Ok so it’s a bit past prime New Years greetings since I’ll be wishing you. all a Happy Memorial Day soon but I’ve had my hands full these days and been a bit behind the eight ball. I’m an architectural photographer, a real estate investor, and I’ve gone and added a few more things to the roster. I became a new mom to baby Spencer, became a California Realtor® with Keller Williams, moved to my husband’s hometown of San Diego after finishing up our Arrowhead house, had my photography featured in Architectural Digest. There were tears of joy and tears of anguish, there were laughs, there were emergencies, there were moments of doubt and moments of bliss, a few emotional meltdowns, and there was also COVID.
In fact, just 24 hours after Spencer was born he was whisked away from our hospital room and taken across town in a neonatal ambulance to the NICU at children’s hospital. We were told of a number of issues they were observing, that it was rare to see these occur together, and not given timeline for his anticipated release. It was a scary, unclear, and weird time, as we had a son but each night we’d return home from the hospital without a baby. We were left without many answers and left questioning what lay ahead. Finally, after a week, Spencer was released. I am relieved to say that as I write this, exactly 6 months to the day he was born, Spencer is the happiest, smiliest baby - ever - and with a rather bright prognosis from his specialists.
So what does 2023 have in store? Ooof! It’s impossible to say for sure, but so far little Spencer has been showing doctors just how incredibly strong he is as we got the best new yet regarding his heart. To say figuring out a work-mom life balance has been a challenge might be an understatement but like with most things, I figure I’ll get better at it with time and practice. With that in mind my goal this year is to help 10 families / investors / individuals buy or sell a home. Maybe one of them will even be you - or someone you know.
I’ve often been behind the camera rather than in front of it. It’s definitely where I’ve felt more comfortable. But this year it’s another goal of mine to get more comfortable with where I’m uncomfortable. So what exactly does that mean? Well, you’ll start seeing more of my sweet punim at the forefront - as the literal face of my company - courtesy of a lot of my self-portraiture work. It also means you’ll be seeing a re-brand from STRUKTR Studios to my eponymous studio and real estate company. Let me introduce you to: Marni Mervis Properties & Architectural Photography.
Why a real estate license you might ask? It’s a fair question. You may or may not know but I’ve touched pretty much every other facet of real estate - I’ve led the content team at a RE tech startup; I’ve been an investor myself, owing and operating vacation rentals; I’ve been a real estate and architecture journalist. I spent a lot of time (and money) studying historic architecture in graduate school. Also, I’ve been told I have a problem sitting still so this was the thing I tasked my six-week-postpartum-self with doing but that’s a whole other conversation. So now I’m bringing all that knowledge and passion together under my real estate license to help buyers and sellers throughout San Diego who also share a love of design and a desire to build generational wealth.
For sellers, my clients have the rare opportunity of working with a Realtor®️ who’s also an Architectural Digest-published photographer – I can tell their home’s visual story in a manner that stands out and emotionally resonates with today’s sophisticated, lifestyle-centric buyers. For buyers, I work with clients to find the ideal San Diego neighborhood for their lifestyle, helping them discover each area’s unique architectural character. I love helping people achieve their goals and explore the outside-the-box style thinking that’s sometimes necessary in order to get there. Everyone’s goals in real estate are unique, and everyone has a different definition of “home”; it’s my job and my delight to guide you to that.
DRE #02200719