Melissa is a Bay Area Native that left the Bay Area in 2005 on her own quest for homeownership. San Francisco prices were out of reach at the time on her restaurant salary, and Portland, Oregon would be a great stepping stone. "I look back at the prices in the late 90's in the city, and knowing what I know now, I realize I could definitely have bought a property back then! I love helping people realize all of the possibilities for investing in real estate that they just did not know about".
Housing, design, and construction have always been a huge influence on Melissa. She spent a lot of time as a kid walking construction sites and looking at houses with her grandfather. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Interior Design and finished her design education in London, England, at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. After college, she worked for a general contractor and developer, where she ran multi-million dollar construction projects and designed live/work spaces.
Buying her first property in Portland brought her back to her love of houses and she wanted to help others realize this same dream. Melissa was a licensed real estate agent in Portland before moving back home to the Bay Area and getting her California real estate license.
The Bay Area Market can be intimidating! Helping clients navigate this competitive market and feel knowledgeable and protected is her primary goal. "I feel that having worked in a very different yet still competitive market gives me an edge. I tend to get creative to help people think outside of the 'this is how things are done here' box. I really love working with first-time home buyers and investors that are interested in exploring all of their options."
Melissa's greatest joy is matching clients with their perfect solution. Her experience in the fine dining and wine business really helped her hone that skill. "In the restaurant business, you have to do a lot of reading between the lines when a guest is describing what they like in a wine, for example. People have different vocabularies and you really have to listen to more than the words they are saying. Real estate is exactly the same. Being able to decipher their needs and then bring them something new can be magical." Melissa works with everyone from first-time home buyers, investors, landlords, design clients, and is Probate Certified. She loves the educational aspect of the business and is always happy to answer any question and help in any way she can.
Melissa happily calls Foster City her home. When she is not looking at properties, you can find her in Foster City walking her dogs or hanging out with her nieces in Montara.
