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Retired teacher finds her dream home and reconnects with former student along the way
Nancy Palmarchuk went through a lot of life changes in 2020, including retiring from her long career as a teacher. Post-retirement, there were a few things that she wanted to accomplish for herself—one of which was finding a new home to start the next chapter of her life alongside her beloved dog, Emery Grace.
“I was truly stumbling through the process,” Nancy said. “After months of looking, I thought I had found the perfect home in the Burleson area. But things didn’t work out, and I was back to square one. I thought I was going to have to live in an apartment for the rest of my life.”
Nancy scoured Realtor.com and Zillow, but was completely overwhelmed. She wasn’t sure which path to take next, but talked to her realtor about finding some listings in her preferred area—close to her supportive group of friends. Her realtor returned with a few listings for Nancy to tour in Weatherford.
“My friend came with me to the first listing and I didn’t even get out to look at it,” Nancy said. “The homes were beautiful, but they were stacked on top of each other. The neighborhood seemed cold and uninviting.”
But soon after, Nancy arrived in Silverstone at Pearson Ranch, a Riverside Homebuilders community in Weatherford. As a retired history teacher, the first thing that caught her attention was the U.S. and Texas flags flying at the front gate—and once she drove through the neighborhood, there was nothing negative to say. Seeing so many “SOLD” signs showed Nancy just how popular the community was.
“So I walk into the home my realtor wants me to tour and I see Karolyn [Shelton], who I remembered right away even with masks on,” Nancy said. “I was her seventh grade English teacher.”
After catching up, Karolyn had to let Nancy know that someone had just put a deposit down on the home they were in. But before Nancy could experience any more home-related heartbreak, Karolyn took her to see Silverstone’s model home—where she immediately fell in love. She forgot about all of the other houses she’d seen, even the one she was so set on weeks before. Nancy had prayed for the right home to come around, and the San Gabriel II in Silverstone at Pearson Ranch was it. She wrote a check that same day.
“I just knew this was it,” Nancy said.
Nancy selected a corner lot and started on the process right away. She got to pick out everything that went in the house, and worked alongside multiple Riverside team members to see her dreams become reality.
“Karolyn and Stacy were so great,” Nancy said. “They kept me informed, and let me come early to do all sorts of measurements in the house. I had all of my shelving paper cut for cabinets before I moved in, found furniture that I knew would fit and had zero doubts throughout the build.”
The pandemic’s effect on supplies caused some hiccups, but Nancy reassures the end product was totally worth the wait. There was an open line of communication at all times, so nothing felt scary or overwhelming. She said multiple team members took their time to explain processes and next steps to her with so much patience and understanding.
“No one was ever too busy to talk to me,” Nancy said.
Settling in the quaint town of Weatherford ended up being the absolute perfect place for Nancy and Emery Grace. She loves her home and her neighborhood—she also loves living in an area where she runs into plenty of former students.
“You’re so proud when you see a former student be successful,” Nancy said. “So to have Karolyn guide me through this process was amazing. She really knows her homes and the benefits of working with Riverside. She never had to come back to me with answers—she always just had them.”
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I would like to express my gratitude to Finnye Shipley and Jimmy Logan for their service during my homebuying experience. I am a first time homebuyer and they took great care of us. Their responsiveness and attention to detail is unmatched. They have continued to go above and beyond making us feel part of the community. They have been very helpful in some of the items needing attention after moving in. From the time that Jimmy showed us the house, I knew where we would be spending the next several years. I see Jimmy work late driving the neighborhood almost every day even there are only a handful of homes still for sale in the neighborhood.
I did not score a perfect scorecard on the survey, only because there were a few things that I am working on resolving with the home build. Sergio with the warranty department has been instrumental in fixing things that were needed.
Overall I am greatly satisfied with purchasing a Riverside home and look forward to working with you in the future. I hope this email will serve as a gold-star reflection of Finnye, Jimmy and Sergio. Their dedicated service should not go unnoticed.
-Joel S.