Contrary to the creative posting by certain smart ass assistants, we’re not completely wrapped up in house issues. We’re also working on Kate 10.
A lot of you emailed and asked us when we are moving, where we are moving, and so on.
Austin is a big sprawling city that’s only getting bigger and it keeps gobbling up the smaller municipalities on its way. It has serious traffic problems, crime problems, etc. We don’t live in Austin proper, but in one of the smaller suburb towns up north. There are several problems with our current town, not the least of which is allergies. The area has experienced an explosive growth and while that brings benefits – Costco, Whole Foods, World Market, etc – it also brings problems. The traffic is murder. It takes forever to clear the town in rush hour. We just got into a car accident, where an Austin Community College student crossed three lanes of traffic and hit our car. The crime rate in our once-little suburb has also gone up quite a bit due to influx of people, and our police department isn’t super awesome. When a Texas Ranger publicly admits that he would be scared to be arrested in our town, it’s not a good sign. I’ll take Austin PD over our locals any day. House prices are up too. To give you an idea, our house was appraised at 100K higher than we bought it for. Some of it is due to the improvements we made, but a lot of it is the rising home prices. Land is difficult to find, unless you go really far out, and we can’t do satellite internet. We just can’t.
We moved to the area for the schools, but now the girls have graduated. We are done and ready to move.
The original plan was to move to Florida, but we moved away from it for several reasons. First, and most important, the girls are not quite ready for us to be several states away. We need to be within driving distance. They need the ability to come home if things don’t work out for whatever reason.
Second, the recent hurricanes made us rethink the house on the water. We were moving to Florida for the beach and we still would like to do that down the road. But at this point, we would end up with 3 dogs and 3 cats. If we had to evacuate, evacuating 6 animals would be very difficult. I don’t know of any hotel that would take us. Some of our friends, who didn’t evacuate, lost power for 5 days. I don’t know what we would do in 100 degree heat for 5 days with two bulldogs. And, due to the nature of our work, we often have to be available for events online. We also have to travel. If we are on tour or at a convention, and a hurricane hits the kennel where the dogs and cats are, that would be a bit of a nightmare. As morbid as it sounds, we have to wait until we have less animals to take care of, so we are more mobile. Ideally, I’d like to be down to two dogs and a maybe a cat.
We decided that we want a bit more land, which around our suburb is at a premium. At least an acre. We want a larger house, so we can use some of the rooms for a dedicated office and possibly a library and a craft room. Even if it’s the size of a closet, I still want a little craft room for my yarn. We want a quiet street, away from too much traffic win an area where we can get cable internet. And we want all of this to be within driving range of the kids.
We’re moving to San Marcos, Texas.
It’s a cute college town roughly halfway between Austin and San Antonio. When people describe it, they sometimes say that it’s what Austin used to be like before it started really growing. Because it has Texas State University, the town is prone to college kid problems, such as petty crime etc., and it’s a larger city, so we are not getting that much better in terms of crime, but we are getting a quieter neighborhood, 2 acres of land, and a ridiculously French house. I swear, that place looks like it popped out of a movie. When our agent saw the pictures, she communicated only in French with us for the whole day. We’ve been calling it the Chateau. We had seen a ton of very standard Texas Suburb Mansions, and they were all gorgeous, but there is just something about this unusual house that all of us instantly loved.
The Chateau is older, it’s been on the market for the better part of the year, and it definitely needs some work, but we love it. It has the potential for a garden in the back and it comes with a tiny apartment, which one of the kids could use if they choose to move with us and possibly attend TSU. The subdivision is very quiet. It opens to I-35, which means that all of the conveniences are readily available. I know people rag on the box stores, but I’m one of those people who likes to have the brand stores nearby. If I break my keyboard, I want to be able to pop out to Best Buy and get a new one in under an hour. San Marcos also has a ridiculously huge outlet mall, so bonus.
My husband also felt compelled to point out that my favorite yarn store is only 25 minutes away from the house and there is a second yarn store, only 26 minutes away in the other direction. Two yarn stores. Of course, after we buy the house, I may not be able to afford yarn for a bit, but that’s okay. My stash is massive as is.
The area is very beautiful. San Marcos has San Marcos and Blanco rivers, parks, biking trails, and it is lovely.
We will be close to our kids, we won’t have to give up our friends, and we still will be in Texas, which is also a bonus. There are a lot of good things about Texas, including HEB and sensible roads, but the best are the Texas people, who come together in a time of crisis. I don’t agree with the state’s politics and some things frustrate me, but overall, this is home, at least for now. Keeping our fingers crossed that we can successfully close on the house and nothing goes wrong. 🙂
One of my nephews lives in San Marcos. He and his family love it. New braunfels is a great place to live. He teaches at TSU, writes books at the college. It’s not what you guys write, but they’re fun to read. You will love it there, lots of meat things to do and see. Great places to eat. Enjoy.
How exciting 🙂 congrats on finding a perfect chateau, and you’ll be that much closer to Schlitterbahn 😛
It’s great!
It looks like a lovely place
Kisses from Spain
¡Es genial!
Parece un sitio encantador.
Besos desde España
I am glad you found a place in Texas. My family’s roots are in Bell County. I have lived there and enjoy visiting. I like the San Marcos area even more, laid back. My live and love are anchored in the far West of the State. Too dry for most, too different from the rest of the State. HEB and Bucees won’t move here, too tied to the further West.
I love that you consider HEB to be a pro. Because it soooooo is. ?
So sorry, but as a non-Texan (and non-American to boot) I don’t have a clue as to what HEB is. Can you please clarify?
HEB is Orro’s favorite grocery store. 🙂
Oh yes, it is. I haven’t lived in Texas in years, but I desperately with I had HEB everywhere I move to.
I am moving to South Dakota next month, even further away from HEB than I am now. 🙁 But the promotion at work will be worth it for a few years in the cold. Then maybe I can get back down to Texas.
Congrats on the house, San Marcos is a nice area. Or at least it was the last time I was there, about 15 years ago. 🙂
My NY friend moved back home after a decade or so in TX and she says the thing she misses the most about Texas is HEB 😛
It’s a lovely Texas based grocery chain, more south Texas but it’s moving up into north Texas in recent years.
I adore HEB. Born in Minnesota moved to Texas. Take winter seriously. Blizzards can kill. Keep a winter car kit from September till spring. Kitty litter, shovel, large and small trash bags, rope, empty metal coffee can with dry soup and beverages, candles, matches (melt snow) and mugs. So happy to live in Texas.
I used to live in South Dakota. I miss the Black Hills so much. Beautiful, lots of hiking.
I was back there last weekend for the Custer State Park buffalo roundup. Wonderful fall colors, and lots of wildlife, and people riding horses.
As a proud Texan and former Austinite, I’m very happy for you. We left Austin for many of the same reasons about 5 years ago. Work led us to Charlottesville, VA which has been wonderful for us (recent events aside). San Marcos is a great area and I know you and Gordon will be happy there. When our family eventually makes it’s way back to the motherland, San Marcos is one of the areas we’ll be considering as well.
I love San Marcos! My Dad was born there just after the turn of the century. Many of his relatives settled that town. I am excited that you guys are staying in Texas. I totally understand how you feel about HEB. It played a big part in my decision to leave Austin for Bastrop several years ago.
I noticed that. Bastrop doesn’t have an HEB.
Best of luck getting it all sorted out as painlessly as possible, it sounds lovely. What’s HEB?
I’ll bet anything, after a year, your craft room will be stuffed full and you will be planning to spread into one of the larger rooms. It just seems to always go that way! I started out with what we call in the UK a box room (ie not big enough really to get a single bed in) and somehow it ended with an extension being added to the house!
I’ve just discovered diamond painting, have you tried? It’s great for blanking the mind and relaxing. Unlike knitting which can make me shake with frustration.
Tell us more of this painting ???
Hi Damietta
It’s like painting by numbers but with diamantes, so you get a numbered coloured picture, which is sticky and all the different coloured stones you need, plus a tool to pick up the stones and a little tray that has grooves in it that help keep the stones the right way up – which quite frankly is the best bit of crafting kit I have come across in the last 10 years! They come in various sizes and designs, you can get a decent sized one for about £5 here, so that must be under $10? They sell them on Amazon. The repetitious movement and lack of thought needed is actually great in getting a stressed mind to relax – plus pretty sparklies!
Also, HEB is a Texas-based chain of grocery stores … And more. They were started by Mr H. E. Butts, and Texans love those stores more than the Longhorn.
http://www.HEB.com
Sending positive thoughts and wishes for closing in the Chateau! San Marcos sounds like the best place for you at this time for all of the reasons you gave!! Hope it all works out smoothly for you. TWO yarn shops!! Heaven! ? Glad to hear that amongst all else you are continuing work on Kate 10. As a Kate (and Inn Keeper) junkie, I am eagerly awaiting my next fix!! Keep the snippets coming! ?
Me too!
Oh my gosh! This is so exciting! I grew up in Texas and San Marcos is so beautiful. So happy for you, Ilona and Gordon. Sometimes I tell my husband that my goal is to be as accomplished as you one day. You should be very proud of your accomplishments. ?
Congratulations on the new house, and my most sincere sympathies on the flip side, the dreaded MOVE.
Yeah, I know, I’m harshin’ the buzz….sorry.
So! Looks like I will have to pull out my spinning wheel, and make something special for a housewarming. To that end, I have two questions:
1) Ilona, are you allergic to any fiber?
2) Have you ever worked with handspun yarn?
1) No.
2) Yes.
3) You know we won’t accept any gifts. 🙂
Grrrr….
Hmmmmm.
Does new house share the same policy?
It sounds lovely. Good for you.
Wasn’t San Marcos recently designated as one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.? Not to be an asshole Canadian, but I found the recurring references to crime and bad policing to be odd. We actually do never lock our doors where I live and there is no police presence in our town. Have to drive twenty minutes to find a police station. Are those things really that big a factor for you? I kind of figured that what we get on the news up here about that sort of thing in the U.S. was heavily weighted towards the extreme examples, for the drama. Sounds like it is closer to actual reality than I assumed.
https://spotcrime.com/tx/cedar+park
Now that is a scary crime plot, for what used to be considered a quite safe area.
It is. It’s kind of ridiculous, actually.
Heather, you didn’t ask me but I have to respond. I have lived in/near Cincinnati all my life. Even in the suburbs I lock the doors just to go grab something out of the car – and it is parked right in front of the house! Especially around the Christmas holidays…I’m in a gated community and theft is a real problem in December. Right now I have a 40 minute (minimum) commute to/from work, so I’m moving back into the city proper, very near the University where I work (4 or 5 minute commute!). I grew up across the street from where my new place will be and have always loved this neighborhood…it is home! The difference is that I will have a secure garage (that is fully fenced in) and will feel safe walking to/from my car day or night. However, it is a lovely neighborhood that is wonderful to walk in during daylight hours. But I will still keep my doors locked at all times! 🙂 The concept of leaving doors unlocked is like a pleasant dream to me. Please enjoy this delightful freedom. I hope you always feel safe doing this. 🙂
My son is transferring and reupping for three more years so I’ll be here in Virginia by myself. They are house hunting where they want to “retire” so he will be commuting two hours a day. OMG housing is sky high there, $200,000+ for a 600 square foot home. When I move in a year or two it may be to an alley and a cardboard box. On the upside they got asking price for the house, two offers, and it sold in less than a week but it is in move-in condition so good for them. I’m going to miss having them close but they have to make decisions that work for them and since I’m an adult I’ll just suck it up and deal with it.
Happy to hear you found a place you love and look forward to living in. Sympathy for all the sorting and picking through stuff that is in your future, amazing what you find though!
Yay, I am so glad y’all are staying in Tejas. I enjoy San Marcos and have never heard anyone speak ill of it. Y’all are only 45 minutes from me so I will enjoy that thought. ? Another advantage living there is the ease of visting my atea of San Antonio. Come see The Pearl. It is lots of fun and The Twig bookstore is there.
Congrats! My husband and I just went through a lot of the same – sold our old house, have been house hunting for something with more land, and finally just put in an offer on a place and are hoping all proceeds smoothly. I’ll keep you in my thoughts as you guys go through it all at the same time! Exciting but a bit stressful, to say the least…
Alas, my favorite eatery in San Marcos, the Tolkien themed Rivendell, has been closed for some years. Or I’d totally recommend it. 🙂
We love San Marcos! We’re just fifteen minutes north in a smaller town. I hit said outlet mall more than I should. Welcome to the county!
There is a yarn store in San Marcus? I know of the one in Gruene. My friend works at the coffee ship in the same market, complex, thingy.
There is one in Gruene and one in Wimberley.
San Antonio has some, too. Check out Yarnivore. The yarn selection is incredible, and the staff are both highly knowledgeable and very helpful.
http://yarnivoresa.net/
Best of luck with closing, moving, etc. I am glad you were able to find a place you love that satisfied most of the criteria you set; it’s always stressful going through the process but if you find the right place it’s worth it!
Congrats! I hope everything goes smoothly on both the buying and selling ends for you guys. We just closed on a house we were selling and the stress relief of knowing it is finished is great:) The new city sounds lovely!
Congrats on the house! 😀 If you guys are keen to wakeboard, you’ll be right near Texas Ski Ranch. Super fun!
I lived in Houston 30 years ago and would go camping and canoeing in San Marcos. Really enjoyed it there. Enjoy your new community
Priorities, please: the HOUSE for the stash and various cleverly designed closets and outbuildings for everyone and everything else!
Congratulations on finding a new home. I hope all the sales in both directions go smoothly and quickly!
Congrats on finding a home that sounds beautiful. My husband and I are still hunting for our perfect house but with two kids, two horses, two dogs and two cats, I think we should be going for an Ark instead of property!
Congrats and good luck to you. I’m SO HAPPY you aren’t moving to Florida right now. I just had a bad feeling when you first mentioned it. I have friends to love San Marcos. The Chateau sounds delightful. I’m moving in four weeks (gulp). Packing is a pain. I will save about 80 minutes a day in commute time (usually spent wasting gas and listening to books on tape!) Alas, I won’t have a dedicated craft room, but I can hide all my art supplies in a nice large laundry room (right now they are in book cases in the living room)…so it will all be much better. Best wishes.
The house sounds enchanting, good luck with the legal bits ?
Would be lovely to see pics when it’s all yours, maybe a new storyline could come out of it?
I suppose I may be the only reader on the list this is exciting for, but San Marcos is also the location of the ‘Body Ranch’ (following the naming scheme begun with the ‘Body Farm’)….
I’m very happy for your family. I pray that everything you need aligns at the perfect moment. I hope your NEW HOME is everything that gives you profound contentment. I know I don’t know you but I have great affection for all. Thank you for the pleasure your books give me.
I grew up as an army brat and travelled all over, but inevitably we’d end up back in TX. I graduated from a HS in Killeen, TX and couldn’t wait to move far away from there. I’ve travelled a lot more since then and have had quite a few houses but no real home. Now, that I’m older (hopefully wiser too) and my kids are growing up, TX has been calling me back. When my family and I are finally ready to settle, TX is where we want to end up. I love all those towns like San Marcos, you have convenience and space. Good luck with the move (always a pain) and I hope you guys are happy in your Chateau (lovely ring to it).
Good luck. Fingers crossed you get the place!!
When we bought our house here in Southern California, we looked for over a year. Everything looked the same and I swear some of these homes built in the 70’s were designed during experimental drug trips. Then we happened upon an “unusual house” that looked like it had been transplanted from Connecticut (we are from the east coast) and we snapped it up. Our realtor nearly fainted when we finally said we actually wanted to buy. It’s worth it to wait for the right one.
Enjoy the new home. It sounds amazing. 🙂
That’s exciting! Hope things work out well for you. I have a friends who visits San Marcos regularly and loves it out there.
Sooooo happy you decided to stay in Texas! I agree that San Marcos is lovely. Is there less cedar there, or do your allergies originate elsewhere? Asking because I’m allergic to it.
Nope, cedar goes from San Antonio up towards Dallas. The pollen can travel 500 miles and Ash Juniper trees known as Mountain Cedar produce more pollen than just about any other tree.
I’m so happy for you!
Congratulations on finding a home that you will enjoy, along with 2 yarn shops. Hope you are able to get it and move soon.
So glad you’ve found a great new home. And hoping all parties involved recovered from the auto accident without permanent trauma…
It sounds like a wonderful and lovely place as well as a great home adventure. Thank you for sharing so much!!
My husband and I moved to Adkins (SE of San Antonio) for the exact reasons you describe. 5 acres within 15 miles of San Antonio – have our horses at home (big grin) in an Arts and Crafts style home. We’re never moving 🙂
Taqueria La Fonda, just off 35 and 123.
They’re open 5 am to 2pm. Go there and buy an al pastor super taco. Trust me, I went to college in San Marcos.
That is lovely.
All of the reasons you listed; the time and thoughtfulness that you put towards your decision makes this a high five for the type of people you are.
And you are a great sales rep for San Marcos, Texas!
I think that “smaller suburb towns” is a repetitive redundancy. ? I like CP- but I don’t live there.