When West Moved East
SPONSORED CONTENT
September 3, 2020
Maria West, agent with Remax Lakeside, in Shell Knob.
Sheila Harris
Maria West, of rural Cassville, a new sales agent for Remax Lakeside in Shell Knob, knows the meaning of adventure. Instead of going west, though, she and her husband Jeremy headed east. After selling their home in Phoenix five years ago, the couple packed up their two children, their two dogs and their belongings and drove east without a particular destination in mind, other than knowing they wanted to live in the country, near a small rural town with trees.
“We wanted out of the city,” West said. “Our son, Colter, and daughter, Tanlie, who were then 13 and 11, would soon be starting high school and we had concerns for their well-being in the urban environment.”
“Settling east of Oklahoma City was my goal,” West said, “I wanted some place with trees, like Michigan (where I grew up), but warmer. After being in the Marines and stationed in warm areas, then living in Arizona, I didn’t want to go back to a cold climate. It’s hard to pick out a small town to live in from four states away, so we just loaded up and drove east.”
While en route through southwest Missouri, West says she liked the look of the area. She also really liked Cassville’s Four Seasons Realty’s logo, which she had spotted on one of their signs in passing. After spending the night in Springfield, West called Four Seasons the next morning, based solely on the appeal of their logo. She told the realtor she could be in Cassville in an hour and asked him if he could line up some properties for them to look at. He could. And did. They made an offer on the second home he showed them: a house situated on nine acres that they’ve now lived in for five years, with - you guessed it - trees!
“We have a small orchard and a garden and I make lye soap to sell on consignment at ‘At the River’ in Cassville.”
As an agent for Remax, West is now helping other people relocate from urban areas and find the home of their dreams.
“I love houses,” she said. “I love seeing people turn them into homes.”
With a master’s in business, West hones in on details. She put her skills to work as an office admin for Grand Canyon University in Arizona, as well as for West-Tec, her husband’s heat, air, plumbing and electrical business - where she also did apprentice work, as she calls it. She believes her experience will serve homebuyers and sellers well.
“I chose to go to work for a Remax broker because the name is well-recognized and Remax has a lot of resources to offer agents, buyers and sellers,” West said. “Plus, with 13 other agents in the office, I have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from when I have questions.”
“It’s very rewarding to help people find their new homes,” she said. “There’s an urban relocation going on right now. People are doing what we did – leaving the city for more rural areas. Because I’ve been through it firsthand, I can help them make that move as seamlessly as possible.”
West can be reached at 417-229-8237 or mariaatthelake@gmail.com.
Maria West, of rural Cassville, a new sales agent for Remax Lakeside in Shell Knob, knows the meaning of adventure. Instead of going west, though, she and her husband Jeremy headed east. After selling their home in Phoenix five years ago, the couple packed up their two children, their two dogs and their belongings and drove east without a particular destination in mind, other than knowing they wanted to live in the country, near a small rural town with trees.
“We wanted out of the city,” West said. “Our son, Colter, and daughter, Tanlie, who were then 13 and 11, would soon be starting high school and we had concerns for their well-being in the urban environment.”
“Settling east of Oklahoma City was my goal,” West said, “I wanted some place with trees, like Michigan (where I grew up), but warmer. After being in the Marines and stationed in warm areas, then living in Arizona, I didn’t want to go back to a cold climate. It’s hard to pick out a small town to live in from four states away, so we just loaded up and drove east.”
While en route through southwest Missouri, West says she liked the look of the area. She also really liked Cassville’s Four Seasons Realty’s logo, which she had spotted on one of their signs in passing. After spending the night in Springfield, West called Four Seasons the next morning, based solely on the appeal of their logo. She told the realtor she could be in Cassville in an hour and asked him if he could line up some properties for them to look at. He could. And did. They made an offer on the second home he showed them: a house situated on nine acres that they’ve now lived in for five years, with - you guessed it - trees!
“We have a small orchard and a garden and I make lye soap to sell on consignment at ‘At the River’ in Cassville.”
As an agent for Remax, West is now helping other people relocate from urban areas and find the home of their dreams.
“I love houses,” she said. “I love seeing people turn them into homes.”
With a master’s in business, West hones in on details. She put her skills to work as an office admin for Grand Canyon University in Arizona, as well as for West-Tec, her husband’s heat, air, plumbing and electrical business - where she also did apprentice work, as she calls it. She believes her experience will serve homebuyers and sellers well.
“I chose to go to work for a Remax broker because the name is well-recognized and Remax has a lot of resources to offer agents, buyers and sellers,” West said. “Plus, with 13 other agents in the office, I have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from when I have questions.”
“It’s very rewarding to help people find their new homes,” she said. “There’s an urban relocation going on right now. People are doing what we did – leaving the city for more rural areas. Because I’ve been through it firsthand, I can help them make that move as seamlessly as possible.”
West can be reached at 417-229-8237 or mariaatthelake@gmail.com.