About Suzanne

Thank you for your interest in my bio.  I hope you find it informative and interesting.
I always appreciate any feedback if you have any comments. 
And, I would love to hear about you as well! 

Click here to view my formal resume.

I was raised in East Tennessee 20 miles south of Knoxville in a small town called Maryville, considered the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains.  I have always loved the mysterious beauty of the mountains.  I have spent my entire life hiking the trails, rafting and swimming the rivers, jumping off rock bluffs at The Sinks, picnicking and camping at the numerous sites and cruising the winding and beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.  I am a member of The Friends Of The Smokies which is an organization that raises money to support the enormous undertaking of caring for the park.

Although I have studied music my entire life, I graduated with a degree in Communications from the University of Tennessee, school of broadcasting.  Mixing my love for music with a sense for business, I went into radio advertising sales.  This was a very high-energy career that was alot of fun and had many interesting perks.  

I opened a garden shop there which became Suzi's Groovy Garden.  We specialized in unusual garden decor and gifts and hard-to-find perennials and herbs.  We created a very peaceful and beautiful space in the middle of all the hubbub.  This business was an immediate success and I thoroughly enjoyed it for 7 years.  I met many fine people  there and made alot of new friends.  I sold this business to Pope's, a very large, successful garden center in Maryville that wanted a Knoxville presence.

Before selling the business, I had been studying real estate and got my license.  After signing on with Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace,  I instantly knew this was a business I would love.  I enjoy sales and meeting people.  I love being outdoors, no matter what time of year.  Helping people undertake the major changes in their lives of selling or buying a home is extremely interesting to me.  Finding the perfect investment property for potential or long-time investors is a full-time hobby.  I am always on the lookout for a great deal and I relish getting the opportunity to share these finds with others.  It is very hard but rewarding work.

I have a special affinity for historic homes.  Revitalization and renovation of old properties is my passion.  To see what is happening in downtown Knoxville is so exciting.  The ruins of the warehouses are being brought back to life and sold as beautiful condos and the downtown business is currently booming.  The historic neighborhoods are also seeing a huge resurgence - great old neighborhoods like Old North Knoxville and the 4th & Gill community and so many others.  South Knoxville is currently being studied for the South Knox Waterfront Development which will turn under-used commercial properties into a vital new area of homes, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. 

I purchased a circa 1895 Queen Anne home in east Knox County, just east of the Holston River, and am having a ball back-dating the home to what would have been original to the period.  I am farming some of it, experimenting with vegetables, herbs and fruit trees.  Raising chickens is my latest endeavor.  My dogs run free and love it. 

I am a member of the NAR and recipient of the Knoxville Association of Realtors Award of Excellence, 2005.
We are members of the APTA, The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, which currently holds 8 historic homes across the state in its registry, including The Ramsey House in Knoxville.  I am also a member of Ossoli Circle and the Knoxville Symphony League.

 "Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
- Mark Twain (1835-1910)