Why, Why, Why...?

Sunday @ The Park

So, like many of us we have our days where we wonder how we ended up at our jobs.  Then we wonder how long we plan to be there.  Then comes the "Grass is always Greener" attitude.  Then around and around we go with overwhelming thoughts on where we will be in five years and can we hack it?  We have to hope that we have the Passion that it takes to keep on chugging.  I think that no matter what job you have, there will always be a certain amount of...shall we say...'crud' to put up with.  You just have to draw that line in the sand about what type of  'crud' you can handle most often.

Me as the Young Lassie in my beloved ole 4 Runner

Back in January of 2004 when I was a young lassie, at the ripe ole age of 20, I was given the opportunity to purchase my first home...with the help of my family.  Together we bought my old townhome in Greer. Over the years, a couple of different families have inhabited it, as well as my brother, a couple roommates of my own and lot's of four legged, beloved, fur babies!  I am getting ready to close this chapter of my life and say goodbye to my first real estate purchase, which brings me to my topic...Why did I get into Real Estate?

 Living Room @ My Townhome (For Sale by the Way)

When I purchased this townhome, I was terrified as being a young-in myself and a completely inexperienced, first time home buyer, I put all of my trust and faith into my Realtor.  I really had no idea if I had just signed my life away or what. I felt clueless.  Turns out that I lived through it, but I can definitely say that my Realtor did not do the best job of enlightening me on what was happening.  Several things fell through the cracks and have come back to haunt me. Heck, back in those days, Realtor's picked their clients up from work and we would hop into the backseat of their car as they drove us around for hours touring homes.  Remember those days?  Those days are mostly long gone, mostly due to safety, expenses, liability and a sue happy world.  Needless to say, we all know that the market has changed several times over since 2004.

As a child I loved going into homes as they were being built and wander around and picture what it would look like completed.  I would always pick up the Real Estate magazines and look through them and dream.  My friends were playing video games and I was looking at pictures of houses and drawing unique floorplans.  Kinda weird if you ask me...=)

So, after my experience as a first time home buyer and realizing my long time dream, I decided in 2006 that it was time to get my Real Estate License.  I was about 24 years old and still quite shy.  All I knew was that I enjoyed helping people and looking at homes, so it seemed that it would be a perfect fit.  About a year into being a Realtor, I realized that I was extremely interested in the job and how incredibly difficult it really is. It has since become my Passion.  My true passion is to help people and protect them.  I truly enjoy educating my clients on the process and making sure that they don't feel like I did.  I want them to know that they are in good hands and that they're secure with me.  I try my best to make sure that each client is totally comfortable with the process and hold their hand step by step, sometimes literally...and that's OK, as long as they don't have sweaty hands.

My Other Passion- making this chica smile

Buying a home is a HUGE purchase and not one to be taken lightly... by most people.  Having a Realtor that understands this and wants to see you succeed and prosper is imperative!  My worst nightmare is having a client curse me everyday in their new home, as I did with my Realtor back in 2004.

Yes, Real Estate is my career, but it is also my life.  It is not just about making that dollar, it is about having that dollar earned in a way that is genuine and honest for everyone.  I earn my living by putting smiles on families faces and money in investors pockets.  It has its ups and downs but is truly rewarding.  I respect other successful Realtor's because I know what they have done to get to where they are and what they are doing to stay in that position.  It is a cut throat business and not for the faint of heart.  Every deal is completely different from the next and every deal has it's fair share of challenges and obstacles.  It takes a creative, educated mind, determined attitudes, motivated counterparts, hope, crossed fingers, and a certain amount of luck for all of the puzzle pieces to fit together just right.  With the right team of people...most of the time they do.  You can call me 'Captain Kiersten'.  Hahaha, ok, that was really corny, but I just couldn't help myself.

Thanks for reading and check back soon!