When we purchased Winston, our Electric Blue Mini Cooper S, all we knew is that we were seriously downsizing to in-town, condo life. As part of a conscious effort to make less of a "footprint" on this earth, we gave up the SUV which was part of life in either Dallas, TX (everything is big in TX) or out in the country where it took 40 minutes to get to the nearest Mall! Tim only needed to get to the airport (hurray for the Marta train!) for his work and didn't need a car. Laura was volunteering and exploring her new hometown and didn't need much of a car. Shopping was simple--If it didn't fit in the Mini, it probably wouldn't fit into the condo, either.
So when Laura went to Real Estate school, people asked if I could be a Realtor with a two door car. Nowhere in the official Realtor handbook did it say that you needed four doors to do the job, so we decided to play it by ear. Since the Mini was a relatively unfamiliar car (other than from the movie "The Italian Job,") my Clients were more than game to hop on in! Above is the picture of Winston at my first listing--the Norcross home of Paul and Sarah which I sold for them in a record 13 days!
Meeting Clients at off-site locations was easy--just look for the bright blue Mini with the roof rack. People would see me driving around town, and know it was their friend and Realtor. I'll rather miss that part of having Winston.
Hard to believe, but it's been nearly 4 years with Winston and it was time to make some tough choices--keep him, trade him in for a new Mini, or try something else. It wasn't easy, but this past weekend we decided that the time had come to grow up--at least to four doors! We now have the next best car for in-town living, and the best one for a Realtor who wants to be "green" and still get noticed--The Toyota Prius. The stated mileage for in-town driving is 60 mpg!!!! Fewer trips to the gas station for sure. Much quieter (almost scary quiet while using the battery power only.) Looks a bit futuristic on the outside--and wait 'til you see the inside. There's no key in the ignition to start it! There's a computer to talk to when I get lonely. There's a built-in navigation system for when I find myself with extra time in unknown territory and want to locate stores to make the best use of my time between appointments (practical stores only, of course!)
I'll keep you updated on what name we find for this new car. It's bright white, a color I thought I'd never own in a car, but which I actually like as it turns out. BTW, if you've been considering a Prius, they are offering discounts which are very unusual and so they are getting hard to find again. If you can find one you like, you can get a great deal! And think what you'll save in gas!!!
