Joan Peaslee

Most real estate agents will tell you that they got into the business because they love houses. But Joan really does. She simply loves houses. Whether it is a playful Contemporary in Hillcrest, a picturesque Tudor in Bellevue or a stately Georgian in Westmoreland Place, homes are like works of art. Drive through a standout neighborhood and you will feel like you are visiting a great art exhibit. That is one reason Joan became a real estate agent: she gets to work around beautiful houses. Of course, just as it is tough to spot a neglected masterpiece in a dark basement, great homes can go unnoticed. Joan's most important task as a real estate agent often lies in helping a seller define her home’s best features and let them shine through. Sometimes, it is a matter of trimming a tree to reveal a striking gable. Sometimes, it is finding the perfect color to let a room glow with warmth and sunlight. With every house Joan sells, she wants it to be a better home when she leaves. But houses are not beautiful islands in an empty sea. Sure, we all want to live in a beautiful house. But we also want to belong to something that is bigger than ourselves and yet feels comfortingly familiar. Our aspirations as homeowners cannot be summarized by a stained-glass window or an elegantly sleek flat roof. When it comes down to it, it is not where you live those matters. It is the people you live next to. That is another reason Joan became a real estate agent: she helps homebuyers find home.