I once read that almost no one enters real estate as a first choice in profession.  I arrived at this destination after a series of post-college positions including but not limited to: retail manager, manufacturing production manager, textile design studio administrator, upholstery design consultant and master gardener.

The link in all of these choices was the decision to major in design in college, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia.  My only regret is that I did not pursue what I truly wanted, a degree in architecture.  Fear held me back then but after researching new career opportunities many years later, I realized that I could accomplish some of the same things by becoming a real estate professional.

As a realtor, I help people find the right home for them - style, layout, size, price.  If the perfect home seems out of reach, I highlight the positives of the properties being considered and advise on resale potential, even referring to building specialists as necessary to open up here, add on there.  I have been doing that to my own homes as my family and I moved around the United States and abroad, ever mindful of budget and what return on improvements a particular neighborhood might support.  On the seller side too, advice is easy; simply put, if it doesn't work, fix it.

My three children, husband and I have lived in the Ann Arbor area since 1998.  We bought in a seller's market after looking at over twenty homes in two days.  Our country home has been added on to, reconfigured, and landscaped extensively.  We finished the lower level once and then again, almost done now....  If history repeats itself, we will sell the finished product in the midst of a buyer's market, not by plan but happenstance.  Will we dive back in again?  Absolutely!

As my real estate career has unfolded, I have worked in diverse areas and am focusing now on investors, both those interested in purchasing foreclosures for themselves and as fix-n-flips, or investors of income property.  I have learned the ins and outs of the foreclosure market as the Michigan landscape has changed and will continue to master the techniques as I close new deals.  Ever deal is different.  The hunt for a really good deal is one I relish.  I will not forgo the standard buyers and sellers and feel that I have much to offer there due to my design degree and the resultant practicalities of layout and materials.  I have listed and sold condos, single family homes, and income properties.  They have ranged in age from 2 to 142 years old and in condition from scary to pristine.  I work in residential real estate exclusively however, whether it is single family or multi-unit; I welcome commercial real estate queries but refer those out to a trusted commercial realtor.

In working with buyers, I first schedule a meeting in my State Street office to review the buying process, verify that the buyer has been pre-approved for a mortgage if necessary, and to determine the wants and needs in the property search.  Having the support of good lenders has allowed me to structure deals for buyers that get them into the property they want, preserving their cash at closing via seller concessions or using creative financing to find the best loan program for their situation.  I have worked with strictly cash buyers and also with complicated buyer scenarios: bruised credit, no or low cash, bank-owned properties, relocations, and buyers from outside the United States.  I have worked with move-up buyers and downsizing buyers.  Every deal is different and something new is learned each time.

In working with sellers, I regularly employ our Keller Williams, Ann Arbor, Department of Listing Services.  We work together on setting price, completing paperwork, marketing the property via MLS, print, and internet, providing feedback on showings, advising on price changes, negotiating offers and closing the deal.  I have listed and/or sold properties from the low $100,000s to over $700,000.  My record sale of a listing to date is a 5 day turnaround that included Christmas Day in the midst of the 5 days!  The first potential buyer to see that property became the lucky homeowner although numerous other potential buyers vied for it, declarations alternately being made by the prospects that the price was way too high or quite the deal.  No one can predict when the right buyer walks through the door but price and condition working in tandem are usually a winning combination to a quick and profitable sale.

In both buyer and seller transactions, I employ my office Transaction Coordinator to manage the details of bringing a deal successfully through closing.