Look at that duct work! My husband got so excited pointing out the silver tubing snaking behind the interior wall framing in our Sante Fe home project. I tried to get excited. I did. But I’m looking forward to the sexier stuff to appear..like our wall tile in stormy mist. And the massive, limestone wrapped fireplace. I’m also looking forward to dwelling in it.

It’s coming..I just have to be patient. You see this is house build number two. In less than five years. The first one was completed in Goodyear, AZ early 2022. Gorgeous result, enjoyed it for a year, until the desert heat kicked our asses and we had to say adios. Prior to that, we owned homes in Hilton Head, Boston, Philly, and rented apartments prior to that in Princeton. With each move, we proclaimed, this is it! Never moving again.

Read the about section on this blog and you see where this is going..

A reasonable couple would have stopped this relo/remodel/sell/build/rent fire drill about six moves ago. But that would have left us in a fixer-upper somewhere on the east coast in jobs that had run their course and a snow shovel by the front door. So move we have. No regrets. I’m a firm believer that one road leads to another and another. Just follow the detour signs and see what’s at the end of it.

Which is what landed us in Santa Fe. With scorching temps pushing us out of Arizona, I refused to be more than a day’s drive from mama. I’d never been to Santa Fe and assumed it was similar to Phoenix. But my husband insisted we check it out. A week spent strolling through the historic Plaza and relishing in the 80 degree August temps convinced us. This is our next, and final home.

Let’s build!

After deciding to list our AZ house, I scrolled Zillow for our future Santa Fe home. Landed on a newly built, Parade of Homes winner south of town. Jackpot! The photos checked every box. Alas, the location did not. But the builders were on site and showed us a perfect lot in another neighborhood the next day to build our very own dream home. Loved everything about it, except the length of time it would take to build. But after scrolling Zillow again for alternatives, I knew. We had to build. There really was no other choice..

Seek out a rental. And pick one that doesn’t suck.

Kamikaze birds and fragile indoor plants

When you go from dirt to dwelling, there’s renting. And our past few experiences have been pretty colorful. The last house we built landed us in two rentals. The first with glass sliding doors that attracted suicide birds on a daily basis. A springtime bunny breeding bonanza had me constantly rescuing newborns nearing the pool with a colander. The second rental felt like a concrete bunker. This time in an apartment on the first floor. Because why bother with stairs with all that furniture to move two months later.

At the moment, we are in a giant house that feels like a mausoleum. So much tile. And so many indoor plants. Not a problem, but I decided to bring home a puppy from the animal rescue I volunteer at. And he really likes plants and dirt. I’m hoping when the lease is up the leaves will outgrow the chew marks.

Is the bathtub in the entry way?

With each new home comes unloading a previous one. In some cases we’ve simply ended a lease. Or had a quick sale, like the Arizona house we just sold. The buyers waived an inspection and paid cash. Not so simple was unloading our last Boston home. It too was new construction, though not overseen by us. We bought it spec, and assumed all was dandy until my husband decided to take a bath – the first time in this house, mind you – two days before the buyers were to perform an inspection. I came home from teaching yoga, and noticed water leaking from the ceiling in the entry. Uh…wtf??

Rallied a local plumber who discovered a faulty valve on the tub. Damn good thing you called me, lady..it coulda landed in the entry, he said. It all got remedied, and we moved to Hilton Head next. Into another house we swore would be our last. It wasn’t, but as with every move, we are certain that this time..

This house will be our last. And we are thrilled!