The End Of The Road IS Just The Beginning...

While the last year of travel has been a most marvelous adventure, exceeding by every measure our already elevated expectations, one thing back "home" in Florida remained an ongoing issue that, when we allowed it to, would creep into the psyche and remind us that our "full time on the road" lifestyle still had an anchor weighing us down. Having a home is a wonderful blessing, but having a house that you no longer wish to have tied around your neck in the deep waters of a Florida real estate stormy sea is not a blessing. To the contrary, the fact that we still maintained that full responsibility was a drag- on more than one occasion, and one that we knew we finally needed to offload.

Re-enter Maureen Gobbi, Realtor Extraordinaire. We first listed the house with Maureen back a couple years ago. It readily became apparent that the market was deteriorating rapidly, even at that point, and while the house showed many, many times, the deal that followed to conclusion remained elusive. Ultimately we pulled the house from the market and departed on the planned trip- a course for which we have no regrets, but for which we certainly paid a dear price as regards property valuations over that period of being away. So be it.

"Maureen, list the house again and do whatever it takes to get the job done in short order. Please!"

"Ok, Greg, Marilyn, just sign and return the listing papers by e mail and I'll take it from there."

DONE. A few scant months after re-listing, the deal was signed, sealed and delivered. Those of you who know the current Florida market will understand the magnitude of this achievement. Now if she had done that with our place and our place alone, I would say that we, and she, got lucky. But our friends and neighbors Al and Christa Pfab, who had originally listed with someone else, also placed their fortunes with Maureen in this same relative time period. Presto chango, magicadoola, Maureen sold their place even before she dispatched ours. Two sales in this market in this price range is borderline miraculous. But once again, if she had just sold our two houses in this market, I might still think that we, and she, were lucky. But a quick glance at the "Ask for More..." website will show any number of other properties under contract and sold at any given time... all the while many other realtors are tapping their equity just to keep their own business heads above water.

I know why Maureen is successful. This is not conjecture on my part. She works while others play. She works while others sleep. There isn't a day or a time or a place where she will not take your call. She is energetic, knowledgeable, dedicated to success. She is honest, open, forthright. In short, she is a true professional. She can and will be successful in the best of circumstances and in the worst; in cases where the challenge is clear and in those when the water is a bit murky. She's just darn good! If you're going to "sale" on the Florida real estate market these days, you are well advised to make sure she is "On Board."

Now, because I forgot to take my camera to dinner, I've had to rework a couple photos sent to me from Al Pfab, far left in the photo below. Mea culpa. Next to Al, yours truly, then Marilyn, Maureen Gobbi and her husband Pete. (As if Maureen isn't a good team by her self, husband Pete builds some of the finest homes on the Cape, so knows the business of homes literally from the ground up) Second photo down, that's Christa (Mrs. Pfab) on the far left this time. Thanks for the use of the photos, Al!

The photos were taken at a sidewalk restaurant called Delicious Things in the river section of downtown Fort Myers, where Maureen treated us all to a very lovely and relaxing evening. We came away from the table truly relaxed for the first time in a long time....and Maureen gets all the credit for that.

Thanks for everything, Maureen!

So now we ARE what we set out to be- Full Time, On The Road, Livin' In The RV, Travelers.