Real Estate Predisposition – Is it Nature or Nurture?
Whether it actually was nature or nurture that formed my passion for real estate is difficult to discern. I do know that I love Montana and I love real estate, which is evident in my representation of my clients.
From my humble beginnings in the industry, to where I’ve landed here in Montana, there is no place I’d rather be than right here transacting business with you!
What isn’t there to love about Montana! My first visit was in the 1980’s and instantly fell in love with all things Montana. Its beauty, seasons, and friendly residents. As a means of escape from an overly stressed workplace environment, I was whisked off to Montana over a long Thanksgiving weekend. For this native California girl, it felt super cold, wildly snowy, and we mostly stayed indoors. Yet, it was the best vacation I ever experienced and I vowed to become a resident of the Bitterroot Valley someday.
Real Estate in the 1980s
In the 1980’s, real estate was being crushed beneath the weight of 17-18% interest rates. Few people were buying and the industry as a whole suffered tremendously. When the mortgage interest rates started coming down, they were dropping fast. Property owners were refinancing their homes in droves and some even refinanced multiple times. The only hiring criteria at that time was a personal referral from a current employee and the new hire had to be trainable. That was me! I was definitely trainable. My roommate made the recommendation.
As a newly hired escrow assistant, I was indoctrinated in the world of real estate during refi-mania, a term used in the title industry at that time. Our office was handling thousands of transactions a month. It was sink or swim for me and I was barely treading water. Applying what I was trained to do with my newly acquired understanding of a language called Real Estate.
It was exhilarating and I loved it.
Moving up the ranks from assistant to branch manager was swift, but with the help of mentors and various escrow classes, I was successful.
Real Estate in Montana
Then came the family move to Montana where very few of my escrow skills and experience applied in my role as escrow officer for a Missoula based title company. The terms were the same, but the application was foreign to me. Rather than the escrow officer, the real estate agents performed most of the work I did at my previous position. Strategically, I stayed employed as an Escrow Officer until I understood how the Montana real estate transaction was conducted, then I obtained my license 1998 and became a Broker in 2000.
Its both nature and nurture for me
I believe that equal parts of nurture and nature helped form my well rounded passion for real estate. My escrow training, continued learning, and loving where I live in Montana’s natural beauty, provides the advantage to see a transaction in ways that others may not possess.
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