We Bought a House

Well it's almost a year to the day since we moved to Utah. When we moved out we figured, we'll give it a year, get acclimated, be sure we like it, and then figure out where we want to buy. Apparently that's exactly what happened. Our apartment in Midvale has served us well. Close to the mountains and the city, we've enjoyed a spacious, comfortable apartment with a killer view. But for all its conveniences, we lacked the sense of permanence we desire. After considering neighborhoods from south Salt Lake to Oakley, we focused on budget, location, and practicality. Our new townhouse fits all of those requirements. And after a 45 day "not so typical" real estate ordeal, we closed escrow and can officially call it "ours". We apologize if anyone feels out of the loop, as we tried not to jinx the deal by telling everyone.

Our House (...is a very very very fine house...) is in Heber City, a small rural valley town 15 minutes southeast of Park City, where we both work and do a majority of our playing as well. It's a 3-story townhouse with an attached garage and a relatively large fenced in yard. It has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Sarah is particularly excited to have a bathroom all to herself as our morning "routines" often compete. The neighborhood is a newly constructed suburban oasis amidst honest-to-God cattle farms and breathtaking Wasatch and Uinta Mountain vistas. Heber boasts 1 grocery store, a couple gas stations, and the most happening bowling alley this side of The Great Lebowski.

Not only will our new commute be less than half it's current length, but rather than drive the congested Parley's Canyon stretch of I-80 every day, we now drive on the more civil and luxurious route 40. Instead of driving 9 miles up a 6° grade mountain pass at breakneck speeds while jockeying for position between lurching semis commandeering 2 of 3 lanes at 20 mph and big-boy, flag-waving pickups roaring up the hill at 90 mph — we'll be enjoying a casual stroll through farmlands, mountain lakes, and green, rolling hills, far from the hazy inversion of the Salt Lake Valley. And coincidently, when The Sundance Film Festival comes roaring into town like Puff Daddy on a parade float, we'll be able to skip the nonsensical red-carpet bottleneck at Kimball Junction and sneak into Park City via "the back door".

Our new home is "cozy". 1500 square feet divided between 3 floors. The warm burgundy entry way may be the only area that doesn't see a coat of paint right away. The former "artist in residence" had a different vision for color and design. He also had 4 kids and a trampoline (read "Utah swimming pool") and a swing set in the back yard. The back yard is enclosed by a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence, perfect for the dogs. And since our townhouse is an "end unit" the yard actually wraps around the side of the house, doubling the size. The second floor kitchen is well laid out, including a permanent center island and (soon to be) hardwood floor. A half-bath separates the kitchen/dining room from the sunny living room with gas fireplace. The upstairs has two symmetrical bedrooms with ample (not abundant) closet space and two bathrooms. the guest room has a clear view of spectacular Mount Timpanogas, home of Robert Redford's Sundance Resort. Fittingly, our first guest in that room is a lifelong Robert Redford fan.

We're very excited about this stage of adulthood. It still seems unreal to us. But we have many plans for the place. Suddenly we're excited about mowing a lawn, because it's ours. We'll be planting our own trees and gardens. We'll build out the second floor deck (with the experience help of Sarah's dad, of course). We'll have a place to clean and maintain our bikes! Our garage will most likely never see a car for all the "projects" that will go on in there.

Anyway, feel free to come on out for a housewarming. We're at:
488 W. Inverness Ln.
Heber City, UT 84032