By: Pat Winter
Becky and Craig assured me they are not impulse buyers, nor do they consider themselves particularly spontaneous in any of their transactions. But in October of 2021 on their way from Albemarle Plantation to visit family in Virginia, they negotiated and signed a contract on a home in our Greenwood neighborhood. All this transpired in the parking lot of a 7-11 convenience store via cell phones. Sometimes you just need to act when you find exactly what you are looking for!
The Dobsons first heard about Albemarle Plantation in an ideal-LIVING magazine. Their plan was to retire farther south of their hometown of Salisbury, Maryland, to enjoy more golf and boating opportunities. Becky remembers having three items on her wish list: a marina, a golf course, and a Wegmans Supermarket. AP’s ability to fill the first two items on her wish list made a trip to Food Lion or Dollar General an acceptable occasional substitute.
The Dobsons, however, didn’t make this housing decision the first time they came to visit. That was in July 2021, and they wanted to return to see what it was like here in the fall. On both visits Becky remembers how friendly everyone was, asking them if they were new residents or here on a tour. They all seemed eager to share stories about what it was like to live in AP. Becky began to wonder if some of these folks were “plants,” actors just waiting for them to show up and demonstrate the friendly Plantation culture. She soon learned; however, these “plants” were just happy residents, eager to share and recommend their community without any agenda.
Another factor spurring them to action that fall was their local realtor in Salisbury. The realtor knew the Dobsons were thinking about putting their home on the market, and she contacted them with the news that she was certain she had a buyer for their unlisted house.
And just like that, their home was sold, and they had to be out in thirty days.
Becky, a graduate of Salisbury University, retired in June 2021, after teaching in their hometown for 35 years. A reading specialist, Becky returned to her school for most of the first year of her retirement to help support the teachers who were dealing with tremendous reading gaps in grade-level performance caused by Covid’s major disruption of the educational system.
Craig, a graduate of Delaware Valley College, continues to work in sales for Perdue Foods from his home office here at AP. This is nothing new for Craig who has worked remotely for a great many of his thirty-nine years with Perdue.
Craig and Becky also own a condo on the Tangier Sound on the shores of Chesapeake Bay in the town of Crisfield, Maryland. They plan to split their time between their home here and their condo in the “Crab Capitol of the World.” Their daughter and her husband live in Norfolk, both work in public relations, and enjoy coming to visit for a weekend, just a little more than an hour away.
Craig and Becky have already immersed them-selves into many of the clubs and activities our community has to offer. One the newest members of the OYC, the Dobsons own a 23-foot Sportsman they keep at our Marina. They are also members of the Sounds Sports Club and Sound Golf Links. Becky is a member of APWC as well as SLWGA, and they both enjoy playing pairs golf on Sunday afternoons. Exploring the small towns and activities outside our gates is something they look forward to discovering. Craig comments, “We love this area and AP, and are so glad we discovered it and can call it home.”
When you get the chance to meet Becky and Craig, be sure to ask them about their corgi granddog. And be sure to welcome them “home!”