I grew up in Northport, NY, a waterfront village on Long Island’s North Shore. The area was still rural in nature and I developed a fascination with bird watching, took horseback riding lessons and sailed small boats with family and friends on the local bays. Eventually, my love of horses led me to study at SUNY Ag & Tech in Cobleskill, New York, where I earned an Associate’s Degree in Animal Science and was recognized as Student Horseman of the Year. Further training took me abroad to England where I spent months training to achieve a certificate in riding instruction from the British Horse Society. I enjoyed many years of teaching and training horses for small stables and private clients across Long Island.

In addition to my love of all things natural and nautical, I was gifted with an aptitude for drawing. My curiosity about how things are made was was nurtured by early experiences helping my dad (a Grumman aeronautical engineer) with household wood working projects.  I became inspired to study architectural drafting and which ultimately led to a second career in graphic communications. After working for years in print advertising I found my niche as a designer/craftsman in the sign industry where I blossomed working directly with customers in a retail environment. Eventually I formed my own freelance graphic design and sign production business and expanded my services to include computer tutoring, personal organizing and clutter clearing and personal assistant. A current position as freelance personal assistant to a builder/developer is greatly increasing my knowledge in local building codes, the permitting process and the latest in construction methodology.

Driven by an ongoing concern with conserving our natural resources and wildlife, I became very interested in Green building design, cluster housing and the “Tiny House” movement.  I have spent the last few years actively researching a form of cooperative housing known as “cohousing”, in hopes that this could take root on Long Island’s East End.  My somewhat neglected blog on topic can be accessed at ecoliving4theeastend@wordpress.com

I build my first home with a partner back in 2000, being fortunate to secure one of the last affordable half-acre parcels of land in East Hampton, NY. Our home appreciated significantly and in 4 years, and we sold it for three times the cost to build ir. Thus I became aware of the incredible opportunities in real estate.