Searching, patience, and something found...

As many of you know, I've always wanted land of my own, someplace you could turn around and see only your woods, your meadows, your barns and fences...the only eyes staring back, a couple of horses and the occasional fox or deer.

Over the years, Jenny has joined me in that wish, though maybe not as permanent, just someplace to escape to, but not too far from the interesting hustle of metropolitan DC.  So, I went from daydreaming at rolling hills and barns out the car window on the rare foray into the Shenandoahs, to internet land searches in earnest, trying to find the sweet spot of far enough away from DC but not too far, affordable but not the money pit.  It was a bit frustrating, the nation in a real estate crunch and I'm looking at a listing of a run down 1920's farm house 2 hours from DC on 8 acres next to power lines, for $500,000?!?  Really?  With my focus having been out to the west of us in Virginia, Jenny one day said, what about Lake Anna?  Having heard of it but never looking there, I dragged my real estate website-enslaved mouse down the satellite map and there she was!

A 20 acre parcel of raw land, in a lake-access development with community dock,  astream down one property line, half woods, half open (though it is heavy scrub after being clear cut pine), it actually met 9 of my 10 feature requirements, and a reasonable 1.5 hours south of McLean.  Here's the satellite view of the parcel:

We purchased the land and set about finding a builder.  We interviewed several, and finally met Matt Benes, our project manager.  His vision was definitely in-line with ours, and he had some encouraging ideas for bringing the house alive within our limited budget.  Matt drew up some starting idea plans and we worked them back and forth, till we had it about right.  Then permits, then construction loan financing, actually thankful that all the red tape took us past the incredible heat and humidity.