I woke from a lucid dream in which I was standing at French doors inside a room in a house with dark hardwood floors. The windowed doors were framed with white vertical and horizontal wood mullions giving them a vintage look. Sun shining through the windowed doors brightened the room. Through these doors, I was gazing at a yard with patches of grass and several trees, smiling at the tranquil scene. Now wide-awake, I thought, if only I could find a place like this.

***

Life’s plans don’t always play out the way we want them to. After living in apartments all my adult life until I reached midlife, I finally bought my first home—a spacious townhouse-style condominium. It was supposed to be my forever home; yet after eleven years, I was hit with unexpected financial hardship. Unable to refinance, I came to the hard conclusion that the only way to gain financial stability was to sell.

After putting my condo on the market, I put into motion finding another place to live. I’d have to rent as I was now priced out of the real estate market. I’m a nester; my home is my sanctuary, so I had to find a place that truly felt like home even if I couldn’t be a homeowner. My realtor, Cherie, offered to help me find a rental, and suggested I write a list of what I wanted in my new home. I pondered the possibilities. I’d always had a passion for older homes built with character and charming architectural features, and often fantasized about living in a vintage cottage. The condo I was about to sell was built in the ‘80s, far from vintage, but it was cape code style with loads of charm—close enough.

The first on my list was location. I wanted to remain in Laguna Beach. I loved its small-town artsy vibe. Many of its neighborhoods were built by settlers in the late 1800s and early 1900s and oozed with charm.

My list included: single-family home; a yard, patio, porch or all three; built in the ‘20s or ‘30s, lots of windows; hardwood floors throughout; within walking distance of downtown and the beach; allows cats; quiet neighborhood; and rent within my budget. Now let’s see if this place exists. It can’t hurt to hope!

Cherie showed me some rentals in the area I desired, which were charming, but not quite right. Then a house came on the rental market that met my most of my specifications and the tenants were moving out around the time my escrow was closing. It was located in North Laguna—too far from downtown. I told her I’d pass.

I’d still not found a place and escrow was closing in three weeks. Cherie kept nudging me to look at the house in North Laguna. She emailed me photos of its interior that she’d taken the last time it was on the market.

The image from my recent dream was captured in these photos of a tiny cottage built in 1922 with sun-lit rooms and dark hardwood floors, casement windows and French doors that opened to a porch. The porch stairs led to a paver patio and a yard adorned with several trees.

I told Cherie I must see the place. I had to find out if dreams do come true…