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To Sandra Gunn, the sky’s
the limit in Houston real estate...literally.
I was a Houston high-rise resident for
over
20 years and began my own high-rise leasing and sales company in 1990. I
later merged with the leading high-rise firm in Houston to further my
education by learning from the best! About 5 years later, I left to start
the high-rise/loft division of one of the top 3 independent firms in the city.
In 2001, I came full-circle and opened my own shop. Many industry
professionals and the press regard me as an expert on
Houston's high rises and lofts.
Ten years ago, I expanded
my specialty areas to include single-family resale and new construction homes
and townhomes in the Memorial Park , River Oaks and West University/Museum
District areas. The inner loop is my stomping ground. I was the on-site sales
agent for the 1st new construction project to be built east of S. Shepherd in
the early 1990's. People thought we were crazy..."no one wants to live on
"that" side of Shepherd and they certainly won't pay $175,000 for a
new townhome over "there". Well, re-urbanization was happening and as
we now know, it happened in a very BIG way!
1996 marked the beginning of another new
era in Houston real estate - one that I am very excited to be a part of. The ground
breaking of Metropolis Lofts, the first new residential mid-rise building to be erected in Houston
since 1984.The quick sales of the Metropolis confirmed my personal
belief that Lofts are Hot! From deco lofts featuring exposed beams, 15-30 foot ceilings,
skyline views, brick accent walls, concrete or wood plank floors, Lofts are a viable home
alternative which provides a low-maintenance lifestyle Followed was the
surge of redevelopment Downtown including the Hermann Lofts on Travis, Capitol Lofts at 711
Main and the Keystone Lofts located at 1120 Texas Ave., which demonstrated Houstonians' desires
to move back to the Downtown area. I believe it so much that I too moved
Downtown in 2000. A progressive broker specializing in the unique, I am a natural for
representing and showing these intriguing residences.
In 2000, I acquired the
marketing contracts for East Side Lofts, located at Polk @ Dowling, a heretofore
industrial area. The project was 100% reserved in only 5 months and prior to
interior demolition (unfortunately, the owner's chose not to pursue the project
at that time). Also in 2000, I handled the pre-sale of San Jacinto Lofts
and the Capitol Lofts. In 2001, I represented three Downtown
projects: the Bayou Lofts, the remaining Capitol Lofts, and a pre-sale for the
proposed 92-unit Buffalo Lofts. Though it didn't quite make, I still hold hope
for that project as Buffalo Lofts was 40% pre-sold just in the first 6
months! After all of that, I began my firm and focused on re-sale listings and assisting buyers and tenants in my
market area, though my expertise allows me to assist developers in
consultation services for pre-development projects in the Downtown and
near-town areas and other locations that harbor urban living.
My husband and I moved to a
cottage in an historic neighborhood several years ago so naturally, our
team lists and sells many homes in the area.
I have been active in Houston real estate for
25 years. In addition to
being a member of the National Association of Realtors and a top producer, I am also a
member of the Texas Association of Realtors and the Houston Association of Realtors. In 2002,
I was named one of the top 100 agents in Houston out of almost 19,000 members by HAR. I am
also a 2004 "Sold on My Realtor" award winner, and was named
a "Top Production Realtor®" Award Winner for 2004-2007 by the Houston
Association of Realtors. Top Production REALTORS® are those who aspire to
the highest ethical standards and whose production ranks among the highest
number of transactions or dollar volume of listing side transactions within
HAR's 19,000 member brokers and agents. My involvement also includes association with the Downtown
Alliance
and a founding member of the Downtown Midtown Resident's Association. Media that
I have been featured in includes: Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal, 002 Magazine,
Inside Houston, Channel 11 - CBS, HGTV - Lofty Ideas, Continental Airlines
Magazine, the Hollywood Reporter, Better Homes and Garden's Decorating and Do It
Yourself Magazines.
A native Houstonian, I devote
time and energy to fundraising for many charitable organizations. I have assisted Orchestra X,
Houston Challenge Foundation, ABLED, C.A.R.E., Omega House, Milam House, March of Dimes, Body
Positive, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, International
Institute of Education, AIDS Foundation Houston and the United Way.
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