2019 was a year of change for many people – me included. After moving to Compass mid-year, I was re-invigorated. The capabilities and service offerings through my new brokerage are allowing me to fully engage my expertise in helping people make meaningful moves.
The people that we serve are the reason for everything. Sure, it helps that I’m a fierce negotiator and strategically competitive (Thanks, NFL!)…but at the end of the day, every drive to the “endzone” is fueled by our desire to help a fellow human.
2019 was filled with successes. I could point to data points and numbers that show our success statistically; But, to me, our success is most apparent in the stories of the people we helped. (Perhaps you remember reading about the Story of the Honeymoon Home?)
For several of my clients, 2019 was a time to downsize.
108 Oxford Avenue in Clarendon Hills – a home that checks all the boxes. Great location, size, schools, condition, mudroom, office(s), gym, wet bar, game room, private backyard, and man cave. Exceedingly updated – like an enormous custom kitchen redesigned by Janet and Dan Frasca of The Walker Group.
George and Sue Kinsella are known by many in the close-knit community of Clarendon Hills. The Kinsellas put decades of love and living into the home – including countless ongoing improvements over the years. George, a successful business leader in our community, leveraged his spectacular knowledge of landscape design to create a masterpiece in the backyard, including a stone fireplace, patios, outcroppings, and a waterfall feature with a pond.
At over 3,400 square feet, the home was perfect for George and Sue as they raised their children over the last 20 years. But, with the children all grown and out of the home, it was time to downsize. Because of their strong bond with the community and ownership of a nearby local business (Fox Landscaping), it was important to the Kinsellas to remain a part of Clarendon Hills.
So, we got it done! George and Sue closed on the sale of 108 Oxford Avenue on December 16, 2019, and were comfortably getting settled into their new home—a penthouse condo right in Clarendon Hills—perfectly sized and functioning for them, just in time for the holidays.
261 Walker Avenue in Clarendon Hills – a totally updated and move-in condition home that was perfect for the buyer shopping for custom new-grade. With several areas of the home featuring also featuring work from The Walker Group, the home had been redesigned and made new.
Clarendon Hills was incredibly fortunate to have Luis and Kelly Sierra as residents. I can attest to this as their neighbor! Though their children were slightly older than ours, they all grew up together. My children admired and even occasionally emulated the Sierra children. Kelly is gifted in the culinary arts, and my family often benefitted from that with offerings passed over the fence. Their generosity and grace made them the ultimate neighbors. While it was disappointing to see them go, it was an absolute honor to be able to help them move into the next season of life after the kids were out spreading their wings.
Kelly and Luis desired the city lifestyle. It would provide them with proximity and access to everything that’s most important to them, including their children. On May 16, 2019, the Sierra family closed on the sale of 261 Walker Avenue, said a bittersweet goodbye to Clarendon Hills where they raised their family, and bravely leaped into their next adventure: a gorgeous condo in the heart of Chicago.
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In the end, everyone ended up being exactly where they needed and wanted to be! I would call that a successful year.
