I've always loved airports. Sure, everyone is in somewhat of a hurry or disgruntled as certain hiccups arise but what's inspiring is this one point where people for a short period are gathered, coming and going from so many places unknown to any onlooker. Each passenger with their own stories, families, anxieties, expectations, and realities. It's what gets me from where I am to where I've wanted to go. I've found after one year in the books, I can describe real estate the same way I can describe airports.

You probably came across my website or instagram through wedding design - any real estate chatter may feel like poor branding or a stretch at best. I've never explained formerly how this all went down...

Over two years ago, my husband and I bought a fixer-upper to renovate while we were both working full-time jobs (not recommending!). Within the year, I left my job unexpectedly and Clint soon followed. I struggled with depression, loss of purpose, unhealthy relationships, and the list goes on.

One snowy, Saturday afternoon at a local brewery, he looked at me and offered up a distraction: somewhere else to focus my energy, a way to save a whopping 3% once we could sell the little painted brick fixer-upper, and avoid working with the slew of dishonest realtors we'd worked with already - a real estate license. I could design our projects, buy & sell them, he'd renovate, end of story. Except what has happened is more than I could have known to dream up.

That I would have friends and family waiting for me to help them.

That I would have strangers asking me to go alongside them in the hunt, sharing their stories, expectations, and realities.

That I could attain a goal they told me not many people reach in their first year and then exceed it.

That I could use my renovation and design experience plus all those years growing up chasing a bargain high and turn it into a living? My husband is SO smart ;)

As cynical as I was coming into this, there's a community in my little town I never knew and now look forward to interacting with regularly. There are still personal areas of skepticism and distrust, a strong rebellion against sales tactics, but it really is a business of building community, witnessing beginnings and endings of the seasons in people's lives. Which if you know anything about me, you may have figured out that's kinda what I'm all about!

Sometimes there's turbulence but we survive, stronger and smarter than where we started.

Boone, NC | Where we learned who we were and what we are after

Banner Elk, NC | One of my favorite days being more inspired by my clients and their visions for life

Foscoe, NC | The "Booner-angs" - lovely friends who leave and come back to pick up right where we left off

Lansing, NC | New River front property for a happy ole hiker and his pup

Boone, NC | Nashville meets the mountains

Lessons in Real Estate: Airports, Renovations, Community