At times this business makes my hair gray(er)! There have been many ups and downs over the past 21 years. It can be very emotional at times but there seems to always be a central theme to all that Melissa and I do. It’s all about family.
Autumn Duguay just bought her first home and she just turned 23 years old! She is an inspiration to my kids! It took almost a year to find her a great home at the right price. She just closed on one in Portland and is now painting out the rooms to make it her own. The neatest part about working with Autumn was watching her parents (who traveled 45 min each time) view each home with her. They were so proud of her and certainly have ever reason to be! It was all about family.
We just sold 88 Scamman Street in South Portland. The Howard brothers were selling it for their Mom and traveled from Idaho and Georgia to help pack and clean up after she moved. I was fascinated listening to Frank’s stories of pitching for the White Sox and beaning my childhood hero Carl Yastrzemski! He got a great laugh out of telling that story. I found out later, from our local baseball expert, Al Livingston (who I hear was a great local baseball talent too!) that Mike Howard also played triple A baseball for the Boston Red Sox! Two local brothers playing professional baseball! What a family legacy!
We held an open house when we first listed the house. There was one couple that talked with me about their family for a long time. They were so nice. We later received two offers; one being from that nice family and the Howard brothers felt they would be a great addition to the neighborhood! As we all sat at closing I talked with them and learned the husband coaches baseball and had coached my nephew Sam for the last 3 years in South Portland! The baseball tradition at 88 Scamman Street continues on! It’s all about family.
We had been working with Justin since early spring. He was looking for a home in Scarborough, Portland, South Portland under $300,000. That was a tough price range as the inventory had been so low. We found some great listings from April through July, but so did other buyers in the market and we were outbid each time- sometimes by $40,000 over the asking price! I kept telling Justin that the right one was coming soon, and it sure did. He saw a sign going up on Mussey Street. We acted quickly and learned it was being sold “By Owner”. We made an offer before anyone else, and Justin now has his first home! A week after closing I was driving by and saw a woman painting the exterior of the house. I suspected it was Justin’s Mom who had been so supportive through his home-buying process. She had traveled from Ohio for a week to help Justin settle in to his first house! We all need Mom’s like that! It’s all about family.
As we pause our lives to celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m thinking of all the things I’m thankful for—family, friends, and all the freedoms we enjoy. Be sure to stop and be grateful for all the good things in your life an if we know someone that is celebrating alone this year, knock on their door and say hello. You may be what they’re most thankful for this year!