Introducing Tony Pauroso

Day-tripping: Decluttering Savoring Virginia’s King Family Vineyards 101 Craft Breweries Celebrating the Region’s Most Influential Real Estate Professionals A 27 year army career is great preparation for a new beginning in real estate Tony Pauroso REALTOR® Helping clients create their own next new beginning

DID YOU KNOW?A FEW FUN REAL ESTATE FACTS In Scotland, Warren Buffet Monica’s A couple sold apartment homeowners paint is one of the richest an acre of land in their front door red men in the world from “Friends” is North Carolina to when they pay off and he still lives in estimated to cost Apple for $1.7 their mortgage. the same house he $3,500,000. million. They paid bought for $31,500 $6,000 for it. 1 in 1958. The White House Aspen, Colorado The landmark is valued at $110 “Hollywood” sign million. has such high real estate prices that in originally read 2011, the cheapest “Hollywoodland” listing was a and was constructed $559,000 trailer. in 1923 as a publicity stunt to Builders in China sell real estate. are able to build a 30 story skyscraper in only 15 days!

Rainmakers are selected based on their sales Tony Pauroso accomplishments earning them a spot among the top 20% of Liz Moore & Associates’ top REALTOR® performers. ALMA MATER In addition to sales volume standards, Rainmakers share client-centric philosophies, Rice University a dedication to being masters of their craft, and a commitment to giving back to the FAVORITE RESTAURANT communities they serve. Paul’s Deli I am thrilled to have been selected as the featured Rainmaker for the month! INSPIRATION Tony Pauroso Life’s greatest gift is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing - Theodore Roosevelt ON MY BUCKET LIST Watch game 7 of the World Series at Fenway Park FAVORITE DESTINATION Outer Banks, North Carolina COMMUNITY/VOLUNTEER Housing Partnerships Incorporated, Board of Directors; Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg Board of Directors He laid out the options and he was thoughtful about laying out the pros and cons. Truly outstanding.

Rainmaker Tony PaurosoSpotlight: “It’s always Tony Pauroso’s name is 100% Italian, but he’s also half Irish, he says. “I’m a third- fun to hand generation Italian. My paternal grandparents came from Italy when they were children. my clients the The family name is derived from two words which can be interpreted as either ‘fearful’ keys at the or ‘fearless’; I claim the latter!” Tony explored his Italian roots while serving in the U.S. closing table!” Army overseas, and just returned from a fantastic visit to Ireland this past summer. “Our daughter, Courtney, is an actress who developed and performed a one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland this summer, so of course we had to see it. As long as we were there, we decided to take a side trip to Ireland.” Bonus: Tony and wife Gaye also used the vacation to celebrate their 36th anniversary. Courtney, who lives in Hollywood, is one of the couple’s three adult children. Their son, Grayson, recently moved back east from California to join a successful printing and video marketing business in Northern Virginia. Youngest daughter, Paige, is a broadcast journalist working in television’s Charlotte, North Carolina market. “Much bigger than Lubbock, and a whole lot closer to home, so we’re happy!” Tony says with a smile. Cairn Terrier Texie, 14, rounds out the family.

Tony grew up in northern Connecticut following a lengthy family tradition of diehard Boston Red Sox fans. “My most vivid childhood memory was going to Fenway Park with my dad,” he says. His alma mater is Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he majored in political science and business. After graduation, Tony accepted a commission in the U.S. Army, thinking he’d put in his time and use the G.I. Bill for law school. “That didn’t exactly work out,” Tony recalls with a laugh. “In 2008, after almost 27 years in the army, I retired as a full colonel.” Tony was an intelligence officer, and, as he puts it, “I had a great career and don’t regret a day of it, but I knew I was ready to move on.” The Pauroso family had lived at 11 different addresses by the time their eldest graduated high school. The last seven years of his career they settled in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.; once they were civilians, the couple returned to Williamsburg, where Gaye’s mom had lived. “After all those years, Williamsburg was the closest thing we had to a home town, so it made sense to land here.” After doing contract work at Ft. Eustis and Ft. Monroe for a few years, Tony followed his desire to become more entrepreneurial. “In 2013, I decided that real estate would be a good fit for me, and I was correct. I enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. There’s always something new going on, and I get to meet different people all the time, so I’m not bored.” He finds discovering solutions and working through problems challenging and rewarding. As of September, 2019, Tony closed his 100th transaction and had grown to be one of the top-producing agents in the company. What sets Tony apart from many other Realtors, he believes, is his calm demeanor. “I’m pretty even keel, even when emotions run high. Buying a home is likely the biggest financial decision most people will ever make, and it’s easy to get caught up in the emotions of the process. Due in large part to my military training, I’m good at sorting out and distilling information and presenting it dispassionately in a way that’s easily understood.” This leads to good decisions reached quickly. Tony helps clients stay on track and keep their eyes focused on the prize. After commanding as many as 750 personnel at a time as an officer, it’s a skill that comes naturally in the civilian business world. “Some days I’m working as hard as I ever did,” Tony Pauroso says cheerfully, ‘but it’s always fun to hand my clients the keys at the closing table!” Best of all, Tony’s new career has built-in flexibility, so he can make time for the things that are truly important to him, such as carrying on family tradition like taking a trip to Camden Yards, National’s Park, or even Fenway to watch the Red Sox.

Sitting at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the vineyard blocks are located between 780 and 820 feet above sea level BLENDING Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounded by ROLLING HILLS, gorgeous fields of grapes, King Family serves up family fun in addition to DELICIOUS WINE, great wine. AND EXCITING If you’re looking for a fun day trip full of laid back family time, beautiful POLO MATCHES scenery and exciting sport, then look no further than a Roseland Polo match AT KING FAMILY at King Family Vineyards. The vineyard is only a few hours west on Interstate 64, just past Charlottesville, but with its mountain vistas and VINEYARDS rolling valleys feels like a world away. Sundays between Memorial Day Weekend and Mid-October, King Family Vineyards hosts family friendly polo matches. Yes, real polo matches, with riders mounted atop beautiful horses thundering up and down the field. How did a vineyard become home to polo matches you might be wondering? The founders of King Family Vineyards actually moved to Virginia from Houston, Texas in 1995 searching for a farm with relatively flat ground for a polo field. David King, one of the founders, had played polo since 1980 and wanted a field and club so he could continue enjoying the sport. Vineyards and a winery weren’t even a dream at that point! “The farm that now contains both Roseland Polo and King Family Vineyards fit perfectly into the family’s vision: a country place where we could all live, work, and play,” according to the King Family Vineyards website. King Family invites all guests to join them field side to enjoy the matches. Vehicles are welcome to “tailgate” around the field. Just be sure to park well behind the boards (50 feet or more) as horses and players often come over 5 the boards during play. If that’s a little too close to the attraction for you, visitors are welcome to watch the match from their patio.

The matches are free and open to the public. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. and the matches begin at 1:00 p.m. Picnics are welcome, but no outside alcohol is permitted. King Family Vineyards wine is for sale field-side, just flag down one of the roving golf carts selling wine, water, and Roseland Polo hats. These mobile vendors accept credit cards as well as cash! You can set up chairs, blankets, umbrellas, and pop-up tents to enjoy the match. Children often kick a soccer ball or throw a Frisbee with their friends and family in the vast fields. Dogs are welcome but must remain on a leash at all times. For more information about King Family Vineyards and Roseland Polo visit kingfamilyvineyards.com. For a match schedule and play confirmation, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/kingfamilyvineyards. Interested in learning to play polo? Contact Lou Lopez at [email protected]. To learn more about polo in Virginia visit Virginia Polo at www.vapolo.org. DAKYITNRGIFPAPMINILYGV:INEYARDSEnjoyRoselandPoloeachSunday from Memorial Day through mid- October at the King Family Vineyards 6

DECLUTT1ER0IN1G HOME STAGING Home staging is one of the most powerful ways to help buyers imagine IS ONE OF THE themselves in your home and make them want to buy it. Decluttering is MOST POWERFUL the first, and most important step, in home staging. Removing clutter WAYS TO BOOST allows buyers to see the structure and space of your home. YOUR SELLING Sentimentality can be a powerful disincentive to declutter. You might feel guilty packing away your grandmother's china, or your ADVANTAGE budding Picasso’s finger paintings, but doing so allows your home to really be seen. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in your home, with their furniture and their belongings, and if too many of your things fill their field of vision, they might not be able to see their life there and they might walk away. Decluttering can be overwhelming, so we’ve broken it down and provided some helpful tips. Study your entire house. Go room-by-room, starting with the entryway. Try and view each room for the first time with a stranger’s eyes. Notice anything that sticks out? Try and make each room resemble a neatly organized, clean hotel. Taking it little by little makes the task more manageable rather than trying to tackle the entire house at once. 7

Making piles is very helpful. shine. A few well-placed home décor items can add sparkle to the space. Home stagers follow a “rule of As you go through each room, make a stack of items three” for clustering items into small groups to create to keep, one to donate, one to sell, and one to pack visual interest but not distract from the room. away. Evaluate the value, need, use, and sentimentality of every item, place it in one of the Purge attics, basements, and garages piles, and move on. This organized approach can make the task easier. of clutter. These storage spaces often don’t get much attention and quickly become cluttered, unorganized Creating a spreadsheet can also help. and untidy. Arranging items by type or holiday into clear, labeled tubs can help keep the space looking Each room will have different needs. Upon nice and neat while keeping you organized. It also evaluation, you might find one room needs new helps potential buyers see all of the storage space your paint, while another needs shelving for organization, home offers. and another needs boxes to pack excess items away. Organizing these tasks and needs into a spreadsheet Make sure your bathrooms are spotless. can help prioritize expenses and improvements. Not every house has a luxurious spa, but by cleaning Emptying closets makes a difference. your grout, tile, toilets and showers you can help your bathroom shine. Clearing off vanities and cleaning out Closets often become catchalls and graveyards; drawers, cabinets, and medicine cabinets can help when homeowners don't know what to do with buyers see the storage your bathroom offers and help something they often stash it in a closet and it them imagine their toothbrush by your sink. becomes forgotten with the out-of-sight out-of- mind mentality. A good rule of thumb is discarding Unfortunately, our homes can become cluttered on the anything you haven’t worn in the last year. Studies outside as well as the inside. Check around your show we only really wear about 20 percent of our home’s exterior for outdoor toys, decorations, and clothes and that extra space will make your closets natural clutter like leaves, branches, etc. This is also a look bigger and more attractive to buyers. great time to evaluate your home's overall curb appeal and make sure your home is making a good first Clearing off countertops impression. Lawns, shrubs, trees, and flower gardens should all be kept trimmed and tidy. and bookcases creates clean, visual lines and neutral style, allowing your home, and not your stuff, to You have loved your home and worked hard to maintain it, you want that care and maintenance to show. By removing unnecessary items, you allow your home to shine and make the great first impression needed to impress buyers. Don’t forget your 8 bathrooms! Clean and clutter free is your goal.





Congratulations, Tony!