My Story

Blame it on Barbie, The 70’s, chewing Bubblicious, and all the glorious Hub-bub that followed.

Delighted in playing house for as long as I can remember, it was Barbie's Penthouse with all its FAB furnishing and architecturally savvy elements that dazzled my imagination far more than her pink corvette or designer wardrobe. The gourmet kitchen with faux microwave, swimming pool, sunken bathtub, and furnished RV, made my heart sing.

Not able to afford Barbie’s Dream House, I spent hours creating mansions of my own out of cardboard boxes. Using straws for curtain rods, and trimmed down shoe boxes with baggies filled with water for hot tubs, my fixers were works-of-art, and the envy of all of my girlfriends who owned the trademark penthouse, family rambler, and dream estate. They all wanted to trade! That need for what you can’t have was my first step in learning the sales process. I created a sales pitch straight from the heart, and began marketing my fixer-properties. Posting flyers at school, I had it all figured out! Noting that properties were move-in-ready, after hours of skill, implemented design ideas, and complete renovation. They were unique, one of a kind, and the envy of all little girls. My cardboard real estate empire was on par with Park Avenue and my make shift style was giving Mattel a run for its money.

The phenomenon caught on.

I sold, re-sold, traded- up, downsized, and my room was became a village full of cardboard condos, luxury creations, and leaky swimming pools. I had built a real estate empire; a resort and a city, and I was the “on site” real estate professional making it happen. It was Real Estate Paradise. (In the end, I had multiple parents asking to return the expensive Barbie houses that their daughters had traded, for my cardboard imagination-mansions, all glued together with rubber cement and super glue, giving my parents the handwritten purchase and sale agreements I had created.) Thus began an early interest in mastering negotiation techniques, marketing strategies, staging to sell, “sticking to your word”, and successfully closing a deal.

Many years later; a Mathematics /Economics major with a minor in Marketing, a post graduate Design degree, and 2.3 corporate sales jobs, 2 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, and several hamsters later,.. I found myself on the uncreative side of the corporate fence. And, if you've ever been on the wrong side of the fence, it's a “commit suicide” place to be. But with age, past the cardboard and plastic, cupcake-smelling dollhouse days, full-of-good intention, my corporate Sales career in Marketing & Design was soaring as I was climbing the corporate ladder to hell in all its glory. Un-happy with my career choice, but too old to tinker in that Barbie penthouse anymore, there was no time to negotiate fixers and move-in-ready palaces in the corporate world.

I happened upon inspired change.

The change was one of indulging my fancies with friends, eager for my input while deciding to purchase or sell real estate. What started out as friendly online searches, turned into touring with friends and getting excited to be part of the action. I started designing flyers and staging homes and realized my knack for real estate. Each friend I helped, empowered a proud rush of enthusiasm. And the smiles of pleasure and thanks were far more gratifying than Barbie's half-hearted plastic expression.

I was hooked on matching clients to their dream homes. Hooked on working within different budgets; whether they were “fixers” with potential, waterfront estates, vacation properties, or real live Barbie-style Penthouse condos, I was once again head-over-heels about real estate. Crazy about helping match clients to their dream homes. Ecstatic about negotiating the deal, and addicted to the 100% referral business I was receiving.

To hell with Barbie and Ken. This is the real world!

Thus a tale of lifelong passion, vision, and training was woven into a real estate career. And I haven't looked back across that ho-hum corporate fence ever since.