Hands down, my favorite thing about being a realtor in Southern Utah is the people who come into my life as acquaintances and become dear friends. There is something uniquely humbling about how connected we are to each other and the world at large.

This is a story about that connection.

If you don’t know, my husband and I publish books on national parks. It’s something Kevin has been a part of for nearly three decades.

One of our biggest customers is the Zion National Park Forever Project, which is the official non-profit partner of Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Pipe Spring National Monument.

In 2022, Zion Forever’s President and CEO, Lyman Hafen, was preparing to celebrate his retirement, and the Board of Directors conducted a nationwide search for his replacement. They were fortunate enough to convince Natalie Britt and her husband, Benjamin, to move 2,000 miles to take the lead at Zion.

Kevin reached out to the association to let them know that he and I would be honored to help Natalie and Benjamin transition their lives from the East Coast to southern Utah. We own a small home in Springdale, and while it’s nothing fancy, it’s conveniently located two miles from the park entrance, which would make Natalie’s daily commute a breeze. So, we offered to let them rent it for as long as they needed to find a place that felt like home.

Now, working at Zion National Park every day presents a few challenges. If you live in St. George, then you’re facing a hefty commute each day. Alternatively, you can try to live in Springdale, but it’s a pretty small town, and your options are few and far between. This forces many employees to live in Hurricane, giving them more variety and a shorter commute.

When you’re brand new to the area, all this local jargon can feel overwhelming. That’s why, sometimes, it’s helpful to get a sense of your new life before committing to one town.

So, in early 2023, Natalie and Benjamin moved into our little cottage. And then, over the next few months, I helped them explore their options.

We wound up finding a neighborhood in Virgin that felt just right, as well as a builder who was able to customize what they wanted within their budget: Hoyt. They’re a local, family-owned builder with a decades-long presence in southern Utah. Tanya Smith represents them and works with clients to guide them through the construction process. She has great taste, knows how to balance style with value, and is one of the nicest humans around. We had so much fun designing this home with her!

Ultimately, the time we took to view houses in the area gave Natalie and Benjamin clarity on what was important to them, providing them the space to deliberate without sacrificing their priorities.

We were also fortunate enough to work with Karla Abbott with First Colony Mortgage. She was excellent about communicating through the whole process, so there were no last-minute surprises.

Long story short, Natalie and Benjamin’s home is beautiful. In my not-so-humble view, if I were to list this place for sale, I would price it almost $200k above the price they paid for it.

And the best part? I have found a lifelong friend in Natalie. I value our similarities, and I adore our differences. I stand a bit taller with her influence in my life. I learn from her and laugh with her. We have so many adventures to come, and I’m over the moon that she and Benjamin took a leap of faith and moved to southern Utah.