Jess Lex

While planning my wedding in 2008, I was simultaneously figuring out where my fiancé and I would live after being married. You know the old saying, “Buying a house is cheaper than renting one”? Well, at that time, it turns out, that was totally true! So, I dragged my fiancé to house tour after house tour. We bought our first house at age 22.

I was captivated by the hunt and especially the negotiation part of the process and thought that real estate would be a fun career to have. Working for commissions was a scary thought for me though. I’d recently graduated college with a music degree and tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I already had a nice job, which was a blessing in a recession. So, instead of starting to sell houses as a career, I just bought them as a bit of a hobby and continued to work other jobs with reliable salaries. By the time I turned 29, I had collected THREE houses. The truth was, I was too sentimental to get rid of the prior homes I owned when I moved.

Fast forward a couple more years. I became a mom through foster care and adoption. I’d also decided to homeschool my twins for a couple of years. Let me tell you - that was hard! As a goal-oriented person, I found it very difficult for all of my goals to be wrapped up in the personal achievements of my kids. They didn’t seem to care AT ALL about MY goals and, for some reason, weren’t interested in achieving them for me. Add to that the fact that they were at an age where they didn’t need me to hold their hands every second, yet they seemed to need me at least every 5 minutes. I found it hard to sink my teeth into anything that fulfilled me. I needed something more to energize me!

Enter good old Craigslist! I found myself often browsing job advertisements just trying to find some sort of work-from-home position. One day, I stumbled upon a want ad for a Real Estate Administrative Assistant. I immediately applied. I didn’t get that job but was hooked on the idea of finally entering the world of real estate. I started classes to get my real estate license right away. Then, through the grapevine, a friend of mine found out about my desire to work in real estate and hired me part-time. Unfortunately, my personal goals were a mismatch for the position. So after learning the ropes from my friend for 8 months, I decided it was time to make the leap into sales on my own.

After spending a couple of years establishing myself as a home sales expert in my area, I had the privilege of working with a variety of clients. Through my experiences, I found that I love the downsizing population the most. The reason I love helping people simplify their living situations is that my detail-oriented and methodical nature pairs well with the enormity of the situation. A thorough strategy is needed to accomplish a move like this. As a sentimental collector of houses, I also can relate to how hard it is to leave behind a place that you love and that holds so many memories. I'm also incredibly patient and will never rush a homeowner through the process. It's important to me that those who are in the downsizing stage of life have an organized, stress-free, and compassionate experience. I work hard to provide that.