My New Home: Retiring to East Memphis
John and Sarah Pace are both happily retired. John is a retired Air Force officer, with service in Europe and the United States. He also worked as a civilian at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California, at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in Virginia, at ITT in Virginia, at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah and at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Sarah worked at sporting goods stores in Michigan and in California, at a food provider in Texas, and at sewing and quilting stores in Utah and Alaska. The couple wanted to return to the lower 48 states after John’s retirement in Alaska. They chose Memphis because John’s brother, Peter, lives in Memphis, and they wanted to be close to family. Also, they always enjoyed themselves during visits to Memphis.
“At the top of our list of requirements was that we wanted to find a large house that would allow us to pursue our favorite activities,” said Sarah. “I wanted a large sewing room, John needed a large room for his grand piano, and we wanted to house our large personal library. Also we wanted a large yard for our dogs.”
To begin their house hunt in Memphis, the couple contacted Shelly Rainwater, an agent with Ware Jones Realtors, who was formerly with Sowell Realtors.
“My brother, Peter, knew Shelly from serving together on the Central Gardens Board,” said John. We knew that Shelly was a seasoned realtor who knew the different parts of town, and someone who could help us find the right fit for us. She took us to see 8-10 properties, and we found what we were looking for in East Memphis.”
The Paces paid just under $500,000 for a home in the Sylvan Hills neighborhood. The house offered them approximately 4,200 square feet of living space, including four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
“The layout of the home enables entertaining and enough room for all our activities,” said Sarah. “The home was designed by the previous owners, who were very observant Jews, so there are two of everything in the kitchen because they kept a kosher kitchen. Additionally, there is a huge amount of storage throughout the house. The dining room is lovely and is very large. In the kitchen is a tile-topped island with built-in stove top and grill that offers a casual spot to eat, in addition to the adjoining breakfast room. The large master bedroom has an en suite master bath featuring a double vanity, a jacuzzi tub and a steam shower. There’s also a large, separate laundry room.”
John added, “The style of our new home is a very unique two-story. The front door has arched, glass surrounds giving a stately look to the entryway. The kitchen and dining room are on the North wing, and the bedrooms are on the South wing. The living room is in the middle. On the top floor, there’s a large bedroom that we choose to use for a sewing room, and a very large room that we use as a library and for family room activities. The design was very well thought out. As new residents we haven’t found ourselves wishing that something about the house was different. The only things we’ve done to make any changes are we’ve replaced the gutters and installed a backup generator.”
The Paces said that their new home differs from their previous one in that this one provides more space for activities.
“Our new house has a very large back yard that’s nearly flat and ideal for our dogs. There’s also a cozy back patio for entertaining with lovely landscaping.”
As for their new neighborhood, the Paces said they like that they live in an area that is quiet and very walkable. They described it as a very well-established area with beautiful trees and nice homes.
Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: My New Home: Retiring to East Memphis
