A VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAINS BLOG SERIES
I have lived in Western North Carolina since 2005 after living in New York for 12 years and South Florida for 35+ years. Drawn to the magic and beauty of the mountains and particularly the city of Asheville, I love living here and I love coming home when traveling. The overall theme on this blog will center around my experiences and journeys living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
About the Author
I began my journey to Western North Carolina in 2005. I am currently retired from my full -time public relations profession and choosing to enjoy a post- retirement career as a realtor in Asheville. I love my work as a volunteer in several organizations I feel passionate about and in philanthropic endeavors. I am a active runner, RV traveler & hiker- greatly enjoying the outdoor life the mountains provide me. My real passion and reason for being are my 3 children and 6 grandchildren. I travel as often as possible and as ‘Bubbe’ or Grandma, I enjoy giving my grandchildren trip experiences along with me.
MY POST-RETIREMENT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CAREER
When the pandemic came along, many things changed in our lives. Reflections on new directions, unrealized goals, and thoughts & dreams that had not materialized yet were all on the table to consider acting on. I chose to embark on a secondary, post-retirement career in residential real estate. The pandemic period seemed like a good time to study, pass the licensing exams, and take the plunge into the life of a realtor.
My husband, Peter, was a career commercial realtor, as was his father and mentor, Joe Oppenheimer. None of our children or his siblings’ children followed in the path of Dad or Grandpa Joe as a realtor. The thought was always on my mind about this Oppenheimer legacy of realtors not continuing into the next generation, particularly after Peter passed in 2014.
As a 71-year-old studying and engaging in a new skill and mindset was not necessarily planned, nor easy by any stretch, but I persevered and accomplished the first step in this new journey – passing both the national and state exams. After researching and interviewing with several real estate firms to hang my license with, I chose Nest Realty. My friend for many years in Jewish Asheville life, Natalie Shaw, encouraged me to join Nest and then became a mentor and guide in my real estate journey along with the owners of Nest in Asheville, Angie and Glenn Cullen.
I then became a SRES – Senior Real Estate Specialist designation from the National Association of Realtors. As a retiree, one who has downsized and bought and sold 3 homes in Asheville, I felt I could bring my own personal experiences to my clients in this way. It became obvious to me that life as a realtor was really no different than many other endeavors I have dived into over the years – a 48-year public relations career, business owner, public servant, marathon runner, philanthropist, and volunteer. I like to serve and help others. I also love seeing others’ dreams come into reality and reaching goals that I set for myself. All of this takes a willingness to take a risk, dive in, sometimes falter & be unsure, and then break through, finding success and satisfaction.
I am on this journey and seeing where it takes me!
–As a trusted mountain community advisor, Janet brings strong connections, skills and resources to support the client every step of the way, helping to navigate the challenges of the buying or selling process.