Our House
With February being the month of Love, we thought it all too fitting to share how ironic our real estate love story began nearly 14 years ago. We weren’t realtors and we certainly weren’t business partners. We just loved driving around Birmingham and admiring the architecture and landscaping, as well as popping in and out of Open Houses. Each house we visited seemed to open up more conversation and commonalities we had in each other. It was like we were creating our own “Likes/ Dislikes” list and we weren’t even technically dating. Obviously, after becoming a husband-and-wife realtor team we know how our story worked out, but what is funny about the transformation of our love story is the correlation between our conversations of “Likes/ Dislikes” and “Needs vs. Wants.” The more serious our relationship grew, the less time we spent discussing “Likes/ Dislikes” and the more we covered items regarding “Needs vs. Wants.” It’s not too uncommon that Julie and I find ourselves on opposites sides of the “passionate wagon.” After-all, don’t we have to get a little passionate to explain to our loved one that a Like & Want is also a Need? Or is it that a Need just so happens to be what we Like and Want? In either case, we didn’t realize we were in training on how to help others through stressful times and tough love conversations.
Julie. “Tom is a bones guy. While he appreciates finishes, he really loves to see the potential a home provides. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate a well-built house, but are you really expecting me to lay awake at night and dream about whether my stud wall was properly installed? No thanks, I would much rather be picking out finishes and gaining inspiration from other talented decorators in town and then turning it into my own style,” says Julie.
Tom. “The dream of us working together has always been there for me, but I could never see how it would work. I knew I had a super talented wife that I couldn’t communicate with and I knew we were missing out on realizing our true potential by working separately. Thanks to many marriage counselors, seminars, events, prayer, and most importantly grace, Julie and I learned the art of communication. She also decided to let go of her fear and choose faith.
Julie. “I certainly needed to rely on faith but being an accountant, I was trained to rely upon facts and numbers. Faith took over. I turned in my notice to my amazing employer two weeks before COVID hit and God has been faithful as He always is. Our family life has become more amazing than we ever could have thought. It is a joy to work together and share the love and passion God has given us for homes with our clients.”
HOME TIP. Now is the Time to Focus on Curb Appeal!
The importance of curb appeal cannot be understated. We always say you must reveal to catch the appeal. If there is a chance you are considering selling your home this upcoming year, trim your shrubs now to show off your home’s features. Make sure windows are not blocked and limbs are not growing into the eaves. By the time spring rolls around, new growth of leaves will fill in any bare spots created due to a significant cut back. Not only will this improve the aesthetics of your home, but it will also keep several items from showing up on a future home inspection. Tom and Julie explain more in this video.
-Tom and Julie Douglass
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205-999-2780, 205-999-4153
