Testimonials

Cassandra Grauer, Marketing Manager for Winchester Country Club, recently sat down with Paul and Deborah Porter, parents of four children and residents of our lovely community. The following is a portion of that interview and reprinted with their permission.

Download a PDF of this interview by clicking here.

WCC: How did you first learn about Winchester Country Club?

PAUL: We were in the market to move and saw an ad in the paper that included a picture of this exact house. We decided to drive up here and take a look. When we pulled up the driveway we immediately knew, “THIS IS THE HOUSE!”

WCC: How many times did you visit Winchester Country Club before deciding to move here?

DEBORAH: We asked about putting an offer in the first time here, but we had just put the El Dorado Hills house on the market and thought we had better wait to see how it went.

PAUL: We did look at a lot of other places, including Los Lagos and Locksford, but we knew that this was the home we wanted. Fortunately, our former house sold in just three weeks, so we were able to put in our offer on only our third visit to Winchester Country Club.

WCC: So you weren’t looking necessarily for a private golf course community then?

PAUL: No, just a nice area. We were living in a 5,000 square foot house, and we wanted to stay around that size, with at least a full acre. We also wanted a big yard with good space between the homes. There were some communities we visited where the houses were less than 15 feet apart! Some of these places had backyards no bigger than our living room.

WCC: Why did you want to leave El Dorado Hills?

PAUL: Well, there were actually a number of reasons, but primarily, we wanted a better quality of life.

DEBORAH: Paul and I have earned our way in life, and we try to instill the same work ethic in our children; that they need to work for the things they want. I’ve found the families here to be more ‘like-minded’.

PAUL: Also, when we first moved to El Dorado Hills it only took us five minutes to get to the freeway, but as the area grew, it started taking 15 minutes to a half-hour to travel those same four miles. We really didn’t like the rapid growth. Originally, El Dorado Hills was open like Winchester Country Club is today, but that all changed. We like knowing that this will never change like that here. (Note: The Porter’s 15-year old daughter Kristin joined the interview)

WCC: So Kristin, can you tell us something about the differences you have encountered since moving here?

KRISTIN: Moving and making new friends is never easy, but all the kids are very friendly and now I’m really glad we moved here. The schools here are smaller and I really like that too. They are also very focused on academics.

DEBORAH: All of our children are into playing musical instruments, so our house seems to be the local gathering place for a lot of the kids to ‘jam’, swim, or just ‘hang out’. I’m still taken aback at how polite the kids all are when they’re here and what great communication they have with their parents.

WCC: Was there anything else besides the house and community that impressed you with Winchester Country Club?

PAUL: We love the feeling of being in the mountains at this elevation and the topography is so different with the pine and oak trees.

DEBORAH: This just has such a mountain resort feel and Meadow Vista is a wonderful little town. WCC: What attracted you most about this particular home?

DEBORAH: It had great curb appeal and a fabulous backyard. We knew that this was exactly what we wanted! But, I think the real seller for us was when we walked into the Kitchen / Family Room / Bar Area, because this is really where you live everyday. We just loved the great floor plan and with four children, we needed a lot of room!

WCC: Would you have bought this house in a different community?

PAUL: No. Because of the master planned nature of the community; the infrastructure, the retaining walls and the golf course. We could tell there was a lot of thought put into Winchester Country Club and what it would be like in the future.

WCC: Is it true that people knock on your door thinking it’s the clubhouse?

PAUL: Yes! The funniest story was about 30 minutes before the Chinese New Year Event. There was a knock at the door and a man with a giant lion’s head was standing at the door with about 15 people behind him saying, “We’re here for the party!” I said, “What party?” and they said, “…This is the clubhouse, isn’t it?” True story!

WCC: So you have four children?

PAUL: Brian is 24, Steven is 22, Jonathan is 17, and Kristen is 15. It was a little challenging for our daughter, who is very social, but the quality of people here showed her an entirely different perspective of life, and she came to appreciate it a great deal. Now, all of the kids love it here and we can’t ever get rid of them! (laughing)

DEBORAH: The two youngest now go to Colfax High School and both switched from Sports to Music for their extra-curricular programs.

WCC: Are you enjoying your home as much now as when you first bought it?

DEBORAH: We like it more now! The pine trees, the valley views, the snow-capped mountains, and all the wildlife– this is truly paradise.

PAUL: And…we eat at the clubhouse OFTEN! (Note: The Porters are Social Members of Winchester Country Club)

WCC: So, it sounds as if you’re very happy with your decision to live here?

PAUL: We are truly fortunate and very grateful to have found our home at Winchester Country Club. I can honestly say, with the topography, elevation, climate, and everything that is available to us... we wouldn't live anywhere else.