I love to work with people who would find their dog at the humane shelter. They are great people to accompany on a house- hunting adventure, because they are secretly looking for a home that needs them as much as they need a home. They are looking to restore and rebuild what may have been forgotten over time, for a place to plant a garden, put up a swing set,  hang a hammock…ways to turn a house into the home they always wanted.

A few months after our dog  Schatzee died, my older son recognized we were still a two-dog family  in need of a second dog, so off we went  to the humane shelter to see if one had our name on it. Sure enough, after wandering all around not finding any we connected to, we found one who had practically given up on finding his family. Very thin, he stayed in his corner eagerly awaiting the dinner bowl. Somehow he just clicked with all of us and later that day with our other dog, Gus, before we were allowed to take him home. The shelter needed to see that we were a match and that it would be good for all of us (he had some difficulty socializing and had a lot of fears). Ten years and lots of love and attention later Jet has been a wonderful addition to our family, and he and I have healed together in many ways.

I guess the fact that I have sold plenty of foreclosures over the past fifteen years is testimony to the fact I am drawn to both people and houses that have seen their share of difficulties. I love seeing the light come on in someone’s eyes as they realize they have the perfect skills for the necessary restorations on a particular house….it is a sign we are finally in the right place. When we don’t even notice  we’ve been hanging out in the kitchen or the back yard for an hour without seeing the time go by, that pretty much seals the deal that this is the house they should put an offer on. You know what is so amazing? They almost always get it for the price they offered…they were the people for that particular house and it had been waiting for them to find it…just like that puppy at the pound who knows when his family arrives. Wow! Now that’s what makes my life exciting every day of the week!