"Casa de Aire y Sol" From Arendsen to Air and Sun
Don’t Sell it! Rethink It!
Hi Folks,
In my last post, I shared a bit about retirement, family transition, and the beginning of a new chapter for Janis and me. Since then, that next chapter has moved from thought to action.
We are now fully immersed in the rollout of Casa de Aire y Sol, with a formal launch planned for January 2027. Casa de Aire y Sol translates to House of Air and Sun, a gentle play on our last name, Arendsen. It has been our home for nearly half a century here in Vista, California.
We have no intention of ever leaving the Casa. This is home. But the property has become more than the two of us really need, and too meaningful not to share.
Casa de Aire y Sol — Where The Soul Meets The Sun
A Different Way to Think About a Legacy Family Home
For many people, the standard advice is simple: sell, downsize, and move on. Or rent it. That may ring true to some. But for others, especially those of us who have spent a lifetime building, planting, improving, maintaining, hosting family weddings, birthday parties, holidays, and living deeply in a property, the decision is not quite that simple.
Sometimes the home is not just an asset.
It is a living archive.
A family gathering place.
A creative expression.
A piece of personal history.
Or, if handled carefully, it can also become an additional revenue stream without surrendering your soul. That is the path we are taking with Casa de Aire y Sol.
Not an Airbnb nor a long-term rental. Not a Party House. Not a Revolving Door.
We are not turning Casa de Aire y Sol into an Airbnb.
We are not creating an overnight rental.
We are not opening it up as a party house.
We are not trying to create a revolving door of strangers.
Instead, we are positioning it as a hosted creative location: a private residence selectively made available for photography, video, interviews, brand storytelling, small creative productions, business retreats, or a self-reflection venue.
In other words, people are not renting our house to live in it. They are being hosted here with care for a limited time and with creative purpose.
Golden hour at Casa de Aire y Sol. Light that only time and place can create.
From Building Homes to Curating One
For most of my working life, I helped build homes, projects, businesses, and teams.
Now, rather than building another structure, we are learning how to curate and share a place we have already spent decades building for ourselves.
That shift has been surprisingly meaningful.
It keeps us engaged with the property.
It gives the home a renewed purpose.
It creates an additional revenue stream.
And it allows us to share the Casa with people who see it not just as a house, but as a setting for creative work.
There are practical questions, of course.
Insurance.
Privacy.
Parking.
Neighborhood respect.
Clear boundaries.
Good screening.
The right use cases.
The right people.
All of that matters. But beneath the practical side is a bigger question: Can a beloved family property continue serving a purpose as we age in place? I believe the answer is yes. Provided the owner stays clear-eyed about what the property is, what it is not, and what lines should not be crossed.
A Thought for Others Sitting on Special Properties
For those who may be sitting on a larger family property, a special estate, a unique home, or even a one-of-a-kind setting that has become a bit much to maintain, there may be a middle path.
Not selling.
Not downsizing before you are ready.
Not surrendering your privacy.
Not turning your home into something you no longer recognize.
But perhaps finding a respectful, controlled way to let the property work a little for you while keeping you engaged with it, proud of it, and present in it. Maybe the only choices are not simply “sell it” or “sit on it.” Maybe there is another way to think about aging in place, legacy property, and revenue without selling your soul and everything you've spent a lifetime building.
That is the experiment we are now fully committed to with Casa de Aire y Sol. Our formal rollout is planned for January 2027, and I’ll share more from time to time as the road unfolds. Hope this may resonate with a few friends here who are thinking about legacy, property, family, aging in place, and what comes next.
Cheers,
John
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