Why would we want to leave our home in Westlake and move to a condo in Downtown Austin?

I guess this is really the first question most people ask. We tend to answer differently depending on who asks. But the primary reasons are the same.

Our house has outgrown us. With our oldest daughter, Alyssa, going off to college, we no longer need a 4700 square foot, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3 car garage home on an acre, for a family of 3 plus an old Jack Russell Terrier (Dexter) and Beta named 'Jenny' (Jen for short). In reality, we never actually 'needed' such a big home.

So why don't we just move to a smaller home? Truth be told, we are ready to stop maintaining a house, and just "live." As Americans, we spend so much time, effort and money maintaining and improving our homes. In some ways, we are a slave to them. Just this week, we've had visits from the pool, lawn, pest and AC service companies. If you stop and factor in how much time and money you spend fixing, adjusting, changing, improving, decorating and redecorating your home, you will quickly realize that it has taken over a large portion of your personal time and disposable income.

Our generation seems to correlate success with the size and quality of our homes and cars, without stopping to consider how wasteful we are on our planet's resources. The amount of energy it takes to heat, cool and irrigate a luxury home is insane. As Americans, we all need to start thinking about the natural resources we are consuming so our children can enjoy the same quality of life that we enjoy today. We believe that living in an appropriately sized space, with high efficiency systems, no lawn to water, and less furniture to buy is a very sustainable lifestyle.

Another huge reason for moving to Downtown Austin is the lifestyle our vibrant city offers. We are avid fans of the Town Lake Hike and Bike trail, Zilker Park, Barton Springs, Whole Foods, The Children's Museum, The Long Center, The Paramont Theater, and too many restaurants and live music venues to list. We already find ourselves driving downtown 2 or 3 times a week, but being close enough to walk to the places we frequent will be a huge improvement.

We are especially looking forward to being mere steps away from the Hike and Bike Trail. It really is the crown jewel of Austin, and we feel blessed to live here everytime we get to use it. Our daughter, Avery, is old enough to ride her bike around the trail, and on beautiful days all she wants to do is ride around Town Lake, play at Zilker Park, get a snow cone, and eat lunch at Whole Foods. All of her favorite things will be right outside our door.

Will we miss our spacious, private, luxurious home? Probably, sometimes. Will we miss it enough to regret our decision? That remains to be seen. In our view, life is all about experiences, and living in the suburbs we feel like we are missing out on so many opportunities to experience a more healthy, simple, sustainable, and culturally enriched lifestyle.

We will cover some of the other reasons for our move in future posts. If you have any thoughts to share, we would love to hear from you.

Why are we moving to Downtown Austin?

Everytime we tell someone we are leaving our amazing home in Westlake, we get the same reaction. A puzzled look, along with comments like:

• "Are you crazy!"
• "Why would you want to do that?"
• "What about your kids? Where will they go to school?"
• "Why would you leave Eanes ISD?"
  
• "What are you going to do with all your stuff?"
• "Don't you need a yard?"
• "What about your dog?"
• "Have you sold your house yet?"
• "Is there even anyone looking at luxury homes?"
• "How did you choose the Spring Towers?"
• "Is anyone even buying condos downtown? Aren't they overbuilt?"
  

Some of these questions are easier to answer than others. I'll start with the first one, and we'll cover the others as time allows.