And so the journey moves on...

Well, finally lowered the price of the house. Took away our cash at closing incentive though, so not losing any really money on the deal. Check it out all you frigid northerners and wayward vagabonds. Nice place to call home year round or perhaps just in those chilly winter months. Imagine a great house to share with friends and relatives over the holidays and school breaks. lounging in the pool, daiquiries flowing, aaaah. That's the life. Why leave you ask? I'm not cut out for the southwest life. I hate tex mex food. I don't bike. Or jog. Or Hike. But enough about the desert. Let's talk Eastern Seaboard.

See once this white elephant sells, we are off to the Blues of the Atlantic. Previously, in our last episode, we reviewed New York. Aaaah. New York. My home. Who says you can't go home? I do. After seeing the price tag. So throw another dart on the board and google zoom into the Eastern Shores of Delaware. Where low and behold, we found a whole community devoted to the Beach, my personal favorite, and... ta da... tennis. Sea Colony. Bethany Beach. Yep. Good stuff.

But then it seems we developed a hankering for Maine. Southern Maine. York County. Land of Doug's ancestors. Funny thing. Throw a dart anywhere in New England and you'll find a town founded by one of his ggggggggg grandparents.

So maybe Biddeford. Has a nice ring doesn't it? Biddeford...just rolls off the tongue. Beautiful Coastal town with all the elements we desire.

Nice Downtown? Ehr Yup. Recreation? Ehr Yup. House that fits our incredibly high standards?

well, let's see. Yup. Walk to public tennis courts? yup. Even found a place with Tennis AND ice skating within walking distance.

Cold? ehr, yup. Maybe just a bit too cold for too long says my mother. She doesn't think we can handle Maine. Maybe she's right. But some of the houses I've found are just perfect. They've got charm and character and fireplaces and screened porches and ponds in the backyard. Plus the taxes are pretty low. And the high schools are pretty good. But now she's got me thinking my blood's so thin from being a desert rat I won't be able to cope. And who's gonna shovel the driveway? Chop the wood? And the North Atlantic isn't exactly warm weather swimming on white sandy beaches in the summer. But then again, not really a beach bunny. I just want the ocean breeze on a warm summer night. 

So Maine may not be perfect. But it has definitely made it through the qualifying round.

So if you're mapping along...
Destination #1: New York: Hudson Valley area or Eastern North Shore of the Island. Maybe Catskills. Maybe none of the above since you pay as much in taxes as you do for the house. But excellent educational opportunities for Melissa. Close to the City. And Close to my oldest friend. That's some powerful motivation.

Destination #2: we've got Bethany Beach, Delaware. Tons of tennis, affordable homes, milder climate, on the ocean, great boardwalk town and taxes so low you can pay with your kids' allowance money. On the flip side, schools not so hot and miles from anywhere. And if you've been following along, you know we are moving primarily for the school situation. Then again, we're in Arizona. Any school is better than here.

Destination #3: Biddeford Maine Several tennis centers within a short drive, and public outdoor courts all over the place. Affordable homes. Reasonable taxes. Nice town. Easy drives to Boston and family and friends...and more importantly, easy drive to see Emily in Vermont. Schools are OK. A little on the cold side. Ok. Really cold in the winter. We don't have any warm clothes. Do flip flops freeze in the winter?

Stay tuned. The perfect homesite is just a blog or two or three away.