4 minute read
Meet the Jordan Family: A Mother-Daughter Duo
www.DanvilleLivingCA.com @DanvilleLivingCA #DanvilleLivingCA
By Alexandra Sullivan, Resident since 2017
As a third-generation real estate broker, it’s safe to say that Janice Jordan knows the ins and outs of the business. It was an interesting route to finally settle into her fitting career, but one that gave her plenty of stories for sure!
In 1984 Janice graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science and began her working career in high-tech. “I was selling computers with 2 floppy disk drives; one for the program and one for the data. Monochromatic monitors and huge dot matrix printers. Pretty funny looking back now to see how far we’ve come.” After working in the tech industry for a few years, Janice decided to go back to her roots and pick up the real estate license she’d had since she was 18. Knowing the value of a good location, she opened up a mortgage company next door to her parent’s real estate office. Loans had dropped below 10%, and Janice’s business was flooded with clients.
“While I was in college I became obsessed with aerobics. Think Joanie Greggins, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jane Fonda. I started teaching aerobics while going to college and kept it up after graduation, and I am still teaching to this day.” It was her love of fitness that led Janice to pursue a degree in Sports Psychology right after college, but after two years of schooling, she decided that it wasn’t the career for her. “My job as the owner of a mortgage company was going quite well, so I stuck with my career as a lender and kept teaching aerobics [on the side].” In 1996, Janice’s parents were ready to retire but didn’t want to lose the family business. So Janice merged her company with theirs and formed The Jordan Group, doing both residential real estate and mortgage loans. Since then, Janice has continued to grow her business and is now allied with Compass as a Broker/Associate.
Janice has one daughter, 16-year-old Jenna. They also have two pets, Buster, an 8-year-old Australian Shepherd, and a cat named Mouser. Jenna is a sophomore at Monte Vista High School where she plays on the JV tennis team. She also plays soccer with Mustangs and previously won 2nd place in a world cheerleading competition with her competitive cheer team in Livermore. Where her heart lays, though, is with her horse Wilder. Jenna has owned him for seven years and houses him at Summit Ranch. Although she’s taken him to shows, she prefers riding him for pleasure in both Western and English styles.
Janice and Jenna love being outside. One of their favorite trips is going to Hawaii, “[we] do everything we can in the water. We body surf, boogie board and paddleboard everyday we can when we visit.” They’ve also traveled to Paris and the Atlantic Beach areas of France, Barcelona and the island of Mallorca in Spain, and Athens, Mykonos and Santorini, Greece. Following along with their adventurous spirits, on a trip to Club Med in Punta Cana, they both tried out the trapeze!
Jenna, Buster, and Janice
Seven years ago, when Jenna was 9, they decided to open their home to a foreign exchange student, in hopes of expanding their family unit. Lea arrived from France and began her senior year at San Ramon Valley High School. It was a wonderful, successful year for everyone. “It really was a cultural exchange; we learned so much about French culture and we shared our American ways with her. Now Jenna will always have a sister, even though she lives in France!” They still get to see Lea every couple of years, either by visiting her in Europe or when she comes to California.
Janice has owned her West-side home on Del Amigo for over 20 years. She bought the home, built in 1942, from its original owner (and builder!). Over the years she’s updated, remodeled, and added to the home - originally a one-bedroom with a loft over the garage. But one thing that Janice was determined to hold onto was the home’s original look and feel, including its red exterior with white trim, earning it the neighborhood nickname “The Red Barn House.” Since being outside as often as possible is so important to both Janice and Jenna, they take full advantage of the large lot, mature oak trees, and have favorite activities for different seasons, like barbecuing in the summer, and in the colder months, cuddling up under a warm blanket by the outdoor fire pit to watch the night sky.
Jenna and Janice on one of their world adventures!
Living right on Del Amigo gives the Jordans so much joy. From their home, they are able to walk downtown and enjoy some of their favorite local events, like the Fourth of July Parade, where they love soaking up the town spirit. And if downtown isn’t on the docket, they head up to Eugene O’Neill Park with their dog for a trail walk or mountain biking trek. Other hobbies for Janice include teaching pilates at her home, snowboarding, scuba diving, and playing pickleball!
Knowing her neighbors is one of Janice’s favorite things about living here in Danville, and she would love to start having an annual block party for everyone to mingle and get closer. So the next time you see Janice, Jenna, and Buster out for a walk, or any of their other awesome outdoor activities, stop and say hi!
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured inone of our upcoming issues! Contact us at asullivan@bestversionmedia.com.
