MASS Exodus: The Final Chapter

"Our house is a very very fine house
With one cat in the yard,
Life used to be so hard
Now every thing is easy, 'cause of you"
-Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

After arriving in Las Cruces on Tuesday evening, we set to work on the next part of our dream.we began the search for housing. We began right away on Wednesday morning by going to a over 55 gated community where some of our friends live.

We drove around the neighborhood for a while and ended up getting together with a realtor who we later learned was 75 years old. I swear I would have guessed 55 except for his toupee. We explained what we were looking for and found out there were a number of houses there on the market. Within a few minutes we were on Sable Circle looking at three different units. They were all nice but none of them caught our fancy. As we prepared to leave our realtor told us about two other units on this circle, a newer one, and a brand new one.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and we spent most of the day with our friends. Saturday morning, bright and early we were back looking at several more units. We saw one on a corner that was going to need some work, something we are not up to. The next home was newer, built in 2007, and in very good shape. There was a carport, covered porch front and back and it had a ramp. We entered through the back door and walked through a laundry room into the house. This is where I fell in love with the place. There was a bright dining area, a spacious kitchen with excellent appliances, an island and pass through to the living room. A formal dining room was next in a very open floor plan that was connected to the living room.

The bedrooms are split with master on one side with a great master bath -  garden tub, stall shower and there is a huge walk in closet, at least 10 feet long.on the other side of the house were the other two bedrooms and second bath. As we left I knew this was the place for us although Mrsfabp was a bit less enthusiastic about it although she had trouble expressing why. We then toured a new unit that was "cosy" which is realtor code for cramped. The bedrooms were all small, the colors too modern and there was a big warning sign about formaldehyde in the insulation causing some people to have an allergic reaction. Within five minutes of entering the house, Mrsfabp's eyes were watering and we were out of there.. 

We went to our friends house and asked them to come take a look at it with us. They did and loved unit too. We talked and decided to make an offer. Unfortunately, there were several other people looking at this particular place. It had only been listed for one day and at least four people had looked at it already. We put in a bid for it and after some negotiation, had a deal and a place to live in Las Cruces. We were with our friends when we got the news and celebrated with some fine local wine and a great shrimp salad dinner. Special thanks to Clair and Bill for their help, guidance, support and friendship. 

So, that"s it. Our dream has become a reality and the next two weeks will be a rush of planning, unpacking, and unwinding. Retirement has arrived. Our new address? 1051 Sable Circle, Las Cruces, NM 88001 . We have 2 spare bedrooms so feel free to come out to visit, to feel the warmth of the sun and dry crystal clear air. Oh, take a look at the mountains too.


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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"

Good friends, good food, good times!

The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !