The Hortons figured that a village community held out the best hope for Kelly's future life. Unlike many adults with intellectual handicaps they met living in the city, residents of the best village communities enjoyed freedom to go about campus visiting friends, studying, learning, training and joining in a variety of activities. They had dignified work either on or off-campus, and opportunities to grow more self-reliant and independent as they made their way through life.

The land for such a campus would need to be suitable to many purposes: agriculture, housing, offices, businesses, camping, and livestock. It would also need to be close to Austin, Texas, a radius of no more than 60 miles. The vision of Down Home Ranch was to be a very active, robust community - a working farm and ranch that was also highly integrated with the local towns, Austin included, so Ranchers (residents) could enjoy the employment, social, recreational, educational and other amenities they might offer.

Judy made Jerry promise not to move too fast, but within ten days of that promise he'd found the perfect property, 215 beautiful acres located 37 miles from the Austin city limits, between Elgin and Taylor in southeastern Williamson and northwestern Lee counties. The board closed on the property Sept. 20, 1990, making a down payment of $25,000 and obligating the Ranch to ten annual mortgage payments of $30,000 each.

The story continues ... a home is built