It will be 14 years in August that I’ve lived in Toluca Lake. I love the small-town feel in the middle of a centrally located city. I love my caring and thoughtful neighbors and the walkability to Riverside Drive, with all the charming stores and restaurants in the Village being so accessible. I love the mature trees and the classic beautiful homes, with vast variation in architecture, size and vintage.
I’m handling the current situation well, and I definitely count my blessings, as I know I am more fortunate than many. My health and the health of my immediate family and friends has remained good. As a Realtor I am still able to work from home, primarily, and as an essential business we are able to implement safe practices when leaving the house is absolutely imperative. Additionally, I have a terminally ill dog with cancer who was given a life expectancy of three to six months in December, so having this quality time with him at home has been invaluable, and the silver lining for me during such a challenging time. My biggest challenge has been how to counsel my clients who were in the process of buying or selling real estate during what is typically the height of the busy season. Navigating through the escrow process with the financial sector and lending being so volatile has also posed many challenges in what is typically a streamlined process.
My biggest connection with the community has been daily outings with my dog, who had a front leg amputation in January, so this has been quite the conversation starter on walks. While daily walks were an everyday occurrence prior to the epidemic, there is more of a sense of community now than ever before. With human interaction at a minimum, everyone seems so happy to get out and see someone outside their household, including a three-legged pit bull as he happily skips through the neighborhood like nothing ever happened!
I would like to personally thank my wonderful neighbors for all their support, smiles and words of encouragement for my boy Vinny on our daily walks, and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all the medical professionals risking their lives, who have been so brave and selfless. Lastly, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to all our friends at Trader Joe’s and our local markets who have kept their smiles and glowing personalities radiating through the changes to create a feeling of normalcy throughout this unimaginable time.
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