I had taken a job at Dick’s Pawn Shop in Surfside Beach after working as a bank teller in Litchfield.  It was 1989, the money was good in the accounting department.  BUT, occasionally the job would require me to work in the cash checking office.  It is there that my surroundings started effecting my thoughts.  Day after day, faced with sadness because it was my assumption that anyone paying to cash their paycheck is in bad shape financially or at least that’s the way I was seeing it.  I’m sorry, it was just obvious…and  I was depressed.

I remembered while working at the bank one of the clients had mentioned that she would be hiring when her secretary had the baby….ding, ding, ding.  I called the resort from the back office at Dick’s and questioned the manager on the status.  They were interviewing for the next two weeks.  A weight had been lifted.  Yep, even though I didn’t have the job yet, I knew I would after the interview.  Just a feeling a had.

As I traveled across the North Causeway onto Pawleys Island, I knew I would have this job.  I just didn’t know for how little I would get paid for working in paradise.  Pawleys Pier Village would be my life for the next thirteen years.  I arrived right after Hurricane Hugo, and the units we heavily damaged.  I found myself working with homeowners and contractors at the direction of the manager with a goal of getting the place back to square one for rental season.  We were to open again in June 1990 and we did. My mood lifted and even with three jobs I was doing something I could improve on, so I was in my element.   Working by the shore, is a benefit I never took for granted.  I enjoyed every moment of working myself up the ranks till resigning as the General Manager and Exclusive Broker in 2003.

Opening my own office on the Pawleys Island mainland was a dream that had once been out of reach.  I luckily married into the right family….umm hummmm and ending up having the opportunity to purchase a property that was basically falling apart, but it was commercial and on Hwy. 17 beside my father-in-law’s car repair facility.  Premier Properties of South Carolina opened in May 2005, the same year I added licensed contractor to my list of qualifications.  Designing and renovating that 1940′s structure taught me just how much I really love real estate.  All aspects and at any level.  My specially is taking a property that still has life, and enhancing the look and feel while mixing with modern flair.  Being surrounded by things you love improves your life.  Just like doing what I love improved mine….eventually.

Nice to go back into Pawleys Pier Village as a designer contractor, just to work my magic.  Over the years I’ve completely renovated almost every unit in the complex at one time or another.  My latest project was a three bedroom in H building and the owners were thrilled with the outcome and the fact that we were right on budget. That makes me smile.

Be realistic when pricing.  Study the trends of you local market.  If the last sale was low, you may do better in holding off  because market value has now been established.