Posted by Kerry on Feb 18, 2009
We’ve had alot of snow this year. There have been more school cancellations than I can count, and we have had our share of snow related outdoor activities. We have gone sledding , skating and cross country skiing. We’ve made snowmen, women and children, dogs and angels.There has been hot chocolate with whipped cream, hot chocolate with marshmallows, hot chocolate with cookies…how can it be that there is not a single flake left on the ground?
I grew up in Canada, and never saw the earth under my feet until the first week of April. We had snow up to the roof and it covered all surfaces, particularly surfaces worth playing on! Often it sits by the side of the roads and in yards well into May, black with soot from passing cars. One of the many great features of Vineyard life is that snow can be appreciated and played in one day, and melted away the next.
When Chesca and I have free time together, much of it is spent outside, at various playgrounds around the island. Like a chameleon to its surface surroundings, so is my daughter to environmental changes. I’ve yet to see weather that she would not be willing to embrace, so I have an even greater appreciation for the ever changing New England variety that we have here. I can’t say that I don’t miss the visual of the snow, but it sure is nice to be able to run out and play on the swings in the middle of February with my girl.
Oak Bluffs Playground
Posted by Kerry on Jan 29, 2009
A Family
When I was a girl I dreamed of becoming a ballerina, or at the very least an actress. I loved drama and the romance of dance, dressing up and pink! I was going to be something special alright, I wanted to sparkle and shine in a way that words could not express. Some days after school I would go to visit my father in his office and wonder who on earth would want to look at houses all day long. And worse, sit in a dull office! He was the Broker and manager, and had about a zillion agents buzzing around him pestering him all the time. They called our house at all hours, seemingly in a panic, and even came over on the weekends. I could not imagine what all the fuss was about, nor did I believe that any of it was very important, relative to what I was doing of course. I think I was 8.
Needless to say, as I grew older and started to pay attention to the local media and how the economy worked, I also started to pay attention to what my dad was doing. It did not seem to be only about a transaction, the locating and procuring of property. It was values that were bonding people to him. I got to know those pesky agents, some of whom worked with him for decades. They were wonderful, hard working dedicated and loyal people. So was he. I got a first hand education about the real estate code of conduct from my father. There is an acronym in the business that represents the duties of agency and it goes O.L.D. C.A.R. or Obedience, Loyalty, Disclosure, Confidentiality, Accountability, Reasonable Care and Due Diligence. Over the years I watched my dad and his associates talk, live and breathe real estate, and eventually when my brother’s and sister and I were all older and doing our own thing, my mom joined his office and worked with him as an agent for more than a decade.
Funnily enough, this only has a little to do with why I love real estate. It is interesting history, and makes sense as it is definitely a piece of the puzzle, but the major reason that I love this business is that I get to be part of people’s dreams. I love to look at houses, all types, sizes and manners. I love when the right house finds its right owner, and I love interacting with my clients. You see, I am still that dramatic and romantic girl. I love the idea of love and joy and happiness and making a house a home. Every house that I visit is waiting for its new owner, and that person or family gets to make it a home. When I look at a house I see the potential for a home, and I can envision the transformation and the humm of life. THAT is what I love about the real estate business.
