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It might sound strange, but we never thought we would want a house.  Apartment living was always something we felt content with and thought we’d happy with for years to come.  Maybe we never felt settled, maybe we didn’t want the commitment, maybe the dream of traveling often was too appealing (well, it still is)…whatever it was, it wasn’t something that was part of “the plan” for us. As time goes on, and we feel more and more comfortable here in Arizona, it becomes more clear to us how much we really love it here and want to make it our permanent home. Coming from New York, the appeal was how extremely different our way of life would be in Arizona and how cheap real estate is, was an added bonus.  Both of those are still true, but its remarkable how less expensive real estate is in community homes and new builds vs. older homes.  It seems with newer homes you get a lot more for your money. Sounds weird, right? Don’t get us wrong, custom homes can obviously cost you a pretty penny, but we have been more drawn to the older 1930s-midcentury homes in Phoenix. The charm has completely sucked us in and apparently we’re not alone, because they’re selling like hotcakes! Over the last few months we’ve seen a few dozen homes. We’ve been actively looking, but nothing has really spoken to us. The one or two that did were sold just hours after us seeing them, giving us little time to discuss anything or let it all soak in. It’s so strange, because its one of the biggest investments of your life…you should be thinking everything through and not be impulsive, yet if you don’t strike while the iron is hot it can just slip away. We’re still on the hunt! One of the things that surprised us the most about these older homes is just how big the yards are. We’ve seen some that are completely decked out (fire pits, crazy tile, even a spot to park your airstream) to some that are literally dirt lots in the back (a blank slate for whatever your heart may yearn for).  It got us thinking about all the possibilities and dreaming of the perfect outdoor space. Here’s a few from Pinterest that we’re loving…

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