As in most things Humboldt, the path new real estate agent Calista LaBolle took to Humboldt Hyperion Realty, Inc. makes perfect sense once you can see the forest for the trees. “My family purchased properties, so it showed me what I could do one day,” she says. LaBolle did her homework while watching Channel 4’s real estate ads. There aren’t many kids who think learning about local real estate is preferable to homework. Although it was music that caught her ear, young Calista knew what she wanted, noting, “Having my own home was a huge goal.” She blew through that goal by the time she was 25.
Born in Arcata, LaBolle quickly found her voice (as most infants do). She attended elementary school in Freshwater, and high school in Eureka, so she soon knew her way around the bay. Humboldt State University prepared her with a business degree to support a minor in music. She found happiness in raising her voice in song, but she made sure she was financially prepared to earn her way to homeownership.
Humboldt gave LaBolle the opportunity to grow her business and cultural roots at the same time. Working with Rock Rise Consulting acted like rooting compound, encouraging growth that led her to serve as multimedia sales consultant for the Times-Standard, and general manager of Hanah Silk, Inc. She owns the Humboldt Artisans Crafts & Music Festival that makes your holiday shopping a feast for the eyes and ears, too. LaBolle’s voice rings out with the North Coast Choral Artists and its Mosaic Vocal Ensemble, feeding her roots a rich diet of redwood culture. But sometimes professional growth is slowed by becoming root-bound, and Calista was starting to feel a pinch.
Timing is crucial in choral music, and luckily for Calista, her desire for a career change synched up with business acquaintance Annalise von Borstel’s need for data entry. “I met Annalise through Business Network Initiative. We realized we have a few friends in common.” The two got to know each other better once von Borstel joined BNI. It wasn’t long before von Borstel saw what LaBolle hadn’t: her potential as a realtor. “She persuaded me to check out real estate.”
LaBolle became Humboldt Hyperion’s marketing manager while obtaining her real estate license (DRE# 02446014). The agents welcomed her, even more delighted when they realized that they all shared the same middle name. The Four Maries (along with colleagues Danielle Hodges and Christy Mast) are now featured in a sweet Facebook post.
Von Borstel explains why LaBolle fits in so well at her real estate brokerage. “I named it after the tallest living tree, Hyperion. The redwood and the redwood grove are a metaphor,” von Borstel says. “What makes it possible is the shallow roots are interconnected underground. That builds a grove’s resilience and allows them to be the largest organism on earth.” She knew LaBolle’s contributions would add strength to that community web. “Roots that extend far and wide, contentment without any sense of boredom,” von Borstel says.
Service is crucial to tending the roots of Humboldt’s communities, and LaBolle is an avid tender. She served as president of the Redwood Youth Business Alliance, providing a trellis for Humboldt’s next generation. As an ambassador of the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce and member of BNI Humboldt Bay Business Builders, she can tap into a strong network. She earned a Leadership Redwood Coast certificate along the way, adding to her repertoire of community service skills. She tends to her spiritual roots, too, playing piano for the Arcata Presbyterian Church.
But LaBolle’s Humboldt life is not all hard work. Feeding the network includes the best part of what Humboldt has to offer. “I attend community events extensively,” she says. “I enjoy arts, music and the culture of our community with my friends and neighbors.” Weaving the music of her life into the very fabric of Humboldt, LaBolle’s reach extends far out into the redwoods. “Real estate was something I’ve been interested in for a long time. Now that I’m on this journey I’ve been thinking why didn’t I do this 15 years ago?” She sounds both happy and pleasantly surprised that the new rootlets intertwined so readily with her already abundant Humboldt life.
The little girl who scribbled math answers with one eye on real estate ads found her Humboldt home. “When I was 25, I followed the market to buy my own house,” she says, “Now I can be this tool for others.” LaBolle can now help you on your own real estate journey. Your kids are growing too quick to keep them contained in one bedroom for much longer. Besides, aren’t you going to need a garage to store their bikes? And the family truckster (if room allows)? Chances are excellent that you will bump into her the next time you attend a Humboldt community gathering. Might be a good time to ask if she has the home of your dreams.
Callista LaBolle
Hyperion Humboldt Realty
427 F St. Ste. 213, Eureka
(707) 407-5969
hyperionhumboldt.com
closewithcalista@gmail.com
This article appears in My Humboldt Life September 2026.