On the market: An oasis in Chester County for $1,195,000
If the neighbors ever wanted to sell, this couple said, let us know. And one day in 2005, they got a call and two months later owned their dream home.
Like many couples, Terri and Dom Nappi of Downingtown had long admired the property next door.
But in their case, they bought it.
The story starts in 1991 when the Nappis moved from a townhouse in West Chester to a sample home in the new Brandywine Ridge development, off Route 322 between West Chester and Downingtown.
“We were some of the first people in the neighborhood,” says Dom, a financial consultant.
They were happy with the house and neighborhood, but found the property — about an acre — a bit confining, especially compared with the 9.9-acre property next door surrounding the five-bedroom, 4½ bath farmhouse design.
If the neighbors ever wanted to sell, they said, let us know. And one day in 2005, says Terri, “the woman called and said, ‘We’re moving to Savannah, Georgia.'" In about two months, a private sale was completed, and the Nappis had their oasis.
“From 1991 until now,” says Dom, “we’ve watched everything go up around us.”
Terri, who has had a career in environmental services, has especially enjoyed volunteering in efforts to protect and develop parks, trails, and other recreational areas.
But now, with their three children no longer living there — the youngest is a college junior — they are looking to downsize and move to a warmer climate, hopefully one that affords golfing and beach access.
The house was custom-built in 1991 for the original owner and is surrounded by 100 acres of land protected by subdivision restrictions.
The 5,082-square-foot home is fronted by a circular driveway with a flagstone veranda. A stream runs behind it.
There are fireplaces in the formal dining room, as well as the kitchen/gathering room, where multiple exits lead to a deck the length of the home.
The sunroom is round and has radiant heat from the brick floor. The first floor also has an office with custom cabinetry, and the lower level has a wine cellar, gym, full bath with sauna, and a recreation room with another bedroom/office.
The house is in the Downingtown School District.
The property is listed by Helene Donohue of BHHS Fox & Roach-West Chester for $1,195,000.