Safely Home

Chapter 1
Curb appeal is such an important step when selling a home, Catherine thought to herself, as she turned from locking the freshly painted front door to see the young contractor posting the FOR SALE sign in the yard. The sparkling clean windows and the colorful landscaping will be a key to attracting prospective homebuyers in this ever-changing real estate market. Once inside the home the professional staging should entice prospective buyers to make offers on this property. Catherine was very pleased with the final appearance of this house.
“Good morning Dave,” Catherine called out to the contractor.
“Right back at ya, Miss Cat,” Dave responded with a wave. “Looks like you have another home staged and ready to go.”
Cat smiled at the show of southern courtesy he had learned from his Georgia-born parents. Using the salutations of ‘Mr. or Miss’ came naturally to him even though he was a central California kid. “Yes, it’s a cute little cottage and Kimberly should be able to sell the property quickly since it’s located in such an attractive neighborhood.” Cat teased him by asking, “So when are you going to buy a house?”
“C’mon Miss Cat, you know I’m only 17 and working for my dad. I think I’ll concentrate on my education and a wife first,” Dave chuckled as he packed up his tools and headed for his truck that was loaded down with FOR SALE signs in the truck bed.
Cat enjoyed working with the good people from Ryan Realty, especially Kimberly Scott. Kimberly truly understood the value of staging a home in preparation for a profitable and timely sale. However, it was disappointing that this particular sale was due to a divorce. Grabbing her cell phone, Cat selected Kimberly’s name from her contact list and waited as the phone rang. Expecting to leave a message, she smiled when she heard the cheery voice of the property realtor and her best friend.
“Catherine Renee Vaughn, sometimes I think you are a mind reader because I was getting ready to call you. Dave Ryan will be posting the FOR SALE sign today so I hope the house is ready for showing,” said Kimberly expectantly.
“Then I have great news for you. Even though we had a few last minute repair issues to deal with, the staging is complete and the FOR SALE sign has just been posted so you are all ready to begin showing the property on Horseshoe Bend,” replied Cat.
“That’s sensational because I have two young couples who I think will be good matches for that cute little cottage. I will give them a call and schedule my showings. By the way, this evening I will be listing a home that I think will need a bit of your creative touch. It is a disaster, to put it mildly. When would you be available for a walk-through?” asked Kimberly.
Cat checked her iPad calendar, knowing she was heading to a paint color consultation for the next 2-3 hours, then her grief support group meeting this evening. “I am tied up for the rest of today but I am available tomorrow afternoon or the following morning. What’s good for you?”
“Let’s do late tomorrow afternoon then grab a bite of dinner together,” suggested Kimberly. “I have an idea for a future weekend trip that I’d like to share with you. I will see you tonight at our grief group meeting.”
Kimberly gave the property address to Cat before she signed off. Cat was grateful and amazed by her friendship with Kimberly. Three years ago, when her husband of 27 years passed away unexpectedly, she had been encouraged by friends to attend a grief support group held at a local church.
The leader of the grief group introduced her to Kimberly, who had also recently lost her husband. Even though Cat was 10 years older, they helped each other walk through, what is often called, the ‘valley of the shadow of death’. As much as you appreciate the desire of your friends and family to help after a tragic loss, they do not understand the process of mourning and recovery the way that someone does, who has also walked the path. Cat and Kimberly had quickly bonded over their enjoyment of coffee and movies. They had even enjoyed some weekend mini-vacations to local resort areas. They began forging their business relationship through the staging of Kimberly’s real estate properties or housewarming events that Cat planned for the new homeowner. Most importantly, it was Kimberly, who shared her love of the Lord with Cat. Although Cat had always believed there must be a higher power, now she had a personal relationship with the living God.
Before heading to her next appointment, she needed to take the ‘after’ photos for this staging job. Posting ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos on her company website always led to more business for “Your Life by Design”.