People ask me all the time “What is it like
working with the Carolina Hurricanes”? My first thought is “It’s an honor”. But, I rarely respond with this answer because how I feel is not what they really want to know. They really want to know, what are the players like off the ice? They want the inside scoop. We all struggle imagining what a professional athlete or an actor must be like when they are not on stage. We are even tainted a little because of the negative media that follows anyone famous. And in our minds, we wonder…
I love watching the Carolina Hurricanes on the ice but, I have to tell you I love them just as much off the ice. They are real people with huge hearts. Patient, kind and everyone I have worked with have been devoted to their families and treat them with love and respect that is rare to find in most couples today. They care deeply about the happiness of their wife, children and parents. And yes, just like all wives, the hockey player’s wife makes the decision of which house to buy too! Kitchens are important because they cook! They like home theaters, fenced back yards for their dogs and nice guest rooms for their visiting parents. They play ball in the yard with their kids, read bed time stories, and love their dogs too. They have the same life needs and concerns that you and I do. Concerns such as; health, safety for the family, good neighborhoods and schools, finding quality time, and having a date night with their wife. Even with their big salaries they care about making wise real estate investment just like you do. They also feel the stress every time they relocate to a new area as well as the stress of leaving a vacant home that cost them money every month until it is sold. They ask the same questions you do when buying or selling a home. Is this a good investment? What is the appreciation rate for this area? Can you re-sale it in a year or two? I’m moving, what do I need to do to get this home sold?
This description may not be exactly what you envisioned. Especially when you read tabloids about other famous people and how self centered they make them seem. The hockey players may be tough on the ice but, they are gentle with their family and have their priorities in the right place. You can tell that they have been brought up in good homes where they were taught solid values early in life. They automatically do things like saying please, thank you, and they take off their shoes when they enter someone’s home. They also shock me by taking their time to show appreciation for my help by writing kind notes or delivering gifts to say thank you. They are simply some of the nicest people I have ever had the privilege to work with. Yes, they are amazing athletes but, I hope Raleigh can love and respect them for their talent while treating them like other good neighbors. The players tell me in Canada they can not have a real life. The media is all over them and they rarely write anything nice. Where they go, what they do it always makes the news. When they go to dinner they are surrounded by media and people wanting autographs. Because of this it is hard for them to enjoy a night out in a restaurant with their families. So far, all the players love Raleigh because the fans are very supportive and they tell me they like being able to go out in public and fit in to the community.
When it comes to buying and selling real estate emotions can get pretty high and true character always come out somewhere in the transaction. Let’s face it, real estate is a huge financial investment packed with emotion. It is about money, families and future. What a combination for heightened emotions. Stress of making the decision on what to buy, when to sell, physically moving, grief of saying good bye to friends and familiarity, and all the trauma that goes on with kids, pets and even prized positions being lost or broken. And, as a player you never know when you will be traded and have to start the stressful process all over again. Sometimes it is several times in one year. The players spend a lot of time in hotels and their wife’s spend a lot of time alone. When it is game day they have a regimented schedule that the entire family has to fit into. With all of this, it is amazing that they have impeccable character. If anyone has the right to be self centered, pompous or arrogant I believe the hockey players and their wives have earned this right and yet there is not one ounce of this in their behavior. They are amazingly good people and their wives are beautiful, supportive and extremely nice too.
What’s it like working with the Carolina Hurricanes….as the RBC Centura commercial says; “It’s giant to me” because they are just the best on and off the ice. Everyone I know who lives in their neighborhoods, goes to school with their kids or has met them socially always say the same thing. Have you had a similar experience? Help me tell the world how great these families are to have in our town.
Let’s Go Fans!
Linda
P.S. Don’t forget to register for free hockey tickets on my website, www.LindaCraft.com