantly, we are near family and that is why we chose this location. In about 5-6 years (maybe less), the plan is to sell our townhouse in CA and relocate permanently to this lovely state. The move will depend on when DH decides to retire from the university teaching job he loves.

Our Idaho home has an appealing “Craftsman cottage” feel to it… it is one-story with high ceilings, shutters on the windows, lots of natural light, low maintenance landscaping, and a garage you access from an alleyway in the back. It is located in a family-oriented, safe neighborhood where every house is unique in a design that must adhere to the CCRs (e.g., 1400 sq. ft. minimum, rock/brick on façade, one or two large trees on front lawn, etc.). There is a small park and a greenbelt nearby. Our house is one of the smallest in the subdivision, but we like its compact footprint and lower-cost maintenance.

This is the first house we’ve ever owned that no one’s lived in before us, and it was affordable enough that we were able to pay for it in cash. The monthly upkeep including property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and utilities, has been consistently under $400 a month. Of course, utilities are low right now because the house is vacant about 85% of the time… and we know these will increase once we live here year round. But, we’ll also save money because Idaho gives a great homeowner’s tax credit that will lower our property taxes when we make it our primary residence and are able to claim the exemption.

Here are some of our "neighbors" enjoying the green belt.



1 Responses to “A Week of R & R”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1214775148

    Sounds wonderful!

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