Your Home: A Point of Reference and Where the Heart Is

It’s funny how a point of reference of what we were doing at a particular time in our lives is often tied to where we were living. “Oh yeah, we were living in ____ house when we took that trip to ____.” And who could forget where they were living when the events of 9/11 took place? Feeling safe at home took on a whole new meaning.

As buyers, we think about what’s in store for us in our new place such as decorating, home improvement projects, birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and perhaps just raising our children in a stable environment. As sellers, we reflect back on what actually transpired there-yes, those parties and holiday gatherings and home improvement projects that ultimately tested our patience, but the other things in between too-family sit down dinners, jokes and secrets being shared; countless bedtime stories told and retold; a front lawn that became the neighborhood football field where thankfully no one got hurt and sued you; hot chocolate and board games on rainy days; the sight and sound of “Friday Night Lights”coming from the local high school; a lightening strike during a storm taking out your shadiest tree while you were drinking that hot chocolate and playing boards games; the backyard where pet hamsters were laid to rest; and house guests you couldn’t wait to have arrive and house guests you couldn’t wait to have leave. Even more than that, our homes played host to our hopes and dreams and thoughts that shaped who we are and who we aspire to be.

I get sentimental as my eldest child’s 19th birthday approaches because I think of memories from days gone by. Not my 12 hours of labor, (which was a whole day gone by!), but where we lived at the time she was born and the two other homes we lived in leading up to the end of her teen years. As a REALTOR® in the business of home buying and selling, it may be easy to look at what I do as a commodity at times. All I have to do however is come home to my family for my own daily reality check. I feel honored to help folks lay the groundwork for making their own home become a point of reference throughout their lives. Home truly is where the heart is.