I had reached my tipping point. One final push led us to make radical changes toward the life we had imagined for our family. Diving into real estate together has enabled us to create the balance we needed while providing real value for the people in our community.

As I stepped outside, the sunlight was blinding, and I rubbed my eyes to adjust to the glare. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 10 a.m. By the time I walked through the door to my home, I could barely keep my eyes open. Later that night, Lavenia and I decided that working 27 hours straight was not the lifestyle for us.

We had been married for over a year and were both doing well in our corporate careers by the time I had that marathon workday. Long hours at my job as a corporate controller were not out of the ordinary, but that day was unreal. Lavenia and I had both previously started investing in real estate years earlier, long before the recession. Those recession years presented challenges to successful investing, but we both adapted to make it through and eventually were thriving. Over the years together, we continued balancing investing in real estate with our full-time careers, and I had gotten my real estate license as well. We often talked about leaving behind our corporate careers to focus on real estate full-time, but never took the leap.

Two weeks after that marathon work day, that is exactly what I did. It was not easy, but I had already been doing real estate on the side for a while by then. We knew it was time for radical change. The difference was profound, and one of the best parts was that real estate gave me the ability to be there for my children. With real estate, I could make time for events, school activities and more that I would have otherwise missed with my career in finance. In the end, it opened a whole new world, a whole new way of life.

It was not long before business took off and I needed some help. Lavenia joined my team while continuing her career in IT. She had been in the field for over two decades and traveled weekly across the country for work. Lavenia has always been extremely focused, and while she handled both real estate and her career exceedingly well, it was not too long before we decided to go all in with real estate together. Her attention to detail perfectly complemented my strengths in real estate. Together we created a business, a team and a life that prioritizes balance over bottom lines on our own terms.

Ultimately, through the hardest parts of our journey, we let go and let God. We live our life by the five Fs: Faith, Family, Food, Friends, and Fun. When we were first married, we were still finding the balance between them. Although it is a continual work in progress, our real estate career allows us to focus on all of what matters to us together, not just work.

Sometimes in life we are tested to see how far we are willing to go. I would do anything for my family, and I am grateful that my finance job pushed beyond my limit in order to force me to make a change. It pushed me to live the life I truly wanted - a little push can go a long way.

We enjoy what we do and are making a conscious effort to move forward in the real estate industry by taking on leadership roles and more responsibility within industry organizations to make a real difference. We also enjoy good food, football and time with family. Our favorite part of being REALTORS® is helping people turn their dreams into reality through real estate.

Fast forward to today, we’ve EXPANDED our team, adding residential and commercial real estate specialists. So whether you’re selling or buying a home, a business or leasing commercial space, we will put ourselves in your shoes. We always begin with a strategy session to truly learn your goals and create the perfectly customized plan to fit your needs. Throughout the process, we will be by your side and communicate with you at every step. We will listen closely to your goals and keep them in mind throughout the transaction to ensure you always have the best options available. We care about your results and will go above and beyond to ensure you are getting the best deal possible by doing everything from attending inspections to checking in dusty crawlspaces and beyond. As former investors and from corporate backgrounds, we can speak your language whether you are a first-time homebuyer or an experienced investor. With experience in residential, investment and commercial, we are confident we can help you achieve your goals. Once the transaction is over, we will continue to support your success as your lifelong REALTORS®.

Sincerely,

Team Whitner
Lead by Derek & Lavenia
Derek Whitner, REALTOR® | LIC# 362417
Lavenia Whitner, REALTOR® | LIC# 377664
404-474-8308 (Team)
404-843-2500 (Broker)
team.whitner@metrobrokers.com
www.teamwhitner.com