If you're considering a move to Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Lake Forest, or anywhere on Chicago's North Shore, you deserve more than someone who can unlock doors and write contracts.
You deserve someone who understands what it feels like to make a major life transition.
That's one reason I became a Realtor.
I've lived in 10 states, moved across the country multiple times, changed careers four times, and started over more times than I can count. Today, I help buyers and sellers throughout Chicago's North Shore navigate one of the biggest decisions of their lives: finding a place to call home.
As a North Shore Realtor based in Wilmette, I work with families relocating to Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Kenilworth, Highland Park, and Lake Forest. Many of my clients are moving from Chicago, California, Texas, New York, and other parts of the country and want local insight into schools, neighborhoods, commuting, walkability, and everyday life on the North Shore.
Because I've relocated so many times myself, I understand that moving is about much more than real estate. It's about finding community, building a life, and creating a home.
My Journey Started in California
I grew up in California and spent much of my adult life there.
In 2007, I met my husband while we were both living in Hermosa Beach.
The story isn't nearly as glamorous as people expect.
We met at a local bar called Blue 32 because one of my friends happened to be flirting with one of his friends.
That random night eventually led to a marriage, two children, multiple moves, and a completely unexpected path into real estate.
At the time, I was working in medical device sales.
For nearly ten years, I built relationships with physicians, healthcare providers, and hospitals. I learned how to communicate, solve problems, and earn trust.
I enjoyed many aspects of the work, but over time I found myself wanting something different.
I wanted work that felt more directly connected to helping people.
So I made a decision that surprised many people around me.
I left a successful sales career and went back to school.
Leaving Sales to Become a Nurse
I earned a second bachelor's degree in nursing while working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at UCLA and bartending to help pay the bills.
Looking back, those years were some of the hardest and most rewarding years of my life.
There were moments when it felt like I was moving backward professionally while everyone around me seemed to be moving forward.
But sometimes growth doesn't look impressive in the moment.
Sometimes growth looks like taking a risk and trusting yourself.
After graduation, I worked on a neuroscience and stroke unit at UCLA before transitioning into resource nursing and eventually emergency medicine.
What the Emergency Room Taught Me
Working as an ER nurse at UCLA remains one of the most impactful experiences of my life.
Most people think of emergency medicine as stressful.
And it is.
But what I remember most is the teamwork, camaraderie, and sense of purpose.
Every shift was different.
Every patient was different.
Every day required quick thinking, clear communication, and calm decision-making.
The emergency room taught me how to stay calm when emotions are high, solve problems under pressure, and advocate for people during difficult situations.
Those are skills I use every day in real estate.
Because buying or selling a home is often one of the most emotional and financially significant decisions a person will ever make.
Building a Healthcare Writing Business
When my children were young, life shifted again.
The nights, weekends, and holidays required in nursing became more difficult to balance with a growing family.
Around that time, we moved to Northern California.
Then the pandemic arrived.
Like many families, we found ourselves trying to navigate work, parenting, and childcare all at the same time.
I returned to another passion: writing.
My first degree was actually in journalism, and what started as a few healthcare writing assignments eventually became a healthcare writing and media company.
Over the years, I wrote for organizations including Health, Healthline, the American Cancer Society, Verywell Health, Verywell Mind, Nurse.org, and the American Journal of Nursing.
Building a business taught me entrepreneurship, marketing, communication, and the importance of creating useful content.
It also taught me something that influences my real estate business today:
People don't want generic information.
They want specific answers.
Moving to Wilmette and Finding Home
In 2022, our family packed up once again and moved from California to Wilmette.
Even though I had moved many times before, I was nervous.
We had two young children.
We knew very few people.
We were leaving a place we loved.
And we were starting over.
But something unexpected happened.
Because of the pandemic, many other families were making similar moves.
While we were looking for our village, they were too.
Slowly, through schools, PTO involvement, sports, neighbors, and community events, we built friendships and found our place.
Today, I feel more connected to my community than at any other point in my life.
Wilmette truly feels like home.
Why I Became a North Shore Realtor
The truth is that real estate had always been in the background.
I've always loved homes.
I've always loved neighborhoods.
I've always loved architecture.
And I've always been fascinated by how communities shape our lives.
Even when I was a nurse, I was looking at houses.
Even when I was running a media company, I was researching neighborhoods.
I think I always knew I would eventually become a Realtor.
I just didn't know when.
When I earned my Illinois real estate license and began helping buyers and sellers throughout Chicago's North Shore, it felt like everything finally came together.
Sales taught me relationships.
Nursing taught me advocacy and problem-solving.
Journalism taught me communication.
Entrepreneurship taught me marketing and business.
Real estate allows me to bring all of those skills together to help my clients.
Helping Families Relocate to Chicago's North Shore
One of my favorite parts of being a Realtor is helping families relocate to Chicago's North Shore.
Because I've done it myself.
I've lived in ten states.
I've started over countless times.
I've had to find new schools, new doctors, new friends, and new communities.
I understand that when people move to Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Kenilworth, Highland Park, or Lake Forest, they're not simply buying a house.
They're choosing a lifestyle.
They're choosing schools.
They're choosing a community.
They're choosing where their children will grow up.
That's why I focus so heavily on hyper-local content.
I want my clients to understand what daily life actually looks like in each community.
Not just the homes.
The schools.
The parks.
The beaches.
The commute.
The walkability.
The coffee shops.
The small details that make a place feel like home.
Thinking About Moving to Chicago's North Shore?
Whether you're relocating from another state, moving from Chicago to the suburbs, or simply exploring different North Shore communities, I'd love to help.
If you're considering Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Lake Forest, or another North Shore community, feel free to reach out.
After living in ten states, changing careers four times, and starting over more times than I can count, I've learned that finding the right home is about much more than real estate.
It's about finding the place where your next chapter begins.
And helping people do exactly that is why I love what I do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sarah Jividen become a Realtor?
After careers in medical device sales, nursing, healthcare writing, and entrepreneurship, Sarah combined her passion for helping people, marketing, communication, and community involvement into a career serving buyers and sellers throughout Chicago's North Shore.
What North Shore communities does Sarah serve?
Sarah serves Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and surrounding North Shore communities.
Does Sarah help relocation clients?
Yes. Having lived in ten states and relocated multiple times herself, Sarah specializes in helping families relocate to Chicago's North Shore.
Is Sarah Jividen a former ER nurse?
Yes. Sarah worked as an ER nurse at UCLA before transitioning into healthcare writing, entrepreneurship, and eventually real estate.
Where is Sarah Jividen based?
Sarah lives in Wilmette, Illinois and serves buyers and sellers throughout Chicago's North Shore.
