Retired nurse matches people up with their dream home

warwick-Her life was always about helping people, and even after retiring, that hasn't changed. Joan Lalla-Jardine's first career was nursing, which she loved and did for 40 years. Now, in her second career, she is helping folks make their dreams come true as a real estate agent with Country Living Real Estate. Lalla-Jardine was born in Trinidad, the oldest of 12 children. She spent 10 years in England and Scotland, before moving to New York City. It was in England that she was schooled in nursing and midwifery. She worked in a city hospital from 1969 until her retirement in 2002. Things changed for her in 1989. She and her husband, Delano, a retired New York City police detective, took a drive up to Orange County, Monroe to be exact, looking for a home. They looked, drove farther from Monroe into Sugar Loaf, and on into Warwick. It was pretty much love at first sight for this woman who has traveled extensively in her lifetime. "I just fell in love with Warwick," said Lalla-Jardine. "I liked the quaintness and how friendly people are." Her travels have taken her to Italy, Switzerland, England, and Scotland. She loves Vancouver and still gets back to Trinidad to visit the family members who still live there. Nine of her siblings still make Trinidad home. Her dream was always to get into real estate, she said. She loves older houses and first-time buyers, things there are still plenty of here in Warwick. "Even with the prices going up, I still find many first-time buyers coming here," Lalla-Jardine said. "It is still okay for the first-time buyers." Ironically, Lalla-Jardine missed her first go at the real estate test. She was scheduled to take it on September 11, 2001, downtown in New York City. "I puttered around the house and missed my bus," she said. Shortly after she did take her test and did well. Now, she is happy to match people up with their dream home. "I helped people with their health care. Now I help them find their home," Lalla-Jardine said. "It is very rewarding. I like to see the look in my client's eyes when they are walking through a house they like. It is like seeing someone get better after an illness. It is very rewarding."