You could say we rescued the house or the house rescued us. Either way, it was meant to be. 

It all started with a planned trip to Napa… that got canceled. Stressed and disappointed, we didn’t want to give up vacation time. We quickly packed up and headed to our friends’ condo in Southwest Florida. As soon as we arrived, we instantly fell in love with Cape Coral and sunsets – and when we say instantly, we mean instantly. On that trip, we contacted a real estate agent, who showed us one home - this home. That’s all it took.

Just months after our purchase, Hurricane Ian made its way to SW Florida.  As the hurricane approached, we opened our new home to area residents and pets who lacked safety.  Just a day after our new house was battered by the storm,  Jim, a retired firefighter/paramedic, and his friend Tom, a retired police officer, drove 20 hours to bring supplies (water, food, AC Units, and generators) to help community members. Jen, an animal rescue advocate and board member at a local dog shelter, made sure that the pups got the help they needed.   

After Ian made its way through SW Florida, we were left with a massive renovation project; not the relaxing retreat we imagined. We completely remodeled, including installing a new roof and floors. We put in a brand-new pool, spa, and lanai. And we made so many new friends in the process of rescuing the house itself. 

It’s now a wonderful retreat for us and our rescue pups. We hope you love it, and the sunsets, as much as we do. 

• Jim and Jen