Meet The Hamels, Our Most Recent Satisfied Clients – Or So They Tell Us

One of the sad ironies of the real estate business is that you get to know some of the nicest people just before they move away for good.

Such is the case with Josh, Jillian and Luke Hamel, pictured here. (Luke is young fellow contemplating his father’s knee.)

If they look happy, well, they have much to be happy about: they have a lovely new child. They’re striking out on the next adventurous chapter of their lives. And their Seabreeze townhome sold in just 11 days.

A few minutes after this photo was taken, the Hamels hit the road for California where Josh – a Lieutenant Commander who just left active duty and a teaching job at the Naval Academy – has taken a position as a professor for the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at Cal State Long Beach.

Jillian – a former Nurse Practitioner for the Division of Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore – says they’ll really miss the beautiful change of seasons here and the evening walks by the water in downtown Annapolis.

As for the unabashedly promotional plug to this story, the Hamels almost made us blush with their kind comments.

“We really enjoyed working with you” they told us. “You’re very knowledgeable about real estate in general and the Annapolis market specifically. You guided us smoothly through the process of selling our home. We were proud to have you represent us and would gladly recommend you to others.”

Thanks, Josh and Jillian – we appreciate that. And best of luck to you out West.

Here’s a video about a guy who makes sure our returning servicemen and women get a sincere thanks and welcome when they come home. I love hearing about people like this, regular folks with big hearts who try to make a difference just because it’s the right thing to do – not to win votes, impress others or make a buck. We need more people like this fellow.

Today is Fun Friday on this blog and for 919 new graduates of the Naval Academy I imagine this was about the most fun they’ve had in 4 years.

To the graduates and their families…to those of us who live in Annapolis and perhaps served in the Navy…this is a very big day and we all take pride in this annual event. We’ve watched these young men and women mature before our very eyes, seen the sportsmanship they display on the football field and in other athletic events – and we can’t help but feel proud to be part of this community.

Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the graduating class and offered some good advice: learn from your mistakes; be accountable for your actions; and question authority when appropriate. Not a bad code to live by.

The ceremony ended the way it always does, with the hat toss. If you’ve never seen it before, watch this clip – one I just found on YouTube – from this year’s graduation.

Today is Fun Friday on this blog and for 919 new graduates of the Naval Academy I imagine this was about the most fun they’ve had in 4 years.

To the graduates and their families…to those of us who live in Annapolis and perhaps served in the Navy…this is a very big day and we all take pride in this annual event. We’ve watched these young men and women mature before our very eyes, seen the sportsmanship they display on the football field and in other athletic events – and we can’t help but feel proud to be part of this community.

Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the graduating class and offered some good advice: learn from your mistakes; be accountable for your actions; and question authority when appropriate. Not a bad code to live by.

The ceremony ended the way it always does, with the hat toss. If you’ve never seen it before, watch this clip – one I just found on YouTube – from this year’s graduation.

It has to be one of the smelliest, most spirited rites of passage in Annapolis, if not the entire country: first year Naval Academy students converge en masse on the Academy’s Herndon Monument in a rush to the top. There’s just one catch: the monument is generously greased with 100 pounds of lard.  

Traditionally, the plebe who makes the final ascent removes the plebe “dixie cup” hat (below) on top and replaces it with the midshipman’s cover (or hat) - a move symbolizing the plebes’ completion of their first grueling year.

This year’s climb on Thursday morning saw the Midshipmen finish the job in just under 2 hours and 36 minutes – not bad, though not nearly a record breaking time: no fewer than six plebe classes have come in at under an hour.

It’s Fun Friday on this blog, as always, and we thought you’d enjoy a firsthand look at the excitement from this year, below.