Where are you working today/where are your appointments:
It is an exciting beginning to the year, and my schedule today reflects that. I am spending some time at the office, but have already been to Ardmore, Mount Airy and Wyndmoor. Both listing homes and walking a client through the inspection process.
Where is your favorite on-the-go lunch choice?
Tacos! Mi Puebla in Mount Airy, or El Limon in Conshohocken and Ambler. Pho is another lunch favorite. There are a variety of great noodle places on Adams Avenue off the Boulevard.
Do you have a favorite new restaurant that you are really excited about?
Banjara Indian Restaurant in Chestnut Hill. Martha and I love Indian food.
What do you like to do in your free time – besides selling real estate?
I try to swim laps everyday. In warm weather there is nothing more relaxing for me than getting out our 38 pound Kevlar canoe and hitting the lakes and rivers, birding along the way. We hike a lot up at the Pulpit and Pinnacle, near the Appalachian Trail, and further north too. But, my ideal heaven is a great meal, probably prepared by Martha and me, and long rambling conversations with friends with plenty of good wine.
iPhone or Android?
I have an Android. I am not an Android.
What does your perfect weekend look like?
Well, one of those two days I will be showing houses, which is always fun. At home, our granddaughter Cece will be joining us for a sleepover, with first a walk at the Morris Arboretum, and then Frozen and popcorn. The next day Martha and I will get the canoe out or head to the Shore for a few hours. Dinner is likely to be at Phil’s in Blue Bell. Incidentally, Phil’s has the best martinis in the area. You’re welcome.
What is your favorite dessert?
Crème brûlée. (Best I ever had was at the Angry Trout restaurant in Grand Marais, Minnesota one January, sitting just above a crystallized Lake Superior with a slim pane of glass between me and the 20 below weather outside. Ambiance is so much a part of dining, don’t you know.)
Where is your favorite place to vacation?
This is an impossible question to answer! I love both big cities and wilderness, and extremes in climate, so both hot places and very cold. I guess it depends upon the mood, whether we want laid back or something more intense. Probably our most successful have been to places like the Yucatan and Costa Rica where we can combine both.
Martha and I just got back from a week staying with friends and clients in the Florida Keys. One is the production designer for the Netflix series Bloodline and the other acts in the show with Sissy Spacek. Not only was the kayaking, snorkeling and birdwatching spectacular but going on the set to watch the acting and taping was amazing.
We really mix up the types of vacation. Over the years some adventures have taken me to Africa, Alaska, Hudson Bay, the Oregon Cascades, Costa Rica, and of course, Mexico. Martha and I love Isla Holbox off the Yucatan. Look it up.
My dad always wanted to see Tierra del Fuego, so for his 75th birthday I took him on a long tour of Patagonia, both in Argentina and Chile.
I have seen condors, scarlet macaws, and all kinds of wildlife along the way. I was up at Hawk Mountain one day this past November and saw 11 eagles, both Bald and Golden, in one day. Last year Martha got us on a boat out of Cape May that took us to the Continental Shelf, 100 miles out for a day and a night to see pelagic birds unseen on land. It was tremendous.
What is your favorite season of the year?
I like the turn of the seasons, the transitional moments of the year.
What is your favorite style of house?
As I said, we just got back from the Florida Keys. While in Key West I became aware of “eyebrow” houses there. They have extended awnings that descend below the upper floor windows providing some longer hours of shade during the summer heat. They are just beautiful homes, with of course, lovely flora surrounding them.
Why did you decide to become a realtor?
I love people, all types, in all stages of life. There is not a better way to get to know people closely than real estate. The relationships, which are built out of an intense experience, can last and last. Every deal is different, the people involved have different motivations and vision. Guiding folks through either the process of buying or selling is exciting, and every day is new and completely different than the day before. Clients become friends and then clients again as they proceed through their lives. I have done many things in my life… Peace Corps volunteer, teacher, librarian, elected official… nothing has been as satisfying.
To contact Jan, call 610-952-6805 or email janlesuer@elfantwissahickon.com
Visit Jan’s Homepage here!
Jan- Hiking in Cascades
