I’ve been deeply involved in Chapel Hill real estate since 1983. When I left tennis as a profession, I dived headfirst into real estate. I have never “dabbled” in it.
In 1991, I was one of a group of local agents who founded Franklin Street Realty, which remains independently owned and operated to this day. Our connections to the community are invaluable in this business. Our contacts and relationships with other brokers have helped us to facilitate over 4500 transactions since inception.
I know this community inside and out. I raised my family in Carrboro, my children attended the public schools, the top ranked in the state. When my kids weren’t, believe it or not, actually playing outside in the neighborhood, they were at tennis, soccer, volleyball or swimming! Then they got into music. I taught them how to use the bus system, showed them the spots where they could hang out, and knew that they were totally safe. It is truly a great place to grow up.
When you live and work here as long as I have, you get a sense of neighborhoods that “outside agents” simply cannot grasp. It can be really stressful to move to a new community before you have a feel for it. We are here to make that go away. Some of the best agents in town have come through Franklin Street over the years, several of whom have gone on to start or manage their own firms. While I wish they hadn’t left, I am proud of how they got their start. As broker-in -charge, there is hardly a situation that I have not encountered somewhere along the way, and we have always come up with a win-win solution. Recessions, the pandemic, inflation and interest rate hikes make this a challenging time to buy a home and a great time to sell one. In this environment you need someone who has lived through it all. Whatever it was, our agents at Franklin Street Realty kept making things work, and as a result, people have homes, and an avenue to some degree of security.
In addition to helping people find a home, I have overseen several projects that served, and continue to serve, a true need in the community. Developments such as The Gables in Chapel Hill and The Shire and Winsome Lane in Carrboro are residential developments that I am proud to have been associated with.
On the commercial real estate front, I have personally brokered some of the most iconic buildings in Chapel Hill/Carrboro. The Franklin Hotel (now The Graduate) would not be there if not for contacts established over the years. Brokering McFarlings Exxon Station and the Wicked Burrito Building on West Franklin led to new uses that are still thriving today. This has culminated in the latest incarnation of MIDWAY at W Franklin and N Graham. MIDWAY has brought great opportunity to more than a dozen beloved local businesses. They all survived through the height of COVID, because we ensured that they could stay afloat. Almost all of them have now been there for more than 10 years. It is a destination for all kinds of people who live here or visit, hoping to find just a little bit of the Village that used to be Chapel Hill. This slice of our community continues to bring joy to the entire town.
As Broker in Charge, I can assure you that your interests will always come first. Call or text me at 919.608.3417. We look forward to working with you.
