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ActiveRain Meetup- Tea (Coffee Really) for Two!

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Mortgage and Lending with SWBC Mortgage 410-960-2061 NMLS 196068

ActiveRain Meetup-Tea (Coffee, Really) for Two!

I had a great start to my day!  I finally got to meet with Andrea Bedard.  She and I connected a few months ago through ActiveRain, and I couldn't be more pleased.  She is a sharp cookie.  We have been talking about getting together for a while, but today we made it happen.  We met at Anna's Coffee Roastery 8827 Center Park Drive Suite D near Columbia 100 Parkway in Columbia, Maryland. 

From the minute we met, I felt like I was with an old friend.  There was not one uncomfortable minute.

Maryland first time home buyer VA military
 

Andrea is a military wife who has weathered not one, not two, not three but FOUR deployments so far.  She is a mom of two little girls, 6 and 3.   She hails from Berlin, Germany and made her way across the world many moons ago, landing in New Hampshire as a teenager, a long way from home and a long time before Skype and cell phones.  She was MISERABLE...but she stuck it out. She's been stateside for some time now and her family is still in Germany.

Military spouses have to deal with EVERYTHING when their spouse is away.  Andrea had to deal with more than many when her youngest had health issues.  With no family around, you suck it up and deal with it.  She had love and support from friends and mentors, but for the most part, she dealt with it on her own.  Thank God her daughter is doing well now and her husband is stateside (he is eligible for ANOTHER deployment in 6 months....sure would be nice to have him around for awhile!)

In the midst of her husband's deployment, Andrea supported Mike Coopers Spin for TaTa's. You can read all about it here.

She has been in real estate since 2004 and specializes, of course, in military home buyers and sellers.  As a military brat and a military wife, I love connecting with folks who understands the special needs of our military.  She has dealt with the stress of MANY moves and knows how to navigate the process to make it work!   We have the same philosophy of great service and finding the RIGHT solution for our clients, not just ANY solution.

Once again, I am grateful to ActiveRain, not only for a business connection, but for yet another personal connection.  I look forward to many wonderful meet ups in the future.  I can't wait til our girls (and our guys) can meet! 

If you haven't subscribed to Andrea Bedard's blog, you should.  You won't be sorry!

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Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee  Maryland Mortgage Mama  NMLS# 196068  SWBC Mortgage.   410-960-2061 EHO   bridget.mcgee@swbc.com or www.marylandmortgagemama.com

 

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure! 

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest.  Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Comments (6)

Lindsey Hasford
Edina Realty - Elk River, MN
Bringing you home...

What a lovely meetup you had. I'm glad that you had the opportunity. :) I will one day have a meetup with my AR sista from Texas!!! Can't wait.

Jan 10, 2012 02:02 PM
Ellie McIntire
Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD
Luxury service in Central Maryland

You are making friends all over the State. Sounds like a great coffee date. 

Jan 10, 2012 02:05 PM
Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Sounds like you had a great time meeting a great Active Rainer. I do follow her blog and she has reached out to me in the past in regards to a blog that someone wrote. Maybe the next time she will join one of the meet ups so we can all meet her!!

Jan 10, 2012 02:12 PM
Andrea Bedard
Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD
Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

Now, Bridget, you are making me cry! It was lovely meeting you in person and, yes, no awkward minute :-) Anna's coffee was awesome (good call Bridget) and I'll be sure to stop there again sometime! As for the families... I think we'll have to plan something for the Spring at Avalon!

Martha, I'm planning on it! I was a bit bummed out last time around but my husband was on a temporary assignment out of State at that time and I just couldn't make it happen!

Jan 10, 2012 02:41 PM
Mary Yonkers
Alan Kells School of Real Estate/Howard Hanna Real Estate - Erie, PA
Erie/PA Real Estate Instructor

Bridget--lovely post about your meet-up with Andrea.  I have read her posts and love hearing about the trial & tribulations of being a military spouse.  My husband is retired navy but I was not married to him during that period of his life.  Over time I have met many of his military friends. 

And BTW I enjoyed meeting you last winter in Baltimore.  Glad we are both here.

Jan 11, 2012 02:24 AM
Diane M. Phillips Realtor 443-286-4365
Frankly Real Estate Inc. - Manchester, MD
Specializing in Carroll Co., MD

Bridget ~ You should be an ActiveRain Meet-up ambassador! We need to take a page from your book, you are a networking dynamo. : )

Jan 12, 2012 02:27 AM