Falling in Love With Tacoma

Mellie Massey

Tacoma has been home for nearly 40 years. Grew up here, stayed here, and for the last eleven years have been selling the city’s most characterful homes — the old Craftsmans, the Victorians, the neighborhoods most people don’t know exist until someone shows them. This podcast is an insider look at a city most people underestimate. Every week pulling back the curtain on the neighborhoods, the history, the homes, and the stories that never make it into a listing description. This isn’t a real estate podcast. It’s a love letter to Tacoma — and an invitation to fall in love with it too.

Episodes

  1. Buying & Selling Historic Homes in Tacoma — What to Know Before You Fall in Love | Falling in Love with Tacoma, Ep. 5

    3d ago

    Buying & Selling Historic Homes in Tacoma — What to Know Before You Fall in Love | Falling in Love with Tacoma, Ep. 5

    Historic homes are the ones I keep coming back to — the Craftsmans, the Victorians, the Colonials with original woodwork and a century of stories in the walls. It started for me a long time ago, in an old 1900s house with that unmistakable old-house smell, and it's been the thread through everything I do since. But there's a side to buying and selling these homes that doesn't show up in the pretty photos, and that's what this episode is about. We get into what actually lives inside an old house — knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, older sewer lines — and why none of it has to be a dealbreaker if you go in knowing. I talk about how insurance is tightening on these homes, the brokers we've been building relationships with so there are no surprises at pre-approval, and how a buyer consultation helps you sort out what you can live with, what needs attention now, and what can wait. On the selling side, we cover how a historic home holds its value in North Tacoma, why the seller's disclosure and the story of the home both matter, and how to find the one buyer who'll love it the way you did. And underneath all of it is the honest part: the pull between whimsy and practicality. Both matter. I've lived it in my own Hilltop Craftsman — the one people told me not to buy. If you love old homes the way I do, this one's for you. Thinking about buying or selling a historic Tacoma home? I'm always here as a resource. Start the conversation anytime with my client questionnaire. ⏱️ Chapter Markers Why historic homes — and where the love startedWhat people don't see until they're already in loveKnob-and-tube, galvanized plumbing & what's inside the wallsInsurance on historic homes (and why it's getting harder)What to check before you commit to a 1910 CraftsmanA Tacoma story: when the old house had a surpriseSelling a historic home for what it's actually worthKeeping the character — what she'd never rip outFinding the right buyer ("people buy like homes")Advice for buyers & sellers — whimsy vs. practical

    13 min
  2. So I Found You on Social Media...

    Jun 25

    So I Found You on Social Media...

    If you've ever followed an agent on Instagram or TikTok and thought about reaching out — but felt too nervous, or worried you'd look silly for not knowing the lingo — this one's for you. Kierstyn brings me the questions people actually wonder but are too shy to ask: what if I feel dumb, what if it feels like a sales pitch, what if buying or selling just isn't realistic for me right now? I'm answering all of it honestly, plus the real story of how two of my recent clients found me through social media and ended up in their dream home. Reaching out doesn't mean you're committing to anything. It just means starting a conversation. In this episode: Why reaching out to an agent you found on social never puts you on a "spam list"The truth about not knowing escrow, title, lending, or inspections before you startHow a one-hour buyer consultation actually works — and how it flexes to your styleWhy my goal is never to sell you a house, but to find the one that supports your lifeThe difference between a guide and a salesperson (and why I'll never tell you to settle)How to figure out if buying or selling is realistic for you right nowExactly how to take the first step — DM, comment, or the client questionnaireChapters: 0:00 — Welcome + why we made this episode0:30 — "I'm too nervous to reach out": how people actually find me2:00 — How two recent clients reached out through TikTok3:00 — "What if I feel dumb?" You don't need to know any of the lingo5:00 — The guidebook, the refresher, and being in the driver's seat6:30 — "Are you just going to sell me?" Why it never feels like a pitch8:00 — My goal isn't the house — it's the life the house supports8:45 — Why I'll never tell you to settle10:00 — "Is this even realistic for me right now?"11:30 — The real first step: DM, comment, or the questionnaire13:30 — Goodbye (a note: our mics died, so Kierstyn closes this one)Links: Client questionnaire + buyer/seller guides: https://stan.store/wonderluxerealestateFollow along → @wonderluxerealestate on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook

    14 min
  3. Proctor, Tacoma: A Neighborhood You Can't Help But Love

    Jun 17

    Proctor, Tacoma: A Neighborhood You Can't Help But Love

    There's a reason people can't stop falling for Proctor. In this episode, I'm walking through what makes this North Tacoma neighborhood feel less like a place you live and more like a place you belong — the sidewalks full of dog walkers and strollers, the Saturday farmers market, the century-old trees one of my clients called "the main character" of the street. We get into who the perfect Proctor buyer actually is, what separates a Proctor home from the rest of Tacoma (hint: it's in the woodwork), the small businesses that make this neighborhood what it is — including a shoe repair shop with the kind of craftsmanship you can't find anymore — and an honest conversation about the new development coming to the area and what it means for the neighborhood's future. We close out talking through the Seattle commute question, current home values, and why "community" is the one word that keeps coming up no matter how many times I try to find another. In this episode: Who the perfect Proctor buyer is — and how to tell if it's the right fit for youA walk-the-neighborhood tip I give every client before they decide on a houseWhat makes a Proctor home different (the cost of preserving real 1908 craftsmanship)Two local businesses I personally swear byCurrent average home values in Proctor — and whether they're worth itThe Seattle commute question, answered honestlyNew development in Proctor: Proctor Station, Madison 25, and what it could mean for the neighborhoodThe one word that sums up ProctorThat's Proctor. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you in the next one. 🤍

    19 min

  4. Jun 10

    Growing Up in Tacoma — Why I Never Left

    Episode 2 — Growing Up in Tacoma: Mellie’s Perspective on the City She Never Left I’ve lived in Tacoma for almost 40 years. I grew up in a manufactured home in Parkland Spanaway, spent my teenage years driving to Ruston Way just to sit by the water, and told myself I would never go into real estate like my parents. Now I’m eleven years into selling homes in the city I almost left — and I have no plans to go anywhere. In this episode, Kierstyn and I talk about what Tacoma was actually like growing up in the 90s, the places that are gone now that shaped me, and why this city is nearly impossible to leave once it has you. We talk about:  • Growing up in Parkland Spanaway and feeling pulled toward North Tacoma’s older homes • Never Never Land at Point Defiance — Tacoma’s forgotten immersive wonderland that I thought I made up as a kid • The Black Pearl, teenage depression, and why Ruston Way was my safe place • Why I swore I’d never do real estate — and what changed • What Tacoma has that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else This one is personal. It’s also a love letter to a city most people underestimate. Follow the show for a new episode every week.Wonder Luxe Real Estate | Tacoma, WA | wonderluxerealestate.com

    12 min
  5. Why Introverts Don't Like Salespeople But Trust a Guide | Wonder Luxe Real Estate Podcast Ep. 1

    May 26

    Why Introverts Don't Like Salespeople But Trust a Guide | Wonder Luxe Real Estate Podcast Ep. 1

    Episode 1: Why Introverts Don't Like Salespeople But Love a Guide In our very first episode, Kierstyn and I get honest about something a lot of people feel but can't quite name: the discomfort of being sold to, and why a good guide feels completely different. As two introverts, we dig into why pressure, hovering, and "what's your budget?" make you want to walk out the door — and why the rare salesperson who gives you space and choices earns instant trust. I share some real stories, talk about how breathing and anxiety show up when you're being pushed, and walk through the philosophy behind how I run showings and serve my clients at Wonder Luxe. In this episode: Why introverts and intuitives need time and space to feel a home, not a sales pitchThe real difference between a pushy salesperson and a guide — and how each one makes you feel"Choices, not pressure": how I lay out the pros, cons, and my recommendation, then step backWhy buying or selling is already vulnerable enough — your agent shouldn't add to the stressWhy my clients are always allowed to change their minds and move on their own timelineThe "you're in the driver's seat, I'm the GPS" way I like to work alongside peopleRunning a business on do unto others — service over sales quotasWhy intuitives are so good at sensing inauthenticity — and what that means when you're choosing an agentThis one sets the tone for everything we're doing here: real estate done with trust, dignity, and respect for both sides. Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Drop it in the comments.

    15 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

Tacoma has been home for nearly 40 years. Grew up here, stayed here, and for the last eleven years have been selling the city’s most characterful homes — the old Craftsmans, the Victorians, the neighborhoods most people don’t know exist until someone shows them. This podcast is an insider look at a city most people underestimate. Every week pulling back the curtain on the neighborhoods, the history, the homes, and the stories that never make it into a listing description. This isn’t a real estate podcast. It’s a love letter to Tacoma — and an invitation to fall in love with it too.

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