Most people don't remember their family's real estate agent. I remember ours vividly. My family moved around a fair amount when I was younger, and we used the same woman every time- I thought she was the queen of everything. I adored her, and looking back, I think she had a real impact on me at an age when I didn't realize it was happening.

Real estate was always on my heart, but I took the long way there. I spent years in hospitality- bartending, serving, and eventually managing bars and restaurants. At the time it felt like I was drifting. Now I understand it was the best training I could have asked for. Hospitality teaches you to read a room, stay calm when everything is going sideways, and take care of people without being asked twice.

I remember the exact moment I decided to make the leap. I was sitting on the beach, and I finally told myself I was going to do the thing I'd always wanted to do. The office I've worked out of ever since I started my career in real estate just happened to be a short walk from that spot.

That was seven years and more than 100 closings ago.

Today I work throughout LaPorte, Porter, and St. Joseph counties- from the Michigan City beach communities of Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Duneland Beach, and Sheridan Beach, to Edgewood, Rolling Prairie, New Carlisle, Chesterton, and Valparaiso. My experience spans lakefront and luxury properties, rural homes and acreage, investment purchases, first-time buyers and sellers, downsizers, relocations, and everything in between. I've also guided families through estate sales and divorce sales- transitions that ask for patience and discretion more than anything else.

What I've learned across all of it is that buying or selling a home is rarely just a transaction. Some sellers are ready tomorrow. Some need a year to get there. Both are fine. Every client gets the same level of care from me, but no two get the same game plan, because no two situations are the same. Your timeline, your reasons, and what you need out of the move all shape how I approach it.

I've always wanted to be the person people knew they could come to- someone with the dedication and the grit to see things through. Sometimes that means telling a client the deal they thought they wanted isn't the right one, and helping them walk away and find something better. That's not a loss to me. That's the job.

I'm part of the Micky Gallas Group at @properties Christie's International Real Estate, a team with more than 80 years of combined experience. That gives my clients the reach of a global brand with the attention of a local team that knows these communities well.

Whether you're buying your first place, selling a home you've loved for thirty years, or just starting to wonder what's next, I'd like to hear your story.