See?

I love my home location facing a preserve and the river, its very large windows to enjoy the views from almost everywhere in the house and the dock which is constant source of amusement for my dogs

My huge arch over my snack bar which sits between my living room and kitchen. It opens up my rooms and is the first thing visitors see when they come into my home. Very impressive, my builder strongly questioned it but did a magnificent job putting it in. Love it!

@susan148: That is amazing! Where in heaven's name do you live?!

@tvctoronto Believe it or not, 40 miles from Manhattan in New Jersey-the northwestern corner of the state. Not everyone lives off an exit of the NJ Turnpike.

Sounds like you are by Sussex County or Warren. It's beautiful country there...in the Garden State :)

For a home built in the early 80's, the floor plan is open, especially in the gathering areas - kitchen, living room, big basement. We moved here just as our kids were entering toddlerhood - the open plan allows us to evolve with the family dynamic, we just create new furniture groupings, use colors, paint, lighting, textures to designate areas, and make it work for us.

Denita-Close. northwest Morris County

My pretty little kitchen, my backyard and deck.

Location. We are a five minute walk from everywhere and at the same time we have a big backyard. Our two young kids love to explore the woods. (You can see the start of our playhouse in the corner.)

Location. Small, quiet, adults only building on a hill overlooking a golf course and a view of Lake Ontario.

I love that it has lots of windows-and high ceilings. Living room has 3 full-length windows on each side. And out the back, you see the lake.

And the clerestory windows above the living room windows, so I can see the sky above me.

My homes best feature is all the windows that run the length of the house on the side facing our yard. I fell in love with the home after seeing all the light that comes in and the beautiful view of the yard. I appreciate it every day.

Two words: Windows! Loft! I was smitten with the eyebrow windows that allow me to watch the clouds float by during the day and the bright stars at night. Then there is the upstairs loft. Something romantic about it. I found that the loft is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter to actually spend much time up there. But I still love the idea of it.

@susan148, wow..that bear is something:) I get to see deers almost daily , but not bears. While I like to see the deers, I have a problem with them when it comes to my tulips in my front yard. We fenced in our backyard (I need my garden:)) I also like the sunsets I get to see from my kitchen

If we ever finish remolding..my entire house. ;)

9' high ceilings with 4' high windows in our basement and vaulted ceiling in the kitchen-great room!

wow... this thread is like lifestyles of the rich and famous. I love my haeted pool and my plants. The pool was 90 to 100 degrees all summer from may til oct. Its a 38 foot lap pool with a gazebo at the shallow end for privacy. I always feel like I am entering a different world when I step out the back door on a hot day and into the soothing water with pulsating jets of hot water while I look at the palm trees and roses and listen to the birds. I love the reflection of the sun on the water and the amazing pattern of the waves.

Michele1975...I agree. Three years ago, we were fortunate to buy our small well-built condo on Cape Cod within one block of our town's Main Street. We love it and are thankful each day to be here and HERE.

designideas4me: I'm so envious. And just look at that water. I always said if I put in a pool, it would have to be a lap-swimming pool-- though that temperature sounds a bit steamy for serious lap swimming. I'm thinking you're spending a lot of time at the shallow end of the pool under that gazebo. :)

Dianahb, thanks for your comment, between you and us, our crime free town's at a secret location on Aotearoa ... just don't tell anyone.... : )

Love some of these homes. So blessed. Love the deer at your door. Priceless. They run behind my fence in my yard and my dog tries to chase them . I live across from a state park. Great for biking etc. fireworks for holidays. Great schools, low to no crime. I love my Kitchen. I just can"t say this is my dream home and neither can my husband. I can say I am happy to own a home as so many around us have lost million dollar homes economy etc. My dream home would be ocean view, bay view, or huge lot. None of which I have. I am grateful for what I have. I just long for my dream at times But don't alot of us.

I love a lot of things about our home, a typical 1962 ranch which had been remodeled recently, but what reeled me in was the curb appeal, curved driveway, butterfly trees, lilac tree, bulbs, orange and lemon tree in front yard were blooming....total assault on the senses. Then when I finally saw the back yard, with the cherry and apple trees, rose and lilac bushes, dogwood, etc. I was in love. My husband (who wanted a condo) said "If you want the yard you take care of it." So I do, I actually love to garden, have re-done portions of both front and back, planted over a thousand more bulbs, started edging out the grass with blue star creeper, but my very favorite part is when I refuse to let him help .... that's because he only wants to help if it involves power tools.

The fact that it was a 99% original, unmolested 1916 craftsman bungalow. All the original lighting, glass doorknobs with brass escutcheons, the original wavy glass windows & unpainted woodwork & original wood floors. I saw that porch & fell in love!!

The outside pic was shortly after I purchased. The yard looks so different these days!

bungalowmo....awesome home...craftsman homes are jewels, and you didn't even have to remove layers of paint from the woodwork...truly had some good luck finding it!

Thanks, rosecafe, and for the additional photos. That is truly stunning. I've never been to NZ (?)-- but hope to get there one day. (And you can trust me; I won't mention the whereabouts to anyone.) :)

And bungalowmo-- you were amazingly fortunate. I can't believe someone had the smarts and good taste to leave that beautiful home intact-- almost unheard of these days. That's always been my favorite style house. Beautiful.

Thanks gypsyrose and dianahb!! I knew as soon as I saw it, it was the one for me. Just over 1300 sq ft. 2 bedrooms & bath upstairs, down is LR, DR Kit, office plus a big basement. Double lot & they built the house right in the center. In an Historic Virginia town & I can walk to almost anything.

7 years later & I still love it! Few more shots. (I need new photos bad!)
First Christmas, dining room (still have table, got other chairs), Maggie Moo with a bee on the back steps & Sweetie Pie in the flower bed!

Favorite feature is location...rural, 5 minutes from work, great neighbors and 6 acres of woods:)

Reading all of the comments and pictures about nature reminded me of something! My townhouse building backs up to a 6 acre private property. This time of year, I often see deer at dusk walking behind my house!

Diana..LOL... thanks for the comment. Yes you are so right. I love to swim late at night when the sun isnt in my eyes and I can look up at the stars. I let it cool down to 85 to 90 when I feel like swimming more than basking in the Ja-poozzi

We checked it out because of location and floor plan, but fell in love with a view - here is a picture of winter, summer and autumn

I love that it reflects me and makes me smile every time I walk through it.

It wasn't love at first sight. After a year of looking for our first home it was what we could afford and it met my one requirement...a fireplace...plus 3 more to boot! Twenty years later we are still living in our 1300 square foot starter home. I have come to appreciate the all stone facade (low maintenance), access to amenities, schools and proximity to a nature trail. We have remodeled the kitchen and the one bathroom. When I get frustrated with the lack of a master bedroom and on suite, the little closets, small rooms and the other limitations I sometimes scour the house-for-sale ads. Then I discover how few homes have 4 fireplaces and a kitchen and bath created especially for my taste and I start to fall in love with my little 50s ranch.

What beautiful homes and views and yards! What I like most about my house is the veranda. This is where I go Spring through Fall, with a book and a glass of or cup of. I live in a neighborhood where everyone walks their dogs. And you might not know your neighbors name but you know their dogs name. So I get to visit with people as they walk by. And they sometimes come up on the porch for a ice tea. It don't get no better.

The view from the deck.

Backs up to preserved open space..no neighbors!! : D

It's the view. My husband chose this lot in '96 and assured me that we would would be fine because I'm the conservative one and felt the price was very steep - and it was.
He chose the most beautiful lot in the development, and we began to dream about building and we did in '03. This is a second home, so just waiting for Spring, want to see the Redbuds in bloom, catch up with the neighbors, say "hello" to Fred, our catfish that lives under the dock and relax and watch the sailboats. We're lucky enough to be across from a small marina. You know what they say, " if you're lucky enough to live at the lake, you're lucky enough!

There are a lot of reasons why I love our home. Our yard, however, is the main reason we decided to purchase it. We share a private drive with one other home but because of the way our house is angled on our lot our yard is very private. It's almost an acre and it backs up to a park so no neighbors behind us. We love it.

Love that grobby! :)

It was affordable, it was owner carry, and it was available. It had a few features we found out weren't... but. It WAS free and clear until the joist issue showed up but we'll survive and get it back to what we want and need again.

I love my entry. Opens up to French doors that look through to the backyard. I love to see my roses in the backyard when I come home.

I love my backyard...you go to the deck through French doors to the deck...from there you can reach the brick patio via to descending stair cases....then turn to the right down three wide steps to our pool which has about twenty floating toys in it....and you are able to sit in an area which is all Adirondack furniture. The pool is surrounded with maintenance free trees, vines, grasses, etc. We eat on the deck....but can seat at different tables an easy 16.

The view.

We bought our vacation rental house for two reasons the wall of windows and the huge deck that they look onto. I know I chose two favorites - sometimes it hard to pic just one favorite. :)

The original woodwork from 1890

From my 12th floor condo, I can see for miles out over the city. Glorious sunsets, rainbows and on the 4th of July I can see 4 fireworks displays from various locations in the city.

The top reason would be the layout/floorplan. The front is symmetrical, but when you walk past the foyer, the majority of the house is set on diagonal lines. Very few of the rooms are perfect rectagles all other rooms have an angled wall or offset. We loved this type of layout as all of the other houses we looked at had predictable rectangular floor plans. We also love the large windows throughout, 10/12 ft ceilings, covered patio, large backyard, the fact that it is 4 beds/3 baths all on one floor, and that the master is on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen, family rm and all other bedrooms. We bought this house because it was a foreclosure (no carpet, wild paint colors, no kitchen cabinet doors, no light fixtures) and is more house than we would have been able to afford otherwise. It was a diamond in the rough and continues to be a work in progress, but that is the fun part! We just finished a diy kitchen remodel and started another bathroom remodel this week!

Owner carry; large large lot, small greenhouse, carport, garage of sorts. We needed a place to land, we could swing this. No huge crushing soulsucking crater-debt of a mortgage. A few years, it's ours. Absolutely great little town, a gem.

It was all ours until the joists failed in Dec, I have three years of paying off the finance package but. I will end up with a place more suited to me. Is it my dream, no. Is it what I'm making it? Yes.

Fantasy Houzz this will never be, but it is and will be, home. That's the important part, it's home. It's mine, it's home. Me, my hubby, my furrkids, my finnies.

This kitchen is beautiful! It is exactly like I want mine to look. Thanks for making my vision come true! I have been drawing it and trying to explain it to my carpenter/cabinet maker and here it is for him to see what it will look like when finished. Yippee!