What started as a vision of owning an historic mansion in Logan Square, has become a business that changed the destiny of this once full-time real estate investor.
Now the proud owner of Stan Mansion, Cera Stan shares how a real estate investment evolved to become the only mansion event space in the city of Chicago.
When Cera first laid eyes on what everyone, in Logan Square and beyond, has affectionately come to know as Stan Mansion; she knew she’d one day own it. What she didn’t know, at the time, was what she’d do with it. The revelation to host events wouldn’t come until five years after she purchased it. As Sara recalls, it was many years in the making from when she first saw the mansion to when she’d eventually open for business.
“I used to drive around, going to my properties in Palmer and I would say, ‘What a beautiful castle. One day I'm going to live there.’
I did that for about eight or nine years, until one day I saw someoneI knew coming out of the house. I went, saw the house, and fell in love.I ended up buying both properties, because they would not sell one without the other.
Given that it has a 1920s, or as she refers to it as “ a Great Gatsby look,” it has a strong appeal with couples getting married. Cera admits she can’t help becoming emotionally invested in their special moment.
"I just like the emotional part of it. During the ceremony, I always cry. After that, I say I will never watch a ceremony again, but it’s the bringing of two families together. It's very important.
I like to watch them and see who's doing what; how they interact. I try to visualize their life in the future. It’s kind of cool.”
It’s that energy and love she brings to her clients that has translated into a close connection to the Logan Square community. Though she claims she’s only known around the city because of Stan Mansion, anyone can tell that it’s how she treats others that makes her so memorable.
Tune in to hear more on the path Cera took to create a legacy in her community and industry; though never setting out to do so.
