1985 was a great year.  My daughter, Jeri, was born, I put an offer in to buy a new house and I decided to become a Realtor.  Some of the best decisions I ever made.  
 
My first house, which my husband and I bought in 1976, was "not" a good decision.  The agent railroaded us into buying it (we had only seen three properties), said we had to pay full price, said that we should not have an inspection, and that there were no other houses to be seen in our price range. 
 
After we moved in we discovered that the neighbor had roosters (good morning!), the plumbing in the addition was not insulated and froze in cold weather, there was a leak in the upper floor bathroom that required extensive plumbing, and the window unit air conditioners blocked the sunlight and spiked our electric bills,  Did I mention the kitchen was redone in bright orange and green and that every room had a different wallpaper color and design which we thought we could easily remove?  Thank goodness we had some vision as to what the sturdy brick colonial could become.
 
  This, obviously, was before the internet and the wealth of information and tools buyers have at their fingertips.  I became really skilled at connecting my friends with great homes, as I was determined that no one should make the same mistake we did.  Eventually I decided to make a career of real estate.  That's when I had the "aha" moment that real estate is not so much about houses but about people.  I learn so much from my clients with each transaction and I know that I help empower people to make the right decisions.