THE POLLOCK JOURNAL: ARRIVING HOME - Isuue No. 1

inspire us issue no. 1

arriving home

A SHOWCASE OF THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE AND HOMES THAT

THIS SPRING A FOCUS ON ARRIVING HOME WITHIN YOURSELF YOUR HOME YOUR COMMUNITY

CARE. SERVE. GIVE.

ISSUE NO. 1 | 1

Brought to you by Pollock Properties Group of Keller Williams Premier Properties and Matt Keane of Guaranteed Rate.

Dear

neighbor,

I

am so happy that you are here! Before you dive into this publication, I invite you to stop and take a deep breath in, and out. Again, in and out. My Apple watch tells me to do that every now and then, and I am usually quite annoyed by the interruption, but when I do stop and actually BREATHE, it definitely helps clear my mind and cleanse my soul. A little bit.

And in the world we live in today, I treasure the little bits!

Now that we have both taken a breath, I want to share the purpose of this publication with you, which is to showcase people, home and the community that inspires us. And this issue we will specifically explore the idea of ARRIVING HOME. Yes, I am a Realtor/Sales Associate with Pollock Properties Group of Keller WIlliams, and we help hundreds of people and families arrive to their new home every year, but there is more to the idea of arriving home than just real estate: there is arriving home within ourselves, arriving home within our communities and yes, arriving home within the architecture in which we reside. This publication will be an interactive journey, exploring all of that, like a light illuminating paths and journeys to arriving home.

In each article and page, I ask that you not succumb to the comparison trap in which social media can ensnare us, but instead, recognize that the concept of HOME is deeply personal, surprisingly collective and can inspire each of us uniquely.

You are going to see the transformation of homes, homes for sale, and my very own personal home. Allow the stories, images, quotes, and design ideas inspire you to ponder your own personal version of arriving home. Because there is no other you. And the community you create is unlike any other. And the house you live in is a special place because of who you are within its wall and the life you live within it.

At Pollock Proeprties Group, we live and work by the motto “Care, Serve, Give”. We care about our clients and community deeply, providing the best service in the real estate industry and we love to give back. We believe in self care, community

2 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

support and service, and business practices that better the service provider as well as the the client. And we hope to display some of that in this publication. Thank you for entrusting us to serve your real estate needs - you have made us Maplewood/ South Orange community’s #1 Real Estate team in sales and for that we are sincerely grateful. And finally, thank you for coming along on this journey to arriving home.

With love and gratitude,

VANESSA POLLOCK

REALTOR/Sales Associate CEO/Founder of Pollock Properties Group 973.544.8484 direct | 973.376.003 office

Heavy clouds crowding, a society storming.

But there’s something different on this golden morning.

Something magical in the sunlight, wide and warming.

I see a dad with a stroller taking a jog.

Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog.

A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries.

She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries.

While we might feel small, separate, and all alone, Our people have never been more closely tethered.

The question isn’t if we will weather this unknown, But how we will weather this unknown together.

So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.

Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.

As one, we will defeat both despair and disease.

We stand with healthcare heroes and all employees; With families, libraries, schools, waiters, artists; Businesses, restaurants, and hospitals hit hardest.

We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,

ARRIVING HOME WITHIN A COMMUNITY

I thought I’d awaken to a world in mourning.

For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.

In this chaos, we will discover clarity.

In suffering, we must find solidarity.

The miracle of morning

For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude, Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.

So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain: Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.

Read children’s books, dance alone to DJ music.

Know that this distance will make our hearts grow fonder.

From a wave of woes our world will emerge stronger.

We’ll observe how the burdens braved by humankind Are also the moments that make us humans kind; Let every dawn find us courageous, brought closer; Heeding the light before the fight is over.

When this ends, we’ll smile sweetly, finally seeing

By Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman

In testing times, we became the best of beings.

Matt Keane

Each office independently owned and operated

Follow us on instagram at @pollockpropertiesgroup and @vanessaspollock and visit us at pollockpropertiesgroup.com

Special thanks to Ellen and the team at Matters Magazine. Cover image by Andrew Frasz Photography for the Scout Guide NNJ | Interior images by Thomas Leonczik, Staff Photographer with Pollock Properties Group.

ISSUE NO. 1 | 3

ARRIVING HOME

BY PAIGE FAURE

“We are the silver lining in any and every dark cloud we could ever find. There is no need to go looking for the light when you bring it with you.”

- TYLER KNOTT GREGSON

4 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

I

recently moved to a new home - it was a must, otherwise I would not have chosen to do so during a pandemic, as it was arduous to say the least. But despite the obstacles this change presented, my new place is starting to feel like a peaceful respite, filled with possibilities. Though the day of the move was tedious and presented many questions, the near-instant infusing of the space with my signature weirdness made my heart settle - an R2D2 French press coffeemaker prominently displayed atop my fridge reminded me of who I am, amongst all the new: a bit of a nerd who is always ready to ignite my days with warm liquid ambition and create. As you’ve probably experienced yourself, moving is not just the material, but the immaterial - the memories, the special nooks, the routines. I arrived here in November and I still haven’t found exactly where I want all my dishes to go, or how to organize my son’s closet, or exactly how my radiator works. But I have found where my books go, where I meditate, where I lay out board games with my little boy, and where I imagine, post-COVID, gathering my friends for snacks and laughs. Where the light is - not just physical lighting for the myriad of zoom yoga classes I teach so my complexion looks best, but where I can enjoy the buoyancy and lightness of being present in my space.

Home should never feel like a heavy burden. While it is often called your roots, it doesn’t mean you are stuck, never to change, never to explore. It is accessible anywhere. Home, for me, is in waking up to see every sunrise with a cup of coffee, just like my grandmother used to do on her farm in Kentucky. It’s in the original Star Wars trilogy. (This is a yearly homecoming.) It’s in melted cheese of any kind (an almost daily homecoming), the game of Uno, decorative throw pillows, and in the warm, longer days of sunshine leading us

ARRIVING HOME WITHIN YOURSELF

Don’t hesitate to celebrate the small victories - that goes for moments of home too!

into spring. My dear friend, Minami, says: “Don’t hesitate to celebrate the small victories” - that goes for moments of home too!

That extra exhale as you climb into your warm bed, your cat or dog looking up to you with unadulterated adoration, or the smile you feel naturally curve up as you answer a phone call from a special friend - those are all mini-celebrations of your life arriving to you.

Most yogis would say that even the unfurling of your mat is home - and I’d agree, movement being an essential part of my business and an essential part of all of our natures. Whenever you feel a bit untethered, I’d encourage you to find someplace quiet-ish with a mat, rug, or your favorite towel to lie down, and if all you do is sit upon it and breath and daydream for a bit, let that be the start of coming home to yourself. If downward dogs and all the warriors become a part of that practice, so be it, but don’t be afraid for it to be almost too simple. To gently close your eyes and allow the light of the home within you to shine for a moment or two of peace each day, to remind you to be grateful for the the tangible things you have (for my 7am classes, that R2D2 French press comes to mind…) and to connect you to the intangible force within, that says, no matter where you are, “you’re already here.”

PAIGE FAURE is an actor, theatre arts educator and yoga teacher based in Cedar Grove, NJ. Pre-pandemic, she starred as the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” on Broadway and on tour, as well as appearing in “Miss Saigon”, “Bullets Over Broadway” and “How To Succeed in Business…” on the Great White Way - though her favorite theatre is the Papermill Playhouse in Millburn. Post-pandemic, she has pivoted into a full roster of teaching, guiding creative and exploration-based yoga classes for adults and children thru The Yoga Ground and Yoga Playhouse in West Orange, as well as theatre enrichment classes for kids thru Little Apple Arts based in Maplewood. In 2020, Vanessa Pollock invited Paige to lead yoga practices for the associates at Pollock Properties Group each week, in hopes of offering a space of self-care, inspiration, respite and mind-body-heart connection for their work week.

ISSUE NO. 1 | 5

Before Design & Staging

After

TRANSFORMING HOME

BY ELISABETH HIPP WATSON Pollock Properties Group Design Specialist (Realtor/Sales Associate)

I

n early 2020 Pollock Properties Group began working with clients who were living out of state with the preparation of their rental property for the market. And what an incredible preparation and

transformation this was! This home already had great bones and flow, but it just needed a bit of updating, so we worked with the Sellers from across the country and provided them with a full design proposal, detailing what needed to be done, where to purchase the items and then helped them secure a trusted contractor to make the renovations possible. The Sellers wanted to follow the complete plan so together we got started; we checked in

6 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

on the home’s renovation progress on a regular basis and watched the transformation unfold, and then swooped in to stage it... and got it SOLD! It is always so fulfilling to see a design come to fruition, but this one was extra fulfilling because of the way the buyers in the market reacted to it: this home received multiple offers within the first weekend and sold at 114% of its list price!

We hope you enjoy the images, colors and transformation inspiration here and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us so that we can help you prepare your home for market in the near term or distant future!

Before Design & Staging

After

Before Design & Staging

After

Before Design & Staging

After

ISSUE NO. 1 | 7

NO PLACE LIKE IT

BY MATT BOREN

I

really understand Dorothy. While I, too, learned a great deal on my journey through OZ (Los Angeles in my case) I had for years wanted, more than anything, to go home.

friends wrote back: “Same. That’s how we know we’re home.”

That’s how we know we’re home. That is how we know we are home.

Those words were on a loop in my head, in my heart. They still are.

The pandemic, in all of its drudgery, has offered some very powerful realizations. Among them, that I had the permission all along to click the heels of my Air Force Ones three times.

We had never lived in New Jersey. Didn’t know much about the state to be honest. This wasn’t moving home the way moving home is depicted in films. This was a more nuanced, more soulful kind of moving home. A

Our dear friends have lived in Maplewood for some time now and because

moving home to be near our roots that even under feet of snow can’t be

of their love affair with this town and their Instagram pictures depicting its

covered up. A moving home to reconnect with the same reality and values

charm, beauty and magic, we found ourselves dreaming on a life here.

and seasons that guided us, taught us, shaped us and helped build us strong enough to head out into

When the three thousand miles that separated us from our parents and siblings - all of whom live in the North East - seemed to double and then triple as the pandemic raged, we knew that the physical and emotional pain caused by not being able

That is how we know we are home.

Those words were on a loop in my head, in my heart. They still are.

to see our families was not only too

the world.

And it is important to note that there are, in fact, some OZ-ian things afoot here in Maplewood including, but not limited to, a veritable Lollipop Guild. When we moved in every single

much to bear but unnecessary. Knowing the pandemic would one day be

masked neighbor stopped by with Banana Bread or cookies from The

over and travel would normalize again was no longer enough for us and

Able Baker, handmade welcome cards, well wishes. For the exception of a

while the anguish and distance we were experiencing was not necessarily

small handful, we never met the majority of our neighbors in Los Angeles.

because of the pandemic, it was certainly revealed by the pandemic. And

And then there was our very own Glinda (otherwise known as Vanessa

as is often the case, one revelation leads to another and then, of course, to

Pollock) who did not arrive via bubble - apologies for bursting yours.

another.

She arrived in a real estate van (super cool in its own right) and with love,

We wanted our daughters to be near their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. We wanted them to have snow days and the freedom to walk and bike around their hometown - two things not possible in L.A. We wanted a straight-forward, solid school system. We wanted them to experience the foliage, the snowstorms, the spring. We wanted them to have a piece of what we had growing up.

Friends of ours moved from L.A. to Hawaii around the same time we moved to Maplewood. One correspondence we had knocked the wind out of me. I wrote to our friends that being in Maplewood had me feeling a calm, a peace, a contentment unlike any I’d experienced in years. Our

8 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

patience and integrity got us in to nearly twenty houses and like the good witch herself, she made certain we followed our hearts. And follow follow follow our hearts we did and by doing so we found our home.

Home.

There really is no place like it.

MATT BOREN is an author, TV/FILM writer and actor and along with his daughters Evvy and River and wife Michelle - a proud citizen of Maplewood. His new Audible Original - Brackish Waters (Performed by Christina Applegate) arrives March 18, 2021.

Success

A FEW POLLOCK PROPERTIES GROUP

STORIES

212 Kingsland Terrace, South Orange

385 Woodland Place, South Orange

24 Tuscan St, Maplewood

64 Cleveland Terrace, Bloomfield

7 E Clark Place, South Orange

$799,000 list price $951,000 sale price

$1,150,000 list price $1,250,000 sale price

$419,000 list price $500,000 sale price

$569,000 list price $650,000 sale price

$929,000 list price $980,000 sale price

8 days

0 days

7 days

13 days

9 days

47 Bowdoin St, Maplewood

92 Forest Hill Rd, West Orange

35 Hughes St, Maplewood

$639,000 list price $755,000 sale price

$685,000 list price $755,000 sale price

$729,000 list price $848,000 sale price

$599,000 list price $650,000 sale price

$399,000 list price $419,000 sale price

9 days

8 days

13 days

18 days

14 days

202 Gregory Ave, West Orange

431 Walton, Maplewood

11 Forest Rd, Maplewood

108 Oakland Rd, Maplewood

$515,000 list price $555,000 sale price

$959,000 list price $1,200,000 sale price

$689,000 list price UNDER CONTRACT

$689,000 list price UNDER CONTRACT

$499,000 list price UNDER CONTRACT

11 days

8 days

6 days

5 days

8 days

• 186 families served

• 1700+ safe showings

• $102,000,000 in total sales

• Zero COVID cases due to our services

• $40,000+ donated and raised for local • All of this made us the #1 real estate charities, including the Vanessa Pollock team for Maplewood/South Orange!

Music Initiative & our clients’ charities Thank you! of choice

WHAT IS YOUR HOME WORTH?

REAL ESTATE VIDEOS, TIPS & TRICKS:

2021

5 Outlook Place, Glen Ridge

2020

62 Highland Ave, Maplewood

• 32 families arrived home with us in Q1 • 200+ families currently working with our Agents to find their next home • 30+ families currently preparing their homes for sale with us

61 Third St, South Orange

• 300+ safe showings this year with Zero COVID cases traced to our services • 45 offers submitted on our listings this year • 95% of our listings sell in the first weekend with multiple offers

SEARCH HOMES FOR SALE HERE:

9

COFFEE SHOPS Able Baker, Maplewood 187 Maplewood Ave Maplewood, NJ 07040 theablebaker.com/bakery.html 973.313.1133 • 973.378.0771 theablebaker

Bread Stand, Maplewood

Nothing makes us feel more at home than a great cup of coffee... shared with a friend or early in the morning in your own kitchen. However, there is so much amazing coffee to be had in these beautiful locations, each of which foster community and connection. You will feel right at home in each.

Here is a short list of our very favorite coffee shops and bakeries.

10 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

419 Boyden Ave Maplewood, NJ 07040 thebreadstandnj.com 973.762.0282 thebreadstand

Palmers, Maplewood 1 Highland Place Maplewood, NJ 07040 sweetsavorypalmers.com 973.378.2027 sweetsavorypalmers

Yellow Rose, Maplewood 10 Ridgewood Rd Maplewood, NJ 07040 yellowrosevegan.com 973.327.2286 yellowrosevegan

Jackie and Son, South Orange 134 S Orange Ave South Orange, NJ 07079 jackieandson.com 973.821.5438 jackie_and_son

The Order, South Orange 50W S Orange Ave South Orange, NJ 07079 theordernj.com 973.313.1333 theorder_nj

Liv Bread, Millburn 184 Essex St Millburn, NJ 07041 livbreads.com 973.218.6922 livbreads

Boxwood, Summit 17 Beechwood Rd Summit, NJ 07901 boxwoodcoffee.com 908.219.4076 boxwood_coffee

Harper’s Cafe, West Orange 134 S Valley Rd West Orange, NJ 07052 harperscafenj.com 862.520.1471 harperscafenj

The Corner, Montclair 115 Grove St Montclair, NJ 07042 thecornermontclair.com 973.783.2400 thecornermontclair

Skiddoo, Bloomfield 33 Carteret St Bloomfield, NJ 07003 23skiddoocafe.com 973.860.7288 23skiddoocafe

ISSUE NO. 1 | 11

“When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work.” - EDWARD F. CROKER Matt: Thanks for having me and that’s a great introduction.

I gotta be honest. It feels good.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

VP: I say all of that because you have been our lenderpartner for years now. And it’s because of your huge heart and your incredible care for our clients and our community that I have always wanted us to be a team with you... it’s a rare combination, to find somebody who’s so skilled and so knowledgeable and such an expert at what you do in a sales field, but also approaches it with a servant’s heart, and you do - and that’s why our whole organization loves to work with you so much. You know that generosity and community are core values of our team. So another reason why you are one of our favorite partners, is your unbelievable service to your community. Will you

passion was to get on a fire department. Back in the ‘90s, it wasn’t as easy as just applying for a job and getting it - you had to get on a lot of different lists, a lot of different cities and what not. As my career evolved in the mortgage industry, (I started doing mortgages 25 years ago) I started to lose the opportunity to get hired full time (as a fireman). And I moved into Chatham, and the next town over, Madison, they have what they call a “combination fire department” where they have part-paid and part volunteer fire fighters. It really appealed to me, because I was never that far removed from wanting to serve the community.

Being a part of the community from that aspect of being there when someone really needs you… so I joined the Madison Fire Department (as a volunteer) about 20 years ago.

I’ve been on there ever since and it’s definitely a piece of me

WATCH MATT’S FULL INTERVIEW Matt Keane of Guaranteed Rate is our favorite mortgage lender-partner, teammate; he is just an amazing human and Vanessa was recently able to sit down with Matt ton zoom o discuss “arriving home”: in his own skin, at home with his family, and more. Read parts of the conversation here and watch the entire talk on our YouTube channel.

please tell our viewers and readers, what you do with almost as much of your time as helping buyers obtain financing for their house?

Matt: I volunteer for (my) local fire department. When I was going to college, my

12 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

that I keep, I don’t wanna say I keep it under wraps, I certainly don’t keep it under wraps now (laughing)… The thing that’s great about this is being able to still do what I love on both sides. I love what I do during the day and having (mortgage) conversations, helping people figure out financing

PUTTING OUT FIRES and really taking the stress out of it and answering their questions... figuring out what’s going to work for them to get the best financing. But I also love to just be of service (with the fire department), when the call comes and, you could be sleeping, you could be in the middle of a phone call, you could be in the middle of your day, but there’s a need out there and you’re able to jump right in and be of service in that need, it’s so rewarding.

VP: It’s amazing and you brought up something really interesting that is important to me too: that we are whole people. We are not just one name tag, I’m not just a Realtor. You are not just

An Interview with

MATT KEANE

a mortgage lender. I love that people know that about you now, because so many of the associates on Pollock Properties Group are Realtors, and opera teachers or Realtors and Broadway stars.

We can do actually both by supporting each other, through the teamwork that we have with each other. We just are blown away by the way you serve your community for 20 years - it is incredible, you are a true Care Serve Giver, and we’re so grateful for the time and attention and care that you give to our clients.

Matt: Thanks Vanessa, It’s a pleasure.

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. –THUCYDIDES A special thank you to all first responders past, present and future.

MATT KEANE today for all your financing needs: 973.464.7571 Guaranteed Rate Mortgage

Matt Keane

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A POLLOCK PROPERTIES GROUP REALTOR

SHERI

A Real Estate agent wears many hats. Among other things, we are advisor, educator, negotiator, designer, and major hand holder to our clients. I love all those roles.

But one of the things I love the most is when I introduce our fantastic towns to new buyers.

I get so much joy when I have the opportunity to take my clients on “THE AREA TOUR” ( drum roll please).

What could be better than sharing my love of SOMA to fresh eyes? I love showing the different neighborhoods with the charming homes, and showing where the schools are located, and the downtowns with the fantastic stores and restaurants. And then the fete-a-complie is driving through the South Mountain Reservation, with its trails, views of the city, and the awesome dog park! I always feel like a kid in a candy store among delicious goodies!!

Seeing the wonderment in their eyes as they realize that moving to the “ burbs” can be so cool is all I need to make my day in the life of a realtor the best day ever!!

KEVIN

Like most professions, the daily life of a realtor can change drastically depending on what season or even day of the week one currently occupies. But also, like most jobs, a certain rhythm can emerge that helps make what can look mundane to the untrained eye into a routine that can propel your business further each day.

a nose dive, so he’s made me some weird wrap - there’s always pickles in it, often a hardboiled egg and usually some obscure hot sauce. And yet I always like it.

Text in from another agent. They were just in the basement of one of my listings and saw a dead mouse tucked behind the furnace. Uh oh! Sellers are out of town on vacation so I make my husband Nick drive over with me to remove the dead mouse. He’s not so bad.

I drop Nick at home and head out to meet up with clients for what is probably my favorite part of the Realtor day. I’m meeting new first time buyers to give them an area tour and see a few homes together. I LOVE talking to buyers and hearing what they like/want/need, especially if it’s their first time (makes me nostalgic!); and I love deciphering the body language between spouses and seeing how they respond to details in a home. It’s not just what they say, it’s what they DON’T say. Home buying is one of THE most exciting times in someone’s life and I just love offering guidance through that.

After another long day it’s home for dinner. No time to cook tonight so we get tacos from Miti Miti (yum!) and watch a movie. The phone gets put away for dinner… but after Nick and I clean up and get the kids to bed, it’s time for a call on offer strategy for my buyers that are ready to submit. They’ve been waiting for the right place and finally found it, and we want to put their best foot forward.

The days are long in real estate, but they’re NEVER the same….and I LOVE IT!!!!

For me, the key is constantly being in communication with people. Most mornings begin with a zoom conference with the entire Pollock Properties team to mind-hive with our fellow agents and discuss the families we are currently helping to serve. The constant attention to detail by our listing coordinator, Elisabeth Watson, and our closing coordinator, Teri Pilling, assures that all the important details of a transaction are always being nurtured. We also actually like each other so these morning powwows almost always provide a few laughs with your morning coffee!

From there it’s off to the races. And for me, that’s exactly how I think about my day to day job. I reckon the only competition a realtor truly has is between himself and procrastination. Now, the silly apps on my phone sometimes win the battle but the game is mine if I simply make merry the work I need to do. Whether it’s checking in with clients, taking people to see homes, calling friends to see how I can help them, or sharing data and news on social media, my aim is to always enjoy the process.

DENISE

It’s 6 AM. I feel a small human’s breath on my face. It’s definitely my five year old; he can somehow survive on very little sleep and food. I open my eyes, and feel immediate guilt that I wasn’t up at 5am, meditating, doing a full yoga practice, and reading two chapters of a growth in life/business book. I remind myself that there’s always tomorrow!

(All: Realtor/Sales Associates)

KELLY

You’ll think I’m joking, but my day starts with my 9 year old, Bea, bringing me coffee in bed. Don’t ask me how I’ve done it, but she loves doing it. That’s followed by a quick snuggle with my two other girls, ages 3 and 6, and then down to get breakfast together with my husband, Nick. The official work day starts with our team call to discuss what we’re seeing in the market and how best to advise our clients and to keep our transactions moving smoothly. We’re all business, but it’s a lively, talented bunch, and inevitably someone’s cat, dog, or in my case, preschooler, makes a guest appearance.

Next it’s off to meet with my new sellers. We met last year when they were thinking about listing, and I gave them some thoughts on small projects they could do that would really make their home sing if they decided to sell. They recently took the plunge, the work looks great, and now we’re talking about a pricing strategy that’s right for their goals. Their timing is great - inventory is down significantly since we last met and average sale price is up 16%. They’re in a good position to list now.

After that, it’s over to preview a gorgeous exclusive in the Montrose neighborhood. Some friends of mine who also happen to be buyer clients live local and know exactly what they want so it’s my job to keep in touch with other agents to find opportunities that aren’t yet to market or are being sold as an exclusive. This one could be a match! But it has to be right, I know what my buyers want and what they need, so I always make sure to see it and screen for their needs.

Quick stop home for lunch with the girls. It’s COVID time after all, so EVERYONE is home.

It’s good, it’s bad, it’s the reality. Nick knows that if I don’t keep my blood sugar up I’ll take

Denise

Three cups of coffee later, and a five minute shower- I am on full army, I mean Mommy duty!

I compare getting my boys ready for school to wrestling two medium-sized alligators. I am one of the VERY lucky ones though, as my kids go to a local preschool in person. Masks on, coats on, no complaints here!

9 AM the team zooms! We laugh, we cry, we talk about the market, we talk through where we are in the process with each one of our families. This team has been each other’s strength through all that happens in life and business. 42 offers were submitted on a house yesterday? We’re on it! We book a training zoom to talk through how to strengthen offers for our buyers in this market. We are constantly learning and pushing into discomfort to find the greatest success for our clients. We OBSESS over this. 10am we wave goodbye to each other, and wish each other luck for the day!

I must say that in reality, every day is different in real estate. Everything is TIME sensitive in real estate. I like change, so it keeps my adrenaline going (which is ideal since I missed that morning workout). Some days it means pacing through 45 phone calls, composing 55 emails, exchanging 150 text messages, and having really good therapy sessions with my clients who are making their seventh offer in this intense seller’s market. Some days it means running around from house to house with three different families, shoving snacks in my mouth in the car between houses, (tricky in a global pandemic. Lots of hand sanitizer needed!) introducing buyers to as many areas as I can, since competition is fierce. Some days it means reviewing 16 offers that have been submitted on our listings, and calling my sellers with what is most definitely a life changing phone call; both financially, and emotionally. In this season, my heart is constantly moved by how incredibly hard agents are working for their clients.

Some nights the work day ends quite late. Many weeks real estate is seven days in a row.

It can sometimes feel like circus plate spinning- negotiating while squeezing in a much needed grocery trip. It’s our normal. What I love about my day, every day, every season, is that it keeps me connected to some of the most INCREDIBLE people. My buyers, sellers, and colleagues have become my friends, my community, my family. That’s the funny thing about real estate; it’s not at all about houses, it’s about people.

ISSUE NO. 1 | 13

A COMMUNITY THAT COOKS TOGETHER

STAYS TOGETHER

BY TOM MASON Founder of the Maplewood Chili Cookoff

I

t all started 15 years ago in a 500 square foot apartment in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

Fast forward 10 years, 2 kids,

entries and over 300 taste

over $10,000 for the Interfaith

and a move to Maplewood

testers who vote to decide the

Food Pantry of the Oranges,

later, the chili cookoff had

winner. Our tasting passes and

which translated to 2 months

My wife Jackie and I thought it

outgrown our home and we

chili entry slots sell out weeks

worth of groceries for over 200

would be fun to invite all our

decided that the only way

in advance and our trophy (a

families. Of all the work we’ve

friends to make a pot of chili

for the tradition to continue

30lb iron cauldron with each

done on the Chili Cookoff, the

and bring it over to our place to

was to go bigger. So the next

year’s winners engraved on it)

fundraising success is the

be tasted and judged by every-

year we rented The Wood-

sits on a pedestal in the lobby

thing we’re the most proud of.

one in attendance. There were

land... and invited THE WHOLE

of town hall. We’ve built a dedi-

12 chilis, prizes from the dollar

TOWN. Vanessa Pollock came

cated team of people like

Then came the pandemic.

store, and a heated contro-

on board as our first sponsor

Maplewood residents Aaron

Suddenly gathering to eat and

versy over someone entering

and gave us the funds to get

Kirtz, Sarah Klein, Benny Cam-

celebrate with hundreds of our

a can of Hormel. By the time

the idea off the ground and

pa and Jessica Adler who help

friends and neighbors became

we kicked everyone out and

before we knew it The Maple-

pull it off each year, and also

impossible just as the rising

cleaned the chili off the walls

wood Chili Cookoff was born.

founded a non-profit to collect

unemployment and devas-

and send all the proceeds from

tating economic impact of

In the 5 years since it’s grown

the event to our local food

COVID-19 meant that our local

to make, taste and judge chili.

into a beloved town tradition.

pantries. Last year The Ma-

food pantries were meeting un-

We had to do this every year.

Each year we welcome 35 chili

plewood Chili Cookoff raised

precedented levels of demand.

one thing had become clear: people love to gather together

14 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

ARRIVING HOME WITHIN A COMMUNITY Pollock Properties Group is committed to spending the majority of their marketing budget on local events and charitable causes that build community and promote generosity, like the Maplewood Chili Cookoff - contact us today if you have an event that we can support!

Rather than simply cancel the

delicacies to help sweeten the

cookoff, we launched a fundrais-

pot for this year’s donors. And

er to benefit MEND (“Meeting

the chili was still cooking this

Essential Needs with Dignity”),

year, as some of our dedicated

supporting our local network of

chili chefs made their famous

food pantries. For one year only,

recipes for distribution directly at

we asked our network of chili

local food pantries. Even though

lovers to give the amount they

our annual day together came

would normally spend at the

and went, we look forward to

chili cookoff directly to the fight

next year, together again in the

against hunger here in our com-

Woodland, and if you haven’t

munity. Thanks to loyal sponsors

already, please consider giving

like Vanessa Pollock and The

through www.maplewoodchili-

Able Baker, we assembled gift

cookoff.com. AND - Check back

baskets and cookie boxes full

next winter to grab your tickets

of some of our tastiest local

for 2022 before they sell out!

Photo Credit: Chad Hunt

Beyond organizing chili cookoffs TOM MASON is the co-founder of Redglass Pictures, a film production studio based in Maplewood, NJ. Recent work includes Dear Future Me, a short film series about children writing letters to their future selves in the midst of the pandemic as well as the upcoming PBS series Out Of The Dark about young people overcoming battles with mental illness. redglasspictures.com

ISSUE NO. 1 | 15

ARRIVING HOME [AGAIN] Creating home out of a #fixerupper during a global pandemic

BY VANESSA POLLOCK In January 2020, my husband and I decided to make an offer on a beautiful property in South Orange New Jersey that was listed by Adamson Ramsey Homes. We had not been planning to move and had actually just renovated our kitchen, but we felt very confident we could renovate this special space into just what we needed for our family of five for the season that (we thought) lay ahead. Being a Realtor, I see every house that comes on the market and every now and then one jumps out at me. The home we wanted checked all the boxes that I had been looking for for years: the opportunity to renovate into my own personal style, land, a pool, walkability into the village for our kids to hang out in town and easily hop on the train to NYC. And I wanted to be close to the middle school for our middle child to walk to and from school. Oh and we needed great space for a music studio for our teenage son, his band and my Broadway actor husband and his colleagues to gather.

This house checked every box so we made the offer, went under contract and

“All roads lead home as home is where the heart is. So Love.

Simply Love. For love is home to all of us.”

-WALD WASSERMANN

quickly moved to get our Maplewood home sold. One full dumpster, 22 black contractor bags filled with donations to the Vietnam vets, and two large donation pick ups by a social worker friend later, we had our Maplewood home prepped, sold off market, and we were ready to go. We closed on the new house on March 4, 2020 and tore out walls and flooring, launching our renovation dreams. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit a week later. We literally had a house torn apart and the world stopped.

On March 19, 2020, we moved into that construction zone as a family, sooner than we had planned, literally on “shelter in place” day so that we could do just that. I had a very frank conversation with our contractors and told them that we would love for them to keep working

16 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

ISSUE NO. 1 | 17

on the house, but only if they felt safe. They said that they needed to continue to work, because every other job had been canceled, and as long as we felt safe, they would continue. So, over the course of the next 90 days, we lived through socially-distant renovations with our contractors, as they put our #FixerUpper back together again. The P5 as I call us, Luis, William and Carlos became one big masked up family, and we emerged in the summer with a beautiful home.

“FUN”. And I guess the joke was on me. But I am holding out hope The Summer came and went and we thought the pandemic would end

that the fun will still come in this new home. No, the kids are not

any day, but alas it continued. We had started hosting outdoor, safe

walking to and from the middle school yet, and the music studio

yoga classes with our “pod” led by Paige (see her article), but as the

does not have the band jamming constantly yet, and we aren’t

weather started to change from Summer to Fall, we made a pandemic

having pool parties yet, and we aren’t all gathered around the

renovation decision: we needed to continue with our self-care for the

kitchen island YET, but I believe that our vision for this home will

pod and the team, and to create a safe space, so William and Carlos

still come to life on the other side of the pandemic, and that it will

came back over to help create a safe space in the backhouse for gath-

be busting at the seams with people. That vision gives me a sense

ering. We were able to enter the winter as a mighty masked yoga pod,

of hope and excitement, and so I have let go of the timing for

by opening windows, running heaters and air purifiers, and continuing

when it will be realized and cling to the fact that we are still, and

with our practice while helping keep each other sane. I could not know

may always be, arriving home.

that I needed to put “yoga studio” on the check list for a new house, so what a blessing to have just such a space for our pod and PPG. One of my first visions for this house was of it constantly filled with friends, clients and family, everyone gathering in the huge kitchen and hanging out by the pool. Truth be told, my word of the year for 2020 was

18 | THE POLLOCK JOURNAL

ISSUE NO. 1 | 19

“

Imagine yourself as a living house.

God comes in to rebuild that house.

At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

- C.S. LEWIS

Matt Keane

CARE. SERVE. GIVE.