Thursday, October 22, 2009

Update From Apache Junction

Well folks...we did it. We found a place here in Apache Junction, Arizona to be our Winter home/studio. We had heard about great HUD home deals and low foreclosed homes for sale, but when we saw that we would have to put a lot of work into them and be in a neighborhood that did not look all that safe to leave unattended for months at a time while we travel, we decided to look at other options.
We next investigated Park Models in RV Resort Parks. Boy oh boy, are those park models small. The bedroom is smaller than the bedroom we have in our fifth wheel and there is barely space to turn around unless there is an Arizona room added on. And the prices are not cheap. And there are tenant rights issues as well.
So we inquired into manufactured home resort parks. OK, senior mobile home parks for you sticklers. However, there are several types and we found a home in a park that includes all of the amenities that the RV Resort had. Our park is called Rancho Mirage and it has a heated pool, spa, workout room, tennis courts, small golf course, shuffleboard, activities, and so on. For us, one of the important things it had to offer, was security. It is gated and we will be able to leave in the summer and not worry about break ins. It is a double wide with 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths, so we have lots of room to pursue our projects and have guests visit as well. The kitchen had all new appliances and included a laundry room and breakfast nook. There is a small enclosed back yard for the dogs where we intend to add a lemon tree to join the orange and tangerine trees already established. And there is an attached shed/shop for our bicycles. We decided to decorate in "Early Ikea" and have used the dining area as a living room.
One of the biggest reasons that we chose this particular home is that it had a window with north facing light and a skylight above it for the area which will be our studio. We will be getting some professional easels sometime next week and hope to start painting very soon. The alcove at the far end of this room will be a workroom for framing. It will also have storage shelving for holding frames, portfolios, mats, and all of our art books. As you can see from this photo, there is probably another trip to Ikea in our future.
p.s. A side benefit to finding a winter home was relieving our rv of about 500 pounds of weight at least. We will be zooming down the roads now that we are not carrying all of those books and art supplies everywhere.

No comments:

Post a Comment