All-seasons acreage

Dean and Sari Solden never imagined themselves living in the country. Dean grew up on the New Jersey Shore, and Sari spent her youth in Detroit. Together they made a home in San Francisco before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan. They woke to the beeping of the trash truck backing up and went to sleep to the sound of traffic.

All that changed after they took an enchanting two-week vacation in the pastoral English countryside. They came home and felt something wasn't right. They were missing the country.

The couple began reading the rural property ads in the local newspaper and talked to real estate agents about finding affordable country property within commuting distance to Ann Arbor. By the time the Soldens saw the ad for a big remodeled farmhouse and four ponds on 20 acres within 10 minutes of Ann Arbor, they were getting anxious for a move. They contacted the listing agent and just planned to drive by, because the asking price was out of their range.

Pulling up to the property, Dean and Sari saw that the driveway was lined with tall pillar-like black walnut trees making a rising gentle curve toward the house. Two swans gliding in the pond came to greet them. The couple took a short stroll up the hill to the pasture where they petted curious sheep through the fence. The place was starting to arouse those idyllic feelings they experienced in England.

What clinched the deal, for Dean at least, was a ride on the tractor. The owner offered to make him a "really good deal" on the tractor if they bought the house.

Nervous and excited, Dean and Sari went home to think about this opportunity. A few days later, Sari drove to the property on her own. While sitting on the back porch contemplating the potential of the place, a small herd of deer wandered across the lawn in front of her. Sari says, "It felt so peaceful. It felt so right."