Florence, AZ -October 20 - 24, 2009
Susan & Bill Get a Home Base
We bought a home at the Del Webb Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch development in Florence, AZ, about 45 miles southeast of Phoenix. It is being constructed to our specifications and will be completed in early February 2010. Was this a hasty decision? Not really. Are we giving up our wandering ways? Absolutely not. So how did all of this come about?
When we started this 'Cool Journey' in 2004 we planned to be on the road for three years before looking for another home and settling down. We have now been traveling for over five years.
Unlike many full time travelers we did not establish a home base to which we returned every year to spend a season among familiar faces and surroundings. The longest we stayed in one location was six weeks and we rarely returned to the same park twice. Consequently, we were starting to feel a loss of community... we were a bit too detached. This sense of disconnection had been slowly growing over time, but when we volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity build in May 2009 and met a wonderful group of fellow volunteers our need for community became clear to us.
From May to October 2009 we discussed our situation and where and how to establish a home base. There were many issues to address - How long would we stay each year? During which seasons? Is this a long or short-term commitment? What amenities do we want? What regional needs (west coast, east coast, close to sourdough french bread, etc.) do we have? Do we buy, lease or rent? Are we looking for a home or an RV resort? After making a list of all our requirements and reaching an agreement on the most important requirements, we narrowed our options.
But why Florence, Arizona?
To explain we must roll the clock back to the summer of 2008 when we met our now good friends Claudia and George at Umpqua Golf and RV Resort in Oregon. They had just purchased a home in Del Webb Sun City, Florence and were very happy with their choice. Although we had no idea where Florence was located, we were familiar with the Del Webb concept. In March 2009, we visited George and Claudia at their home and they took us for a tour of the facilities. We were very impressed. The place was beautiful and clearly offered a pleasant lifestyle, but at that time the idea that we would ever call this remote desert community home didn't cross our minds. No, no, we would never move there. Yeah, right.
Fast forward to September 2009 when we connected with Claudia and George again in Boston. As mentioned above, in May 2009 we began discussing the possibility of a home base. Hmmm... we remembered Claudia and George's place in Florence and the mental wheels started turning. Could a home in the Del Webb development be right for us? Would this remote development seemingly in the middle of nowhere have enough to offer for us? We discussed the possibilities, scoured the Del Webb website and the community blogs, and talked with sales representatives. We discovered they were offering a few attractive incentives and, if we chose to buy, they would pay for our flight and the rental cost of staying in one of the Del Webb villas. We decided to take a chance and fly to Phoenix - if nothing else we would get reacquainted with the sun, which sounded very enticing.
At a hideously early hour on October 20th we caught a flight out of Norfolk, Virginia bound for Phoenix, Arizona. After landing and picking up a rental car we found our way to the Del Webb development in Florence. Upon arriving at the front desk we noticed a prominently displayed sign with our names on it welcoming us. Nice touch. We were led to our villa, which was to be our home for the next four days. Our villa was the Jubilance model and included the use of an electric golf cart during our stay. After living in less than 350 sq. ft. for five years, this 1,400 sq. ft. villa felt like a palace.
We spent a couple of days exploring the community, touring the models and using the facilities, including an amazing gym/exercise mecca with massive windows overlooking the golf course and the mountains beyond. We stopped people randomly on the street and in the gym to ask them how they liked the community and if they were happy with their decision. We asked if they were pleased with the construction and if the builder was responsive to issues. The folks were very friendly and responses were consistently positive. No, they were more than positive. These people were ALL shameless shills for Del Webb. They told us they were extremely happy with the development... even those that had bought their homes at a much higher price several years earlier.
On day three we met with Lorie, the sales representative. She showed us what was available and we selected a corner lot that provides a limited view of a park and Superstition Mountain in the distance. We had already determined that the Newport model with a European elevation was our favorite, so we were pleased to find that the lot had already been permitted for this exact model. After a brief deliberation, we made the commitment.
That afternoon we met with the design consultant to select tile, carpet, counters and cabinets. Later that day Claudia and George returned from their six-month RV excursion and we joined them in the evening to celebrate our momentous event. It was wonderful to have friends with which to share our excitement.
We were too wound up to sleep, so on day four we were up before dawn and on our empty lot waiting for the sunrise. We wanted to get a feeling for how the sun would hit the house and the views in the morning light. We chatted with some of our new neighbors and early risers walking their dogs. We talked with a landscaper and construction folks reporting to work. We walked around the neighborhood and through the park, and finally back to our villa. Later that morning we continued the purchasing process with Lorie and signed a bazillion documents. Viola! We were once again homeowners
We spent the rest of the day continuing our exploration of the community, talking with residents and sharing ideas. We revisited the Newport model. We sat in the great room imagining how we would furnish and decorate our new home, and anticipating this new phase of our lives. Finally, the Del Webb folks had to ask us to leave so they could lock up the model go home! That evening we bade good-bye to Claudia and George, and in the morning at another ridiculously early hour we flew back to Norfolk to continue our roaming ways.
It was a whirlwind trip filled with major decisions and excitement. We returned to the East Coast with no regrets, just anticipation. We knew we would continue traveling six months of the year, but this home would allow us to be part of a community, establish long lasting relationships, and invite our friends from around the country to visit in a comfortable environment.
Our home will be completed in late January, however, we won't return to Arizona until early March. In March we will contract for the landscaping, specialized interior painting and window treatments, then leave before it gets unbearably hot. We will return the following October, a full year after purchase, to actually take up residence.
Of course, at that time we won't have a stick of furniture, no dishes, pots, pans, utensils, linens or tools. The only things we kept from our former home are sports equipment, books, art and crystal. We have a job ahead of us. A wonderful, fun-filled, exciting job.
