Years husband served: 26.

Why real estate: “I got interested because we moved so many times that I had to deal with it. It appealed to me. When my daughter went to college, I decided to try the business.”

Why her background helps: “My experiences gave me a good picture of both sides. I bought and I sold.”

Selling to the military: “You really have to be ready to move quickly. Many times, a sale has to be done fast because the family may be in town for just a day. I had a client recently who had one day: we started at 9 on Sunday morning and somehow found a home and got the deal done by 8 that evening.

“Often, you’re dealing with a spouse who is under pressure. They need to know about schools and the like. And, even if they don’t need immediate housing, they don’t want to take a lot of time. They don’t want to spend nine months looking for a home that they’ll use for only three years.”

Empathy toward families: “My father was shot down over Viet Nam and was missing for two years. We found out he was alive, but he was a POW for five and a half years. I lived through that; I saw what my mother went through. It really makes you want to help the military in every way.”