Stacked Keys Podcast
The idea to talk to women who are out there living and making a difference is where the Stacked Keys Podcast was born. There are women who make a difference, but never make a wave while paddling through life. Immediately I can think of a dozen or more who impacted me, but I want more. I want to talk to those I don't know and I want to share with an audience that might need the inspiration to find their own beat. This podcast is to feature women who are impressive in the work world-- or in raising a family -- or who have hobbies that can make us all be encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate and get up in the morning or what they wish they had known earlier in life? Grab your keys and STOMP to your own drum.
Stacked Keys Podcast
Episode 235 -- Abbie Weldon -- Heart, Home, and Hustle: How Abbie Creates Success on Her Terms
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What happens when life's unexpected turns lead to your most fulfilling path? Abbie Weldon never planned to leave her 11-year teaching career or enter real estate, but when her surprise third child arrived, everything changed.
In this heartfelt conversation, Abbie reveals how she transformed a desire to be home with her baby into a thriving real estate career built on authentic relationships. "I want real estate built by relationships," she shares. "You're not just a number on my ranking report." This philosophy drives her unique approach—selling the stories and possibilities of homes rather than just listing features.
Abbie's journey is made even more remarkable by her personal health story. Having undergone two open-heart surgeries before age 21, she brings a profound appreciation for life's precious moments to both motherhood and business. This perspective shapes how she balances work demands with being present for her three children's milestones.
From practical insights on setting boundaries to navigating today's challenging real estate market, Abbie offers wisdom that transcends industry. She discusses the delicate balance of parenting in the digital age, managing youth sports commitments, and finding time for self-care amid a busy schedule.
Whether you're contemplating a career pivot, seeking better work-life balance, or simply looking for inspiration on living purposefully, Abbie's story reminds us that our deepest challenges often reveal our greatest strengths. Her message of patience, perseverance, and putting relationships first provides a refreshing counterpoint to our achievement-obsessed culture.
Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff
Podcast Introduction
Speaker 1I'm walking all alone down my yellow brick road and I stomp to the beat of my own drum. I got my pockets full of dreams and they're busting at the seams, going boom, boom boom.
Speaker 2Welcome to Stacked Keys Podcast. I'm your host, amy Stackhouse. This is a podcast to feature women who are impressive in the work world or in raising a family, or who have hobbies that make us all feel encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate to get up in the morning, or what maybe they wish they'd known a little bit earlier in their lives.
Speaker 1Grab your keys and stomp to your own drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, because I'm doing my thing and I hold the key to all my wants and all my dreams like an old song Everything will be all right when I let myself go.
Speaker 2Well, we have a guest today that I think everybody's going to want to tune into, because she is in a field, career-wise, that so many of us are touched by. We watch, and she's in the real estate world. But there is so much more to her, so we're going to jump right in. Abby Weldon welcome.
Speaker 4Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I am so excited and honored that you asked me to be a guest on this.
Speaker 2Well, it is great to have you. You are a young mom and a business worker.
Speaker 4Thank you for saying young. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2There you go, young, I will say that all the way and you are, and so you're juggling a lot of things, doing so much, but right out of the gate, let's talk about how people know Abby, both personally and professionally.
Speaker 4All right. So I grew up here in Wetumpka, alabama. I went to school K through 12, through all the Wetumpka schools. My grandfather was very well known. He ran with a lot of through a lot of offices and held different positions here in Wetumpka on the politics side. So I would like to say my family is very centered and well known in the community. But for 11 years I was known as Abby Weldon the teacher. I taught first and second grade for 11 years and I loved it.
Speaker 4I thought that was what God wanted me to do, that I knew from beginning that's what I wanted to be and that changed when I had our third baby. We actually the house that we're in now. We built it for our two children. We bought five acres. We have built this beautiful home. We knew we were good with our 10-year-old girl and our 7-year-old boy and we customized that home for that. And the Lord had other plans. And here we are with our third baby and he is two now and I knew when I had him that I didn't want to miss and send him to daycare like I had to do my others.
From Teaching to Real Estate
Speaker 4As much as I love teaching, I wanted to be home with my last baby and real estate was never, never on my radar. I never even cared to be a realtor at all, but in my mind I'm thinking this seems like an easy. In my mind I'm thinking this seems like an easy and I put that in air quotes way to make money and stay home with my baby. So I got my license, I taught school for two years and did real estate with it. I was pregnant, big time pregnant, my first year. My second year he went to daycare and then I came home. So now I'm home with him doing real estate full time. So and it was not easy, I will say in my mind I thought oh, that's easy, I just put a sign in the yard and you know I can make money. And that was not the case, but it worked out.
Speaker 2So wow, yeah, that's anytime you go, oh that'll, oh, yeah, to know that that's just the precursor.
Speaker 4Um, so, but real estate and people, I mean, you're a people person, you're, I am very much I love communication, I love building relationships and that is my, my motto with real estate, and it's even in my bio on my Instagram. I want real estate built by relationships. I want people to think that or to know that I am their friend, I am here for them. I'm not, you're not just a number on my board, you're not just a number on my ranking report. I like to build relationships with my clients and talk to them, you know. After the closing table.
Speaker 2Have you gone out completely on your own or are you within an organization?
Speaker 4I live on the company First Call Realty. I have got my broker's license. I have not done it. I mean I am essentially an associate broker within the company Dunning. I mean I am essentially an associate broker within the company, but right now, since I'm still considered a newbie, I am good where I am in first call realty and I am just living life of a mom of three and just building my background and portfolio in real estate right now.
Speaker 2So, yeah, well and you came into real estate at a time when maybe it wasn't the best time. I mean yeah.
Speaker 4Real estate. It was weird, it was really weird when I came in. It was the rates were like sky high and the people my generation bought a home when interest rates were two and 3% and now we don't want to get rid of that interest rate. But yet our families have grown since then by two or three kids and we have outgrown that home. But gosh, that interest rate is, you know, beautiful. So I like to navigate what it could look like buying a different home with a different interest rate. But the equity that those people have in that home right now is huge and they can pay off debt where, yes, their mortgage rate is higher. I mean, their mortgage payment is higher, but they paid off a car loan, they paid off credit card loans. So now they have more money in their pocket even though their mortgage payment is higher, but they're still, you know, putting more money in their pocket because they paid off so much, because they had so much equity built in.
Speaker 2So well, and what's interesting and what I hear you say and what I watch you do on your socials is that you kind of build a reason or a story to why and how it can happen. It's not just like, oh, you have a dream to own a home, good luck with that. I mean that isn't the way you approach it. So how do you suggest for people to approach you and maybe different types of people? You have your first time time buyer, you have your one, like you're just talking about, that has somebody that has a a good rate and has family grown. And then you've got people going into transition that are downsizing their family.
Speaker 4Yeah, I've actually sold the last um couple houses. It it's been retirees headed to Foley, Alabama, because they want to be closer to family and you know downsizing. So, yeah, you got to hit them where they're at. You got to got to meet them where they are and they want to know that you care. You care about their why. You don't care about what they want to list it at and how much you're going to my commission percent off that.
Speaker 4So my commit, like my commission, and what I make, is probably the last thing that we talk about. I want to know everything about you. Why do you want to move? Where are you? Do you have a place you want to go? Why are you selling? I want to know the why behind it all and maybe I ask too many questions but no one's ever told me that. But knowing their why and their story is so beneficial for selling their house and selling their story behind it. And when I advertise a house, I'm not advertising three bed, two bath. I'm advertising, yes, there's a dining room, but look at it, how perfect it is for a playroom for this first time family. So I'm trying to build the why and how to live in a home, not just here's this house.
Speaker 2Come buy it, so if that makes sense, yeah, you almost bring the personality of that house to life as being shown. But the caring about their why all right, that's kind of a core part of you, I think, of caring about somebody's. Why have you always been that kind of person to where you kind of had that grown in you of caring about people in that way?
Relationship-Focused Real Estate Approach
Speaker 4Yes, that's probably why I was a teacher for so many years, because I do care deeply and I think that's the way that this world is going into. People want to be heard and felt. They don't want to be just a number on someone's belt loop. They want to feel like they are heard and seen. And a lot of I mean almost all the time the reason why they're selling is because there's a big life change in their life. So you have to take that with almost being a counselor, a therapist, a market man, like because they're selling for a reason. They're not for the most part.
Speaker 4There are some people that are selling just to get the equity out of it, but for the most part they had a baby, they need to upsize, they want to downsize and go to their grandbabies. So they want to feel heard and seen and they typically love that house and have a lot of emotional attachment to the home. So you don't want to disregard that and if they feel like it's being disregarded, they don't feel connected to you. So when I do a walkthrough on a home, they're telling me about that. You know when they brought their baby home for the first time or when they had family Christmases and their fireplace, and that you know. I mean people start crying most of the time because they don't want to leave it, but they know they need to and so they just want to feel heard and seen.
Speaker 2So you can have an emotional day even when you're not planning on it.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, I've left crying. I mean, yeah, really I nine times out of 10,.
Speaker 4I'm leaving a listed appointment, probably crying because they I mean I bring out the sentimental part Like they didn't think it was going to be sentimental. They just thought that I was going to come in, throw some numbers on a paper, sign some documents and put their house for sale. I don't think they're expecting me to go, so tell me why. Tell me your favorite memory so that I can advertise that, as on Christmas morning, when your kids wake up, look at this wood burning fireplace. You know, I mean I want people to see how they can live in that house, and when they start thinking of those memories, they just you know they're like maybe I don't want to sell you know, because Talk yourself right out of a listing, yeah.
Speaker 4I haven't yet, thankfully, yeah.
Speaker 2Well, I mean it's a process and I mean that probably gets you through processes rather than it kind of midway stopping because they have done some thinking through, and then if you're in the same area and you're turning around and helping them find their next house, that's kind of a double opportunity.
Speaker 4Yeah, and I don't. You know, I don't ask when we see a home, I don't say what do you think, what do you like? My question is do you think you can see yourself living in this house? Do you think you can see yourself putting your kids to bed, putting making dinner for your family on Thanksgiving? I mean, can you see yourself living here? You know, because you're not going to like every aspect of a house, You're just not. And when I ask that, they're going to immediately think negative. Well, I didn't like how small this bedroom was, but can you see yourself living here and looking past any of the negative in this home?
Speaker 2so yeah, well, you've seen, um, probably just in your life, not necessarily as you've been in this, this particular career, but there's been changes to the industry and how you present something and how you stage and how you do this. I can remember we were moving from North Carolina to Alabama. My husband came ahead of me and our realtor. I said, well, should we leave our furniture? I mean, should we not just clear it all out?
Speaker 2And she looked around and she went no, could take yours and I was like wait, I think that was an insult. I think that it was like wait, you don't have the beautiful, beautiful, but but um, and we've laughed about that for years, but there are so many different ways, yeah, to present how do you is the right thing good question.
Speaker 4You kind of you kind of have to fill the room out. If a seller very much likes their furniture, it is what it is. You got to kind of work around it. And you know I also have to remember they have to live in this home too while I'm doing it. So I asked them are you willing to, you know, go ahead and put some of these pieces away? Are you willing to put a couch cover on your couch just to kind of make it not look so lived in? Are you willing to?
Speaker 4If, like y'all guys moving, are you willing to take it, go ahead so I can put some furniture in it, because who I'm marketing towards, they're going to want to see the farmhouse and the you know, and if you're okay with that, then I'm okay with it. If not, you kind of just got to do your best. But for the most part everybody's very willing and this is all on me. If I want to buy a couch cover to cover that couch, I do it Because it this is all on me. If I want to buy a couch cover to cover that couch, I do it, um, because it's going to make everybody more money in the long run, so I don't mind buying a $20 couch cover and coming and putting it on.
Speaker 4So it really I just kind of fill it out and see how it goes, and a lot of the time they're very helpful and I do have someone that I bring with me and she helps me, because unfortunately I really don't have the eye for that. I like to think that I do, but I know my boundaries. I'm not a photographer and I'm not a stager, so I hire someone to come with me and that's just part of a perk for using me to sell your home is I bring in a professional person and they do it.
Balancing Family and Career
Speaker 2I like that you went down that road because in business, so often it's like, well, I've got to do everything, I'm going to do everything. This is mine, this is my career, this is you know. It's money out of your pocket when you're engaging some of those services, but you've chosen to take what you're really good at and go with it and then tag some other people. Was that something you had to learn? Were you already in that kind of mindset?
Speaker 4No, I definitely had to come to terms with that and and just finally say what's going to. I am here for my sellers and my buyers and if I am not a professional at it, I want to bring in a professional for it. But no, I did not always have that mindset. I always thought that I had to do it all, in that I'm a very type a person anyway. So I kind of want to do it all, in that I'm a very type A person anyway, so I kind of want to do it myself, but also what's best for my clients and what's best for my clients is a professional, and I am the real estate professional, I am not the staging professional, I am not the photographer.
Speaker 4So bringing in those people have upped my game tremendously and I think everybody around appreciates it. You know they're getting business, my clients are happy, I'm happy, me and my clients are both getting, you know, more money in the end because we're I'm providing all these resources for them so yeah, well, let's jump personal a little bit it's like, okay, um, a lot of times there's quite a commentary on being a mom and how much time you give this and whether you're at that event or whether you're doing this.
Speaker 2So that's a juggle too in of itself. Of course. Now I'm really good at picking up the cookies, maybe not taking my time to make the cookies.
Speaker 4Yeah, 100 percent have you when, yeah, when I first started and I was also still teaching full-time, I will admit, and I miss a lot of stuff at home but I knew I had an end goal in mind, that I knew if I could hustle and work and thankfully I had a very I have a very supportive husband who takes on all the roles and, um, I knew that if I could just hustle for just a few years and get to where I am now, it would be worth it and it was because I'm able to leave teaching I do. I have now set boundaries of when I work my business. I'm not always perfect at it. There are times where I, you know, have to go on a Sunday afternoon, but I try to limit certain days and times to family. I have a 10-year-old who's on a travel softball team. I have a seven-year-old boy who he's just all over the place, and then we have our two-year-old. So my two-year-old has been on a lot of listing appointments and he's been on a lot of photography appointments and he goes now that he's been a lot of photography appointments and he, um, he goes, now that he's two, he I don't take him as much cause he's two, but when he was in a carrier. You know, I just strap him on and we'd go and but yeah, it's been a.
Speaker 4It was a struggle, I'm not going to lie. For two years two and a half, two to two and a half years I was missing a lot. I had a lot of breakdown moments. I had a lot of I don't know if this is going to work. I need to.
Speaker 4And that's when I was like I need to give up something, I need to give up teaching or I need to give up real estate. And me and my husband had a lot of conversations, we had a lot of prayer and God led me to giving up teaching and it has been a very big blessing. So, and what people don't understand, when I'm teaching and my kids, yeah, they're at school with me, but their Christmas party I'm having a Christmas party in my classroom, so I couldn't go to their Christmas party. I couldn't go on a lot of field trips because, honestly, I had no days because of my surprise third pregnancy I had to take off and so I didn't have days. And when they were having awards day, I was having awards day in my classroom, so I didn't get to see and do mom things. Anyways, I mean, I was being the teacher too, so it's it's been amazing that I can attend and do those things now.
Speaker 2It's so interesting that you say that because you just think, oh you, the school you're you know I have summers off with my kids. I do, I did but I didn't get to do a lot of things with them yeah, you, you still have the give and take and um, so that is really difficult to set boundaries and to um, to not go down the guilt road. Yeah, so that's so. Did you have a system of like, hey, I'm going to try this?
Speaker 4boundary for a month. I know I probably should have, but me and my husband sat down and just kind of said like Saturdays are pretty much all for me, like we're either traveling for softball or whatever, so Saturdays are pretty much my day off. Um, and I say off, I'm really never off.
Speaker 4I mean never really but that's my day that I'm not going to appointments. I'm still on my phone, I'm still negotiating, you know, I'm still doing whatever that is, but I'm not going somewhere Listing appointments I try to have on Sunday afternoons like three or four o'clock or, you know, during the day when my kids are at school. I have not had anybody not willing to do that. I just I'm just honest and thankfully, a lot of my clients are young moms like me, so they understand. You know this is my schedule and you know so it's been. I mean, nobody's really turned away from it and a lot of people respect it that I'm putting. You know that I have three kids and we're busy, so yeah, Well, talk to me about sports and kids.
Speaker 2I have people talking about, you know, kids being overscheduled, kids doing this, this and this and there. There's always been two sides to that. But yeah, into travel ball. That becomes just this huge um commitment.
Speaker 4Yeah um, yeah, definitely and honestly it is. For me it's kid by kid base this. The travel ball team is my older daughter, she's 10. She wants to do it Like I mean, has begged. She wants to go to pitching lessons, she wants to go to hitting lessons. She wants to do that. If she wants to do it, we're going to support it. My middle son, he's careless, careless, so we're not forcing that on him. He does play league ball because we're already at the ball field. He likes league ball. He could carry less to do.
Navigating Youth Sports and Activities
Speaker 4All-stars or travel team Great, that's more money and more time in my pocket. So I think it's just a kid-by-kid basis. I you know again, it's controversial we like our kids participating in some form of like sports or, you know, coach activity, because I think it's important. But I'm not going to force a travel ball or, you know, force something on them that they don't want to do. My daughter, she's so athletic, she plays volleyball in the spring or in the fall, along with travel ball, because they kind of line up. But she's just, that's just her. She just wants to, she wants to be.
Speaker 4She did cheer one year because she asked to do it, because all of her friends were doing it. And after the first football game we got in the car and I said what do you think? She said I hated it. I said why? She said I didn't win anything. I was like, well, the football team won. She's like I wasn't out there. So she is very much a competitive person, so she loves it. So I just, yeah, I think it's just a kid by kid basis and who, and just doing what they want to do and I will put the time and money if they show interest and want to do it, so.
Speaker 4But we do do tournaments around here. I'm not. We don't travel like out of state or hours and hours away.
Speaker 2We're pretty centrally located well, that's fixing to get better for you. Um, with the complex that they're building.
Speaker 4Yes, yes, yeah, we try to stay pretty central.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's. You know I've I've looked at all sides. I mean we were very much involved. I have one who played travel basketball and and actually the team she was on was in Birmingham, so we were doing a run from from Millbrook to Birmingham. But but the life lessons, yes, I see my kids. My kids are now in 30s and and you know they're all three of them are and um, and the life lessons, a lot of it's coming straight from either that coach or the team. Right, teamwork, and you have to even though you are an individual, you're also a part of a team correct your, your work. So what team skills do you have and where'd you get them from?
Speaker 4like in life or in real estate.
Speaker 2Life and real estate, how it translates into your work.
Speaker 4I think naturally I'm a firstborn, so naturally I'm just a leader. I like to take control of the situation and as long as people, but I'm not a forceful leader. If somebody else wants to lead it or take control of something, wants to lead it or take control of something, I have learned through life to let them and not be as in charge as I feel like I should be. And I think that trickles down to my 10-year-old because she thinks she's the boss of the family most of the time. Like this morning, our lights went out and she came in. The lights are out. Let want me to go get my brothers up? I'm like no, they're still asleep. Like, let them be. So I'm very much a leader and I have very good organizational skills and I feel like that's what sets me up to be successful.
Speaker 3And I'm'm.
Speaker 4I don't like to talk about myself so it's really hard. But my husband will tells a lot of people and tells me constantly that my work ethic is unmatched and I appreciate that because I do work very hard to where I am and what I've done. So yeah, just hard work.
Speaker 2Without those organizational skills you couldn't, because you have so many irons in the fire. So are there specific tools that you use to keep yourself organized?
Speaker 4Yes, you see these my file holder system, and I feel like, because I taught school for 11 years, that it just comes natural to me. But, um, yes, and there's a website that I use that I just happened upon and I invite whenever I'm under contract with the home, I invite the seller or the buyer, whoever I'm representing, and they come be a part of this uh website with me and it gives them a timeline and a checklist and I have a timeline and a checklist and it just keeps us all so they'll know okay, the appraisal went good, so now you need to start packing. Or okay, the earnest money has been dropped off. It gives them a checklist to call a home inspector and it gives them a list of several home inspectors if they don't have one. That's's been a lifesaver. That's almost like an assistant within for me. It's been very helpful to have that system set up for them.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, I love that. I mean that's like a reminder for well, an education for those who've never, ever yes, and a reminder. It's funny.
Speaker 4I mean, our kids have um, purchased homes and there are things that we have forgotten mentioned, and so that man that checklist well, and I don't think people understand and that's what I also when you sign that contract, that is a law like you, that is a contract. You have deadlines to meet, you have contingencies to meet and if you don't meet them within those like within those days, you're out. Like legally, the other party can pull out if you don't meet them. So, but that's on me, like I need to make sure that it's being met. That's part of my job.
Speaker 4So having this system in place where I put all the deadlines, I mean it's tedious, you know. You sit down and you put all the deadlines in, but it works so smooth because they'll get an email, I'll get an email. Hey, you had two to three or I think six days left on this contingent. Have you done it? Yet they're like oh crap, no, we haven't, let's do because they'll get an email. I'll get an email. Hey, you had two to three or I think it's six days left on this contingent. Have you done it yet? Like, oh crap, no, we haven't, let's do it, you know.
Speaker 2So yeah, that's great, that is really great. So in the family, how do you keep the family organized in your calendars? You have like a calendar, yes, so we a family calendar.
Speaker 4It is magnetic to the fridge and everybody has. I feel so silly saying this, but everybody has their own color and April and May are like the bit like so busy between ball games, end of the year stuff. Um, my husband, thankfully his location is Alabama, like that's his territory for his job, so like right now he's in Ufala, but he'll be home, you know, this afternoon, but I got to go get the kids, I, you know. So, yes, every there's a huge calendar on my fridge. Everybody has a color. And I mean typically, like we did it last Sunday, we wrote May out, we got all the calendars out. I wrote it out, my husband told me when he was traveling, so that's the only way I can survive. And then everything after that goes in my calendar on my phone, because if it's not on my phone to send me reminders, it ain't happening. So, yeah, my phone, my just Apple calendar on my phone. I just put it all in, you know transferred, and me and my husband like share and relay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2That I have never wanted Tom to be on my phone. I never want his calendar, I never want. But I have found that sometimes I have to sit down and go okay, tell me all of your calendar and then I'll write down in mine what might affect me. Yeah, because otherwise I mean it's like I mean he'll I don't know if he's proud of a full day or yeah Bash him too bad, but but I can't handle his volume, yeah, of activity plus, oh, yeah, and and after the kids are grown it's still there I mean yeah, theirs is still.
Speaker 2It's like meeting them for this or doing that with them or keeping dogs for them.
Speaker 4Where I say you don't have grandkids yet, do you? Oh no, yeah, just like until they come along and they have ball games and stuff, then it's going to be added oh man, right now it's grand dogs and I can put them in a crate you know,
Speaker 2understood, and I don't think you can do that with with children, but unfortunately no, but um, but it's really important because, you know, I've got I have one who is in law enforcement and she gets sent on detail and she has two dogs. Yes, she could get somebody to watch them, but that's a lot. I mean you need to pay somebody for a month to watch them. And so it's like, know, let me, let me have them. So I have to kind of figure out when I'm available, when I need to have somebody come watch the dogs, and I mean there's just a lot to juggle that never stops no, and that's why we, ben and I, got this baxter, who's just a little shih tzu down here.
Overcoming Heart Surgeries
Speaker 4He's 13. And then we had Jackson, our chocolate lab. He was 15. He passed away in December. But those were our babies before we had babies, and we're just like I don't want another dog right now, like Baxter, I mean, he just sleeps all day because he's all crippled. Yeah, so I was like I just don't know if we can handle a pet. Another, you know, a new puppy, yes, that is a responsibility.
Speaker 2But, yet at the same time I mean we've always had animals. I always say, we got one of our dogs, the first dog we had as a family we got the same time we got Tori. Yeah, a family we got the same time we got tori. Yeah, you know, I wanted the kids to grow up with animals because I know responsibility there that they can really learn. And then they went to college and people would say they shouldn't get, they shouldn't get dogs.
Speaker 4I I don't know if my girls would have made it well, yeah well, and that's why he was mine and Jackson was the ends and we just came together and but yeah it's when I go, when I go to a friend's house and they have like little, you know, like a puppy or a smaller dog who is very playful, my two-year-old eats it up and I'm like, oh, we should get him a little puppy.
Speaker 2And then I'm like, oh, no, no, no, no, no, I don't know. And we were at somebody's house not long ago and they, um, um breed some, a special breed. Yes, I was holding one and I was showing, sending pictures to the girls, and they were like, don't do it, and it's like they won't be cute long.
Speaker 2They look like their balls are really big. Yes, well, where do you go when you have a problem? I mean, it sounds like you have a really tight relationship with your husband, with your partnership, of how you function, but when you've got something that's really burdening your heart, where do you go?
Speaker 4out something that's really burdening your heart. Where do you go? Well, we are very much involved in our church and very much a christian family. Um, you know, the christian thing to say is I go to jesus and I go to prayer and I go to my bible and I do. But thankfully we have a core group within our church of our girls in our sund school class and they are our prayer warriors and they are our like mom issue 101. Like we come to each other for anything and everything.
Speaker 4And if it's something that I don't want to really want to bring to the girl group, my mom, she we have a very great relationship. She's amazing and thankfully she was my mom before, she was my friend and now she's my friend and I can go to her for anything and if it, you know my husband, yes, he's probably always my number one, but those girls and again, we me and my husband are very, very lucky to have two other, two to three other families that we get together with on a probably weekly basis and the husbands all get along, the wives all get along and it's just, it's just great. So I mean, when I say we are blessed, we are very blessed with the community around us and who we align ourselves with.
Speaker 2Well, and that's a conscious choice, because a lot of times you could pull in and go okay, we're too busy for others. Is that a temptation sometimes?
Speaker 4Oh yeah, but thankfully my husband. I am a very outgoing person, but I also can hit a limit, especially with this job.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, the job that I have, because when I'm at an appointment or I'm showing a house, I'm on, like I am, I'm on, and so when I leave showing six or seven houses, I'm drained, I'm done, like I just want to go home, I want to put on my sweats and I want to just be for a little bit. But we just built a pool last year, so we are the house that everybody's like. What are y'all doing, can we? You know, come grill out and stuff, but um, which is great, we do. I love having everybody over'll there. My friends joke with me that when I, when I hit my limit, I hit it and like we went to nashville with our group friends and all the way home I was just in the very, very back and I wasn't, I wasn't being ugly, I just wasn't talking. And they all joke you're like abby's hit, she's hit, like I just need to go home.
Speaker 2People meet her Well, but you know it's. It's good to both know that about yourself and for others to to know that yeah, my, my youngest would. It was very well known when she was in Auburn and even now probably. When she's done she, she goes on to bed, bed, she goes. Y'all lock the door behind you and she.
Speaker 4I've been known to go to bed. I'm like y'all, have your fun. I love y'all, but I'm gonna go lay with my two-year-old. That's always my good go-to. He needs mommy to come. Yeah, there you go. You have a built-in right there.
Speaker 2Well, are you a heart listener or a head listener? When you know that something's going on or a decision you have to make, can you take your heart out of it, or is it?
Speaker 4That is probably a weakness of mine. I am a very emotional person and I can be very what's the word I'm looking for? Spur of the moment, like I act on my feelings and my husband, thankfully, is a head listener and a head thinker and all that and I, yeah, I act very emotionally and it's funny that you asked that. And I say that because when I go on listing appointments I have to remind them that you're not pricing your home emotionally, we're pricing our home strategically, because if you price that home emotionally, gosh, you're going to price it, you know, way too high. That buyer has no emotion to that home. Yet they will, but they don't yet.
Speaker 4So you know, I do sympathize for people when they put their emotions in it, because I'm an emotional person and very sentimental and you know that sort of thing. So I have to remind the emotional person sometimes it's the husband, sometimes it's the wife. You know, when we price it we need to price it strategically, not emotionally, and typically that helps them decompartmentalize, like you know what is right and what is not right, so yeah, yeah, that's you know.
Speaker 2That's why I don't ever do yard sales, because I'm like it's worth that you can't. That's not worth 56 but um but. So when you're dealing with your kids, do you find yourself more heart there?
Speaker 4okay. So our kids? It's honestly opposite. My husband is very nurturing. I'm a, very I'm a because I am the mother, but he is more like if they're hurt or they're sick, he is more of the one that's going to cuddle with them on the couch and lay with them, and but on the flip side, at night just it just happened recently my two-year-old got flu A and I mean on the dot every four hours his fever would spike because the medicine was wearing off. I was the one getting up, you know, setting my alarm to check him every four hours. So it's just like I'm a, I'm a scheduler, and so I'm like, okay, this medicine, then this medicine, then I need to go do some work. Mommy will be right back, you're good, you've had medicine, whereas my husband will just melt with them on the couch and do that. So it's, we just mesh, so well, I mean.
Speaker 2Funny. So it's like you take balance and kind of yeah, but I don't.
Speaker 4I wasn't made to be a nurse, I wasn't made to. I do love and I hug and I kiss and I love all over them, but I'm just like suck it up, you'll be okay, so that makes you sound so bad, but I promise I'm a good mom.
Speaker 2You know, when you were talking about athletics and everything, I had one on the basketball court and of course I did all the concessions and all of that. And so you know, tori was out there playing and she came down on her knee, she tore her knee up, blew her knee. And you know, tori was out there playing and she came down on her knee, she tore her knee up, blew her knee. And you know, there was this curdling scream. Well, I was doing Chick-fil-A sandwiches and they're like hey, tori's hurt and I said she'll be fine. And then I heard the scream again and it's like that's Tori, and it's like that's Tori and it's like, oh, you know that. And then that's a scream that you never heard before.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah and then you go into a whole different mode, but um, but yeah, it's like let's you know, suck it up, you'll be fine yeah, no you're not so but you're not, yeah, yeah um, being a mom is scary and they're
Speaker 1and.
Building Adventure Through Real Estate
Speaker 2I think it's scarier for you guys now than it was for me. I mean, we went with our gut. Sometimes you had nothing to look look up and you know you were. You might be checking yourself with your friends, but you weren't checking yourself with people you didn't even know so. So, being a mom, what's the scariest terrain that you kind of navigate right now?
Speaker 4Right now social media with all three of mine, but mainly my 10 year old. She's at that age where friends are starting to get phones and she wants access to. You know different things and we're the mean parents. It's a no, you're not getting a phone. You're not 10 years old, um, she'll be in fifth grade next year.
Speaker 4And that access? You can lock something down. You can lock, think you've locked that tablet down, but somehow or another, someone, somewhere, something's going to get there and we have I mean, we have rules within our house with this and luckily, our core friend group feels the same way. So when we're outside of school, those friends don't have phones and those friends don't have that. But you know, in the school setting they do and you know, luckily, in elementary school they can't have them out right now. So but just what, it terrifies me what she's going to see like with a friend that does have a phone and that it's so hard because she doesn't understand why we don't let her spend the night with you know anybody, um, because I don't trust anybody either like I mean, I may know you, but do.
Speaker 4I do, I really know you. I could have hurt my kids mainly because I watch a lot of crime and docu series storylines from.
Speaker 4Somewhere yeah, and so that I'm not. It's been hard navigating that and figuring out good boundaries, because I want her to, you know, be independent and be, feel like she can do things, but at the same time, you're only 10 and and I don't know, and kids are kids are growing up way faster than we did. I mean way faster. And, like she, for christmas I didn't buy toys for her, I was buying skincare and a vanity with lights. I'm like you're not. I'm like why am I? But that's just the world we live in now. And I'm like my skincare is CeraVe from Walgreens, like I don't know. So we're getting into the nitty gritty with her and what you know? That's scary for me. My boys, I'm good right now. My seven year old he's the middle, he doesn't he doesn't care he's still watching Bluey, you know, and living his best life.
Speaker 4So that's hard.
Speaker 2Right now is the middle school age that we're reaching, so yeah, I think social media and phones and and I've I really um, hadn't experienced it too much, but but I was chaperoning a lot when phones were coming out, you know, and and of course they were these little you know slide phones, flip phones, but I mean they could, they could communicate pretty fast.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, oh yeah. Well, that's what I'm saying, just like riding a bus on a field trip and someone has a phone.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 4The parents haven't locked down, you know, and they can just search anything on the web, you know, just stuff like that just scares me and I try to, we try to make sure that we have a good enough communication and open communication that she does, and I tell her anytime. If you hear anything at school that you're not sure about, come ask me so that I can tell you they're correct. You know, thing um, and I've asked several moms in our Sunday school class who have kids in middle school now, like what do I need to prepare her for? Like I don't want to go, I feel like I don't need to, but maybe I do. You know, do I need to have all these talks with her? You know, like I want her to hear it from us and the Christian you know background with it and not, you know, from a nine-year-old boy on the playground.
Current Real Estate Market Challenges
Speaker 2So yeah, that's tough. That that's tough because there are so many opportunities and so much knowledge. And then the the difference is so big. You know, my middle daughter, becca, has a company called Stacked Intent. One of the things that she teaches is relationships, and it's relationships not just romantic, but it's all of the relationships. But she used to work for the extension, so she worked for Georgiaorgia extension, a lot of programs within the school and, um, I would ask her, they did one.
Speaker 2Uh, you know about families that she would go into the schools with and I'm like god, becca, when you were a kid, I mean you, you ran, if we talked about sex or anything you know, like out of the room and I'm like why, why is this so important to you now, as an adult?
Speaker 2And her response was because if I don't, who's going to amen? Yeah, and it was just like, and she would. She would tell us, you know that a kid in the sixth grade private school was not the same as a kid in a sixth grade public school. So the knowledge that they came with was terrifying, and actually in both of them it was terrifying. There was a lot of you know, just I don't know. There's just a huge responsibility, and so I think it goes back to you having that core group of your friends when you've got somebody watching, I think I have people all the time tell me, um, how glad they were that I was around, because they weren't like I was a chaperone on a lot of right and they were like, hey, you know, we knew they weren't going to really get away with Correct Because you were there.
Speaker 2So there's just a. I just think that can be a burden, if you so a thousand percent. Yeah, when's the last time you've had to say I'm sorry?
Speaker 4Yesterday, sorry yesterday and I, um, and that's another gosh parenting. I'm referring this to parenting and I can refer it to my business as well. Um, that's another thing. That parenting is so different now and we are a pretty normal, like strict family. We still believe in spankings and you know that. I mean that works for us and, um, and honestly, we don't have to get very because they know what the consequence is. And honestly, as they're getting older, that's not necessarily the consequence because my 10 year old daughter, they're getting older, that's not necessarily the consequence because my 10-year-old daughter's, like, that didn't hurt, you know. So we're having to readjust, but we're learning now. Or I am to say I'm sorry when I've hit a level that I don't want to get to, but I also say, mommy, asked you several times to stop and you didn't. That's why I yelled, I'm sorry that it got to that place, but also you didn't do what I asked. So, like I'm trying to teach them to be sorry too and understand what that word means and how to not let it happen. So I said sorry to my children yesterday because they hit a level and I came out of my bedroom from folding clothes and just went momzilla on them, but we all had a moment and we all apologize.
Speaker 4Now going back to the business side of it, I think that's where a lot of real estate agents are their weaknesses, because there is a stigma that you know that goes around, that you know we're high, strong people and we our way is the right way and we don't do any wrong and it's the other person's fault, not our fault, type situation.
Speaker 4And I am not that person. If I did something or didn't do something that hindered a contract or something, I'm going to own up and I'm going to say it's my fault and I am sorry, but let me make it right. And it ain't easy to say to own up to a mistake and I'm and I haven't and I'm still not great at it. You know you want to put the blame on somebody else that's always the easiest and but I've also learned that it it comes back around if you don't go ahead and just own up to it. Own up and apologize and nip it and be done, because it's gonna come back around somehow some way. Even if you fixed it and made it right, it's still gonna come back to bite you.
Speaker 2So owning up and apologizing is probably a big core value that I'm trying to instill in my children and in my relationship, and not being right and it's your fault, person so those core values, I it just seems like everything is interwoven Four values, from your family to your business, to your friendships, to where, if you can weave it together, it just makes it a bit more strong. So, but one of the things that struck me is um, you know, having to apologize to your children. Yeah, very rarely did my parents apologize to me, but no, but I can remember needing to apologize to mine, and a couple of times over silly things, they would stand their ground, they would like come together and go. All right, we're gonna make her not do this, and because I would be wrong. I mean, and just a silly example is, um went on this kick one time where I I wanted them to be healthy and so we were um barley green and it was, you know it, it was nasty, sounds gross, mix it in juice or mix in water. Tom would take it dry and we would be like and so they all three and they were fairly young, but they remember this, this is like emblazed in their brains they all three said we're not doing it and we'll sit here until she breaks. It was at least three hours that they sat on the bar stools, going, not doing, not having them all doing it and long story. But I finally just looked at them and went, this is ridiculous, isn't it? And they're like, yeah, it really is. And we, we did not. They, I was like, all right, we're done. And but it was funny because it was like I really was wrong, yeah, and, and they knew it.
Speaker 2And then fast forward just a little bit Isaac, my oldest. He had a congenital heart defect and he, which we did not know about, and he had, oh really, he had a heart attack when he was 13. Wow, and so he, he had to. He had open heart surgery and we're sitting in you know the cardiac rehab stuff that they make you go through, and he didn't have to be there for you know the cardiac rehab stuff that they make you go through and he didn't have to be there for, you know diet or anything. It was just I don't even know why we said, yes, you shouldn't have done it. But anyway, we're sitting there and I'm sitting with him and in walks, the lady that sold me the barley green and she had a massive heart attack. He said see that sold me the barley green and she had massive heart attack.
Speaker 4He said, see, told you to kill you, and so you know we again get a little laugh out of it, but that is hilarious, yeah, so, um well, let's go down that the the heart, heart situation.
Speaker 4So did you were you as baby when, when you had it yeah, and it's funny because sometimes I forget that I'm a heart patient, but then my body reminds me very quick that I am a heart patient. So here's how it all happened when I was born 36 years ago, technology was not as advanced as it is now, and when I was born, half of my intestines were on the outside of my body. They were fine, they were functioning, they were working, but they were outside of my belly button. Yeah, so they. I was born in Montgomery, they life flighted me to St Vincent in Birmingham, successfully, did the surgery, but detected a heart murmur during my surgery.
Speaker 4And um, so six months later, um, I had my first open heart surgery and I had called what was um Tetralogy of the Flow, where I had a bunch of holes in my heart and valves were not working. And um, they fixed that. And but they said when she is around 20 years old, she she's going to have to have her aortic valve replaced because it will not grow with her body. And it did. It didn't. And at I turned 21, in the hospital at UAB and I had my second aortic. I had my aortic valve replaced with a big valve and that's supposed to last me for 20 years. I'm coming up on 40, but I have the um a yearly visit to my cardiologist and it's, it's fine. So we're going to keep taking as long as it allows me to. So, yeah, so I've had two open heart surgeries before I was 20.
Speaker 2And it it affects life, it affected your childhood, I know.
Community Involvement and Future Goals
Speaker 4Yeah, and my mom was very good about not letting me use that, use it but watching to. You know, do you need to come rest, do you need to back off with what you're doing? And I mean, honestly, I'm very lucky, I don't take any medication for it. I don't take any medication for it, I don't. I mean I try to eat healthy, but I'm not going to say I am the best at that and I do have I like to work out. That's part of my like me time. So I mean I try so.
Speaker 2Wow. Well, you know it's interesting because one of the reasons I chaperoned a lot was because other people did not want the responsibility of Isaac. They were like he's going with us, you're going, you got to go with us. Yeah, so I just became stack mama to everybody and so it. But I mean people would ask how do you, how do you let him do these things, how do you let him go? How do you let him? And it's like because, honestly, he shouldn't be here. And he got me the other day. The other day he said he sent me a text and he was like thank you for the birthday. He turned 35 and he goes. You know, all these years are bonus, because I just didn't realize I'd have the last 20 oh, wow like and that that was it.
Speaker 2I mean he told us he's like. You know, they gave him an option, something probably will happen. He had what, um, his left or a or aorta crossed and so and it was underneath, and so he had an unroofing and he was like one of very few in the yeah and um and so um he.
Speaker 2He was fortunate in the sense that it happened right as puberty was happening right yeah he was growing and um, and he was a swimmer and the coach treated them like collegiate swimmers. And had he not done that, Isaac wouldn't have had that kind of stress on his heart. But he said I've got to live.
Speaker 2I can't sit here, I'd rather be gone, I'd rather go on and we're very strong Christians. And he's like hey, you know, I don't make it Life's over, I'm in heaven, but I am not going to sit on a couch the rest of what life I have. He went on and he was a cage fighter and we played football, went into cage that's awesome mma, but yeah with this surgery and then we'll get off of this with this surgery.
Speaker 2I've talked to the surgeon. I said look, there's something I really want to ask you to do. I, I want you. He's 13, he's a boy. I really want his chest, his nipples to line up, because if you don't, can you imagine being a 13? Yeah, yeah, that's fair, that's fair, and he was like I have never in my career had somebody asked that I'm like you remember who did it, were y'all at uab no, we were at uab, we went through a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of stuff and we went there and we ended up going to Boston.
Speaker 2Oh okay, he was kind of a child adult, yeah, and you know. So it was kind of a.
Speaker 4Yeah Well, I wasn't supposed to have three kids and I had all three healthy, normal, everything. So, and when I was pregnant, we, I I had to go, I think once a month, to my cardiologist and then, especially when I got pregnant at the age of 33. You know they didn't want me to be pregnant after 30 because it adds. You know I didn't intend to be pregnant at 33, but everything, I mean everything was fine, but yeah well you, that is, there's a lot of fear that can go into that.
Speaker 2So did you. How did you cope with that, or did you have any? I mean, I might be.
Speaker 4I really didn't have any. I don't know this. The hard thing has never been something like, like I said, I forget, I have it sometimes until something like I'm, and I think that's part of the reason why, like I hit a wall because I don't have as much stamina as a lot of you know, the normal people. So I think that's why I hit my wall as easily as I do and it hits me like, oh yeah, I mean I do have a not human valve and you know, like it's just I have to remind myself, and I've never really the very my first child, I did have my cardiologist at Baptist East with me, just there for me, not the baby, because you know everybody else is there for the baby. Yeah, but I mean I people, I mean my people, I mean my dad makes fun of me because or not makes fun of me, but just says that I can put. I mean my first one, I pushed for 12 minutes, then I pushed for seven and Baker, I pushed for four.
Speaker 3Like.
Speaker 4I, yeah, like I can, I can have a baby and and I think also I I was very conscious of my workout routine and prep and I think that just had a. You know, I just never really had a fear and I think more my mom had more fear, you know, just because she, you know she's been through everything with me but it's never been a thing for me and I think it's because my mom never let it be a. You know, outwardly, inwardly probably now that I have my own three kids, I would probably panic every time they do anything, but outwardly she never made it a thing. And I'm normal.
Speaker 4I do have a huge scar on my chest and I used to be so self-conscious about it because at 36, they stapled me. So I have staple marks, you know along. And this last time they glued me but I still have my staple marks, you know, on my chest. So I used to be pretty self-conscious about it and but it's a part of me now and people are like you have heart surgery. I'm like, oh yeah, I had two, you know, it's just not, I don't know, I just don't make it a thing anymore.
Speaker 2Wow, well, self-care, I mean you talked about that. Self-care is like sometimes people think that's selfish, that's you know they, they neglect it, but but you haven't, and so that that's really teaching your kids some lessons, right there.
Speaker 4Yeah, and you know, unfortunately my self-care happens very early in the morning because that's it's not something I want to do. So to say because I want to stay in my bed and go to sleep, earn sleep. But I get so much peace when my whole house is quiet. I get so much peace when my whole house is quiet at 530 in the morning. No one's blowing up my phone asking about home inspections and appraisals and it's just my time, and it really like I hate getting up and doing it. But when I'm done with it I'm like, ok, my kids can wake up, I can start. You know, like I don't get that feel rushed.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, mine starts. It's funny, these guys that have come and they're they're hunting.
Speaker 2They were going to be out, you know, before the sun rose and I said, well, I walk out of the house at five, 10 in the morning and they're like why, Like well, because I have to be impractical before six and so I have to leave and um, and they were talking about they were going to get up when it was dark, and I'm like I hate to tell you but if you're going to be in the woods you got to do earlier than 5 15, because, yeah, it gets light pretty fast pretty early right now. Yeah yeah, that's crazy so but but I that it's for me, it's some of that control too, of like I can control that time nobody else exactly exactly, so yes, so yeah, um, can you tell when you need an adventure?
Speaker 2do y'all like to go places, do things, and can you just do you have like a meter where it's like, okay, it's it's adventure time, I'm out?
Speaker 4my husband is the adventure person.
Speaker 4I do okay. So one of the reasons it wasn't a reason until recently that I love this business in the real estate and the financial piece that is given my family. I want my kids to travel. I never traveled Um like, and you know we my parents took us to Disney world, they took us to the yearly beach trip. But I want my get on an airplane and take them places and we try to like set up, plan and do that.
Speaker 4And, yes, we like going, my children like going, my husband likes going, I do like going, but I have a lot of I'm on good medication for my anxiety and all that stuff. But yes, we do. We hit where we, especially now that we do ball, and when it's over it's like we need to get away, like we need to go and just do something, and whether that's here in the United States or go somewhere you know else, and we haven't been out of the country yet. It is well, me and my husband have, but my children have not. And when we went to Mexico with our friends back in November, us and our friends were talking about taking all like their family, our family and going to like a kid resort type thing, cause we're like the whole, the whole time we're there. Of course we're happy we're on this adult vacation, but we're like kids, would you?
Speaker 1know, love to be able to go up and yeah.
Speaker 4And just go up and get a hot dog or a hamburger whenever you want to, you know. So yeah, we do. That's probably one of my biggest whys, of why I hustle so hard in this business is I want to take my kids and travel and do things that I. You know you always want better for your children and you know I want them to have to look back and go. I want a lot of places. I don't want some man coming in and trying to woo my daughter thinking he's going to take her to these striving places. She can say I've been there and done that. You ain't going to impress me.
Speaker 2Well, that's funny. So your motivation there is really to put a strength character into your child. So talk to me about what you do want to pour into your kids. I mean, we've talked about work ethic, we've talked about so many different aspects, but what's your biggest goal with your kids?
Speaker 4I want them to know that things don't come easy. You have to work to get to where you are and get to what you want to do. I feel like these this, the generation that's coming up out of high school and stuff they just think they can jump right into, you know, a six-figure job right out of college and that's not the case. I mean, it's taken me almost six years to get, or four to five or five or six years to get to where I am now in this business. It's taken a lot of years of sacrifice and people using somebody else after. I spent a lot of time showing them houses and it takes work and I want them to have the work ethic to want to be great and my mom instilled that in me and I feel like that's why I am the way I am and I just want them to see that things are not going to come like you want them to come, but to keep going and to keep striving. And I want them to have a relationship with Jesus and God and always go back to him when they feel like they can't keep going. And I'm trying to model that when we pray at night with them.
Speaker 4I pray, I thank him for the business and I don't know I mean my seven-year-old probably doesn't understand, but my 10-year-old is that I have thanked him for the listing appointment that I had today and the accepted offer or the great home inspection or and then. But then I also pray about the negative things that I had that day. You know like a client is um, just disheartened because we put in five offers and she keeps getting over a bit like help us find that right house for her. So I'm trying to model that through prayer. They know that I wake up and read my Bible in the morning and that we always don't go to prayer for praises, that we need to go through hard times too.
Speaker 2So if that makes, sense, you touched on something that I want to talk about real quickly and you talked. You said a client getting overbid. You know that's something that didn't happen a lot of years ago. I mean, it was like there weren't these bidding wars and things so. So if you had to talk to someone who was a home buyer or a home seller, give me some encouragement for them in kind of the times that we're in and and some of the struggles that they might face and to just yeah.
Speaker 4So for my buyers, if your budget is $250 or less, you're going to have to be patient. You are going to have to put your patient hat on because there are so many buyers in that market right now and there are no houses and the moment that one comes up it is flooded with showings and offers and typically, from being on the selling side of it, all the offers are pretty aligned, like they are very much aligned same asking price, same seller, concessions and that sort of thing. So your offer has to stand out and sometimes you can't help, like the type of loan. If the loan is a conventional loan it's more appealing to the seller because it's easier to close. On a conventional loan they don't ask for a whole lot. The appraiser is pretty, you know, straightforward, pretty lenient.
Speaker 4Now if you have a government-backed loan that's like a USDA, a VA and an FHA, those are normally for are going to be harder to close. So if a seller sees a conventional loan, they're going to grab that one because your VA, your FHA and your USDA, that house has to be pristine move-in ready and a lot of the homes that are 250 or lower unfortunately are not pristine move-in ready. They're move-in ready but they may not be government approved move-in ready and if they can not accept a VA, fha or USDA loan and accept a conventional, they're going to do that. And but my buyers right now that are in that price range are FHA because they want help with down payment, and so we're just having to be patient, and and so we're just having to be patient and you know, some days I'm like I want to cry with them because you know, there's one home that I felt like we put in a very good offer.
Speaker 4We even did an escalation clause where she'll go up $5,000 over asking if need be, and we just asked for all things because she still needs help paying for closing costs, because you know we don't have, she doesn't have the money, and you know that was her fifth offer and it got rejected and she's just feeling discouraged and I am too, as a realtor, because there's only so much she can bring to the table and there's only so much that I can, you know, help her do without going over budget. So she's just having to be patient. The right house is out there and she knows that we've talked about it. It's God's timing. God has you know, but it's hard to see when you're right here, you know, in the moment. So yeah, it's just, it's the first time homebuyers right now.
Speaker 2Just be patient, because it's hard, it's very hard. Yeah, that that's good advice. Um, it is hard, and I can remember our very first house. We wanted it so badly, badly, and we used to walk the neighborhood and we'd look at it and we even did what you're never supposed to do and we rang their door doorbell and we were like we want your house so bad I mean yeah, no, I think.
Speaker 4Oh, my god we did that then it happens and I don't, you know, I can't control what you do. So if you do what, what you do, if it helps, great, if not, probably shouldn't have done that we were young and we lived in a tiny little town and they knew us anyway.
Speaker 2But it was like you know. Sometimes it's like figure out your trust, figure out your trust with your realtor, and just trust.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2We have been all over the board about all kinds of things. Is there anything that maybe we didn't bring up, Abby, that you would like to make sure we do?
Speaker 4Gosh. I feel like we've talked about it all my family, my faith, my job. I mean I'm I'm 36 years old and I'm finally where I want to be, um, and I still have goals and aspirations. But I look back two years ago when I was just leaving school and teaching and I was like gosh, I wish I was so busy, I wish I had every you know. And I was like gosh, I wish I was so busy, I wish I had every you know. And now I am where I wish I was, and so I try to like soak in that moment for a little bit and just be and enjoy and be thankful, and I'm just very blessed I really am and if I wouldn't be here for without my husband and my mom and my support group and my company that I work for, and it's just great. Just be patient. That's all I can say to anybody and everybody in this business.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think that that's a good statement. How do people get in touch with you? How do they follow you? Oh wait, I have one more question before you answer that. You did something along the lines of a show, oh yeah, the American Dream TV.
Speaker 4Yeah, I'm a host for the American Dream TV and I've put out two shows so far, two segments in the show, and it's been fun, it's been. My next one is may 9th. That I'm gonna go record and I just pick local businesses around the town and around wetumka and go highlight them and interview them and try to bring awareness to wetumka, even though we kind of already have a little spotlight from the hgt. You know, hometown makeover and all that. But I like to recognize locally owned and businesses around here.
Speaker 2So so how did you get into that? What was the?
Speaker 4I mean, because that's another whole big thing to yeah, so I had another realtor in the birmingham area that I'm friends with and she apparently, uh, recommended me to the show. And then they found me on my Instagram and kind of watched me and followed me. And then they reached out to me and asked to interview and I went on some interviews and they accepted so and I accepted, so it's been fun. So it's basically my social media that got me there yeah.
Podcast Closing
Speaker 2So your hard work, your yes, consistency is, and your genuineness, I'm sure, is of what landed you there, so that, yeah, that's it.
Speaker 4Yeah, I'm having a great time with it. It's bringing a lot, of, a lot of awareness to Wetumpka, and that's the goal. The goal is not to sell the houses on there. It's just to show why living in Wetumpka is awesome.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, residual effect, basically All right. Now how do people find you follow you? What's next?
Speaker 4I'm on instagram at we talk to a realtor, mom, and facebook is just abby weldon and follow me.
Speaker 2I love followers and I love support, so well, you do a good job and I commend you on that. Have one more, have a superpower. You can use it any way you want to professionally, personally.
Speaker 4What's the superpower, how would you use it and why would it be your choice? Oh gosh, that's a good question and it's funny because I used to ask some second graders and of course the second grader can answer you know walls and you know all that. I don't know. I, you know, always thought about having a superpower and being able to do anything power and being able to do anything. But sometimes I wish I could see into the future just to give me peace of, to enjoy what I'm in now.
Speaker 4I think that's why I'm so good, or I've been so different with my third kid and been so less stressed and so like, just have the cookie.
Speaker 4I could care less if you've eaten anything all day, because I know how fast it goes by and I want so badly to be back in that position with my firstborn. So sometimes I wish I could see into the future just to get a glimpse, just a small glimpse of what my kids are going to look like grown and look like what they're going to be and how they're going to be. And but then come back and just be in the moment. I do, because once it's gone, it's gone and I feel like, like I just said, that's why I'm so more calm and whatever with my third one, because it goes so fast and I don't want my daughter be 10, I want her to be two again. So that's what I want to see into the future, but not be there, just see into it and just see what life is like. But then come back where I am now I like that and you're right.
Speaker 2Blink of an eye and they're. They're in the next step. Stay out. Somebody told us one time enjoy every stage, even it's the most horrible.
Speaker 4It's not and um, like this potty training stage. I didn't want to have to do this again, but here we are.
Speaker 2Oh, that's funny. Thank you, Abby.
Speaker 4Yes, thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1It's been fun. Boom, boom, boom To my own song.
Speaker 3Gotta stomp to my own drum, stomp to my own song, stomp hey, ooh, ooh, ooh.
Speaker 2Find Stat Keys Podcast on Spotify, soundcloud and iTunes or anywhere you get your favorite podcast listen. You'll laugh out loud, you'll cry a little, you'll find yourself encouraged. Join us for casual conversation that leads itself, based on where we take it, from family to philosophy, to work to meal prep, to beautifully surviving life. And hey, if I could ask a big favor of you, go to iTunes and give us a five rating. The more people who rate us, the more we get this podcast out there. Thanks, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3Stomp to my own song, stomp hey, ooh, ooh.
Speaker 1I'm gonna sing it out loud and say it real proud. Nobody's gonna step on my cloud Cause I stomp, stomp To the beat of my big drum. I got a big drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, cause I'm doing my thing and I got the key.
Speaker 3To all my wants and all my dreams. Yeah, cause I stomp to my own drum, stomp to my own song stomp. Hey, gonna put on my boots and move that. Stomp to my own drum, stomp to my big drum stomp. Hey, ooh, stomp to my own drum, stomp to my big drum Stomp. Hey, ooh, yeah, I've got my pockets full of dreams. Yeah, and they've been passing out the same thing Whoa, whoa, whoa, wow, wow, wow, wow.