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Mary Martin

I’m Mary Martin. I was born , raised and have lived (mostly) in California my whole life. Newport Beach has been my official home since the late 1960’s when my daughter and I lived in a little two-bedroom house on the Peninsula. We were a block away from the ocean on one side and a block away from the bay on the other. My daughter could ride up the boardwalk to “Newport Elementary, the school on the beach”. I remember going up Coast Highway just outside of Corona Del Mar to Crystal Cove and riding the horses along the beach. We spent most of our time on the beach; one of our favorite spots was “Little Corona” where we met the “Judge” – a storyteller and published author whose way of telling stories kept us captivated for hours. He had lived in Newport since the 1920s, and I learned so much about the area from him. If you don’t him or his writings, he wrote a few books about the area you may want to read if you get a chance: “Bawdy Balboa”,” Naughty Newport”, and his favorite sport “Body Surfing”.

I had no plans of becoming a Real Estate Agent. I had worked for years in the restaurant business, getting quite an education on how to deal with all types of people and situations (something that’s great to know, no matter who you are or what you do in life). And then the opportunity came up to work in the office at Lora Vance Realty, and the schedule accommodated my childcare needs. Little did I know then just how much I would love real estate and the people I’d meet. I’ve been here 12 years now, and it was the owner Marlys who encouraged me to get my license ten years ago. Marlys Vasterling is such a positive person. She believes in people and in what we do. Nothing is impossible to Marlys.

I think that’s part of what I love – and what everyone in our community knows – about Lora Vance Realty. We’re an intimate office, and a landmark of sorts on Marine Ave. for the past 42 Years. Marlys and her mother Lora – two strong and compassionate women – started together buying, selling, renting, and managing properties here on the Island. In these past 30 years, there probably isn’t a house on this Island that Marlys doesn’t know its history – something that is so helpful when clients ask questions. So many of our clients have been with us – they and their families –for more than 25 years. For many, we’re a tradition with younger generations coming to us, saying things like, “My parents brought us here every summer, and now we want to bring our own kids to you, too.”

Balboa Island, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar: these areas are ones I consider “home” and I love finding homes for people who trust us with their dreams. I’ve learned throughout the years not to take anything for granted and that everything we are able to do is a gift. When I walk over the bridge every morning to work in the office at Vance Realty, I know that when I open the doors and potential clients come in, another adventure begins. I know I can’t go wrong, and it’s “win-win” when I treat people how I would like to be treated.

Marlys and her mother Lora have set the bar pretty high, in terms of integrity and trust. We all work together and do what’s right and in the best interest of our family – and for us, “family” includes our fellow agents, our clients, and our community. I hope one day to include you!