Who would have ever imagined I would be selling homes today? Not me! A music career in Hollywood or New York maybe. . .but Real Estate? Although thinking back, I guess my interest in real estate began back in Minnesota where I grew up. As a junior high school student, I felt certain that my rights were being violated when my family made me spend much of my summer vacations working on the homes they were building. Little did I know that this "hands on" experience in construction would become so valuable to me later in life!
My first love was music, and I was very involved with many different musical groups while growing up. I started teaching piano lessons at the age of 12, and worked as a professional musician for General Mills all through college. I did a brief stint with a band in the early 80's, performing at local hotels and conventions throughout the Midwest.
At the urging of my family, I decided it was time to get a "real job" after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1981 with a degree in journalism and business management. I became the General Manager of Victoria Stations Restaurants in the Twin Cities area, (perhaps you remember the Steak houses that were made out of converted railroad cars), and was transferred to the Chicago area to manage the restaurant in Niles in 1983. I still remember the first time I drove down Lake Shore Drive on a Saturday night, when all the lights of the city were blazing. It was definitely love at first sight. . .and Chicago became my home!
A few years later while working for a local restaurant owner in Schaumburg who also owned a private real estate company in Chicago, I became intrigued with the thought of getting involved in real estate. This was during the late 1980's when the market had just begun to boom due to single digit interest rates. I received my Illinois License and began selling homes in the western suburbs of Chicago in 1986. From the first deal, I never looked back. I knew that helping families realize the American Dream of homeownership was what I wanted to do!
I have had the opportunity to work with clients from around the world. . .from every walk of life, and many of them remain good friends today. It is an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming time in most people's lives. After all, it is not every day that you go shopping with the thought of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars! But even after all of the years, it still makes me smile to see my clients' eyes light up when they walk into a home and realize that this is the one they have been dreaming of!
- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
