Hello World! This is my first blog as a Real Estate agent and I am super excited to get this going. There is nothing quite as awkward as a first blog post so let’s pull off this bandaid and get to it.
My wife and I have lived in Birch Bay twice, once before we had kids, and now since. The first time we moved here we fell in love with it. Walking our then two pugs on Birch Bay Drive was our favorite pastime. We had a Bald Eagle’s nest about 100’ from our front door and I would sit out in the morning with a cup of coffee and listen to them chirp at each other before they would soar over the bay looking for breakfast.
When we moved back to Birch Bay in 2016 we knew that it was going to be for the long haul. We rented a house in the Bay Crest neighborhood for a year before we bought our house in the Sea Links neighborhood. At the time we put multiple offers in for Birch Bay Village, but in the end the house we found was perfect for our family.
We would not have found the house we currently live in without the help of Ron Kulman. Ron took my wife and our two kids around to multiple houses while I was at work during the day. If we needed to put in an offer after work he was happy to stay the extra time in the office. When we finally did have our house with an offer accepted, he personally helped us with the “Finishing Touches” on the house as it was new construction and he had the experience as a former home builder.
This was back in 2017 and my family of four has lived there ever since. That is why when Ron talked to me about getting into Real Estate earlier this year, I happily said yes. I have met a lot of Real Estate professionals in my time in banking. Many of them are great people. That being said, I would not like to work with most of them on a daily basis. I wanted to learn from Ron because of his style, his attitude and his disposition. I have never seen him “Panic.” I cannot say that for most of the people I have seen work in Real Estate.
Real Estate transactions involve a lot of money. If they are financed then involve a lot of money from a Bank. Top that off with a banking system in the US that is awkward and dated and you have a recipe for disappointment. Anyone who has tried to do a same day wire transfer in the late afternoon has found that out firsthand.
Working as a Bank Manager I have been yelled at and cursed at by many Real Estate professionals that did not understand the banking systems and its limitations. Wires do not always go same day or even the next day. Cashiers checks lost in the mail can take 90 days to put a stop payment on. Deposited checks are not available to be wired until funds are collected. Title companies do not take cash and many, many more…
Working with Ron it was clear that problems that come up are solvable. Staying calm regardless of the situation makes it easier to find the solution and think through issue. Seller won’t move on price, ok, what will they move on? The house we just toured and want to put an offer on just went pending, ok, what did you like and what did you not like about it so we know next time.
When you are about to spend the most amount of money you have ever spent in your life on something as important to you as your home, you want to be surrounded by people who are helping you with grace and ease instead of panic and dread. Ron very much was that core of peace that helped my wife and I make our decisions with a clear state of mind.
I enjoy helping people with complex problems. In banking, I used that problem solving ability to help people with every manor of financial situation from Teenagers and their first bank account to multi national Corporations with hundreds of employees and everything in-between. Now in Real Estate, I can use that problem solving ability to help with some of the largest and most complex transactions people do in their life. My goal is to make it as easy for them as possible and to remove as much stress and anxiety as I can.
If you have questions about Real Estate, Finance, or Birch Bay in general let me know. We can always have a cup of coffee and chat about it even if you are not yet sure of what you want to do next. I am always happy to help out a neighbor whenever I can.
– James
