There is such a thing as too much house. It’s nice to have a home that is easy to maintain, comfortable, full of natural light, in a neighborhood like they used to be with cull de sacs, picket fences, old fashioned homes with porches and screened doors. The only difference in Calico Meadows is these “old fashioned “ homes come with modern amenities, underground utilities and city water and sewer.

People are realizing that the big house and big yard are too much. Lets get back to the basics!

In an article on “Where America Lives (TM)”, several people shared their views on downsizing. The Sloans were coming home late from work and never seeing the kids. And what for? A guest room that was never used and a massive backyard they had to take care of. So, they sold their five bedroom home and settled for a smaller home. With out the expenses of their “monster mortgage”, the wife can afford to work fewer hours.

The Collins, both in their sixties, traded their 2,800-square-foot home for an 1,800-square-foot home. They left behind three extra bedrooms and a yard that required lots of mowing and raking. “It was a pretty lot and woodsy-and too much for Jack and I to take care of,” says Martha. “The kids were gone. It was time to move.” She only misses the old house when grandchildren visit: Now the smaller home becomes a “great big pajama party!” The ease of upkeep, however, makes up for the occasional crowding. Now they can walk to shops, dinner.....and also at Calico Meadows, two blocks to the Blanco River!

The Daly’s were fed up with their spacious cookie-cutter home with home owners’ associations extreme restrictions. They moved to a smaller home in a smaller neighborhood. “We gave up a third garage bay, some closet space and a formal living room we never used, “ the wife said. “But now we have a nice backyard and the kids like playing outside here, riding bikes on the street and playing in the yard”

The Hovels of Minnesota traded in their “ballroom and five porches” for a modest home in the suburb. “We streamlined our life Philosophically,” says Debra, stepmother to three teenage girls. “Instead of all those formal rooms, we now have one big room that’s incredibly flexible. “

Sarah Susanka, an architect and author of “The Not So Big House”, says the trend toward downsizing is no big surprise: “Once we get our brains out of square footage and into the things that matter, we realize that size in not where the sense of home resides”