in you because she’s so confident,” Dittmar explains. Carter starting by sending them daily email list- ings and they responded with what they liked. When they flew in for their two-day trip, she outlined a game plan that included an area tour and visits to roughly 20 houses. Carragher says, “Victoria was so attuned to what we w a n t e d . She got us.” Carter adds, “Because real estate is very personal you have to con- nect with people, and on many lev- els I do that with my cli- ents.” Since she’s been a resident of Maplewood and South Orange for 24 years they appreciated her deep knowledge of the area. At the end of day one, they debriefed with Carter, concluding that they wanted to settle in Maplewood because of the commute and what they call the “walkability rating.” Explaining that they were used to being in San Francisco and walking everywhere, they didn’t want this next phase to be too jarring. Of the houses they saw, the couple admitted they had fallen for a seven-bedroom on Hickory Drive. It had a perfect location but was “too big and too ex- pensive.” Carragher recounts, “Neighborhood, loca- tion, style of the house: check, check, check. Space, cost, property taxes: that’s what we got stuck on.” They also liked that the house needed some work. As an interior designer, Dittmar said, “I really wanted to put my stamp on it.” On day two, the couple visited more homes but saw nothing that rivaled the house on Hickory. Eager to make a decision, they weighed their options over lunch, returning with the intent to submit an offer. When their bid was accepted, Carter coached them through the entire process. “We had such an advocate in the process of buying a home, not just with her but with her entire team of people,” says Carragher. “They were all so focused on what was right for us.” Since most of the details of the transac- tion happened while they were on the West Coast, they relied heavily on Carter. Dittmar adds, “Her level of availability is unparalleled. The whole experi- ence has just been seamless.” Having just closed on the house, Carragher re- flects, “We just love Victoria– it’s a professional re- lationship that we don’t want to end.” And so they plan on throwing a housewarming party – Carter and her team are sure to be first on their list. B rian Dittmar and Thomas Carragher had a big task. Carragher had land- ed a new job in New York, as vice president of merchandising in the fashion industry, and they would be relocating from San Francisco. Not only did they have to sell their con- dominium, but they also needed to find a new home in the area. The turnaround would be quick. Described as the researcher of the duo, Dittmar took to the web in late April. Homing in on north- ern New Jersey he happened upon Victoria Carter’s website and used it as their guide for assessing com- munities and homes in the Essex County area. Ac- cording to Carter, “I invest a lot of resources in my internet presence, digital and social media.” When they were ready to speak with a realtor, they asked their friend in Maplewood and she recom- mended Victoria Carter. “I felt it was meant to be. Here I’d been on her website all along,” says Dittmar. And it didn’t hurt that for the past three years she’s been the #1 Weichert sales associate company-wide. They called Carter, told her what they were look- ing for – a traditional home, about four bedrooms, with really good bones – and planned a trip for mid- May. Feeling like they had an instant connection, Carter put the couple at ease. “She instills confidence finding home / 21 Finding Home WORKING WITH VICTORIA CARTER BY ELLEN DONKER L-R: Brian Dittmar, Freddy and Thomas Carragher are thrilled to start a new chapter in this special home.