When we built Watermark, it’s almost like we had Jennifer in mind! She recently moved in, and has so much to say about what she loves about the community. She was downsizing from a 3-bedroom home in Crystal Lake and shortened her commute in a major way in the process, so it is probably fair to say that at Watermark her life has changed—in all the best ways! When we spoke to her, she even compared her new lifestyle to a vacation. Learn more about why Watermark gives her those relaxing vibes!

Tell us about yourself and your move—where did you live previously? Why were you moving?
I lived in Crystal Lake and wanted to downsize because my kids recently moved out. I’m single, and I didn’t want the upkeep of a 3-bedroom home with a basement and lawn. No thinking about if the water heater goes out—who do I call, am I getting a fair price? I didn’t want to have to worry about that. I didn’t want to mow and take care of a lawn—I was ready for low or no maintenance.

How did you hear about Watermark?
I work at Advocate Sherman Hospital. Driving to work every day, I would see the sign that says “If you lived here, you could sleep in.” I got curious about what kind of community it was—apartments? Condos? So I wrote the number down.

One weekend my sister was in town. She knew I wanted to downsize—I just didn’t need all that space. I told her about the apartments and she was eager to go look. We set up an appointment to visit. Mary Pat was wonderful—she showed us around, and it was all so enticing. I wanted to sign a contract that day! I had to purge and sell my house though. That was at the beginning of March. When COVID’s stay-at-home orders began, I initially delayed putting my house on the market. I used the time to get organized and get rid of things. Watching the market, I realized other houses in the area were successfully selling. I listed mine and it sold in a week! I moved in once that closed, at the end of May.

Why did you choose Watermark?
It’s new, clean, and, I’m not going to lie—the pool is such a huge draw for me. I sit by the side of the pool, and the fountains make that trickling noise… I feel like I’m on vacation! It’s so relaxing to me. And I can come out for a couple of hours and not feel like I’m wasting my day. I never was into the idea of “resort-style living” until a few weeks ago. Living here, I read that phrase and it is so true—every day, it feels like I’m on vacation.

The outdoor amenities are great also—the grilling stations and fire pits. I enjoy walks outside around the pond. The dog park and spas are really nice as well. In fact, my dog had never been in a dog park—and she loves running around!

I also like that here is heated parking. I don’t want to have to clean my car in the winter or get in a hot car in the summer.

I pretty much love everything actually!

What are your favorite features of your apartment?
I love that it is new. The modernization of the unit is definitely to my taste and upkeep level.

The walk-in shower is great—I didn’t want a bathtub for climbing in and out. The air functions perfectly—if I turn it up one degree it kicks on—it’s very efficient.

I like keyless entry, the big and functional island in the kitchen, lots of closet space…I’m trying to think of something I don’t like!

What do you like about the sense of community?
It’s very community friendly, but yet you can be private. I’ve been to one social event so far, and the people were all so lovely. It was nice to get out and say “hi” to people who live in the complex— to relax and hang out for a few hours. The developer even came, and it was so nice to meet him. The fact that he shows his presence is a huge draw for residents to know he’s invested. I also can’t say enough about the office staff.

What do you like about the Watermark location?
Since I work at Advocate Sherman, my commute is amazing. It takes me longer to park my car and walk into work than it does for me to drive there. Also, it was important to me to not be isolated in the middle of nowhere. I can walk to Panera, to Burnt Toast for breakfast, to Rookies for lunch—there is so much you can walk to. And it’s close to I-90. Since I moved here from Crystal Lake, it’s cut my airport time in half and going downtown by a ton.

Any other thoughts?
Only that I can see myself living here for a long time.

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Jennifer, we love how much you love it here! Thank you for enjoying it so much.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can live the vacation life? Contact us to set up an appointment today!