Q1: What motivated you to raise $250,000 for the Transformative Cancer Care Fund and how does it help our community?
I wanted to do something lasting in our community to celebrate my 25 years in business. This endowment fund will help local cancer patients and their families in perpetuity. It is designed to bridge the ever-expanding gap between the cost of cancer care and limits of health insurance coverage.
My immediate and extended family has an unfortunate cancer history so I understand the need for a fund to assist families. As a cancer survivor grateful for the continued research by the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, the need for progressive research is paramount not only to me, but to everyone who receives a cancer diagnosis.
This is also a local economic issue. Having a world class cancer center and research brings high paying jobs to the region. It is also immensely helpful when cancer patients can receive treatment here instead of having to travel outside the area.
Q2: Switching to your real estate career, the average homebuyer often doesn’t know what to look for when it comes to help buying or even selling their home. Can you explain your professional designations and what they mean for a home buyer or seller?
The average person buys a home every five to seven years. Buyers and sellers want a trusted advisor who provides them with both competency and ethical character during the stress of transition. Sold by the Gold Team strives to serve our clients’ unique needs with systems to ensure their success. We are a highly educated team, each with advanced degrees. In addition, I have the following professional designations:
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) is the highest credential awarded to residential sales agents. Agents must complete at least 60 transactions or $30 million in sales over the last 3-year period. They must also complete 30 hours of continued education.
SRES® designation is for REALTORS® who want to be able to meet the special needs of people over 50 when selling, buying, relocating, or refinancing their residential or investment properties.
Q3: As a residential Realtor in the greater Fort Wayne area for 26 years, what are your local market predictions for the next two years?
Local real estate market predictions for the next two years are purely positive, based on historic market data and trends from the Upstate Alliance of Realtors. As we continue to see year over year increases in average home prices, affordability will set the tone for first time home buyers. Prices will continue to rise modestly due to the low inventory of homes for sale. Sellers will appreciate the percentage of the list price they receive, which is currently at 94.7 percent, for the next few years. Sellers in the lower price sectors will receive an even higher percentage of list price as there is a larger pool of buyers below $350,000. There is strong opportunity for contractors but rising material costs will mean smaller new homes and smaller lots.
Q4: You serve on the board of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., the Upstate Alliance of Realtors government affairs committee and you are an active member of Women’s Business Forum. What attracted you to serving these organizations?
I enjoy the fact that each one serves to enrich and empower our local community. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Each of these organizations articulates clear purpose and goals to better our community. Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. is the primary contact for economic growth and business services in Allen County. We focus on supporting local business, attracting new business and improving our community’s quality of place to grow jobs, wages and the economy. GFW values the thoughts and contributions of ALL people and understands that inclusion is critical to sustainable economic development.
Upstate Alliance of Realtors provides a unified medium to promote and safeguard the interests of property owners. We also promote standards of conduct in the real estate profession as outlined in the Code of Ethics. The local board of Realtors actively engages with city, county, and state officials for the benefit of property owners in our community.
Women’s Business Forum is a network of dynamic female leaders with the purpose of bettering ourselves and our business so that we may effectively make a positive impact on our community through effective, empathetic leadership.
Q5: What advice do you offer the next generation of leaders in the greater Fort Wayne area?
Remember it’s not about you. It’s not about me, either. Healthy, vibrant communities are about what we do together in collaboration despite our differences. Healthy communities do not occur under domination or intimidation. They are a byproduct of kind (but not weak) service, bold vision and clear goals.
