Where were you born and raised?
Denver.

What did you want to do when you were in high school?
I studied really hard. I thought about becoming an attorney, which is what I went on to do.

Why that?
I had a law class and I liked learning case law and the dynamicism of being an attorney, which is actually similar to real estate. I tend to like something I can focus on for three hours and move onto something else. In real estate you’re a problem-solver, a psychologist, a negotiator, a researcher, an educator.

Where did you go to college?
The University of Colorado. I starting in the business school then transferred to journalism, and I had an emphasis in psychology. I got my bachelor’s degree in journalism, then I took a year off before going to law school at Georgetown University. I clerked for the Colorado Supreme Court and did a little law practice and moved on. I loved law academically but when you’re a new attorney you spend so much time in the library doing research and I like a lot more going on than that.

I worked in curriculum design in Denver because it combined my writing, journalism, and psychology. I became a project manager working on computer systems, primarily. I liked it so much I wanted to apply it to kids, so I went to graduate school at UC-Denver.

How did you get to Santa Fe?
First I visited Hawaii. I was there three weeks and it rained the entire time and I loved it. I moved to Kaua’i and taught school there. Then I moved to Santa Fe to take a few months off and study art, doing clay sculpture and pottery. I’d spent so much time on the left side of the brain and I wanted to expand the right side.

How important is intuition in your life?
I had a lot of school and some other things focused me on the left brain, and I tend to be analytical anyway. Real estate is a lot more holistic. When I was starting out, I thought this would be the hardest thing I’d ever done - hard meaning growing in new directions. I think it was an intuition that it would call on every part of me.

Did you start with Sotheby’s?
I started with French & French Fine Properties, then that became Sotheby’s and now I’ve come to Santa Fe Realty Partners.

What stands out for you at this new business?
It’s a very warm environment and Darlene [Streit] and Tommy [Gardner] have created it. They’re sensitive to the needs of people and creating a comfortable space. They really support people. A lot of times you get people who are centered either on the environment or the spiritual side, but they really bring it all together with the business element. I like that it’s a local company, too. They’re hands-on; they’re accessible. I studied systems in the doctoral program I was in, and Santa Fe Realty Partners has a good one.

We’re in a slump right now, but is it true that there’s no problem above $800,000?
No. There’s still a lot of inventory, even at the upper end, so it’s specific to the characteristics of the house, the location, and the price. Some are selling for 100 percent of asking price, some are selling at 85 percent, and some aren’t selling. There isn’t the sense of urgency that there was a couple years ago amongst buyers, but we’re still doing better than most of the country.

Is it a hassle when some buyers aren’t so committed to the process?
It’s just something you work through. It can be a major process to let go of your home. One of the things I’m here for is to help them through it. Most people eventually come to where they’re ready to sell, then they may follow your advice about staging the house and maybe bringing the price down a little.

Do you have buyers where it’s love at first sight when they see a house?
It happens. I had one customer I worked with briefly, then later he made arrangements to fly back and he wanted to see every listing in Eldorado within his price range and the number of bedrooms they wanted. We looked at 22 houses in one morning. The first one we went to, he walked in and said, “This is the house. Let’s go see the rest of them.” He wanted to make sure. Then we went back to the office and wrote the offer.

What will you be doing in 10 years?
Maybe this, with some development, hopefully green, maybe education-based, building schools - who knows?

Are you doing any volunteering?
I’m on the education advisory committee for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Where do you get your day-to-day fulfillment?
Everywhere. In nature.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love being outside. Gardening, skiing, hiking, watching the sun set, watching the sun rise.