Through an enormous loss, I remembered a valuable lesson.

My phone fell from my hand, and I could not catch my breath. How could this be happening? Just a couple weeks earlier, our family was all set to have a great holiday together like we had for years and then it was all taken away.

On January 3, 2021, my brother, Trip, passed away. He had been sick with COVID, all of us had it that holiday season, but things took a turn for the worse with him. He went into the hospital when it became too much, and he never left.

Losing him so suddenly and unexpectedly was heartbreaking. Though the two of us butted heads and were polar opposites, he had been a huge part of my life not only as my brother but as my assistant every day for over twenty years. Together with my husband, the three of us ran our real estate business. Not only did I have to go clean out his home, but every day I also had an empty desk staring back at me.

Losing someone you love is never easy, no matter when or how it happens. However, there is no way to freeze time or go back and so we kept moving forward. There have been moments I reached to call him and forgot he was gone. And yet, we keep moving onward and making the best of what we have. I am grateful for my son, my husband, and the time that I did share with my brother.

Life is full of ups and downs; I know mine has been no different. I realized that regardless of what happens in life, I only ever have one choice, and that is to pick myself back up and keep moving. That is what I did when the recession hit, and we lost our home. That is what I did in college when I had nowhere to go after breaking my back and losing my gymnastics scholarship.

I am a survivor and there is nothing that I am afraid go after. When things get tough, I do whatever it takes to make it through to the other side knowing that everything will work out in the end. What I learned a long time ago is that attitude is everything. Even when faced with the most impossible odds, they can tip in your favor if you have the right perspective. No matter what happens, life is not designed to keep you down, it is a journey to see how far you are willing to go to achieve your dreams.

When I became a REALTOR® in 1994, I put my resilience to work through helping others. By approaching things with a fresh perspective, positive attitude, and sense of humor in my life, and in real estate, I have discovered there is nothing that can keep me down. The more I dove into real estate, the more I loved it and how it connected me with others. Even through the ups and downs, the recession, and now COVID, and all the unpredictable twists and turns, I love what I do each day.

My husband, Derick, and I run our business together alongside our precious Little Roddy and Razzy (our dogs). Whenever we are not working, we enjoy cruising and spending time with our family. My favorite part of being a REALTOR® is seeing the smile on my clients’ faces as we cross the finish line together and reach their dreams through real estate.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, you most likely know what you want to achieve through this transaction. I have been a licensed REALTOR® since 1994 and was born and raised here in Arizona. Not only have I developed expertise in negotiating the best for my clients, but I also know where to find what you are looking for. As your REALTOR®, I will go above and beyond to do everything I can to get you the results you want including strategies other agents will not use (like sending out letters to everyone in an entire neighborhood). I am always available and will answer my phone because this is a huge investment for you, and I truly care. I will be like your helicopter REALTOR®, managing everything throughout the whole process so that you can get what you want without the stress. Once the transaction is over, I will still be there for you whenever you need me as your lifelong REALTOR®.