Thankful, Thriving, and Slightly Over-Caffeinated: Real Estate Reflections 2025
As we head into Thanksgiving, I’m pausing — not just to baste the turkey or find that one guest fork I always misplace — but to look back on a whirlwind year of change, challenge, and community.
2025 brought movement in all the best ways. I changed brokerages, found new rhythms, and helped more people than ever make their waterfront dreams a reality. Some bought their first slice of river serenity. Others said goodbye to a beloved home and hello to new adventures. And through every closing, showing, and spreadsheet, one thing has been clear: this work is about connection — to people, to place, to the water that winds through our lives here on the Northern Neck.
And okay, maybe also to coffee.
Big Changes, Bigger Gratitude
This year I made a big move — I joined Bragg & Co., a brokerage that understands both the business and the beauty of waterfront living. It was the kind of leap that makes you question everything except your decision to keep snacks in the glove box.
But I found my people. I found my groove. And most importantly, I found myself booking back-to-back showings fueled entirely by espresso and enthusiasm.
This year, I got to hand over keys to folks who had been dreaming of a dockside sunrise. I got to watch porches empty and hearts full as sellers turned pages. Every home had a story — and I got to help write the next chapter.
The Real Heroes of My Year (And No, I’m Not Just Saying That for Free Lunch)
☕ The Local
Located next door to my office, this coffee shop has been my unofficial coworking space, therapist, and hype squad all in one. If you’ve ever gotten a voicemail from me that sounded unusually enthusiastic before 9am — blame them. Or thank them. Or better yet, go get their oat milk latte and find out for yourself.
🥪 The Office
No, not the sitcom. The restaurant across the street. The one where half my big ideas have been scribbled onto napkins between bites of sandwich. If you’ve ever thought, “Wow, she really knows her market,” know that most of that market knowledge came with a side of Caesar salad.
🍷 77 Social and Dredge
These two kept the celebration classy. And occasionally sparkly. Closings deserve to be toasted, and let’s just say — I’ve gotten very good at real estate math:
1 happy client = 2 glasses of wine.
Sometimes three. It’s all about balance.
The Bay Still Brings Us Together
The Steamboat Era Museum said it beautifully: once upon a time, the Chesapeake Bay wasn’t just scenic — it was essential. Families traveled across these waters to gather, to celebrate, to go home.
Today, things look different — but the water still calls to us. Buyers still feel something shift when they stand on a pier at sunset. Sellers still speak with reverence about the years they spent watching herons glide by. Whether it’s the Potomac, the Rappahannock, or a quiet cove off Carter’s Creek — the magic remains.
And I get to be part of that.
A Toast to You — And What’s Ahead
To my clients: thank you for trusting me. For texting me listings at 10pm. For letting me into your stories.
To my colleagues: thank you for the support, the referrals, the teamwork.
To this town, these businesses, and this beautiful waterfront region: you made this year more meaningful than I can say.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a fridge to fill, a pie to pretend I baked from scratch, and a nap to schedule post-turkey.
Here’s to whatever comes next. (Hopefully with good wifi and a water view.)