Prior to becoming a realtor at Bainbridge Homes, I was an accountant for 25+ years. After passing the CPA exam in 1991, I worked as an accountant/controller for organizations including the Seattle SuperSonics, KJR/KUBE and several startups. It was thankless, office-bound and as an accountant, you rarely are a positive part of anyone’s day.

Now being a realtor is different. Whether it’s buying or selling a home, your job is to make people happy. You represent your clients and help them wade through a litany of forms, rules and negotiations to find the perfect place to live or to sell their home. It’s like accounting but with a positive result.

Going forward, I will be sharing some of my client’s success stories and I’m happy to start with one of my first clients, Ward and Kathi Murphy. Ward and Kathi purchased a home in Crystal Springs (Bainbridge Island) and later sold their home in Hidden Cove Estates.

What do you love most about your new home?

K: Our stairs!! Just kidding. We love our view and openness.

W: Sunsets over the water and fire pit by the beach.

What do your kids think of their new home?

K: Our younger daughter absolutely fought us on moving. She now LOVES living here. She loves her little loft and calls it her sanctuary.

W: One daughter didn’t want to move in the middle of high school and was determined not to like the house but her friends started to want to hang out at her house more often and she finally threw in the towel and embraced what we loved about the house from the beginning, a quintessential Bainbridge beach house.

What is your favorite place on Bainbridge Island?

K: Hmmm, I have a few but boating on the water near Port Madison’s opening where you see the sunset off the Olympics on one side and the city’s glowing lights on the other is pretty spectacular. On the island, hands down Fort Ward walks. The south end is quite the hidden gem. First 10 years on the island, I dismissed the park (bad biking experience with kids) and now it’s my go-to spot for walks.

W: I enjoy biking from Crystal Springs around Point White, through Lynwood Center and Fort Ward and then turning around at the end of South Beach. The route takes in a lot of waterfront views including mountains, other islands and downtown Seattle. I also like jogging the trails near our home through the woods around Gazzam Lake.

What’s your favorite restaurant / cafe on Bainbridge Island?

K: Beach House. Coffee place is the Pegasus is next!

W: I used to like the Beach House but it closed, so now the Marketplace Café is front runner.

How was it working with Kat?

K: She’s low-key and answers questions honestly and the way she delivers her opinion is very respectful. Especially if she disagrees with something (like when staging). She is calming when we were stressing our listing. She’s factual with colorful language to make the boring even sound interesting. Love her humor too. What’s NOT to like about her? Oh and she is super smart (And she knows the markets here). If she didn’t know an answer, she told us rather than lie. Honesty pays off.

W: Kat was great to work with and was instrumental in smoothing out some of the bumps in the road presented by the buyers of our house, leading to a smoother ride to closing.