b'Zeroing in on Maplewoodfrom the West Coast D I N G H ON MIF EWorking with Rena SpanglerBY ELLEN DONKERenough to the city. Kemp,pulled a small U-Haul behind us. We brought a professor at UC Berkeleyourhouseplants,ninecasesofwine,artmy School of Law, also wantedviola and the dog. They stayed at a furnished proximity to law schools asapartment in Union, arranged by Spangler, while he searched for a new teach- they house-hunted.ing position. BinkleyandKemptoldSpanglerthatwhile Binkleyrememberedthey didnt need a large house, they wanted to be thatanacquaintanceheclose to town and have a good-sized yard that Jake, had met working on a pod- their German Shepherd, could run around. After castlivedsomewhereinviewing five or six homes, none of which spoke to New Jersey. When he askedBinkley and Kemp on closingthem, they looked at a Colonial on Lenox Place. himexactlywhichtown,day. The yard was big and the location was perfect for theanswerMaplewooditswalkabilitytoMaplewoodVillagesgrocery gavethemsomemuch- store, restaurants, and the train. Binkley says, When we saw this one, that was it. neededdirection.Anar- We said, This is the one that we want to make an offer. ticle in The New York TimesBeing aware of how competitive the market was, Kemp says, We were pre-about the town gave thempared to offer aggressively and to follow Renas advice in terms of what she furtherconfirmationthatthought it would take to get the place. He adds, She has this very methodical Maplewoodshouldbeonway of coming up with an offer, both with the number and also the terms. And their list, along with Souththat really resonated with us. It wasnt just this arbitrary number that were going Orange and Montclair. to throw out. It wasnt this go-as-high-as-you-can kind of number. There was a Charles Binkley and David Kemp with their dog JakeInMay,Binkleyandfactual or rational basis to this and all the other pieces. C harlesBin- passanKempmadeapreliminaryAfter two rounds of bidding, Binkley and Kemp got the house and they for their Christmas card in their new home.trip to New Jersey and at- couldnt be happier. They closed on it in October. tended several open houses. The one inThe couple continues to stay in touch with Spangler. Shes their go-to person kley and Da- Maplewood was where they met Com- for anything house-related because, as Kemp says, She knows so much about the vidKemprealtor Rena Spangler. Althougharea and people here. But they also consider her a friend. Binkley says, To give hadneverthe house wasnt right for them, theyyou an idea about the lasting relationship, I mean, shes coming to dinner next heardofmadeinstantconnectionwithSaturday, weve had drinks with her, we invited her to our first dinner party.Maplewood,her. Kemp says, Rena was so gener- The couple has settled in quickly. Kemp is now teaching at Rutgers Law NewJersey.ouswithtalkingabouttheareaandSchool.Andtheyfoundachurchnearbythat Having spent the past 15 years in Santhe houses and the markets. Not withmatched where they had worshipped in San Fran-Francisco,therewasnoreasonforany intention of trying to solicit us ascisco. Binkley says, We thought, where are we going the town to hit their radar. But whenclients or anything but just informingto find another Grace Cathedral? Its St. Georges. Binkley, a pancreatic and liver cancerus because we were very curious aboutHe continues, That was not a small part of [the deci-surgeon, began considering a positionwhat it was like to be here.sion]. I mean, you want a complete life, right? in bioethics at Hackensack MeridianBy summer, the couple had decidedAlready Maplewood feels like home. Binkley says, Health in Edison, suddenly New Jer- two things: They were moving to NewI think the thing that we like the most is that we sey became their focus.JerseyandtheywantedSpanglertohave kind of gotten to know these people in different Eager to shift to life in the suburbs,help them find their next home. Saysplaces. Like, weve walked by Coda and we waveweRena Spangler helped the couple sought a home that was aKemp, We drove across the countrygo to the grocery store [and] the checkers know us.Binkley and Kemp land their home in Maple-drivable distance from Edison, yet closeinAugust,loadedupourcar,[and]So there are these places that feel familiar to us.wood.38/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2022'