The Stadium District might be Tacoma's most iconic neighborhood — the castle-like high school, the 1920s mansions, the walkable hills, the views over Commencement Bay.

In this one, I get personal about the attic apartment in a Stadium Victorian that carried me through a hard season, why the birdsong out that window still matters to me, and what it's actually like to live here. Plus the honest pros and cons, who thrives in Stadium, and where to go for coffee, food, and a good walk once you've moved in.

In this episode:
- Why Stadium is so special to me (yes, it's the 10 Things I Hate About You school)
- The attic apartment that became a nest during my divorce
- The homes: Victorians, mini-mansions, the Rust Mansion — and why we love a good new build too
- Who's happiest living in Stadium
- The real pros and cons before you buy here
- Where to go: Le Sel Bistro, Indo Asian Street Eatery, Hob Nob, Shake Shake Shake, Wright Park, and the Stadium stairs

Thinking about buying or selling in the Stadium District? I'm always here as a resource. Start a conversation with the client questionnaire.

Historic homes are the ones I keep coming back to — the Craftsmans, the Victorians, the Colonials with original woodwork and a century of stories in the walls. It started for me a long time ago, in an old 1900s house with that unmistakable old-house smell, and it's been the thread through everything I do since. But there's a side to buying and selling these homes that doesn't show up in the pretty photos, and that's what this episode is about.

We get into what actually lives inside an old house — knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, older sewer lines — and why none of it has to be a dealbreaker if you go in knowing. I talk about how insurance is tightening on these homes, the brokers we've been building relationships with so there are no surprises at pre-approval, and how a buyer consultation helps you sort out what you can live with, what needs attention now, and what can wait. On the selling side, we cover how a historic home holds its value in North Tacoma, why the seller's disclosure and the story of the home both matter, and how to find the one buyer who'll love it the way you did.

And underneath all of it is the honest part: the pull between whimsy and practicality. Both matter. I've lived it in my own Hilltop Craftsman — the one people told me not to buy. If you love old homes the way I do, this one's for you.

Thinking about buying or selling a historic Tacoma home? I'm always here as a resource. Start the conversation anytime with my client questionnaire.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

1. Why historic homes — and where the love started
2. What people don't see until they're already in love
3. Knob-and-tube, galvanized plumbing & what's inside the walls
4. Insurance on historic homes (and why it's getting harder)
5. What to check before you commit to a 1910 Craftsman
6. A Tacoma story: when the old house had a surprise
7. Selling a historic home for what it's actually worth
8. Keeping the character — what she'd never rip out
9. Finding the right buyer ("people buy like homes")
10. Advice for buyers & sellers — whimsy vs. practical

If you've ever followed an agent on Instagram or TikTok and thought about reaching out — but felt too nervous, or worried you'd look silly for not knowing the lingo — this one's for you. Kierstyn brings me the questions people actually wonder but are too shy to ask: what if I feel dumb, what if it feels like a sales pitch, what if buying or selling just isn't realistic for me right now? I'm answering all of it honestly, plus the real story of how two of my recent clients found me through social media and ended up in their dream home. Reaching out doesn't mean you're committing to anything. It just means starting a conversation.

In this episode:

• Why reaching out to an agent you found on social never puts you on a "spam list"
• The truth about not knowing escrow, title, lending, or inspections before you start
• How a one-hour buyer consultation actually works — and how it flexes to your style
• Why my goal is never to sell you a house, but to find the one that supports your life
• The difference between a guide and a salesperson (and why I'll never tell you to settle)
• How to figure out if buying or selling is realistic for you right now
• Exactly how to take the first step — DM, comment, or the client questionnaire

Chapters:

• 0:00 — Welcome + why we made this episode
• 0:30 — "I'm too nervous to reach out": how people actually find me
• 2:00 — How two recent clients reached out through TikTok
• 3:00 — "What if I feel dumb?" You don't need to know any of the lingo
• 5:00 — The guidebook, the refresher, and being in the driver's seat
• 6:30 — "Are you just going to sell me?" Why it never feels like a pitch
• 8:00 — My goal isn't the house — it's the life the house supports
• 8:45 — Why I'll never tell you to settle
• 10:00 — "Is this even realistic for me right now?"
• 11:30 — The real first step: DM, comment, or the questionnaire
• 13:30 — Goodbye (a note: our mics died, so Kierstyn closes this one)

Links:

• Client questionnaire + buyer/seller guides: https://stan.store/wonderluxerealestate
• Follow along → @wonderluxerealestate on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook