Everything was about to change.  It was time to make a giant leap of faith and see where I would land.

In 1998, I moved from Switzerland to the United States.  I’d lived in Switzerland my whole life, established a career, gotten married, and even had a daughter.  I loved my life there and while I had traveled abroad before, I’d never been gone for more than a few months.  But, one day things changed.

My wife, Jean, is a U.S. citizen and moved to Switzerland when we were married.  She uprooted her life to join me and built a home in our cozy apartment.  Then in 1992 when we had our daughter, Chelsea, things changed.  We stayed for five more years, but as school enrollment approached it became clear to Jean that it was time to go back to the U.S.

She went ahead with Chelsea and enrolled her in Kindergarten while I got to work on obtaining my green card.  Jean’s parents opened their home to us and provided a place for us to get our footing.  But first, I had to get there. 

Living in the United States sounded like a dream, and I had visited before when I first met Jean in California.  The warm weather, breezy beaches and coastal landscapes had captured my heart all those years before.  It was time to make them my home.  It wasn’t easy to join my wife and daughter here.  In fact, it took six months of intense work.  There were interviews, applications, letters and more I had to arrange before I could even think about stepping on a plane.

But I persisted.  I’ve always had a “get it done” work ethic, and this time was no different.  In the years leading up to the move, we visited Jean’s parents in Sacramento once a year.  It was during one of those visits that I obtained my U.S. aircraft mechanic license. 

Every day for three weeks I drove to the training center.  I worked hard and dedicated myself to get it done.  At the end, I was licensed to practice my skill in the U.S.

In Switzerland, I was given an opportunity to be a part of one of the first graduating classes of government licensed aircraft mechanics.  Working on planes was my dream and I loved every second of it.

I returned to Switzerland after that and when the time came to finally catch that plane, I boarded without any job waiting for me on the other end.  It was scary, taking that leap into the great unknown.  I prepared as much as I could, but part of it had to be left up to having faith.  So, I did and I took that leap.

I found a job as an aircraft mechanic and worked at it for a total of sixteen years before finally quitting to pursue a longtime passion, real estate.  In 2006, I became a licensed REALTOR® and began helping others find the homes of their dreams. 

Every day as a REALTOR®, I remember how it felt to take that great leap across the world.  I help others making those same leaps whether across the street or from the other side of the world.  I know what it’s like and I’m there for you every step of the way.  I’ve taken what I learned as a mechanic and applied it to real estate, helping you with every one of your needs.  Whether it’s investment questions, a plumber referral, or a tile suggestion, you can count on me.

Buying a home feels like a leap into the unknown, anything could happen.  I know what that feels like.  When I was thirty years old, I took a giant leap by moving my entire family from Switzerland to the United States.  I know that every homeowner has different needs and just wants someone who will listen.  You can count on me to always listen to your needs and provide personalized guidance along the way.  In my youth, I was an aircraft mechanic.  It taught me how important it is to be dedicated and have an attention to detail.  No matter what you need, renovations, investment advice, color palettes, you can count on me.  I’m a hands-on kind of REALTOR® and when the sale is over, I’m just getting started.


With gratitude,

Markus Dascher,
REALTOR®