Jen& her family . . .

I have loved houses all my life.  I grew up in Napa California where there were beautiful old Victorians  Those painted ladies intrigued me. As a child I spent hours looking at their beautiful architecture imagining how they looked in the early 1900's and the people who lived in them. My family, like most visited San Francisco frequently.  The city fascinated me with all the interesting buildings. I would make up the history of houses.  The view from Coit Tower is one that I always think of when I think of that beautiful city.  As I grew my passion for houses only increased.  In my early twenties I moved to the North Shore of Long Island.  I had met my future husband in New Mexico and we decided to move east.  Once we moved to the Island, I found myself drawn to the old "Gold Coast".  One day Al (my husband ) and myself were exploring the North Shore and came across the most perfect little stone church I had ever seen.  It looked to be right out of a fairy tale.  I refused to leave until the minister agreed to marry us.  Needless to say that is where we were married.  There in that incredible church surrounded by all those majestic old estates of varied styles.  Al and I raised our family in Huntington were we bought an older home and we spent years and years restoring and adding on to it.  I left a piece of my soul in that house. You learn a lot about a house when you peel the layers off.  I remember being alone in that house it was after midnight and I was tearing up the many layers of flooring in the kitchen. The kitchen was completely gutted.  There were holes in the walls (plaster what fun) some small some not so small.  As I stood gazing around at the destruction I noticed something sticking out of the wall.  I walked over to look closer and  there appeared to be hair sticking out of the wall. It was a hole that was about six feet off the ground.  Well, I thought this can go two different ways you could go screaming out of the house or you can think logically.  I then remembered that the early insulation in home could be horse hair. The walls are made of plaster so they could have used horse hair in the mix.  I believe you really must love houses to restore one.  We raised our boys in that home and loved every minute of it.  Al and I moved to Raleigh for a lifestyle change.  Al worked on Wall St. in NYC.  18 years of subways and trains he was ready for improving his life.  We are so happy we did. Alex our oldest moved down after College.  Alex played basketball for Seton Hall University.  Jamaal is 22 and also decided to join us down here. Mike the youngest is still in high school.  He goes to Wakefield High and plays football and Tennis.  The other source of pride and joy are our two four legged members of our family.  Oliver and Julia. Ollie  and Julia are two very large Bouviers, a Belgium breed of dog known for herding cattle.  In the absence of cattle they heard us instead. When Al and I moved here it was Kelly and her Team that made our  move so enjoyable.  So much so that I entered into real estate myself.  It is a perfect fit.  I work hard for my clients.  I strive to have my clients have the same experience that I did when I moved here.  

Jennifer Gambino 919-422-2932