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JIM AND DOROTHY GARCIA
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Age: Jim (61) Dorothy (57)
Married: 36 years
Employment: Jim: Carpenter Dorothy: Secretary at a university
Children: All grown, two grandchildren
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o you have any hobbies?
Dorothy: We like to read, travel.
Jim: Golfing, and I like to get even more exercise by walking instead of using a golf cart. I participate in golfing fund-raisers every so often.
Do you travel a lot?
We get away at least once a year. We love cruises and have been to the Caribbean, Alaska and Mexico a couple of times. We like to go on weekend trips to the coast, but to the quiet areas — we don’t like a lot of crowds. We go to Vegas once every year or so, just to walk around, shop, and visit different restaurants and bars with our friends.
Do you entertain a lot?
Not much. We’re very private people; our family’s very close and we just like to have a few friends over at a time. We have our kids and their families over every few weeks. We have a few close friends who come over once in a while. We prefer smaller groups.
click on image to enlarge
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BACKYARD STATS
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• Access: Two side gates — one 8-foot-wide double gate, one 4-foot-wide gate.
• Setback/easements: None in backyard.
• Size of backyard: L-shaped. Side yard measures 52 by 12 feet; main backyard measures 30 by 75 feet. [Side yard to be left alone, for storage; measures 52 by 12 feet.]
• Back wall: 8-1/2 feet tall.
• Direction of prevailing wind: Northwest to southeast.
• Elevations: Flat yard.
• Drainage: Water flows away from the house.
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How do you want to use your spa, swim spa or aboveground pool?
We’re looking for a lot of things: We want to have some quiet time together in the evenings. Jim’s bones are starting to bother him a little, so the heat would be nice. And we want to get some exercise.
We also want to use it when we have the family over. It would be nice to get a nice deck, and we could lounge around at night and maybe barbecue.
What time of day do you expect to use the pool the most?
If we use it during the week, it would be in the evening. On weekends and during the summer, though, we could be using it all day.
Do you want a barbecue or other backyard items?
We’d like to see what kind of layout we could get.
Do you have any safety concerns? How old are your grandchildren?
They’re 4 and 6, so we definitely need to do something to keep them safe.
What’s your favorite thing about the home architecture?
It’s a pretty ordinary tract home, we know. But we like the trim on the front and the white slatted arbors in the backyard. The arbor covering the main patio is pretty old, so we’ll be replacing it soon to look more like the smaller one.
What do you like about your backyard?
Not much, really. It’s pretty empty, and the dogs have dug it up a lot. We like the brick planters and the covered patios. We’ll be putting more plants in.
Right now, when you spend time in the backyard, where do you sit?
Mostly on the patio and on the swing.
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| The Garcias want to revamp their backyard for entertaining family and relaxing in private. |
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What don’t you like about the backyard?
It’s just kind of blah. We need a tree for some more shade. And, like we said, we want some more plants.
Anything you’d be willing to part with?
It would be nice to keep the patio, but we could reduce it if necessary.
Is the yard pretty isolated from your neighbors?
We built the 8-1/2-foot fence for privacy from our neighbors in back, whose lots are higher than ours. One of them has a tall tree right by their fence, so that provides privacy as well.
Any prevalent noises or smells?
Sometimes the neighbors have some pretty loud parties. During the summer, the kids right behind us scream just about all day.
Do you know which style you want the backyard to have?
We just want it to be homey and comfortable, kind of cozy. And, of course, convenient.
