When I moved to the East Bay in 1996 from Chicago, I worked as a Paramedic and got to know literally every street, every neighborhood in Oakland, and fell in love with it! Unfortunately, I was injured on the job, and got evicted from my flat in San Francisco because the landlord caught me with my little Schnauzer, Sadie. I was poor, living on Workers Comp and had nowhere to live. It was then that I decided to seek out a run down house in an area called Maxwell Park   iin....

The thought of never answering to a landlord again was a dream. I located a little 500 sq foot house a man had died in, the place was a mess, but I didn't care. Miraculously, I got an FHA loan, and a huge price reduction, thanks to a few amazing people and fixed that little house by myself. I went on to find little places for friends, and learned I had a real knack and passion for the process. I sold that first little house for double in 2 years, bought another fixer in Maxwell Park, the neighborhood had become a haven, and it was then that I decided to get my real estate license!

I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be doing something I loved so much, and getting to do it for a living!! I became a top producer my 1st month in the business, teamed up with a contractor and started renovating other homes in Maxwell Park. I adopted a little boy, got side tracked taking care of my sons special needs, continued to sell real estate but renovating took a back seat. 

Life moved me to Alameda, where I quickly emerged as one of the top producing agents on the island. I attribute this mainly to my genuine passion for the whole process, AND my straight forward, direct approach.

I am now back in Oakland, a city that I truly love, living in a place that has always felt like home. A huge goal for me is to draw more awareness to what an amazing city Oakland is, instead of all the hype about the dangers of it. Most of the neighborhoods feel like small towns within a city, each one seems a bit different then the other...it's pretty cool! If you don't know Oakland, I invite you to come check out the many awesome restaurants, venues, theaters or take a walk around Lake Merritt. The list goes on and on but there truly is something for everyone here.     

In this last year, I continue to work with buyers and sellers in all ranges, but have also teamed up with investors who have a love for Oakland and it's many diverse neighborhoods, and a special desire to rebuild these neighborhoods. I also now do consulting for renovation projects, from start to finish! This includes locating a property (whether a family home, or a renovation project), helping in the design process, choosing finish materials, hiring contractors, making sure we keep on schedule, problem solving and finally listing and selling!  Everybody WINS! The values increase, the neighborhood beautifies and some lucky buyer gets a wonderful, move in ready home! 

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