Real Estate Philosophy

Purchasing or selling real estate requires managing hundreds of details, knowing requirements, regional disclosures, negotiating skills, and how to effectively manage entering into the escrow process once a home is found or when an offer gets accepted. My approach is centered on communicating well with my clients and helping to clarify and educate in terms of the intricate market nuances and specific area knowledge that is involved when buying or selling a home.

Change is rarely a comfortable process, and buying or selling a home ranks among one of the most stressful events that people undertake in their lives. People sometimes feel that a real estate transaction can have the same stress-producing qualities as getting married or having a child, and it is my job to keep clients sober and to help them realize that even though buying or selling property is not like running down to the corner store, it is still in the end just a purchase like anything else, and is subject to the same dynamics as other products that must adhere to the dictates of supply and demand.

As a Realtor®, I am here to help buffer the stress involved in completing a successful transaction. I hope that you will choose to have me represent you in either a buying or selling capacity. My job often requires the mental acumen of an attorney, and the well grounded people skills of a therapist -- all mixed together with a tour guide. I can offer my clients not only an enjoyable experience, but an effective experience as well.

Please check my blog for more on what is going on in the "Strange and Maddening World of San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate."

A Bit of My Background

I am a life-long east bay resident. I graduated in 1996 from UCSC with a degree in anthropology. I was a substitute teacher for Contra Costa County where I worked with SED and "at-risk kids" -- I also was a substitute at the middle school and high school level before going to work at Oakland Public Schools where I helped to run the educational television station KDOL as an associate producer of math-related programming and distance learning curriculum. I have done work in graphic design and have a high level of skill with such programs as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I have a fairly extensive background in landscape construction and finish carpentry. My hobbies include metal sculpture working mostly with bronze and cast iron, TIG welding, woodworking, Chen Tai Chi, and Aikido . I am technically savvy and I play well with others.