Cornerstone Living

Naming this blog became quite the stressful process. I would sit down and try to come up with some options, get frustrated, walk away and try again the next day. This kept happening. I had prayed. I had googled. I had even broken out the thesaurus looking for inspiration. Nothing! Then one day while reading my Bible, God lead me to this verse:

Yes!!! I knew that this verse was the reason for this blog. If we build our lives on Jesus, our precious cornerstone, we will never be stricken with panic. Not that bad stuff will not happen or that times will not get hard but that we will be able to face what comes our way with our faith and trust in Jesus. He is our sure foundation. Following Christ gives us the foundation to face any trials that come our way. Nothing can compare to that cornerstone for our lives.

I want the blog to serve as a cornerstone for my readers to have a solid foundation when it comes to making what will likely be the largest purchase of their lifetime. If I can help my readers have an understanding of the process they are walking through then they can face whatever comes their way without panic. Y’all real estate can get crazy and no two transactions are ever the same. It is so very important to understand that one statement when you are starting the process of buying or selling. Having a reliable realtor that can guide you through your specific transaction will help greatly when those unexpected issues arise.

My goal for this blog is to help educate the real estate consumer so that they begin the process with knowledge to make the best decisions, from choosing a realtor to moving day and even after that. I would love to hear from you on what topics you would like to learn about relating to real estate. My prayer is that the information I share here will help people move forward and fulfill the American Dream of home ownership.

Welcome to Cornerstone Living

Hello and welcome to Cornerstone Living.  Do you ever get a gentle nudge from the Lord that slowly becomes a kick in the rear to take a step you didn’t see coming?  I’ve had a few of those. More that I should, because let’s be honest, I should have felt the nudge and moved. I felt the kick a couple of years ago to take that next step and get my real estate license.  This was something I had dreamed of doing for years but always let fear hold me back. I finally took that step and have loved it! I get to help my friends find their homes that they will get to do life in.  It may be their first home or the home they bring their babies to. It may be a smaller home that they are downsizing to after all the kids have moved out. I also get to walk with them as they say goodbye to the homes they have spent years in making memories.  

This is a career I don’t take lightly.  I realize I am helping my clients with the biggest financial decisions they will likely make in their life.  I have had many discussions with people who do not understand many aspects of the real estate business. Enter the most recent nudging from the Lord.  This lead to the idea to create a place where I can share not only my knowledge of the hows and whys of real estate but also all of the life that happens inside those homes.      

A little bit about me, I’m Brandi Miller and I am a licensed REALTOR® in the Birmingham, Alabama area.  Real estate has been an interest of mine for many years. My first memory of loving real estate came when I was in middle school.  My mom and I went to see a home that was listed on Wilson lake in Muscle Shoals, AL (where I grew up). It was an older white home that needed lots of work. I got so excited about the possibilities of it and how amazing it could be.  We didn’t get the house but the seed was planted for the passion that I have today. You could say that passion has carried over personally. I bought my first home when I was 22 years old. My husband and I have purchased four homes since we were married in 2004.  My friend Jennifer says we buy houses like most people buy cars. She may be correct.

I am happily married to my best friend, Shane.  We have been married for 14 years and have three kids.  They keep us busy between sports and school and friends but we love every second of it.  Well, most of it anyways. We spend our falls watching college football and tailgating in Tuscaloosa.  We love camping trips as a family. We also love Jesus and serving Him through our church, Church of the Highlands.  My faith is super important to everything I do in life and will be something that I share throughout this blog. My family loves to be outside playing sports and swimming in the summer. I love to read and attempting to grow veggies in my raised bed garden out back (similar to the one below). I’m still learning on this one but last summer we enjoyed some cucumbers, tomatoes and lots of delicious okra.

I invite you to join me on this journey and see where the Lord will lead us. Stay in the loop by subscribing to my email list below. I promise not to spam you with tons of emails. I know how annoying that can be.