When I was young, I watched my dad buy old houses, fix them up and sell them as a hobby. I was fascinated by the stark contrasts from the before and after. I never realized that my childhood fascination would pave the way for my career as an adult.

It wasn’t about the frozen vegetables – they were just the final straw. There I was, sobbing in the frozen food aisle, unable to decide between broccoli and green beans. I turned to the person who I knew I could trust to help me pull through this: my mom.

In retrospect, that meltdown was inevitable. I’d been balancing a full-time job with renovating and flipping houses. That meant I was waking up earlier and earlier to be at the office, then racing out at 2 p.m. to manage the houses. The stress was getting to me, and the results weren’t fulfilling. At the time, I was working for Booz Allen Hamilton.  I thought my job was interesting, but I wasn’t passionate about it. It was obvious that I preferred renovating homes. I just didn’t believe that I could support myself, and I didn’t have the confidence to leave a secure job behind.

My boyfriend, Ryan, was being so sweet through all my turmoil. He’d make me dinner, cover it in foil and leave it on the counter for when I came home late. That night, I had called Ryan in a panic over what to get for dinner, and I completely broke down when he asked me to choose.

My mom was no stranger to helping me process through decisions. She had been there when my long-loved and short-lived career as an art teacher was crumbling and supported me when I realized the best decision was to resign.

I explained to my mom that I was overwhelmed with work and the home renovations, and I told her about my breakdown on the phone with Ryan. My reaction had led him to suggest I quit my job. He even offered to support me for a while. It wasn’t in my nature to leave a steady career for something as unpredictable as house flipping.

“First, pick a bag of vegetables and go home,” my mom instructed. She was really saying to take things one step at a time. Her level-headedness helped calm me down.

In a strange twist of fate, it was that call with Ryan that brought him to the realization that he always wanted to be there to support me. The chaos led to clarity, and soon after he bought the engagement ring he gave me when he proposed. One of the things Ryan said he loved about me was that through everything, my drive and determination always shined through. He believed in me and what I was capable of.

I stuck it out at my job for three more months before I decided to work in real estate full-time. Several fortunate things happened to launch my career. My parents encouraged me to get my license because they were ready to sell their home. They were one of my first listings, but at my first open house, I met my first buyer clients. Those buyers were under contract on their dream home in just five days! It was exhilarating! 

While I soon found that not all transactions would be so simple, those early experiences gave me what I most needed: confidence! I realized how useful my background in teaching really was. The more clients know, the less stress they feel. I can provide that peace of mind from my years in renovation before my clients put any money on the line.

I became as busy as before, but I wasn’t overwhelmed this time. The reason was obvious – I felt passionate about what I was doing, so I was happy to be doing it. I look forward to the opportunity of doing the job I love for you!

My top priority is to always do what is best for my clients. I was once helping a woman after her mother passed away. Her mom’s house was a complicated property with a reverse mortgage. She would have owed money if she’d tried to sell it as it was, but she couldn’t afford to renovate it before the sale. That’s where I came in. I found trusted resources to fix up the house and made sure every update we agreed to was adding value.

Rather than handing the house over to the bank and struggling to pay the difference, she made a profit. It provided an inheritance that she could share with her siblings, but more importantly, it provided closure. It truly was an emotional transaction.

That transparency and education-based approach is why my clients know they can trust me. I give them the confidence they need to make a decision, help manage their expectations, and have a strategy in place for any outcome. I offer that same commitment to you!

Sincerely,

Chance Smith