Parker County Today OCTOBER 2018 | Page 64

MAKING A DIFFERENCE By Maureen Griffin, Tara Stark Real Estate Group - Keller Williams Realty Leaving the “Nest” or “Rent” Behind Making a Difference There’s a saying that many parents have quoted, “Life is what you make it.” Six words of encouragement, meant to inspire us to make the best in all situations, to make a dif- ference for each person we come across. For the Tara Stark Real Estate Group – Keller Williams Realty team, that’s more than just a saying, it’s our Mission: “To make a difference by providing the highest quality real estate experience possible with professional results through honesty and integrity.” Our mission takes us through many walks of life with our clients, and in each unique circumstance, we are grateful for the op- portunity to assist them in reaching their end goal. Multi-generational Living 62 A growing trend in real estate is the desire for multi- generational housing. Once common in past generations, today’s families are seeing not only the need for everyone under one roof, but the benefit of having aging parents or even adult children, in aspects of every day life. The most popular options for multi-generational living are mother-in- law suites or guest houses. Appropriately named for Mom when she comes to live with the family, the mother-in-law suite offers personal living space in a larger bedroom and bathroom ensuite. Kitchen space is shared in the common home area. Guest houses allow a family member to have complete privacy and a separate entrance to their home. “We have helped several families in transitioning their par- ents to live with them. It is always a blessing to be able to make a difference in those situations, to asses and help meet everyone’s living space needs,” says Tara Stark, founder and owner of Tara Stark Real Estate Group. “Sometimes it’s help- ing a parent out-of-state get their home listed with a trusted partner and getting them closer to family. Other times, we’ve helped Parker County parents sell their home, the adult chil- dren sell theirs also, then find a new home that’s suitable for both generations.” We are fortunate in Parker and surrounding counties, to have affordable first-time-homebuyer properties for our younger adults. Many parents have embraced their adult children moving back in temporarily after college, for them to save for a home. Or perhaps the thrill of late-night Netflix binging with roomies has lost its appeal. In either case, there comes a time when young adults know it’s time for their own space. “Working with first-time-homebuyers is an experience our buyer’s agents thoroughly enjoy! When we walk a client through the process, they are trusting us to lead them with integrity. All our partners, our lenders, inspectors, maintenance professionals if needed, are in alignment with our standard of service. Our first-time buyers rou- tinely tell us, “Wow! You made the process so much easier than I expected!” and that feedback is priceless,” Stark shares. Lauren Glass, Director of Operations and Marketing for Tara Stark Real Es- tate Group, says social media is a game-changer for reaching young adults, “Many follow us on Insta- gram or Facebook and are seeing us post properties they’d love to see. What’s great is the sharing that develops once they actively start searching. You see a wife tag a husband in a post and they get to share their dreams immediately. After they’ve found their home and are settling in, it is so reward- ing to see their videos thanking us for helping them get there, or an Instagram with #tarastarkrealestat- egroup imbedded.”