I grew up in a very old farmhouse with an enormous Amish-style bank barn on 10 acres outside of Allentown, PA. When my parents purchased it, the house, barn, and grounds were in complete disrepair. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was involved (on various levels depending on my age) with projects ranging from building 2 large decks and a second floor addition, complete renovation of the kitchen and 2 bathrooms, interior and exterior painting, and extensive landscaping of the yard and pastures. My father and his friend, a master carpenter, designed and executed most of the projects themselves. When my parents sold the property to move to North Carolina, it was an immaculate and gorgeous “Gentleman’s Farm”.
As I completed my MBA at Hawai'i Pacific University and started working, I really had the “bug” to purchase my own property. When I was 24, I was finally able to purchase my first property - a 600 square foot condo at Harbor Square on Alakea Street in downtown Honolulu. The condo was leasehold, a ownership style common only in Hawai’i. I owned the condo and had a lease on the land and paid a monthly “land rent” to the landowners, Queen Emma Foundation and the Honolulu Sailors Home Society. Leasehold title has major disadvantages over the typical fee simple ownership that is common in NC, thus leasehold properties are significantly discounted. The condo had been completely renovated before I purchased it. From my estimations of his costs, the investor made only a modest profit on his flip. (I had actually visited the condo during an open house before the investor purchased it and renovated it.)
Three years later, after completing the legal conversion from leasehold to fee simple title, I sold the condo for a 208% profit after expenses! Of course, due to the favorable treatment of real estate by the tax rules, the profit was tax free. I was completely hooked on the value of real estate ownership – both the potential financial benefits and the secure and powerful feeling of living somewhere that you own. I was also completely sold on the value of a REALTOR’s services. Helen MacNeil of Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties was an invaluable resource in guiding me through the process of buying and selling this condo. There is no way I could have accomplished either without her expertise and all the ways REALTORS save their clients immense amounts of time. I’ll be forever grateful to Helen MacNeil.
After selling the condo, I rented the second floor of a Kaimuki home because suitable affordable property in Honolulu’s expensive market was scarce. It was very tough to be living in a rental situation after owning my own home. A large part of my decision to move to North Carolina was to be in a more affordable housing market for homeownership and investment.
When I made the transition to Chapel Hill, it was the perfect opportunity for me to officially begin my career in Real Estate as a REALTOR. I immediately purchased a townhome in Durham and later purchased a distressed single-family home that I’m currently rehabbing with some advice from my Dad. I look forward to building a rental portfolio and continuing to rehab other homes.
I absolutely love being a Real Estate Broker. It truly is my passion. I’ve really enjoyed helping clients buy their first home, upgrade to a larger home for their growing family, downsize to a smaller home once their children have left, sell their home to embark on a move OUT of our area, relocate to the Triangle, or purchase a vacation home or an investment property. When I’m not working directly with the families I serve, I’m usually surfing the MLS online, touring homes, in training classes, watching real estate TV shows, reading real estate books, working on projects at my house, or talking with my friends about the home improvement projects they’re tackling.
I believe that home ownership has the power to transform lives and stabilize families – and that’s why I’m active with Habitat for Humanity. I donate 5% of my earnings from each transaction to Habitat for Humanity in the county of the home that is bought or sold.
I’m a member of the Greater Chapel Hill Association of REALTORS, North Carolina Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of REALTORS.
