🏡 In Someone Else’s Shoes: A Lesson on Accessibility from Dave

How one homebuyer’s story reminds us why every listing detail matters

What if finding your dream home wasn’t just about square footage or location—but about whether you could even get through the front door?

I met Dave Berghuis, a quadriplegic since age 14, whose story opened my eyes to the challenges of finding accessible housing. With confidence and a slight, meaningful smile beneath his Brewers cap, Dave shared decades of experience—of searching for homes with wider doorways, roll-in showers, and ramps, often relying on word-of-mouth in the pre-internet days. More than once, he had to be carried inside just to view a property.

Today, we have tools Dave didn’t—our MLS fields and public portals like REALTOR.com—but they’re only powerful if we use them. As REALTORS®, entering accessibility features in every listing isn’t just data entry; it’s helping someone like Dave find a place where they can live fully and independently.

📋 Action Step: Upload these resources to your Paragon public documents:

• Accessibility Features Report 2021
• Accessibility Features Report Detailed 2021
  
  
• Paragon Barrier Free Features:
   
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✨ The fields are there. Let’s use them. Together, we can help more people find their perfect home.