Help Us Find Our Next New Home! My Great American Community Contest!

My husband and I find ourselves in a very unique and somewhat unusual situation. We have two daughters, ages 21 and 18. The youngest has just headed off to Blacksburg to begin her freshman year at Virginia Tech; three days away from home, and she's now a Hokie for life! Our older daughter attends our local community college full time and is still finding 'her place in the world'. Our house is for sale, we own next to nothing on it. We have absolutely no ties to our small, southern New Jersey town any longer. After fifteen years in a truly beautiful home, on a two plus acre lot with a gorgeous pool, we are ready to move on - in more ways than one.

Our neighborhood here is quite small: only 30 homes, all of them situated on one plus acre lots. Over the years, we made friends with so many of our neighbors - nearly all of whom have themselves moved on once their children graduated from high school. Actually, of the thirty homes in our secluded area, six of them, including ours, are for sale! The time has come!

While we once thought we'd be living the dream in northern Florida, we now know that that probably isn't going to happen. Hubby didn't like the idea of nearly all gated communities, plus many of the homes we had looked at - and fell in love with at the time - were in 'family' neighborhoods, with kids then the same ages as ours. What we did love was the wonderful weather, the sunny nature of the people who lived there, and the fact that Florida seemed to be pretty much the "Welcome, new neighbor!" state, almost as if Northern transplants were as common as gators!

We don't want to be too far away from the state of Virginia, as our ties will be there for at least the next four years, if not longer. (Younger daughter is dropping heavy hints about perhaps getting her Master's there as well.) We are, frankly, at a loss: where do we go?

We're originally from the wonderful state of Maryland. We had always thought we'd end up back there. But as time went on, a lot of our friends in the great neighborhood from which we'd moved moved themselves - to Florida, to South Carolina, to North Carolina, as their own children grew up, married, got jobs, had children. We have virtually no family left there, either. The only reason to move back to Anne Arundel County would be a sense of familiarity; the things that made Severna Park a great place to raise a family no longer hold any meaning to us. We don't want to be surrounded by younger families just starting out, or raising young children. We've done that, been there.

I know nothing about the state of Virginia, or the state of Delaware. South Carolina? Nada. North Carolina? Nope. The West Coast holds no appeal whatsoever to my husband, and hence to me.

I had been badly injured in a boating accident eight years ago, which resulted in a permanent disability involving Titanium rods, metal cages and a fairly impressive scar on my back. I live for the warm weather, so much so that twice a year, my pain therapist here in Jersey dutifully writes out a script: "Mrs. Ivylilly would greatly benefit from an overall health perspective by relocating to a warmer climate due to the permanent disabilities sustained on May 11, 2000. It is my personal and professional recommendation that her overall health will be greatly improved by moving to a warmer, more temperate climate." Actually, every time I make my semi-monthly visits to his office, he continues to marvel that we still live in New Jersey. (I'm beginning to do more than 'marvel' myself.)

Where would be the best place for us to move? Older daughter is coming with us; I have the distinct feeling that she'll be with us for a number of years in the future. We don't want to live in a tiny town; we've lived in a bedroom community of Philadelphia for over a decade now as it is. We're not particularly inclined to play tennis or golf, but we all love being on and near the water! Boating, even as difficult as it can be in New Jersey, has always been one of our most favorite activities individually and as a family. We don't want to live in a community where we're the oldest people there; neither do we want to live in a '55 and up' community.

We're tired of paying to maintain nearly three acres of property. We're tired of pool maintenance. We're tired of having to pay our fabulous cleaning lady to keep up with a lovely family home that's 4,000 square feet, of which 2500 are barely, if ever, now used.

Help! Is there anyone out in the world of Associated Content who can suggest an area - a state - a town or neighborhood that we might like? We're in our late (very late!) 50's, and hope not to have to move again. Anyone who can 'win' the contest of finding us our next new home will have my undying, eternal gratitude, and perhaps much more. Realtors, this is your chance to 'sell' your state and your town!

Find this little family a new set of digs - please!