Real Estate

Want To Live In The Best Place On Earth?

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Beach

Being a Realtor in San Diego is different that being a Realtor in most parts of the country. We don’t have to take pictures winter and summer to show our homes at their best in various seasons. We don’t have to worry about shoveling snow or a snow storm keeping people from home shopping. We have to drive our kids to see snow! We usually don’t have to worry about people tromping mud through a home, or forgetting their umbrellas, or having to shed their warm coats and where to put them when looking at homes.

We can barbecue outside year round. You can go to the beach, the mountains and the desert all in the same day if you want to (not that I usually want to). We do have some amazing beaches…my favorite? Wind and Sea…it’s breathtakingly beautiful.

We complain about traffic, but it’s really nothing compared to Los Angeles traffic. That is serious traffic. They don’t count how many miles it is to go somewhere, it’s how many minutes or hours it is to go somewhere.

We can be outside enjoying beautiful weather all year round. I think that’s why our sports teams, while they have fans, don’t have fans like on the East Coast. There are just so many wonderful things to do here, so many choices every day that people often forego a sporting event for the beach, or a round of golf.  Our fans are called “Fair Weather Fans”, and I think that describes us pretty well!

I love that we can garden year round, vegetables, fruit, flowers, you name it. And, nothing tastes that food you have grown yourself. Although, my broccoli does not love the 80+ degree weather the last few weeks, may have to replant them. Such problems!

So, if you think about moving to San Diego from one of those “snowy” states, stop thinking and take some action. It is like living in Paradise!

A Military Way Of Life

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I have lived in San Diego for over 30 years, so it’s easy to forget that this is such a military town. It is a way of life here, something that too often is taken for granted.

I have been around the military and military families most of my adult life. Living in San Diego, most of us have friends and business associates who are, or were, in the military. I think all branches of the service are represented here, but mostly Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Once when we were attending a Century 21 event in Coronado and were staying at the Hotel Del Coronado, we were awakened about 4:00 am to Navy Seals storming the beach as part of their training. We got up and had our coffee on the balcony while watching them. It was awesome!

I had the privilege of attending a client’s Retirement Ceremony from the Navy on Friday. She has served as a Navy Nurse for 22 years. A remarkable woman, I don’t think I have ever seen her without a smile.  She is an optimist, a lover of animals, and has a great laugh. When she moved to San Diego, it was with the goal of finding a home that would enable her to reach her ultimate goal of expanding her dog rescue organization. We found the perfect place in Dehesa Valley.

While I have seen it before, the Passing the Flag – Old Glory Ceremony, always makes me cry. It is so moving. And, this week, it reminded me how honored I am to be able to work with so many clients and friends who serve in the military, whether active duty or retired. Why I am so glad I can help them with buying or selling a home, and help to ensure their move is as stress free as possible. That we find a place where their families will be happy and secure while they are deployed…perhaps a home they can return to at retirement…an investment in their future.

If you have never seen the ceremony, take a few minutes to watch. I think you will be proud of our military men and women, too!

What To Do With Too Many Limes?

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You may know from some of my posts that I love to garden and love to cook. We have a wonderful lime tree that was supposed to be a “dwarf” tree. Well, it didn’t turn out that way and we have hundreds of limes on the tree! We give them away by the dozens, but can’t keep up with the limes. IMG_8906

Inspiration sometimes comes in strange moments. This morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee I decided there had to be something to be done with some of these limes. So, I found a great recipe for Lime-Ginger Marmalade. It was really easy to make and I had a great time making it – and it tastes really good!  It has been years since I have made jam or anything like that. I had forgotten how getting lost in the moment of doing something you love is so good for the soul.

Gardening and cooking are such creative outlets. I love the planning, planting, caring for and harvesting a garden, whether it is flowers or vegetables. Cooking for a family has so many dimensions. The planning, shopping, looking for what is in season, what’s on sale, making what your family likes and trying out new things. Cooking together, setting the table, giving thanks, having great conversation, that’s what I remember about meals in our home.

I guess some of the creativity carries over into my real estate business. Challenges almost always seem to arise and thinking creatively about how to best resolve the challenges, and do what’s best for the clients, is a necessity. Whether it is a loan gone bad, something major found in a home inspection, clients who have life altering things happen to them while in escrow…I could go on and on. Thinking creatively to make it all come together is fun and very rewarding. Guess that’s why, for me, being a Realtor ranks right up their with gardening, cooking, and making a happy home!

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Cultivating a Garden, Isn’t It What Life’s All About?

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We have been planting and harvesting gardens, in some size or another, for almost 25 years. We usually planted pumpkins along with tomatoes, peppers, corn, zucchini, you get the picture. When our daughter was growing up, we wanted to have home-grown pumpkins to carve into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Most years, we were lucky if we had one or two pumpkins out of the crop, and they never got really big.  We harvested them and used them for decorations during the fall holidays. They served a purpose, but we were always a little disappointed. We could buy really big pumpkins, better for carving, at the grocery store.

This year, we have the most amazing pumpkin patch ever. It has expanded into garden space never intended for the pumpkin patch. But, we are so amazed at what’s happening, we are just letting it go and see what happens. I knew we had a few little pumpkins growing. But when I peeked under the leaves this weekend, I was astonished by what I saw. Pumpkins, lots of pumpkins. And they are going to be big!

In a way, the pumpkin patch reminds me of my business. I sell homes in San Diego, and have been for over 20 years. While I never “farmed” (as they call it in the real estate business) an area, I did try to cultivate relationships with the people I worked with, all over San Diego. Why? Well, I really do like and care about the families I work with. I have always believed that the best business is referral business, word of mouth, people recommending your services. You work hard to provide great service and really care about clients. You take care of their needs; you care about their families, their problems, their triumphs. You help them over rough patches and celebrate the good times with them. You answer questions and give advice.  And, one day, you realize you have this wonderful group of people who want to help you, too! And, 20+ years later, I am amazed and grateful how my business has grown. Kind of like our pumpkin patch!

A True Hero

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imagesIndependence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Why?   I guess because it’s about getting together with family and friends for picnics and barbecues, everyone bringing something to share, lazy summer days and warm nights. And, of course, fireworks.

Working with military families, helping them sell or buy homes, is a natural part of my business since I live in San Diego, a very military town. I am proud to call the many military families I have helped “my clients” and love helping them. They hold a special place in my heart.

When my husband was raising the flag on the flag pole in our yard the morning of July 4th this year he had the opportunity to talk with one of our neighbors. When he told me about the conversation, it struck a chord with me. And, later in the day when our neighbor stopped by, I learned what makes a true hero.

Ron is in his 80’s now. He has been married to his best friend and soul mate for about 60 years. Ron is a quiet man, pretty private. He is an old school kind of guy, always polite, never would tell an off colored joke in front of a “lady”.  I have been “Miss Terri” to him since we have known him, about 18 years I guess.

Ron doesn’t share too much about himself. It comes out in spurts, over years. I knew Ron was an orphan, but did not know much else about his childhood. Turns out his birth certificate reads “Infant Male Unknown Last Name”.  Ron didn’t have a name growing up. He was in orphanages and foster homes pretty much his entire childhood. No one ever gave him a name, not a real name. He was called things, but never by his name.

He was in and out of foster homes until he finally stayed in one place. He had a foster-brother, son of his foster parents, and he liked this brother.  When he moved to San Diego  and wanted to join the Navy, he found out he had to have a name on a birth certificate. His brother’s name was Donald, so he took Ronald as his name, along with the brother’s last name. Imagine being 18 years old and finally having a name.

Ron served four years in the Navy during the Korean “Conflict” (never was called a war). He was even in shark infested waters for 16 hours once.  He has never wanted to call attention to himself and talk about his time in the Navy. Talking about it yesterday brought tears to his eyes.  That’s a tale for another day.

So why is Ron a hero to me? This man overcame a childhood that no one should have to endure. He served his country with honor. He married a wonderful woman and they have a great marriage, are devoted to one another. He owned a successful business and raised a family.  He doesn’t seek recognition of any kind, nor does he want it. He is just an everyday kind of guy. The kind who make this country great.  He is my hero.