TIRED OF THE DAILY COMMUTE, ALARM SYSTEMS, AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE? MONTANA AWAITS!

Upon arriving, my late husband and I bought The Talcott House in Livingston and turned it into the first bed and breakfast in Livingston, and opened Big Sky Flies & Guides fly shop in Paradise Valley (now called Anglers West). We also bred Labrador retrievers and kept our own spirited pack.

In 2000, I earned my Real Estate license and began selling vacation homes and second homes to my out-of-state clients and guests. Always trying to further my knowledge in Real Estate and find ways to best represent my buyers and sellers, I earned my Accredited Buyers Representation designation (ABR) in 2004; and in 2004, my Broker’s license in 2004. Since that time, I’ve added a G.R.I. designation to my credentials.

In 2005 I left the “big-box” realty companies to open my own Realty World franchise and started building a team of like-minded, outdoorsy, honest, hard-working real estate agents. In March of 2012, I did some soul searching and found I really loved my work but wanted a way to give back to my community. I came up with the idea of donating a percentage of every sale to local animal shelters around Montana. Small Dog Realty (named after the first small dog I’ve ever had) was born!

Since than Small Dog Realty has grown to a "pack" of 11 talented people managing listings throughout Gallatin and Park counties.

My goal is to give the smaller shelters in need some exposure and, ultimately, link dogs with good, loving homes. In 2012-13, I helped find homes for 16 dogs and raised more than $12,000 for local shelters and dog food for local food banks. In 2014-15, I started a TV campaign featuring a different Montana animal shelter and pet of the week, which continues to this day.

In all, Small Dog Realty has given back at least $50,000 to support local shelters and improve the quality of life for dogs in the area. We sponsor local shelter’s fundraisers -- including the Fur Ball, K-9 9K and Bark in the Park, for example -- contribute to area dog-park improvements, share information about dog health and safety.

Being active in my community is important to me.

My children attended Livingston and Bozeman schools. I was on the Bozeman High School Parent Advisory Board and very involved in the high-school community. My son attended Montana State University in Bozeman and my daughter attended the University of Montana in Missoula.

I also encourage all of my agents to get involved. I am an active member of the Sunrise Rotary Club, the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, Gallatin Association of REALTORS®, Billings Association of REALTORS®. I volunteer at and donate to the local animal shelters, am an advocate for local mental-health and suicide-prevention efforts, and support numerous community-based efforts to preserve the Last Best Place.

If you want to learn more about Bozeman/Livingston area and what's going on, check out our resources page and then just call, text or e-mail me. The time to start living the beautiful Montana lifestyle is NOW!

Check out my Facebook page, too. Make sure you “like” me!

MEANWHILE, have a look at what living here looks like ...