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Out on a Limb Building a tree house is every kid’s dream. Tony Farese turned that dream into reality.
H
ow many of us have ever built a tree house? Maybe a fair number. Now, how many built their tree house with a tin roof, crow’s nest, hand-woven 20’ x 20’ hemp cargo net, bunk beds, two windows, and a hammock, all supported by a foundation of massive, twin, 6” x 12”
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The Local
x 20’ cypress beams? The most likely answer is: One. Tony Farese grew up in Winter Garden, in a home just down the street from his current address. In fact, when this house came on the market five years ago, Tony leapt at the opportunity to buy. “I told Sarah, ‘I know this house. I know exactly where it is.
WI N TE R G AR DE N
I grew up down the street. This is the one!’” The house was a bit older and needed some work. But for a homebuilder with licenses for general contracting, plumbing, and roofing, that’s just icing on the cake. “I love all that. So we bought it and moved in—and then we saw the tree!”
“The tree” in question is a 150-year-old oak tree in the backyard. The couple would sit out on their back patio after work and just stare at it. One day, Tony turned to Sarah and said, “You know, I could build a heck of a tree house in that big old oak.” And so it began; Tony’s casual remark set him
