Jared Sapp Discovers Haven on Instagram

Overview
For our final episode of this season, we're talking with nationally-recognized real estate agent and Serenbe resident Jared Sapp. In this episode, Jared shares how he found his Serenbe home through Instagram and how he worked with good friend and showroom owner Ryan Hughes to redo the home's interiors, which were featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and RUE magazines. We also talk about the pandemic real estate market, a bird who's taken up residence in his back yard, and how living at Serenbe has been life changing for him. 

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Transcript

Monica Olsen (1s):
Hey guys, it's Monica here. I wanted to tell you about a new podcast that I've started with my very good friend, Jennifer Walsh called biophilic solutions. Our last season of ceremony stories, building a biophilic movement was so popular that we decided to dedicate an entire podcast to it every other week. Jennifer and I will sit down with leaders in the growing field of biophilia. We'll talk about local and global solutions to help nurture their living social and economic systems that we all need to sustain future generations more often than not. Nature has the answers. You can find biophilic solutions on apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe and follow us today. So you don't miss an episode.

Monica Olsen (41s):
All right, now let's get back to ceremony stories. For our final episode of this season, we're talking with nationally recognized real estate agent and Sam B resident, Jared Sapp. In this episode, Jared shares how he found Sarah behind her Instagram and how he worked with good friend and showroom owner, Ryan fuse to redo the homes, interiors, which were featured in Atlanta homes and lifestyles in Rue magazines. We also talk about the pandemic real estate market, a bird who's taken up residence in his backyard and how living at ceremony has been life-changing for him.

2 (1m 25s):
It's just been really like a refuge or Haven because I can come down like a lot of people do from a stressful day. And really the moment I turn in and it's been this way since the first time we visited, when you come in through the main entrance. So lane it's just like your stress level drops and it keeps dropping and dropping. And I don't know. It's just fantastic.

Monica Olsen (1m 47s):
Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome back to Sarah B stories today. We have Jared Sapp with us. Hey Jared, how are

2 (1m 52s):
You? I'm great. How are you doing Monica?

Monica Olsen (1m 54s):
I'm fantastic. And of course,

2 (1m 56s):
Welcome to the conversation, Derek. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

Monica Olsen (2m 1s):
So Jared, I'm sure you're familiar with Sammy stories, but we always sort of kick off our conversation with the big question. How did you find us and why did you move?

2 (2m 13s):
Absolutely. My first memories of coming to ceremony were actually in 2015, we just came to look at a few homes and I believe we had dinner at the hill or farmhouse one of the two. And then it was just kind of like, oh, that's great. And didn't really think much about it until maybe 2017. I have good friends, Jim and Joel that have places here. And they invited me down to an event that Garney had invited them to. And it was like a preview of one of the plays or something like that. So it was like a silent auction, got to meet everyone. And I won the first Alexa home pod, or I bought whatever the Alexa product was. So that was really cool.

2 (2m 52s):
And then didn't really think about it anymore until two and a half years ago, I was wanting a bigger place or just wanting to get away place. So I was traveling to blue Ridge because I have a lot of friends that have cabins up there and it was like an hour and 45 minutes away. And I was just like, this is great, but we've kind of done this already. And I'm in real estate in Atlanta and really work all the time. As you all know, you did the same, but my friend Ryan said, you need to check out ceremony. There's this cute cottage. They just posted on their Instagram page. And of course I saw it and I was like, yeah, that's really cute. So we came down and looked around, I believe we came down earlier and then had like maybe lunch on a Saturday, I believe at the hill again.

2 (3m 34s):
And I was like, wow, this is really great. So we made the offer and he just really painted the picture. Ryan sold me on this place. Cause I was like, I don't know. I don't, I just don't know it enough. And he's like, oh no, you'll love it. So that's kind of how that came about. And then of course it was a godsend because just a year or year and a half later, the pandemic and shelter in place, I was here, you know, eating fried chicken every day from the farmhouse and having an excuse to either work out a little bit or not. But we were very spoiled to be able to spend that time here for sure. And be out in nature and everything. So

Monica Olsen (4m 6s):
The point had Brian bought his place or what was Ryan's connection? Did he just know it because he has a showroom and until we're talking about Ryan, he used, who has a shirt?

2 (4m 15s):
Yes. Argues. I mean, he's just always been really into real estate and it's followed you guys and been obsessed with everything here and introduced me to it really. And I feel the same way now, but the main driving force was just having somewhere that I could escape the busy hustle and bustle of Atlanta, but only be 45 minutes away. So they'd come down, you know, in the afternoon, have dinner and be back at eight or 9:00 AM in the morning if I need to. So not like a big haul to Highlands, North Carolina or somewhere like that. And this is more my speed too. And that's what some people say, you know, they can have guests from Atlanta for dinner and it doesn't mean you're going to spend the night. Right, right, right.

2 (4m 56s):
Exactly. Is where a lot of second homes, if it's a weekend or nothing,

Monica Olsen (4m 60s):
The guest room.

2 (5m 1s):
Right. Exactly. Exactly. So that is a great example. So for me, it's just been really like a refuge or Hayden because I can come down. Like a lot of people do from a stressful day and really the moment I turn in and it's been this way since the first time we visited, when you come in to the main entrance, silver lion, it's just like your stress level drops and it keeps dropping and dropping. And I don't know, it's just fantastic. And then you recharge the batteries and you can head back or stay.

Monica Olsen (5m 27s):
Yeah. It is interesting how that happens. And you hear that a lot from people and I feel the same way and it, I don't know if it's the trees or just the knowledge that you're coming into this space.

2 (5m 37s):
Right. Right. So Ryan is my best friend in Atlanta and he, I think came down and enjoyed seeing my place. He had sold his place in Atlanta and was looking for a lot to build on, which was going to take forever. And then basically we found this house and it had already started a little bit, but still at a time where it was just a framing I believe, or almost at framing. And so Ryan could pick out all this finishes as well

Monica Olsen (6m 3s):
Because you're in Ryan's house doing

2 (6m 5s):
Ryan's house now because there's some workers at my house, which is just a few houses away. So Ryan owns a showroom in Atlanta and he was so kind to do all the interior design on my place, which looks awesome. And y'all published some great things about that as well. So, so

Monica Olsen (6m 22s):
Atlanta homes and lifestyles magazine did the original story on your house, which is gorgeous. And so we're actually repurposing a lot of those images in the content, in our newspaper, this air B Hamlet, which will come out in a few weeks and it's stunning. So tell us a little bit about that. Was Ryan driving everything or what things did you really have to have in the house?

2 (6m 43s):
Brian gets everything exactly. Right. And you appreciate that. So he basically said that I didn't need to have any say in it and just to let him do his thing. And Steven that works with them as well, helped out. And I just told them, I just don't want a lot of like mustard, yellows or orange. And so I ended up with a house with lots of those colors installed. So, and I love it. So it's funny since living here, I put in a very small spool flan that does the pools in the neighborhood, but that in, and it's part spa part bull. And that's really awesome. So I've maxed out my smaller 1400 square foot home basically here. Yeah. But I'd love to get a bigger place one day here, but I really enjoy it now.

2 (7m 24s):
And I'm on the Anders south, which sits on the medicinal garden, which is really, I'm so thankful. I was fortunate to get that spot because you look out the front and you're on a meadow and walk out the front door and you can pick fresh net and blueberries, different herbs. We can hang out and see the sunset and the butterfly bushes, the butterflies flocked there. And it's quite amazing. It really is just to see that much nature. And as of recently, I've had a pigeon that has taken up residency on my back porch on the light. And he perches up there. My neighbors had named him Sinatra and I get pictures of him from different neighbors thing.

2 (8m 5s):
He was in our yard forging today, or what have you. But he always comes back and porches right up on that light fixture. And he's not going to move. So I've embraced it. I wanted a bird and did Mo one inside. So it was sent my way raising, you said intent. It can happen. Right, right. Right. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And ever since I've had a place here, I've been able to really share with clients in Atlanta, how much I love it down here. So I think that sold my neighbor a couple doors down. I had their house for sale in Atlanta and they bought a smaller place here with Garney and they love it so much. They've got three kids and their only regret probably like mine is that we didn't buy a bigger place, but I'm sure you hear that all the time because you just don't know until you're here.

2 (8m 51s):
And then the neighbors next door to Ryan and I've sold their places in Atlanta. They love it here as well. So it's just getting people down and realizing, Hey, you can have this second home here instead of having to travel so far or either move your whole family down here. If you can work remotely.

Monica Olsen (9m 6s):
A lot of that, where the second homeowner buys it, a second wants to stay forever. And they either rent their house in Atlanta or settle it. And then they decide, oh, I need to get a bigger house or sometimes bigger. They want smaller. Right. Right. You can put guests at the end and not worry about to Steve's point.

2 (9m 24s):
Right. Having them stay too long. That's right. That's what some people find too, is that because we lived so much outside here that we've had various people realize they have two big houses that they didn't need to go the opposite way. Yeah, absolutely. I could see that for sure.

Monica Olsen (9m 42s):
Jared, did you grow up in Atlanta? Like how did you find yourself in Georgia? And

2 (9m 47s):
Yeah, so I grew up right outside of Savannah and my mom and my aunt actually grew up on 180 acres. So we used to go to a farm as a kid and they had chickens, but maybe some cattle, but nothing like we have here. But anyway, it's just, it is a connection for me to be able to be in a farm neighborhood and yet not have to spend all day yet taking care of animals. Maybe one day, I'll volunteer to do that here. Yeah. Just the pigeons. And then I went to school in Athens and studied consumer journalism and advertising it, you know, our state of Georgia. And I've been in real estate for 21 years in Atlanta. And during shelter in place, I would do an online negotiation mastery class that I was accepted to at Harvard.

2 (10m 29s):
It's just a, it was like six weeks. So

Monica Olsen (10m 31s):
Interesting. Tell me about

2 (10m 33s):
That. It's basically, you would be presented modules by different professors and basically problem solving and negotiating through uncertainty. So nice. I just didn't sit still every day. So it was just a few hours a day. So that was great.

Monica Olsen (10m 49s):
How are you feeling when the pandemic hit? I mean, I know that you're very successful real estate agent in the Atlanta market and clearly helping us, sending people to our way, what you do is appreciate, but when it first hit, what was going through your mind and your team's mind? Cause I know we thought, oh gosh, what if,

2 (11m 9s):
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I worked through the 8 0 9 market and I was just not anticipating being busy. I was already starting to look for places to rent in Costa Rica, like a little tent or somewhere. Cause I was like, I may never work again. I don't know what's going to happen. And of course, wanting to prepare to live that extra week longer if the world did end my order, everything that pandemic supply and rations and everything at the house, which probably never used. So, but yeah, we were very unsure. So it was very surprised and thankful that this has been a good thing for real estate agents, but also great for families to build a focus on being with family and being home more.

2 (11m 48s):
And it's a shame that it's been a pandemic to do that. But if there is a silver lining, that would be it more time with family.

Monica Olsen (11m 54s):
Yeah. What's the market look like up in Atlanta right now.

2 (11m 57s):
It's still very busy. Yeah. Gangbusters really. I mean, it's amazing when we have a coming soon listing or hear of one coming up that hits the market and there's like 10 buyers that have been waiting in the wings for this. It's just unbelievable. But definitely buyers want to do less work because of the uncertainty of being able to get workers or supply chain. So they're more apt to either want to sell there and buy something new here or buy something more renovated. So that's kind of the draw.

Monica Olsen (12m 27s):
Yeah. That makes perfect sense that they want something kind of finished. They don't want to pick something up that they're going to have to do a ton of work on. Cause it is, it's fine to get people to do the work or obviously there's been all sorts of interesting shortages from paper to eliminate them to. I think we were saying the other day we were trying to get mattresses for a new wellness retreat. There was a phone.

2 (12m 47s):
Right. It's really unbelievable. So especially if you're a single person or just someone that's not working with a builder to even order appliances, that can be further out. So it's a great advantage to consider buying new, right? Yeah.

Monica Olsen (13m 0s):
Yeah. No. And, and I think we're trying to get stuff as out of the ground as fast as we can, but that

2 (13m 5s):
Then super busy. I know it's like so amazing. I love it. Yeah. I feel like it would stop raining so much. I know you get a full week of rain here. Flowers love it though.

Monica Olsen (13m 18s):
Definitely. So tell me, you tell you did this course on negotiations, which is super cool and I'm sure that helped you out with the real estate industry. What else are you doing in your free time? I know you'd love to get outdoors, but tell us a little bit about that.

2 (13m 30s):
Yeah, sure. Absolutely. So I'm trying to get down here more. I've been starting back doing Pilates with Dr. Julie Lord here. And I want to start working out a few days a week with Dylan at the gym, that motto. So get back in that health thing, you know, the shelter in place was an excuse to kind of like, oh, we'll hang out or not work out. But the good thing is that ceremony, you have so many things you can do. Like I am literally a short walk to the waterfall and all the trails around and I've got my friend, Tina moved here from Atlanta that lives just down the way here so we can go on walks and hang out. And she helps me check out my bird to Mr. Sinatra.

2 (14m 10s):
Yeah. So it's just a lot of great things. You can buy a bike. I bought a bike from the bike shop and I wrote it. I wrote it home from the bike shop and have not been back on it. But my goal is to get back on it

Monica Olsen (14m 22s):
Electric or do you get just a regular?

2 (14m 24s):
No, just a regular, like kind of a dirt bike, but I'd like one of those electric ones I've seen those around at Amazon when I'm grabbing a gift for a client or something on the way out

Monica Olsen (14m 34s):
We were saying they were all lined up at the hill the other night, all the bikes. I don't know what the style is that Hamlin sells. They were all up in the bar and they were saying that they're the a Moto biker gang.

2 (14m 46s):
Oh yeah, the motto, hello, got a giant. Right, right. And then maybe they can have their own race, like the big wheel race that handling.

Monica Olsen (14m 56s):
Definitely, definitely. So I know that you also have a place up in one of the condos in Atlanta, tell us what's going on with the condom market. I feel like there's just cranes everywhere up there. Is this still happening? Can we absorb more condos in this market or are we just, people are moving in still to the market? Sure.

2 (15m 14s):
I think a lot of people are moving in and basically condo sales flowed down during shelter in place and pandemic cause people were a little bit nervous to get on elevators and things like that and really wanted to be outside and not be stuck inside. Especially if Macondo didn't have a balcony or something like that, but those condo sales have improved for sure. There's a ton of inventory in Midtown, which is where I live at the moment. But my primary focus is Morningside Virginia island. And that market has just been off the charts, really slammed and busy. So just timelines on new builds have gone from a year to almost a year and a half to two years, depending on supply chain and not knowing what to quote for houses that could fluctuate a hundred thousand here or there, depending on what's going on with not just timber, but other supplies or factories mills.

Monica Olsen (16m 4s):
Yeah. Our builders have been, and I completely understand really haven't wanted or feel comfortable pricing anything until on a sheet rock. Right.

2 (16m 13s):
Which is

Monica Olsen (16m 13s):
Hard for buyers saying, yes, I want it, but I don't know what it's going to cost.

2 (16m 21s):
Right.

Monica Olsen (16m 21s):
But it's really exciting. And it's been fun to see people like yourself, come down and spend more time here and really appreciate nature and the connection cause even the pigeon right. Seems to be. But that connection to animals really does something for you.

2 (16m 38s):
Yeah, absolutely. And like grounding your feet, walking even barefoot in the backyard and just really re-centering yourself. It's just, it's priceless. That's changed my life for sure. Just being of that moment. And it doesn't take very long to get recharged. And especially when my friends come down, they'd be able to hurt a stare me or not sure. And they come here and they're like, oh my gosh, how do you leave? I'm like, it is hard sometimes, you know, I guess, cause I know I can always come back. That's

Monica Olsen (17m 5s):
True.

2 (17m 7s):
But yeah, absolutely. And we'll keep adding things. So it makes it harder and harder. But I know, I know exactly. This would be, my plan is to always have a place here maybe even retire here. And I can't imagine going where else? So

Monica Olsen (17m 20s):
Yeah. Steve, you want to share some of the upcoming things with Jared? I don't know how up-to-date you are with Steve. Does these really wonderful walks for the residents? Yeah.

2 (17m 29s):
I knew that joined you recently. Yeah. I know. I'd like to, because I've seen different land cleared and I'd love to know what's going on. Yeah. A lot. A lot happening.

Monica Olsen (17m 40s):
Yeah. Well, and across the street from you over on Lupa loops is the next thing coming out of the works.

2 (17m 45s):
Yeah. Okay. Near the swim club down there next to the

Monica Olsen (17m 49s):
Swim club is going to be the school act in academy.

2 (17m 52s):
Okay. Okay, great. Fantastic. Then that road is connecting straight over to the end. Oh well you'll come through the pasture and it's going to be just a beautiful drive from the end through the pastures and drop down into the oh fantastic area where the pool is and the school campus on prom field. Yeah. Fantastic. And then down from, through motto at the end, this, that there's some development happening there now or is that still secret? I don't know. Bad is the overlook. Okay. And so that's going to be 40 houses on an overload kill or we're looking at Cedar Creek as it curls. Wow. We putting a bridge in there that then goes across to those, our first houses actually on the cabbie to side.

2 (18m 37s):
So we're sitting right here on south Fulton, north Kavita line. And so I made right. That will be our first house is actually available. It's going to be fun. We'd be all different size lots or that's right. There'll be all different sizes, heavily, more bedrooms, more three and four bedrooms because of school and families. Sure. And then we are, it would be very public. They are panic seeing additional land in which will be a Southern entrance to Sarah and B. Okay, great. And that's a section that Hamlin will be called. Let's spell it or spell it. That's right. We'll come through spell it. And they're just in the midst of clearing the hillside, which will eventually be the four acre Victorian park.

2 (19m 24s):
Oh wow. Fantastic. Yeah. We'll be all walkable that section. Right? Totally. I mean everything is walkable bikeable and yeah, the Victorian park it's going to be focused on play for all agents. And one of the Hills is one of the tallest elevations in Seremban. We're going to do some sort of wood tower that still hasn't been designed and it will have a zip line down to the wine bar and coffee house and little containers built into the side of the hill. So it's a lot more fun. Things are happening. I love that. A little hidden coffee, wine shop. I love it. Bar

Monica Olsen (20m 2s):
Larger house in

2 (20m 3s):
Overlook. Right. Exactly. Exactly. And those trails and the zip line, has anyone taken you by the ranger on the top of Lupo loop yet? No, I have not been up there. I've been to Ross Ridge, the little lookout spot holler I'm in. I'll be happy to take my granddaughter up there. You know, you can't go up there and go by foot, but otherwise yeah. Through all the construction and some of the most dynamite views. Well, that's awesome. Yeah. I definitely want to check that out. That was able to go to the modern tour of homes this past weekend with the Creek retreat and the roots house and the Ferrari.

2 (20m 46s):
It was really awesome. Yeah. Great. Yeah. It was fantastic. Variety of architecture and dials. I loved it. I loved it. It's fantastic. Yeah.

Monica Olsen (20m 58s):
So one of the things we always ask everybody to Jared is, and you've kind of shared some of the things that you love to do, but if you are going to have friends down or you are going to tell somebody when you're coming to Saram B what should they do or what should they not miss?

2 (21m 12s):
I think that I would definitely have them stop by the general store and hang out and do the wine pairing or tasting with Nadine. That's fantastic. Definitely could go to some of the open houses, take like a yoga class or go to the spa. I got to try that out. Not too long ago. The new spa is fantastic. And then definitely go to sit on the front porch at the farmhouse. That's gotta be my favorite spot in the rocking chairs, especially like with the rain drops on the front porch. It's just, I don't know. It's just in hand. Yes, exactly. Exactly. That will be fantastic. Yeah. That would be the spot to do. And you know, as you leave, definitely stop by all the stores and grab a nice bottle of wine from the wine shop.

2 (21m 55s):
And I think that that would be pretty awesome. And then if someone likes animals or has kids definitely the little petting zoo farm and check out the chickens and sit in that meadow and during shelter in place, we hung out on those benches, like my friends, cause we were sitting far apart and this was like the first week we heard about it and probably were like, not even able to be in danger, but we sat so far apart, but it was like so cool to look out and see everything happening with the farmhouse behind us. And then onto that meadow was just gorgeous and to see the horses too. That's a big thing I like to drive around and see the stables and check out and see which horses were walking around today.

Monica Olsen (22m 36s):
And I was at a lot of times up at the end when you stay or go have lunch or dinner up there, you'll see the free range sheep. Cause they just

2 (22m 44s):
Don't, they

Monica Olsen (22m 45s):
Don't stay in their pen. They, I don't know how they get out, but I it's kind of fun to see them wandering.

2 (22m 51s):
Right, right, right. Yeah. And I still have not tried goat yoga. I, I know Keith's wife teaches that. And Keith actually I represent him as a client, but he just happened to buy two of my listings in Atlanta through the year. So I got to know the roots, but I've never taken that. So I know it's all about the goats, but still I know goats are very calming, so that's on my list to do, and I'm waiting for the right group to come to town to visit and we'll do that together. Yeah. So having that experience,

Monica Olsen (23m 21s):
Maybe it's going to get cool and that I think the goats get a season off right

2 (23m 26s):
Back in spring.

Monica Olsen (23m 28s):
Yeah, exactly.

2 (23m 30s):
And say, no, Jared, you toured this weekend, say you saw the portal building the wife portal. Yes. And ponds. Yeah. So that set up for like friends retreat, corporate retreats, health retreats. And you can wait two to three days and include a whole programming, like the goat yoga trail ride that massages. And so that that's what was setting that whole thing up. Sure. Yeah. When I was in there touring, I was thinking I should bring my real estate team down here and we could have like a team building weekend, check out everything, definitely like books, spa treatments or yoga, just be all together basically. And I believe you can have a chefs come in, is that right? Or there's a lock off chef's kitchen so they can set that all up and really have one of those kind of luxury retreat kind of ideas.

2 (24m 18s):
Sure. And it's all in walking distance to all everything right there. The gym, yoga juice hall, also bamboo juice. I love that place. Great. Fantastic. You can see what I'm drinking during our

Monica Olsen (24m 34s):
Bandaid juice right now. Yes. I love it.

2 (24m 37s):
Well, I have one that had its water in it, but it was bandages at one time. I've recycled.

Monica Olsen (24m 42s):
Well, Jared, is there anything else you want to share with us? Any exciting news that you have that I haven't covered.

2 (24m 48s):
I'm excited for the holidays and putting up a lot of decorations and having family down for probably Thanksgiving here and then I'll go see them for Christmas. But yeah, it's just lots of great things and that's a great activities and the most amazing neighbors. So I love coming down

Monica Olsen (25m 5s):
And having you as our neighbor and appreciate all you do to share the story.

2 (25m 12s):
Well, I appreciate everything you all do to make this place what it is and create the experience well, it's the people that make the fabric that really make it happen. So we really appreciate you being part of that tapestry of people. I'm very thankful for sure for the opportunity. Absolutely. All right.

Monica Olsen (25m 28s):
Well thank you so much and we'll see you on the streets.

2 (25m 31s):
Sounds good. Thank you, Steven Monica.

Monica Olsen (25m 37s):
Thank you for listening to this episode in season six of ceremony stories, you can subscribe to hear future seasons anywhere you listen to podcasts. And while you're subscribing, please give us a five star rating and don't forget to give us a review and we'll be back in 2022.