Highways and Fairways

Final Good Bye

Ah geez, at least I hope this is the final. I thought my post on November 28th, wrapping up 13 months and 21 days of club shopping from coast to coast, was the end. But boom, the house sold, and back to the Winnebago we went. After all of those months of searching for the home and community that is perfect for us (not for everyone but for us) we thought Tucson would be nirvana and subsequently programmed the GPS for southern Arizona. After a month there and frazzling at least two realtors, we went on to check out Anthem. Why Anthem? Thanks to one of those frazzled realtors in Tucson who offered a sweet deal on a home in Marana because the seller was desperate to get to Anthem, we decided we must see this community that had been donned the number one master planned community in the US. As well it was the 2010 Club Corp club of the year.

At first we were amazed by the amount of home you can get for the money. Then we played their two courses, and wow. What is wrong with this place? OK so it's hot in the summer--the price you pay to be able to golf throughout the winter. We can do hot (we think). We then met a couple of former members who soured us on the place enough for us to put the Winnie in D and head to Palm Springs, CA. So then we spent time checking out PGA West and Mission Hills. We almost bought a short sale in La Quinta. I am so over life in a 40 foot shoebox on wheels that I will put an offer on anything! Mike convinces me to hold out and first check out various spots in San Diego. I like the idea of being close to my mom so I agree. We waste more realtors' time looking at a couple of clubs (Stoneridge and LaCosta) and adjoining real estate. Ugh... For a lot more than the cost of an Anthem home we can get a vintage 1970 home with the same shag carpet of that era. We meet with my old boss who helps us navigate the short sale process so perhaps we can swing a deal in San Diego. But do you know what? We were FREEEEEZING every single day we spent in San Diego.

At the end of the day we decided we want warmth and to stay retired (you just can't do that and live in San Diego) more than anything else. We headed east yet again, back to Tucson. We were again just about to write an offer on a FSBO at Tucson National when Mike urges me to give Anthem another try. Perhaps the ex members we met were the anomaly? More importantly, perhaps we can be masters of our own fate and have fun and make friends in this small town 30 miles north of Phoenix? We've done it everywhere we go, so back to Anthem we went.

We arrived on a Wednesday, made an offer on a recently listed home on Thursday, and joined the club on Friday. We have already met quite a few new friends, joined some fun clubs within a club (wine, hiking, motorcycle), played with the men's and women's leagues, and purchased a used golf cart. Peanut has met his new vet and has been shoe shopping (the pavement is really hot here). We won't be doing the shoes but our new home is already equipped with a doggy door and fake grass so he will be just fine.

We have learned that days begin early here...4:30am when the sun comes up and end around 8:00pm. I can do that. Mike? We'll see. He's not exactly a morning person. We have already attended club events like Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, Prime Rib Saturday, Friday Happy Hour, the final Ladies League luncheon (half the folks leave here come June),and the last Wino's party until the Fall. So far we think our decision was the right one. At the Ladies luncheon there was a line of low handicaps wanting to meet me. How great is that? I will have to find the weather warriors who will be here through the summer to play with me. Soon enough.

It's all good. We are killing time until escrow closes on the home (June 13th). We met with an RV consignment dealer so we can hopefully get this thing that we've called home for the better part of two years sold soon. The only RV park near Anthem is a 55 and older only resort. We are not allowed to stay more than two weeks at their park without a valid ID showing we are at least 55. Can you believe we need fake ID's to get into a trailer park?? The nice thing about the Anthem Golf and Country Club is that it is part of Club Corp so we can travel and play other incredible courses (like Quail Hollow!!! in Charlotte, Seven Canyons in Sedona, Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, and MANY others). We won't make it to Charlotte this month but we will have some fun while we wait for escrow to close.

We have had quite the journey...met wonderful new friends while reconnecting with old friends from all over the country. We lost a family member (Pepper) and came close to losing each other. This long in a motorhome is tough on any relationship. Seeing the golden halo of the light at the end of the tunnel is truly a magical sensation.

We both thank you for following our national escapades as we searched from Key West to San Diego for the perfect golf community and all of the fun (and pain) we've had along the way. If we can ever help anyone in the future, we are but an email away. peanut_rosenfeld@hotmail.com

Peace out!

Juanita and Mike

For Sale: 2009 Winnebago Tour

In the words of our king, Elvis, "And now, the end is near..." We have reached a final decision and are under contract on a home in Anthem, AZ. For those of you following the blog, you may recall that we initially ruled out this community due to gossip we'd heard from former members. There was also the tidbit that Anthem was penned the Swingers Capital of the World by Oprah. But after 18 months of checking out everywhere from Key West to San Diego, working closely with a spreadsheet and a calculator we just couldn't say no to Anthem. Meeting our requirement for two challenging courses, trail fee, and reasonable membership dues, when the home we wanted came on the market at a terrific price we were done. We spent one evening walking Peanut through our new neighborhood knocking on doors and meeting our new neighbors. We asked if they have loud parties or if they will call the police on ours and were met with laughter and welcomes to the neighborhood.

After eliminating clubs for everything from snootiness to bugginess (as in noseeums and mosquitos) we are finally home or soon to be. Yesterday we officially joined the country club and played our first round as a member. Greens were tough to read and it's easy to lose balls in the vast desert but we are excited by our new home courses. We'll play the other course today and in the Couples golf event tomorrow. We have so much to do to get ready for our big move but at the moment I want to make up for lost time on the links. Last night we spent time with members at their weekly Friday Happy Hour which includes a live band. I was welcomed into the Ladies League as well as one of the traveling teams (the more active of the two) and Mike was welcomed into the Wine and Motorcycle Clubs (two different clubs). We learned that this is the place many young retirees (like us) come as they are weaning themselves off of their occupation, so there are many folks our age. We left a little tipsy and a lot relieved about our decision for our new home. Great fun people and there is as much or as little to do as we want.

We also learned that the Swingers haven't all left town. Several still meet on the outdoor patio dance floor on Fridays and exchange car keys. Did we enter a time machine taking us back to the 70's?

We close escrow on June 13th thus officially ending this now 20 month journey. I hope to post one more time when this blog site is again functioning properly (unable to download photos of our new digs).

We are so appreciative to those who have hung in there with us through this home search and golf extravaganza. But seriously, we do have a beautiful and gently used motor home for sale!!