PROFESSIONAL HOUSE HUNTERS.........
Who doesn't love "House Hunters".....you get to sit back and see inside people's homes....you get to see different style houses in different parts of the country and the best part......how the houses are decorated.....It's virtual house shopping......Well me and the Boss have turned this into an art...
Not by choice......it has just happened....
We live in Atlanta but as everyone knows we would love to move back to the "Motherland"
New Jersey
We know.....who would want to actually move to N.J. but as you also know that's where daughter and Miss B reside.....
We have been looking at homes for years now......some of you know why we haven't made the move yet and it's just too wacky for the rest of you to understand....
Let's just say it's a timing thing.......
Anyhoo.....everytime we visit Jersey we like to see what's on the market and we are very lucky to have a wonderful realtor who knows the situation and is perfectly fine with spending a day showing us the latest offerings.....
Here are some of the homes we saw last week.....
This lovely colonial actually sits backwards on the lot....this is the back of the house.
This lovely colonial actually sits backwards on the lot....this is the back of the house. 
This is what you see street side....who wouldn't love a house with a white picket fence....
an outdated pine paneled den but look at that hand painted ceiling....
a beautiful stenciled kitchen floor but again the kitchen was very outdated...
This house was very cool and was built in 1830....unfortunately it sits next to a canal and the surrounding area floods.
The family room was fabulous....the colors of coral and turquoise were very unexpected in such an old house.....The furnishings were straight out of a magazine.....It was beautiful.
great old beams and a brick floor in the dining room.....
bookcases everywhere.....and lots of nooks and crannies
The master bedroom was gorgeous....You can't see the true color of the paneled walls but it was the most beautiful color green I have ever seen.......behind the paneled walls were closets and the master bathroom....
Our tastes run the gamut of styles like this contemporary but it was a bit too modern for our taste.....Very large at probably 4,000 sq. ft. it was a mess on the inside.....these homeowners have no idea how to stage a house for sale....Heck, the toilet seats were up! There were clothes thrown all over and dirty dishes in the sink.....
A farmhouse C1810. 
back of the house....there was also a huge old barn on the property
beautiful dining room with a magnificent fireplace....I liked how they had the table on an angle...On the table was an antique glass greenhouse...
the family room
at another angle....if you look close you can the see the miniature buildings up over the door frame on the left side of the picture...
a view of the other side of the room.....they also had a large collection of old circus wagons and little rooms under glass....
Garden art!!
The bathroom had the walls decoupaged with Alice and Wonderland characters....
I thought this was very clever.....only problem...the toilet and sink was lilac
Husband loved this house but as I pointed out....take out all the owners "stuff" which go perfectly in the house and what are you going to have.....
A sign of the times...... 
but it was nicely maintained inside....
Ofcourse there is always a day trip to the Jersey shore.... 
from behind.....those are triple outdoor showers to the left
It has great curb appeal
looking from the kitchen into the living area....
The family room was fabulous....the colors of coral and turquoise were very unexpected in such an old house.....The furnishings were straight out of a magazine.....It was beautiful.
great old beams and a brick floor in the dining room.....
bookcases everywhere.....and lots of nooks and crannies
The master bedroom was gorgeous....You can't see the true color of the paneled walls but it was the most beautiful color green I have ever seen.......behind the paneled walls were closets and the master bathroom....
Our tastes run the gamut of styles like this contemporary but it was a bit too modern for our taste.....Very large at probably 4,000 sq. ft. it was a mess on the inside.....these homeowners have no idea how to stage a house for sale....Heck, the toilet seats were up! There were clothes thrown all over and dirty dishes in the sink.....
A farmhouse C1810.Very interesting house and the Boss' favorite of the bunch....
the homeowners are artists and collectors.....the house was filled with antique toys and miniature glass houses and miniature statues over every door frame and window.....the Statue of Liberty....Eiffel Tower....the Empire State building....you get the picture....
back of the house....there was also a huge old barn on the property
beautiful dining room with a magnificent fireplace....I liked how they had the table on an angle...On the table was an antique glass greenhouse...
the family room
at another angle....if you look close you can the see the miniature buildings up over the door frame on the left side of the picture...
a view of the other side of the room.....they also had a large collection of old circus wagons and little rooms under glass.... 
Garden art!!
The bathroom had the walls decoupaged with Alice and Wonderland characters....
I thought this was very clever.....only problem...the toilet and sink was lilac
Husband loved this house but as I pointed out....take out all the owners "stuff" which go perfectly in the house and what are you going to have.....just a very old house.....a bit hard to decorate....
A sign of the times......this house was being sold at a loss.....
the neighborhood was really nice....the house....just a house.
but it was nicely maintained inside.... 
Ofcourse there is always a day trip to the Jersey shore....We love this house....
What's not to love...
with 5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths it also has 5 decks.....
with 5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths it also has 5 decks.....
from behind.....those are triple outdoor showers to the left 
It has great curb appeal 
looking from the kitchen into the living area....This is the only new construction we looked at
Not a very big kitchen but pretty none the less...I would have to have a pot rack installed...
Not a very big kitchen but pretty none the less...I would have to have a pot rack installed...Gotta have my pot rack...
Here's the view out the front.....That's the Atlantic about a block away....
View from the master bedrooms deck....that's the bay beyond the house that sits behind it...
The Upper most deck
a view from another deck....
see the closet on the left......No closet..... 
although you cannot launch a boat from here you do get access to the bay from a walkway between the two houses that sit on the lots behind you.
Here's the view out the front.....That's the Atlantic about a block away....
View from the master bedrooms deck....that's the bay beyond the house that sits behind it...
The Upper most deck
a view from another deck....
see the closet on the left......No closet.....ELEVATOR!!
it doesn't get any better then that......Hey, were hitting 60....how handy would an elevator be!
This happens to be very common in this area....I suppose because it is becoming a big retirement area....
This happens to be very common in this area....I suppose because it is becoming a big retirement area....
although you cannot launch a boat from here you do get access to the bay from a walkway between the two houses that sit on the lots behind you.I hope you enjoyed our little House Hunters Tour.....
and hopefully you all be getting a little card in the mail soon that says
"WE'VE MOVED"
Comments
:-) Susan
Kristin
Come back to NJ! As they say in Brooklyn, what's not to like? :-)
GREAT post, I was lost in some of those old-house interiors, and I really loved the exterior of that first white colonial. Fantastic. When we (finally) get around to painting That Old House, I am holding out for white! --Cass
And don't tell your daughter -- but Sunday at the VNA sale is "bag day" -- you fill a BAG for one flat price. I had to miss that -- my younger daughter had a voice recital. What nerve. :-P
Cass
House hunting is fun. In fact I LOVE moving...
Hugs,
Penny
I love old houses, but there's something to be said about not moving in on anyone else's dirt.
Happy looking.
Could you look up closer to the Lincoln Tunnel so you dont have an excuse not to come visit me
I fully understand you wanting to be in Jersey. And what is wrong with Jersey? I love the Eastern seaboard.
Please let me know if/when you move! I am so excited for you! This is such a great time for you...
And with all of these choices (and more) you cannot go wrong!!
Love,
Sue
Ooooo, I love looking at houses (I love moving too and fixing up). My favorite has to be the farmhouse. Love it!
Now you have me curious as to "why" you haven't moved...hmmmm Those houses look great and I love the one The Boss likes. Did you like any of them? You sound like me and my hubby when we were looking in Alabama a few weeks ago, we are all over the place on what kind of house and how large. I guess it just depends what is out there for the price. I know how you feel about wanting to be closer to your family, I hate that we are moving further away after getting our army family over here to the east coast.
Cheri
Cheers,
Sue.
Blessings,
Spencer
I'm not sure I'd want to clean a big five bedroom house, but it would be fun to have all that room after living in my small Brooklyn house all these years.
I posted small Denver cottages on my blog tonight...they'd look like little garages next to these homes, but I'd gladly live in any one of them to be near my grandson. I do know how you miss Miss Sophie!
Where on the Jersey Shore is that grand house...LBI?