Posted on October 17, 2012 by Miller and Smith Blog Team
One of the great things about Miller & Smith’s new City Lights Collection at Maple Lawn is there are now two amazing decorated models to tour. They’ve quickly become Maple Lawn’s must-see single family homes because they offer tons of style and space at a really great value.
Miller & Smith Sales Managers Nancy Jansen and Eric Hansen are busy working with new and interested buyers, so we really appreciate them taking the time to participate in our latest installment of 7Qs. They work as a team with new homebuyers at Maple Lawn, so naturally they responded as a team to our questions.
Nancy’s take: In your own home, which room do you spend the most time?
I spend the most time in the family room of my own home (I don’t have a living room). We have an entire wall of windows that overlooks the water near Annapolis, MD. The abundance of light coming in and the water view makes me feel like I am on vacation every day. I watch the sailboats going out for a day’s cruise and the crab boats looking for the day’s catch. I can open the sliding glass doors, close my eyes and listen to the water hitting the sea wall a few feet below and feel like I am on an exotic island far, far away.
What is your favorite feature about the Fells Point model home?
Without a doubt my favorite feature is all of the natural light that our walls-of-windows bring into the home. We have placed oversized windows in every possible location you can have a window, so they fill every room with energizing natural light. When you walk in the front door you find a home that is light and airy even on the rainiest of days. Our buyers even comment on the light-filled stairways and 8′ high glass doors.
If you had to give up one household chore for life, what would it be?
If I could give up one household chore for life it would be the grocery shopping. I ask my family what they would like for dinner and I always get I don’t care. So I walk around the grocery store hoping that I will be inspired by something I see. Two hours later I am leaving with enough food for a few meals but missing some main ingredient needed for each meal. If I make a list, I forget my list or need to go to more than one store for what I need and they are out of it. I guess I am exactly the type of person that grocery stores have developed home delivery service for. I think I will give it a try.
What is your most memorable connection with a homebuyer?
I once had buyers who were in their mid-eighties who had sold their big house because everyone told them they should live in a retirement community so life would be easier for them as they got older. They lived in that retirement community for one year and wanted out because they couldn’t stand all of the old folks sitting around doing nothing. They came to my community and wanted to buy a very large house. Frankly, I was a little concerned about them being able to get a 30-year loan at that point in their lives but it proved no problem. We built them their big house with an elevator because they were never going to move again. These folks became the central figures of the neighborhood. They had Redskins parties every weekend and invited everyone to their home, from our punch out guys to the family that just had a new baby down the street. I only hope that I will be as gracious and able to live my life to the fullest as they did.
Eric’s thoughts: What is the best memory of the home you grew up in?
My best memory of the home I grew up in was always coming home from school and smelling the evening’s meal being prepared. My father loved to cook and always had something cooking in the electric frying pan. He loved preparing a large meal and always made enough for anyone who happened to be there at that time. My brother and his wife would often stop by along with some of my father’s coworkers. My father loved cooking a traditional Scandinavian meal, which always included a fresh vegetable, meat and, of course, a boiled potato and gravy.
If you where given an extra $10,000 for a home improvement, how would you spend it.
That’s an easy question. I would remodel my master bathroom. After working in our lovely models and seeing these awesome bathrooms I know exactly what I want. I want to take out my standard small tub (which I never use) and have an extra large shower with the all glass shower door. I would also want the upgraded shower faucets with the rainbow shower head. The raised height vanities are a must with the open shelves. And to top it off, I want the 12/12 tiles with the glass listello, which can all be seen at the Gramercy Park model here at Maple Lawn.
What is the best thing about living in a walkable community?
This is something that is a must on my list for my next new home. I want to be able to walk to stores, shops and restaurants. This so important to me, after a long commute in the DC area, the last place I want to be is in the car. I want to take a walk and get exercise, be greener, and enjoy seeing my neighbors, just like I used to when I grew up in the Baltimore area. Every time I visit my family abroad, we walk everywhere and I am reminded about the importance of this.
What is your most memorable moment with a homebuyer?
My most memorable moment was when a customer purchased and closed on a new home for his wife and gave it to her for Christmas. This young couple came in to see our models and she fell in love with the home. He came in the next day and said not tell her that is for Christmas. They both came back and I told her that the home sold a few days back and was scheduled to close in a few weeks. At Christmas, her husband presented her with a picture of the home and the keys. What an exciting moment this was for them and for us to be a part of it.
To see why Nancy and Eric are so excited about their decorated models at Maple Lawn, come take the tour yourself. For directions and the full photo gallery, please click here.