Name: Debbie Menzer
Company: Weichert, Realtors
Address: 1760 Reston Parkway, Reston, VA 20190
Phone: 703/264-0000
Fax: 703/471-1864
E-mail: Debbie@thechinsells.com
Web site: www.thechinsells.com
Year started: 1986
How did you get started in real estate? I started when I was helping a family member find a house. I was not overwhelmed by the professionalism of the agent I started with. The second agent I worked with encouraged me to get started in the business.
How long with the current company? Seven years
Licenses and designations: Licensed broker associate in Virginia, Maryland and New York; designated relocation specialist, designated diversity specialist
Associations: Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Virginia Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors
Greatest accomplishment in the past 12 months: I have returned to college to complete my bachelor’s degree in business administration while maintaining a very active business and personal life.
Area of specialty? I specialize in buyers and work predominantly with first-time buyers. They are a joy to work with.
Highest-priced home sold: $500,000
Most memorable house: It was a 13,000-square-foot waterfront foreclosure property I represented on Long Island, N.Y. I had an issue with pigeons getting into the house, and I had to chase them out over a period of three days.
Worst experience buying or selling a house: I work with a lot of first-time homebuyers. In this case, my buyer was in contract and approved to purchase a lovely three-year-old condo in Virginia. During the mortgage process, the lender was informed that the guidelines had changed, and this condo was not compliant with the new guidelines. Naturally, everyone started to get very stressed, but I believe in staying focused on the goal. So, working with my Weichert Financial representative, I did my best to keep everyone calm and focused, got an extension of a couple of weeks and went to work to get this condo compliant. I was lucky I was working with an intelligent young buyer and his father, and it worked out great in the end.
Age: 56
Family: Husband, five children (three are married), two grandchildren and one on the way
Outside interests: Travel, museums, hiking, biking, cooking
Last book read: “Growing Up Laughing” by Marlo Thomas
Last movie seen: “Avatar” in 3-D
What kind of car do you drive? Lexus hybrid
Describe your personal dream house: It would be an energy-efficient house large enough to have all of my family visit at the same time, on a lake with a lot of trees around, yet close enough to a culture-rich area.
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