Have you always lived in Yellow Springs, or do you have an interesting story as to what brought you here?Lieff: I moved to Yellow Springs 15 years ago, but I am originally from Brazil. I came to California to study English and fell in love with the country. I went back to Brazil for a year, but I couldn't stay away for long. I returned to the U.S. to work in Maryland, and then I got married and moved to Yellow Springs.
What's it like to live in Yellow Springs? What's your favorite aspect?Lieff: Living in Yellow Springs is wonderful. I am from a city that's the size of Greene County, but with a population equivalent to the whole state of Ohio. Although Brazilians are very friendly, it doesn't compare to how laid-back people are in the village, how you can enjoy walking around on the streets and having friendly neighbors wave at you while they walk their dogs. There are gorgeous sights you can admire while you walk in the village, instead of the gates, fences, and buildings you see where I came from. I can ride my bike on the bike trails and go hiking in the most gorgeous parks. I could not imagine a better place to live. I've traveled to many parts of the country, but I am always happy to be back home.
Have you met Dave Chappelle? (Sorry, we just couldn't resist this one!)Lieff: Yes! One cannot live in Yellow Springs and not meet Dave -- he's part of the town. In fact, when my sister came to visit me from Brazil last year, she was more excited to meet Dave than to see me! He's always so friendly and welcoming; I think meeting him made her trip a lot more special.
How does the U.S. real estate market differ from Brazil's market?Lieff: The U.S. real estate market is so different from Brazil's market! One thing that caught my attention is how listings work there. In Brazil you can have 10 different agencies list your property for sale; you will have 10 different signs in front of the house, and only the people that listed your house (and people seeing the sign on the street) have access to that listing. It's not as fair as here, with the MLS and all other agents having access to all listings. There's also a lot of trading in Brazil, too, which is really interesting to me. I have a friend who traded her house with some land for a condo and a car; later, she traded the condo for another condo in a different location. I could not imagine that type of transaction happening here.
To learn more about Luciana Lieff or to contact her, visit the Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtors website.
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