My career as a licensed real estate agent started in January 2003. In April 2006, I became a licensed real estate broker. I chose to be affiliated with a Big Box Brokerage until that no longer fit. If the truth is told, it was never a fit.
In January 2012, I became an Independent Real Estate Broker, choosing to be independent without the responsibility for other real estate agents. That choice fits me like a glove.
Probate Real Estate Agent Kathleen Daniels
I did not set out to specialize in probate real estate. It was not a conscious choice. Life has a way of leading us. If we are willing to listen and follow the lead, we may find ourselves serving in unexpected ways.
One of my sisters at age 62 died suddenly. She died in her sleep. Certainly, no one was expecting that she would not wake up. What my brother-in-law went through just dealing with the police (suspecting foul play) and the banks (oh those dirty big bad banks), was the first nudge toward specializing in probate and real estate.
A year later, almost to the day, my mother passed away. I managed my mother’s care for nearly ten (10) years. This was the hardest job I’ve had in my life. I am tearing up as I write this. My mother peacefully passed in hospice care nearly 9 years ago. There isn’t a day that I do not miss her. I do not believe a heart ever heals after losing a loved one. We find a way to carry on and protect the void in our hearts in memory of our loved ones.
My Mother was born on February 23.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom ❤ 💐 ❤
What’s Love Got To Do With Probate Real Estate?
Experiencing firsthand what people go through when they lose a loved one, I was drawn to focus my kind, caring, and compassionate heart on probate real estate.
Why do I love what I do?
Probate real estate allows me to combine my life experiences, skills, education, and training, with my deep desire to help people. It is all blended in offering my specialized services.
I worked as a paralegal for 15 years, six of which were in probate and estate planning. While the laws continue to change, not much has changed regarding filings and the court process. Although I am not licensed to give legal advice, my life and personal experience are valuable.
In 2017, I completed certification coursework in Professional Fiduciary Management for Trustees, which took me back to my paralegal days. And yes, I loved that too.
My probate and real estate business consists of an equal blend of probate estates and working with a successor trustee of trust estates.
Not only do I love the legal aspects of probate and real estate, but I also love using my skills and my heart to help people deal with an emotional and challenging time in their lives. I’ve been there, so I get it. I connect with my clients on a deep emotional level, and that is a gift my clients give me.
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is not easy. Working with an estate in probate is hard work that weighs heavily on the heart.
The hardest heart situations I’ve dealt with are evicting an 87-year-old man from a home owned by his deceased spouse who owned the home as her sole and separate property and seeing firsthand the conditions some elderly people live.
Despite the darkness, probate real estate allows me to touch the hearts of my clients in ways that go beyond clearing out the home, preparing it for sale, and selling the home. This is work I feel I am called to do.
This is an entry in the Active Rain February Spread the Love Challenge to write a blog post that answers a powerful question: What do you love about what you do?
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