I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the same small 2-bedroom home that my Mother was raised in. My Mom, Dad, and I lived there until I was nearly three. At this time we moved to Oak Park, Illinois so my Dad could attend Dental school at Loyola University. My memories of these years in Illinois include catching fire flies, sliding down the huge banister in our home, playing in the backyard with the neighbor boy, and accidentally setting the bushes on fire between our houses. Boy, did I get in trouble for that one. I also remember a time when our basement flooded. Mom and Dad were frantically pumping two feet of water from the basement when the neighbor boy and I decided to see if we could create a lake in the backyard by damming the stream of water and preventing it from leaving our yard. Yikes, I was in trouble again.
After my Dad graduated from Dental school we moved back to Grand Rapids, Michigan where I attended both second and third grades. During this time I had the opportunity to take horseback riding lessons. This was the most exciting time of my life, as horses have always been my passion. My Mother says I said the word "horse" even before I said "Momma" or" Daddy."
By the time I entered fourth grade we had moved to Sparta, Michigan. Our family lived in a wonderful house for the next 20 years. My love for horses continued to grow and by the time I was thirteen, my brother, sister and I each owned a horse and were competing throughout State of Michigan. Nearly every Friday we would load the horses into the trailer and head off to another show. At the age of fifteen I qualified as one of ten riders from Michigan to compete in the National Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York.
I'll never forget the excitement of driving through the night with my horse to Madison Square Garden, and unloading him onto the streets of New York. The entire week went by in a blur. I had never seen a city like New York, much less compete in the National Finals. When it was all said and done I finished among the top ten junior riders in the country! Quite an accomplishment for a little girl from Sparta!
I met my husband Gordy in 1982. It was love at first sight. He is the kindest, most gentle and wonderful man in the world. After ten months of dating we moved to Denver and were married on our one-year anniversary, February 19, 1983. I am blessed with 5 great stepchildren and 19 incredible grand children. All of my stepchildren live in the Grand Rapids area. Gordy goes back to visit twice a year and I go back once a year. We both feel it is so important to continue to stay as close as possible with our family.
In 1999 Gordy and I built our current home. We have a ranch style home on 2 acres of land. Gordy was the general contractor, and he did much of the interior finish. There is nothing that he cannot do. I am continually amazed at his creativity and talent. Much of my spare time is spent working in my garden or pulling weeds. We have wonderful views of the mountains and enjoy spending summer evenings relaxing on the porch watching the incredible western sunsets.
Gordy and I love to travel. We live in one of the most incredible areas in the country and we love to explore it every chance we get. One of our favorite places is Santa Fe & Taos, New Mexico. We've hiked some phenomenal canyons in Grand Junction, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Canyon, Hanging Lake, Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs, Colorado City, Leadville, Central City, Colorado Springs, Cortez, and Mesa Verde. Tens of thousands of people save their money to vacation here each year, and we are lucky enough to be just hours away from these amazing destinations. We take advantage of them as often as possible!
Along those same lines, I take a trip with my Mother every year. Together we have enjoyed some incredible vacations! Mom and I have been to Paris, France, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Washington, DC, and Cancun, Mexico. My Mom is the most incredible woman I know. She works out at the health club five mornings a week, plays golf, tennis, hikes and bikes like a woman half her age. I can only hope that I have inherited her genes and am half as active as she when I reach her age. On our recent trip to Cancun, Mom and I hiked through the jungle, crawled 60 feet below ground into a cave where we swam in the crystal clear waters among amazing stalactites and stalagmites. Later that day I repelled off a cliff and we both did a "zip line" through a long canyon. To end the day, we hiked the ruins at Coba. What an amazing day! What an amazing Mom!
After spending many years in corporate America, I felt I needed a change in my life. I longed to do something with my life that would help people and have a positive impact on their lives. Real Estate has been the perfect answer for me. I love people, I love homes, and I love finding solutions and solving problems for my clients. I obtained my real estate license in 1992, and have been the broker owner of Colorado Preferred Properties, Inc. since 1994. I have earned numerous real estate designations throughout my real estate career. Among them are GRI (Graduate Real Estate Institute), CRS (Certified Real Estate Specialist), and E-Pro. I have also earned the new homes sales designation of CSP (Certified Sales Professional), and am a candidate MIRM (Masters Institute of Real Estate Marketing). I am proud to have been chosen to become a member of the "CyberStars"; an elite group of fewer than 200 Realtors nationwide who utilize technology extensively in their business.
My goal is to provide each and every client with positively "WOW" service. I want to surpass my clients every expectation. I want my clients real estate experience to be so exceptional that they will talk about me and recommend me to all their friends and family.
