Over 11 years ago, I met Rick and we've been partners ever since - both personally and professionally. But it was a long journey for both of us to get to where we are today. I grew up in Riverwoods, a suburb of Chicago. My father died when I was 17 years old which forced me, my mother and our family to make new lives for ourselves. Sadly, one month later, my paternal grandmother also passed away. In reaction to so much loss, my grandfather, who was in his 70s, decided to name me as his successor trustee. He had real estate holdings within his trust, and he suggested that I look into real estate as a profession to understand the laws so I could better manage the trust's real estate holdings. Since I wasn't going off to college and I already had a full-time job to help support myself, I took a real estate class. I got my license when was 18, and I never looked back. That was 35 years ago, when the normal interest rates were an unthinkable 12.5%. Within six months of becoming a real estate agent, interest rates skyrocketed to 17.5%. They say ignorance is bliss. As a young, inexperienced real estate agent, I didn't have a bad attitude toward the economy and the interest rates. I was working in Lincoln Park in Chicago where investors were buying up older apartments and converting these into condominiums. I was able to survive by working with investors to purchase these buildings and resell the individual condo units. It wasn't too long before I found my second niche--helping returning Vietnam War veterans find affordable housing. In Chicago, the city has buildings called "flats" - properties where there are more than one living space per building. This meant that the returning Vet could live in one unit and rent out the other unit(s) for extra income. At the time, VA loans were at reasonable 13%, and it made financial sense to buy these buildings and help out those who served our country. To this day, I will go to the mat to help out any veteran. It was during that time that I met my now ex-husband. We moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where his dad was CEO of Meredith Corporation, known to many as Better Homes & Gardens. It's also headquarters to many banks, insurance companies and other multinational organizations. So I developed my third niche - as a relocation specialist. I worked hard getting to know the people within the corporations to earn their trust in asking me to handle their relocation needs. As I was also a transplant to Des Moines, I knew exactly what it felt like to rebuild your life in a new place. I really enjoyed making a difference and helping ease the transition to a different city for these relocated employees and their families. Fast forward to 1987, and our family -- which now included son, Robert (currently 29 and getting his master's degree in business from UCSD,) and daughter, DG (27 and living close by) - packed up and moved to Los Angeles. The idea was to work with a long-time owner of two Better Homes & Gardens franchises. The franchise grew from two offices to eight within three years. We made the decision to open our own Better Homes and Gardens office in a nearby community. With housing prices dropping so low in the San Fernando Valley, we were able to start buying and renovating homes for resale. It was very fulfilling artistically and improved neighborhoods while allowing us to make a living. Sadly, around that time, my husband and I divorced. Whether through adverse circumstances, or my personality -or a combination of both- I've always had a strong work ethic. I will do whatever it takes for my family, friends and clients. There simply are no shortcuts. After my divorce, I joined Re/Max in Sherman Oaks and learning the in's and out's of working with those in the entertainment business. I also spent time raising my kids, learning to scuba dive, sail, and taking many trips to Mammoth Mountain for skiing and snowboarding. And then I met Rick... When I went up to visit his family in Sacramento for Thanksgiving right after we met in 2002, I couldn't get over how wonderful they were, especially his mom who is 99 years old! Having already lost my mom, I said "If I had a mom like yours, I'd gladly move up here." It was a time to make a change. In 2003, we moved up to Roseville and started our journey in real estate together.