Kyla Miranda
My Upsizing Story
I had many different careers before I became a REALTOR®. I had been an artist, an archaeologist, a researcher, and a teacher and had countless other temp jobs. After five years of traveling and living away, I decided to come home to Newfoundland. I got an office job in document control in St John's and my husband and I bought our first house.
The house was great but needed a lot of work. During this time, we took on massive renovations with the help of a contractor and a lot of DIY ourselves. We tore down all the walls, changed all the floors, and painted everything, plus more! We spent each weekend going to hardware stores and doing the renos. It was a fun, invaluable learning experience and the house was starting to come together.
At the same time, our house was too crazy to host people in. We were missing out on socializing because we spent so much time renovating on the weekends. I'd also been working at the office for a few years. I started riding a bike to work in our formidable climate because I missed being outdoors. I got the urge to make a change and decided to get my real estate license to get out and about more. This was a great decision for me.
When the house was almost done we started taking more walks downtown on the weekends. We were thinking of how nice it might be to live closer to a walkable area. We were also tired of renovations and knew that no matter what else we did the house would not be perfect. Because of the slope of the land, the snow clearing there was brutal.
The last straw came after a particularly bad winter. Yet we had already spent so much time and energy on the house. The market was down since we purchased so there was a good chance that we would have a loss despite the work we did.
But we knew it was time for a change. We had realized that lifestyle was more important to us now than anything else. We wanted a garage for easy snow clearing, and a kitchen island because my husband loved to cook. A house that required no renos and, for me, a walkable neighborhood where I could spend lots of time outdoors.
When we did the calculations the decision to upsize made so much more financial sense. When I first got my real estate license we purchased a house that we used as a short-term rental. I realized then that I loved real estate investing so I felt excited to get a home with an apartment.
Making the move changed my life in significant ways and helped me reach my potential in other areas. This coincided with me realizing my passion for business building and investing. I’m now one of the top agents at my brokerage due to my proactive customer service and negotiation skills. Having a living space that allowed me to enjoy my lifestyle was a huge part of that. I love where I live and I want you to too, as I know what difference the right place can make to all other aspects of your life.
Real estate is a business about the potential of places, but it's also about the potential in people. Listening to you and helping you realize your vision is so much fun and it's my favorite thing. I use all my experience to problem-solve with you in a systematic way.
I realize that real estate runs on emotion more than anything else. 'Home' means so many different things to different people. As a former visual artist, archaeologist, researcher, and administrator I know details matter. No detail is too small and I pay close attention to them when listing and buying.
Since then I've bought and sold many times and worked with many clients in your situation. I know what it is to feel overwhelmed or stuck. Sometimes it feels easier to stay where you are rather than to move and make what feels like a huge leap. Yet I know that it's always worth it when you get to the other side. I have all the tools to help get you there and am excited to help you on your way!
Find me at the below and let's chat:
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Kyla Miranda
709-325-5152 | kylamiranda@kw.com