My Alaskan real estate success builds on many adventures, from running my own preschool to home schooling my boys to establishing a respected cleaning service. In every venture, I set high standards for myself, going above the norm to help others.
Before marrying John, I had lived the whole of my life in the southeastern corner of Kansas. Marriage to a military husband moved me out of my little corner of the world. Over a dozen moves and many happy homes later, I now apply my experience and commitment to helping others find and enjoy homes of their own.
I have always been an entrepreneur with the goal of serving others. In Germany, I ran a preschool in my home, making three trips to get Montessori materials direct from the factory in Holland. I loved watching the children work with the materials you could almost see the little wheels in their brains turning. The children loved playing and learning; parents said if their young ones so much as overhead them talking to me on the phone, they would beg to come over. Now my Montessori supplies inspire new learning in my granddaughter's home-based school room that we organized.
By the time our oldest was in fourth grade, he was in his fifth public school because of frequent moves. That plus his mysterious illness and many missed school days convinced me that our family would benefit from the freedom of home schooling. If the boys wanted to go skiing during the week (no lines!), then they would do two days' work in one to catch up.
Flexible scheduling allowed the boys to join in my very successful Trustworthy Housecleaning business. Striving to exceed expectations, I was well-respected and was never treated as the cleaning lady by any of my clients. The simple act of washing three loads of dishes, though not on our punch list, brought tears to one client. I would leave loaves of homemade bread or cookies with our monthly invoices. The company grew, and we accumulated many good memories along with a few funny tales. The work ethic my boys learned from helping in my business and at home plus their own hard work and motivation paved the way for promotions, scholarships, college, and their current positions at Microsoft, where they have worked for over 14 years.
Both married and living in the Seattle area, Allen and Bryan often commute to Microsoft together. We are blessed with a beautiful five-year-old granddaughter. To bridge the distance between Alaska and Seattle, she and I video-conference weekly, sharing books, singing, and chatting, especially about our cats.
When we moved north in 1988, John and I anticipated a three-year Alaskan adventure. Over 23 years later, we are still here and still having an adventure. I love the way the daylight changes in Fairbanks. The long dark winters are a small challenge, but in the back of my mind, I know that come December 21st, the daylight hours will start increasing! That is always a neat, early Christmas present. And it is awesome that at 55 below, I can still be warm in my car and home and have hot water and all those amenities.
After moving to Fairbanks in 1996, I began my real estate business, a new way of helping others. After working at Coldwell Banker and Century 21, I helped launch Advantage Alaska Realty, where I became broker in 2007. In 2009, I opened my own brokerage as Advantage Alaska Realty Sally Atwood. What a reward it is to help buyers find homes that work for their families and to help them go through the process one step at a time. The hours can be very long during a busy market, but even then there is some flexibility.
One of the joys of my time in Alaska came in an unexpected way: joining a handbell choir in 1988. Not being a musical person, it was and is a fun challenge. At my first practice I was totally overwhelmed, but I kept going back and began to actually enjoy it. When I moved to Fairbanks and Christmas rolled around with bells but no director at Fort Wainwright (I had played on Christmas Eve for 8 years!), I organized the Jubilance Ringers. We performed at both chapels on post, at local churches in Fairbanks and North Pole, and even at the chapel in Fort Greely near Delta Junction--all under the directorship of non-musical (but committed) me.
Another Alaskan joy is sharing this beautiful place with friends and family. Three times John and I organized 2100-mile road trips extending north to the Arctic Circle and south to Seward and Valdez, with an astounding number of stops in between. We even made midnight ice cream under the midnight sun in Hatcher Pass. We always hit the ground running, usually starting at 7 a.m. and often going till midnight. We also organized three winter tours to include skiing (all newbies) at Alyeska, sled dog rides, snowshoeing, and horse carriage rides.
When we are not working or entertaining guests, John and I can often be found working on our investment properties. We add special touches like large bathroom wall cabinets, extra lights, and ceiling fans; of course each property is immaculate because we clean them ourselves. We take care of repairs promptly and maintain great working relationships with our contractors. I could not have asked for better landlords, wrote one of our tenants. Honest, conscientious, fair, available, responsible and accountable. Another tenant wrote, Sally and John were great landlords, always friendly and understanding. If ever a problem would arise, they were on top of it immediately.
Landlord, tour guide, bell-ringer, teacher, entrepreneur, grandma, and Realtor: in all that I do, I strive for excellence, bringing commitment and experience to a job well done.