This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Waltham is on the market. All buyers welcome!

Back in 2002, I was out of work. The dotcom bubble had burst, taking with it my first post-college job, selling software. Unemployed and with my wedding just a few months away, I needed to find a job. With my then-fiancé (now wife) Marisol’s help, I decided to go into real estate.

Looking back now, I’m so thankful that I chose this path because it has led me not only to a profession I greatly enjoy but also to a community I love.

What brought Marisol and me to Waltham is exactly what draws so many of my clients to put down roots here: its diversity, excellent recreational areas, strong public and private schools, accessible location, reasonable taxes, welcoming neighbors, incredible history and awesome food.

I bring buyers around to communities all over the Boston area. But I most enjoy showing properties here in Waltham. It’s my home and I know it best. It’s an easy sell for me. I like to imagine young families rushing their kids off to Northeast Elementary in the morning or a pair of empty nesters walking along the Charles before catching a movie at Embassy Cinema or a young couple heading to Moody Street to meet some friends for dinner.

I feel a great obligation to new buyers in Waltham long after the papers are signed and the furniture is moved in. They’re not just buyers or clients, they’re now my neighbors. I want them to feel welcome and hope they become active in the community.

I want to see them at the Steampunk Festival. I want to bump into them getting tacos at Taqueria El Amigo. I want to cheer on their kids as they play soccer at Falzone field. I want to hear them speaking at a ZBA meeting.

Above all else, I want my new neighbors to challenge my assumptions about this city. I want them to push not just me but lifelong residents to question the way we’ve been doing things here. It may be annoying, sure. But we’ll all be better for it.

Waltham is such a wonderful blending of the old and the new. We need to keep that going by challenging ourselves to get involved and inviting all of our neighbors to do so as well.

It’s not always easy to be a new face in this city. Trust me. You may not know who to turn to with a question or when to raise your hand to volunteer to help. I worked hard to get involved here and at times it was difficult. I hope as a Waltham city councilor I can help make it a bit easier for others to join us in making this city’s future brighter for all of us.

We all have to remember that Waltham is for sale. It’s available to anyone who wants to invest his or her time, energy and creativity. I think it would be best if we had everyone invested.

So here’s a first step if you want to get involved in the city and don’t know where to turn. Please give me a call or send me an email. I would love to discuss your ideas and hopefully connect you with others. I’ll likely not have all the answers but we can try to figure them out together.

You can consider this an invitation to an open house. I hope you’ll come in and take a look.

Carlos Vidal is an at-large candidate for Waltham City Council.
He can be reached at (781) 899-2282
Email: carlos@carlosforwaltham.com
Twitter: @carlos4waltham

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