Two Wisconsin Couples Discover Verandah
01/11/10 Steve & Mary Ann Schoen and Ron & Gail Chimenti not only share a passion of golf and a wintertime address at Verandah, the couples also hail from the same home state: Wisconsin. Since discovering Verandah, they've also met a growing contingency of Badger State residents whose passion for the Green Bay Packers has sparked Sunday get-togethers and even a road trip to Tampa.
Verandah, the 1,456-acre community along the Orange River in Fort Myers, offers a certain appeal to Midwesterners, said Steve Schoen, who bought a Verandah townhome in 2007.
"It's quiet and laid back," he said. "We thought Verandah was a great value, and we have a lot of friends who spend winters in the area. A friend from my country club in Green Bay bought a home here before us, and after moving here we found out that our four closest neighbors are from Wisconsin."
The tell-a-friend-and-they'll-tell-a-friend phenomenon seems to have blossomed among Wisconsin buyers at Verandah. The Schoens in turn introduced Verandah to their fellow Green Bay country club members, the Chimentis, who bought a single-family home last year.
"The ladies played golf together in Wisconsin, and I played golf with Steve," said Ron. "They knew we were looking and suggested Verandah. We would visit Verandah, then go to another community, then drive back to Verandah. No matter where we went we kept coming back to exit 141 and Verandah."
The community, he said, also met their "absolute priority": Two golf courses for different playing experiences and ready tee times. Fellow Wisconsinites are an added bonus.
"Last weekend we got together and watched the Packers lose," laughed Steve, a building contractor and land developer. "Some of us from Wisconsin also flew to Tampa for the Green Bay game."
The Chimentis, formerly of Green Bay, divide their time between Verandah and Milwaukee, where their 14th-story condo overlooks Lake Michigan and provides a big-city contrast to the relaxed lifestyle they enjoy in Southwest Florida.
"We love the large oaks, the understated clubhouse and the setting of the River House. I ride my bike to play golf," says Ron, who sold his die-striking business last summer. The company created the gold, silver and bronze medals worn by Olympic athletes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.
"We're both very happy we bought in Verandah," he added. "We use the fitness center and all of the amenities, and our kids come down and we go kayaking or ride bikes. Plus we bought the house my wife loved. We were in Milwaukee for a week during Thanksgiving and when we pulled into Verandah, we were both happy to be back. It was a good test for us. We know this place is home."
Verandah offers estate, custom and traditional single-family homes, villas and coach homes with home and homesite packages priced from the low $200,000s to more than $1 million. Homesite prices have been reduced and now start in the $90,000s. For additional information, visit the Verandah Information Center, two miles east of I-75 Exit 141 on State Road 80, call 866-694-7199, or visit www.Verandah.com.
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