Still, tenants came and went in a steady progression—fortunately. When, near the end of the century, it was time for a third renovation, photographs and other records were dredged up with an eye to recapturing some of the house’s original ambience. New copper wiring replaced the old aluminum wiring; a plethora of extra outlets and cable- and data-ports were added. The ceilings were stripped of their “cottage cheese”. Last, but certainly not least, the house underwent a complete seismic retrofit.

A decade later, the housing crash left the owners facing some hard questions and harder answers. Renting had proven to be no more than a break-even proposition over the course of the house's existence, taking into account the three renovations. Perhaps it was time to unload what always had been something of a fifth wheel. When Ana and Tom married and announced their intention to find a new home, Vera saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. The new couple would get a nice little house in good shape, with a discounted price and down payment as a wedding gift, and her family by marriage would divest itself of an albatross.

Shown is the attic at the end of Anasazi’s Road, after Tom, Ana, and Angie decide to settle down together and start a family. Because the bedrooms will be needed for the children to come, the adults’ offices, particularly Tom’s work space, had to be moved upstairs. Air conditioning, a vital necessity in the close, small rooms under the roof, was installed with discreet wall units.