A client came to me a few years ago with contradicting specifications for the retirement home as they sought to exchange the harsh winters of the Midwest for the sunny climate of Santa Barbara. They were a couple with two hearts. The professorial husband's wish was for a reclusive lair while his warm, upbeat wife wanted an open space. Where was I going to find a tree house and a cave in one?
I've been a real estate broker in Santa Barbara for many years, long enough to know that I still love matching people to the places that they can call home, no matter how left field and seemingly impossible their requirements.
I have always viewed it as a privilege when clients share their needs, desires --- and sometimes life stories --- in order to help me understand their vision of their next home, whether it's a place they can hang thier hat and retire, or a sanctuary from the furies of their fast-paced lives. I never take it for granted that people have deep-seated desires and needs that make them who they are and I keep at it until I find a dwelling that my client can uncompromisingly call "home".
Just as I love working with people, I equally enjoy the sport of finding a house my clients will appreciate. It's a thrill when I find that gem, as my efforts as part psychologist (really listening and understanding my client's needs and desires) and part matchmaker (scope and ferret out the properties) pay off.
So, is there such a thing as a treehouse-cave in Santa Barbara? You bet. And I'm happy to report... I found them the perfect home and they lived there happily for many years before moving in to a retirement community.