Imagine coming home every night after work and discovering a natural spectacle taking place on Florida’s coastline. Such is now life for Terri and Dave Harris who recently moved into their LifeStyle home on A1A in Melbourne Beach.

Every night, the couple walks on the beach or views the ocean from their Lifestyle solar-powered home balcony and sun deck. Their sights include schools of dolphin jumping from the water, sea turtles nesting, crabs scurrying across the sand, mystifying full moons sparkling over the ocean, and fantastic sunsets to the west.

“The views are amazing and each night they are different,” says Terri. “I feel so blessed to live in such an incredible house in such an awesome place.”

Read on to get to know Terri and Dave and their experience building with LifeStyle in this month’s Energy Savers Spotlight:

LSH: Please tell a bit about yourself. Are you from the Brevard area?
TH: My husband Dave and I have been happily married for 36 years. We are originally from the Philadelphia and South New Jersey areas, but have lived in Orlando since 1996. A year ago we moved to Palm Bay while building our LifeStyle home in Melbourne Beach, which we took possession of in August 2014. I’ve been working for Harris Corporation for seven years as the Senior Manager of Billing & Analysis and Dave is retired. During his career he was a District Manager for a food service contractor.

We have three children (two boys and one girl), and seven grandchildren (three boys and four girls). I love to dabble in preparing gourmet meals. Dave has a passion for motorcycles, fast cars, and golf. Our new hobbies include walks on the beach, meditation, and fishing.

LSH: Why did you and Dave decide the Monterey II home plan was right for you, and what do you love most about the plan?
TH: The Monterey II is perfect for families. We don’t have children living with us, but we are sure to have children and grandchildren visiting often. The Monterey II has large central areas for gathering and four bedrooms for privacy and self time. The kitchen and family room are the central focus of the home which is really important to us. The front and back porches and the balcony make the outdoors an everyday pleasure. The bonus room provides that extra space for fun activities such as billiards, darts, family game night, etc. Mostly the quality of the Monterey II is what sold us. One only has to walk through our home to understand the quality speaks for itself. So many people have commented on how well it’s made.

LSH: What type of modifications did you make to the plan?
TH: We modified the plan by adding a sun deck above the bonus room balcony and we extended the roof line and back porch to be flush/square with the family room walls. We also chose a side-load garage which adds elegance to the home.

LSH: What ultimately made you decide to build with LifeStyle Homes?
TH: We visited the Veranda Place Monterey II model (since sold) and fell in love with the home. After visiting we saw the quality in the building as well as the people. After starting the building process, we were committed to LifeStyle because of Jennifer Sartori (interior designer) and Tom Dutton (superintendent). These two individuals are the most impressive individuals I’ve encountered in a business environment. Tom Dutton is a great asset to Lifestyle.

LSH: Why did you decide to “go solar”? What was your motivation?
TH: Having purchased land in the Archie Carr National Wildlife refuge made us stop, look, and listen when it comes to the environment. Going solar makes sense for the future of wildlife refuges and the environment in general.

LSH: What was your building experience like with LifeStyle Homes?
TH: Our building experience with LifeStyle Homes was rewarding in so many ways. This was the first time we have ever built a home, so there were periods where we were not sure what to expect and hence, we had some frustration. But individuals like Jennifer Sartori and Tom Dutton made the experience great.

Once Tom took over and the building commenced, we knew we were in good hands. I can’t stress enough how amazing he is. His calm demeanor, professional attitude, and commitment are unmatched in business. He truly cares about the client as well as LifeStyle Homes. His value in the building process and to LifeStyle is immeasurable.

At the end of the day, I would recommend LifeStyle Homes to everyone I know and will praise them to people I meet. The end product, our beautiful home across from the beach, is truly amazing and the process to get there was full of excitement. Thank you LifeStyle Homes.

If you are interested in living directly across the street from the beach, check out our Melbourne Beach To-Be-Built property listing. This nearly 1-acre Highway A1A property includes our Monterey II home plan with granite countertops in all bathrooms and kitchen.