08/08/2026
It was a bit noisy and certainly toasty yesterday outside while I shared my thank-yous at the grand opening yesterday evening.
I wanted to be sure to share them here.
My name is Kara Shearer. I am the owner and broker of Wild Iris Real Estate. I’m joined here today by my amazing team, Christina DeGracia, Ala Goodman, Lily Niblett, and Beth Carver.
I started in real estate in 2017. I thought that real estate would be a great career after being a stay-at-home mom for the previous four years. I obtained my broker’s license in 2023. So, opening an independently owned, boutique, local brokerage has been a dream of mine for the past three years. It was also at that time that I chose the name Wild Iris.
I’ve been asked, why Wild Iris? Well, my family and I would do a lot of hiking up here in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and oftentimes we would spot these beautiful little flowers. Usually, there’s only one or two, and most times they’re surrounded by destruction, whether that be drought-ridden forests, burned trees, or human debris. The wild irises seem to always overcome challenges. Though this flower is tiny/petite, it is very mighty. Kind of reminds me of North Fork. So, when I decided to take the leap of faith to open Wild Iris Real Estate, I knew there was no better place to open a local-roots real estate brokerage than right here in the heart of downtown North Fork.
North Fork, like the wild iris, overcomes a lot of challenges. We haven’t always had the best reputation. North Fork has faced wildfires, the shutdown of the mill, and many other challenges over the years. But North Fork always overcomes.
This isn’t the only reason I chose North Fork for our locally owned, independent brokerage. The main reason I chose North Fork is because this community has stolen a piece of my heart. It’s a very special place. It’s not just the creeks, the lakes, or the views. It’s the people here. This community is made up of people who support each other, people who want to see growth, people who are dreamers, and people who have each other’s backs.
I am proud and honored to be a member of this community, and I am honored to represent this community and the surrounding communities with honesty, integrity, and pride in all things real estate.
I wouldn’t be here today without the support of many individuals in my life. To my clients who have trusted me with one of life’s biggest decisions and continue to trust me, I thank you. Without you, this would not be possible.
To my many mentors, including Steve Welch, Beth Carver, and many others, thank you for guiding me, teaching me, and encouraging me.
A huge thank you to Esti, who is working to improve beautiful downtown North Fork and has allowed me the opportunity to rent this space.
Thank you to Tony and Kayla, who have done a beautiful job remodeling my office, and to many others in downtown North Fork.
Thank you to all of the amazing vendors that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years, Yosemite Mortgage, Chicago Title, and many others.
To the Chamber of Commerce, thank you for putting on this beautiful event and for supporting myself and other small business owners in North Fork.
I would like to thank my team for believing in this brokerage and following me on this next adventure. You girls are awesome, and I appreciate your enthusiasm in growing with me.
To my family, who has been here from the very beginning and have loved me every step of the way, thank you.
To my husband, Eric, and children, thank you for putting up with all my crazy ideas. Thank you for supporting me, and thank you for loving me through it all.
And last, but not least, thank you to the community of North Fork—to my neighbors, my friends, all of our wonderful nonprofit organizations, and all of the dreamers here who believe in keeping North Fork beautiful and working toward the betterment of this town.
Just like the little wild iris that inspired our name, I hope this brokerage grows deep roots, stands strong through every season and serves this community for many years to come.
Thank you all for believing in this dream, for celebrating with us, and for supporting local businesses. We are so excited for this next chapter and we can’t wait to serve you!
