Home & Life Insights
Experienced perspective on real estate, relocation, and living well.
From My Corner of the World
A Personal Note from Lynn
Our Family Is Growing Again!
Mark and I are overjoyed to announce the birth of our third grandchild, Luca, who was born on August 2 in São Paulo, Brazil!
Luca joins his big brother, Marco, and I will be flying to Brazil next week to meet him and spend some treasured time with our son Danny and his family. With our three children—and now our three grandchildren—living in different parts of the country and world, these visits have become especially precious to us.
This chapter of life has given the word “home” an even broader meaning for me. Home may be Fort Wayne, Florida, Seattle, New York or São Paulo—but more than anything, it is wherever the people we love are gathered.
Warmly,
Lynn
Residential Real Estate and Relocation
Moving Closer to What Matters Most
Last month, Kate and I had the privilege of helping a wonderful couple relocate from their longtime home in South Bend to a lovely villa in Fort Wayne. Their reason for moving was the very best one: they wanted to be closer to their children and seven grandchildren who live here.
A move like this is about so much more than buying and selling real estate. Leaving a longtime home and community can be emotional and complicated, even when something wonderful is waiting at the other end. Our role was to help make that transition easier and guide them toward a home and lifestyle that would serve them well in this next chapter. We even lent some advice on their home sale in South Bend along the way.
It was enormously satisfying to see them settled near their family, where they can now participate more fully in the everyday moments that are so difficult to replace from a distance.
Soon we will be helping another couple prepare for a similar move—this time from Colorado to Fort Wayne, also to be nearer to their children and future grandchildren.
This is exactly the kind of work I hoped to do in this stage of my career. Kate and I can use our years of experience, our relationships and our network of excellent agents and resources to help people make thoughtful real estate and lifestyle decisions—whether the move is across Indiana or across the country.
If you or someone you love is considering a move to be closer to family, we would be delighted to help.
Places & People
Coming Full Circle on the Trails
In my new life of semi-retirement, I returned to tennis after 26 years away from the sport—and I was absolutely loving it.
Unfortunately, in June I injured my knee while playing and tore my ACL. I am now preparing for ACL surgery in early September, which means doing plenty of “pre-hab” to make my knee and the surrounding muscles as strong as possible beforehand.
One of the best ways I have found to do that is riding my bike on the Aboite trails.
There is something wonderfully full-circle about this. I co-founded Aboite New Trails in 2001 and spent much of my 40s working with an extraordinary group of volunteers, community leaders and supporters to create and connect those trails. At the time, I was thinking about safety, connectivity, and the quality of life they could provide for our community. Then, in my 50s, I got so busy with my real estate business after retiring from the trails that I could barely use those freshly paved trails myself! But I never imagined that more than 20 years later, I would personally use those same trails for exercise and rehabilitation as I prepared for surgery and a return to the sport I love. So my trail rides now feel especially meaningful.
Favorites
Things Worth Sharing
Something I’ve recently discovered, used or genuinely enjoyed.
Lifestyle
A Healthy Investment I Highly Recommend
Our son encouraged Mark and me to join Function Health this year, and I have been amazed by the experience.
Function provides access to more than 160 laboratory tests annually, generally completed in two rounds, with the results organized in one easy-to-follow place. The testing covers areas including heart health, hormones, thyroid, nutrients, metabolism, inflammation and more. Results are reviewed by clinicians, with explanations that help you better understand what the numbers may mean and what questions to discuss with your own physician.
I loved seeing such a complete picture of my health rather than receiving only a small collection of results from a standard annual physical. It even calculated my biological age.
Function currently costs $365 per year. Based on our personal experience, I highly recommend looking into it if you are interested in taking a more proactive and informed approach to your health.
How I Help Today
What “Semi-Retired” Means to My Clients
When I say that I am semi-retired, I certainly do not mean that I have stopped helping clients with real estate.
What has changed is that I no longer carry 20 listings at once in my own name or personally handle every day-to-day detail associated with maintaining them. Instead, when someone needs my help selling a home—whether in Fort Wayne or anywhere else—I identify and bring in a highly credentialed local agent who is especially well suited to that property, market and client.
That agent handles the daily responsibilities of the listing, including showings, feedback, marketing updates and ongoing property maintenance. I remain involved as an advisor, providing oversight of the overall strategy, pricing, positioning and negotiations from beginning to end.
I am paid a referral fee by the local agent or brokerage only when the transaction successfully closes. Referral arrangements between licensed real estate agents and brokers are an established part of the real estate profession.
I also continue to work directly with local buyers much as I always have. If a search becomes especially lengthy or time-intensive, I may bring in additional assistance while remaining involved in the strategy and important decisions.
Kate remains with Reecer Real Estate Advisors on a full-time basis and continues to work actively with our clients as well. Together, we can provide the experience and personal guidance our clients know us for—without my returning to the nonstop volume of my former real estate career.
In short, I may be working differently, but I am still very much available when you, your family or your friends need trusted real estate advice.
