Moving in with your bffs
Modern-Day 'Golden Girls' Spent $1.2 Million To Build A Compound Home To Grow Old Together. Take A Look
After Christina Guerra and her sister Michelle Douthitt lost their husbands within months of each other in 2012, they decided to turn their grief into an opportunity for a fresh start.
Together with their longtime friend Muriel Lanford, the women chose an unconventional path: They sold their homes and used the money they made to purchase five acres of land in Fair Oaks Ranch, a small town just 30 minutes north of San Antonio, for $175,000. Their goal was to build a compound where they could grow old together.
They enlisted Felix Ziga, the owner of San Antonio-based Ziga Architecture Studio, to bring the vision to life. Ziga teamed up with his friend Jimmy Sikkink, owner of Triple R Custom Homes, to design and build their one-of-a-kind compound.
[The three women on the compound. Courtesy of Michelle Douthitt]
Instead of forming an LLC or corporation, the three women opted for a general partnership, making them equal co-owners of the compound.
One of their biggest challenges was convincing the bank to approve a loan with all three names on it.
"You'd think it would be straightforward, but the bankers were confused," Guerra said. "They couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that it was three people, not a couple or an individual."
[Felix Ziga looking at construction materials. Courtesy of Felix Ziga]
The women were committed to supporting a local business owner when selecting an architect and homebuilder for their project.
"We didn't mind paying a little extra if it meant working with a high-quality small business rather than a big-box company," Guerra said.
[The front view of the Tierra de Dios compound. Nicholas Bailey/Pelican Image Creation]
The entire project took 12 months to complete, including permitting.
Having so many stakeholders involved meant carefully weighing the pros and cons of each decision and coming to a consensus, Ziga said.
"They had their own meetings, separate from ours, to get on the same page about what they wanted. Then we'd incorporate their decisions into the design," he said.
[An entrance to the Tierra de Dios compound. Nicholas Bailey/Pelican Image Creation]
Ziga designed spacious, custom homes tailored to the women's needs. The total gross square footage of the compound, including garages, porches, and patios, is about 7,954 square feet.
That includes a 12-foot observation tower, which offers stunning views of the area's lush woodland.
[A side view of the "L-shaped" compound. Nicholas Bailey/Pelican Image Creation]
The main house features an open living, dining, and kitchen area, along with three bedrooms and three bathrooms — one for each sister and a guest room that can be used for caregivers in the future.
Each of the sister's bedrooms has a private patio. The house also has a small front porch, a large rear porch, a laundry room, a mudroom, a craft room, and a two-car garage.
[A bedroom in the home. Nicholas Bailey/Pelican Image Creation]
Each of the women had specific requirements for her individual space.
Lanford, a nature lover, wanted her part of the compound filled with windows so that she could easily connect with the outdoors.
In contrast, Guerra, who is sensitive to light, requested a meditation room and a bedroom with a sliding door outfitted with blackout shades for nighttime.
Meanwhile, Douthitt asked for a doggie door so her pup could come and go freely.
[A ground view of the nature overlook. Nicholas Bailey/Pelican Image Creation]
Communal spaces were just as important to the women as their private ones. It was crucial for the women to feel connected, but also to have moments of privacy when needed, Ziga said.
"The challenge was creating a design that honored community and personal space," he added.
To achieve this, he designed each bedroom with its own private patio and yard, providing a sense of visual seclusion.
To see more photos of the Tierra de Dios compound, head to Business Insider.
