By 
My husband, Travis, and I had just gotten married, and he had moved all of his belongings into my half of a duplex. Cramped living quarters was an understatement. The duplex that I was renting didn’t have a dishwasher, had carpet throughout, a complete powder pink bathroom, and a floorplan that did not make the best use of the square footage. It also had the washer and dryer in the kitchen, tile countertops, and smoke detectors that would always go off when I would boil water. My dachshund, Greta, couldn’t look out the window unless she was on the couch or homemade “fort”. I also had to walk my dog out to the front yard to “take care of business”, because there was no backyard. This got very old after a while. However, I thought I was not mentally prepared to buy a home and move. The location of the duplex was a great commute for both of our jobs, had sidewalks so I could walk Greta, and I loved the neighborhood. I knew that I wanted to stay in that neighborhood as long as I could.
Being a realtor, I see homes every day. Whether showing property, driving by, or online, I always see homes. We both thought we were going to live in an industrial loft in the city. We liked the idea that we would be living in something trendy and cool, and always liked seeing the lofts on television. Travis and I went to a couple of open houses, but the homes always looked different in person and were out of our price range. We just thought we would make due in the duplex for a while until we saw “the one”.
I was doing some research online, and I stumbled upon a home in my current neighborhood; which I loved. It was not an industrial loft. Rather, it was a very old home. It didn’t have concrete, but it had charm. It may have been the seller’s eclectic style, or the hardwood floors throughout, or the screened in porch, but I had to see this. Travis and I scheduled a showing, and as soon as I walked in the front door, I yelled: “OH MY GOD, THIS IS OUR HOME”. There were hardwood floors throughout, the kitchen was updated (and had a dishwasher), and the floorplan was fabulous. The washer and dryer were away from the kitchen, it had plenty of space for my husband and me to entertain. For Greta, the windows went all the way to the ground and had a backyard with the perfect amount of grass. My favorite part about this home is that it had the potential for us to make it ours.
I will tell you right now, my home is not perfect; and will probably never be perfect. My husband and I have already done a lot of work to make this house our home. But I love my home more now than when I walked in the first time. I am so blessed that we are homeowners, and have a place to welcome friends and family to create lifelong memories.
Kelly Raulston
“Reliable and Ready” REALTOR® since 2016. I was born in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, but was raised in Texas since 1997. When I found out we were moving to Plano, Texas, I remember looking forward to riding a horse to school and a brand-new pair of cowboy boots! Growing up in Plano prepared me to be competitive, quick, and to have a strong work ethic.
I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Axe’em Jacks! That is where my love for East Texas began. The nature, warm smiles, football games, and community values can't be beat! I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I was a middle school math teacher in Tyler, Texas. I met my husband, Travis, in Sunday school, and we have been married since September 2016.
I love being a REALTOR® in East Texas! Relationships are genuine, the area is beautiful, and the market is rockin’! I am an involved REALTOR® to better the community. Some of the organizations I am involved with are: The Professional Development Committee, Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee, and Tyler Educational Networking Group. Some awards I have won were “The Hustle Award” in 2016, and “Rookie of the Year” in 2017.
When I am not working with my clients, I like to spend quality time with my friends and family doing the following: running, target practice, read and participate in book club, and playing with my dachshund Greta.
