Mobile Bay Real Producers | March 2023

UNSURPASSED SERVICE AND EXPERTISE

Attorney Owned & Operated

Proudly serving Baldwin and Mobile County Realtors for over forty years.

"We are Diane Brookerd and Kimberly Blake. We have a combined experience level of 48 years in our local title insurance industry. It is our honor to serve you and your clients with a warm welcome and huge smile on our faces. We are blessed to represent Springdale Title, LLC and we are excited to introduce you to our wonderful company! Springdale Title is not like the rest, come and let us show you what you are missing!"

We have closed thousands of loans for a variety of lenders. Our staff is cross-trained both in multiple facets of the closing process and in the varying nuances of many title issues for the state in which we operate.

We also pride ourselves on staying up-to-date technologically and educationally so that we may offer the safest and most satisfying closing experience possible to our clients.

It is our pleasure to tackle the hard problems and complicated closings that other title companies

Do you:

· Need a split closing?

· Have a client who is out town and needs to sign remotely?

· Need extra documents drafted for your closing?

· Have a problem with your chain of title?

· Need an odd closing time, day, or location due to an emergency or other extraordinary circumstance?

If so, WE SAY YES to assist you get from CHAOS to CLOSED!

We also love to SAY YES to meeting needs in our community and offering discounts to the First Responders and Veterans that work so hard to keep us safe.

We look forward to working with you soon!

This section has been created to give you easier access when searching for a trusted real estate affiliate. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the businesses sponsoring your magazine. These local businesses are proud to partner with you and make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and thank them for supporting the REALTOR® community!

ATTORNEY - REAL ESTATE

LD Holt & Associates, LLC

LD Holt

7581 Spanish Fort Blvd. Spanish Fort, AL 36527 (251) 937-4111

LDholt.com

BUILDER

DR Horton (251) 447-0329

drhorton.com

CABINETS/CUSTOM

Jimmy Stocks Woodworks

James Stocks

10251 Gayfer Road Fairhope, AL 36532 (251) 895-5524

FLOORING & DESIGN

Prestigious Flooring and Design LLC

Garrett Scarberry (251) 802-0363

prestigiousflooringand designllc.com

FOUNDATION REPAIR

MDH Foundation Repair

Shannon Reichart 108 5th Street, Daphne, AL 36526 (251) 375-0565

mdhfoundationrepair.com/

GLASS & SHOWER DOORS

The Glass Guru of Mobile

Wyatt Gerald

220 Portside Blvd. Suite A Mobile, AL 36695 (251) 287-1562

theglassguru.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT/ MAINTENANCE

All Inclusive Maintenance (251) 509-4618

aimremodels.com

HOME INSPECTION

Crum Home Inspections

(251) 281-7387

www.crumhome inspections.com

Home Boss Inspection

Riaan du Plessis 323 De La Mare Ave, Suite 9

Fairhope, AL 36532

(251) 230-9595

www.HomeBoss Inspection.com

ProComp Home Inspections

Billy Coley P. O. Box 603

Loxley, AL 36551

(251) 367-3196

procomphome inspections.com

Southern Inspection Services, LLC

Mike Burchfield 1612 Chase Drive Saraland, AL 36571

(251) 404-0957

HOME WARRANTY

Old Republic

Home Protection

Todd Powell (850) 543-1512 x1

www.ORHP.com

HVAC SERVICES

Don Hembree Heating & Air (251) 259-4664

hembreeac.com

HVAC/PLUMBING

Hansen Heating & Air

Chad Setchell (251) 471-3047

Hansenair.com

INSURANCE AGENCY

Coastal Insurance Group, LLC

Kurt Wielkens

3660 Dauphin Street, Suite A Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 344-9898

www.coastalinsgrp.com

Goosehead Insurance (251) 999-6931 wigginsflock.com

Lynne Ernest Insurance, LC (251) 971-3622

LENDER Clear Mortgage

Kenneth Harter (251) 282-6894

clearmortgage.com

Holland Mortgage Advisors

Tiffany Bradley (251) 219-4043

HMAmortgage.com

Movement Mortgage

Richard C Hampton 4851 Wharf Parkway Suite D-228 Orange Beach, AL 36561 (251) 270-4482 movement.com/chad. hampton

MOLD AND ODOR REMEDIATION

AdvantaClean

Jimmie Newton

25421 Hwy. 181, Suite 103 Daphne, AL 36526 (251) 776-4669

advantaclean.com

MOVING/DELIVERY/ STORAGE

All My Sons Moving & Storage (251) 313-5898

www.allmysons.com/mobile/ index.aspx

PEST SOLUTIONS

E3 Termite & Pest Control

Mike Adams 20040 Hwy 181 Fairhope, AL 36532

(251) 850-7378

E3pest.com

Proshield Termite & Pest Control

Michael Hayes (251) 776-2362

Southeastern Exterminating

Mike Hollis

25378 Profit Drive

Daphne, AL 36561 (251) 402-0264

PHOTOGRAPHY

Deep South

Focus Photography

Jon Jeffress

233 Suzanne Circle Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 421-0517 www.deepsouthfocus.com/

POWER WASHING

Prestige Power Washing

John Lankford 14194 Sierra Court Summerdale, AL 36580 (251) 213-8313

ROOFING SERVICES

Professional Roofing & Construction (251) 680-7500 prorc.org

Stauter Contracting

Lois Stauter 302 Riverbend Drive, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 230-7090 stauterbuilt.com

SIGNS & GRAPHICS

Fast Signs

Pauline McKean 4668 Airport Blvd. Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 279-0747

fastsigns.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Southern View Media (251) 517-9425

southernviewmedia.com

STAGE & DESIGN

Show Homes, Mobile - Baldwin

Kim Odom 82 Plantation Pointe Fairhope, AL 36532 (251) 622-5004

TITLE COMPANY

Clear Title

Lisa Walker 1680 West 2nd Street Unit A Gulf Shores, AL 36547 (251) 747-2550

x2517524181

www.getcleartitle.com

Fairhope Title Services, LLC

Brian Britt 455 Magnolia Street Suite C-1

Fairhope, AL 36532

(251) 928-9900

www.fairhopetitle.com

MLJ Escrow (251) 968-5586

www.mljtitle.com

Springdale Title, LLC

Diane Brookerd 1501B Highway 98 Daphne, AL 36526 (251) 270-4500

springdaletitle.com

VIDEO PRODUCTION/DRONE SERVICES

EyeSky Video & Photo, LLC

Stephen Hinds 297 Beall Lane Daphne, AL 36526 (317) 727-2919 eyeskyvp.com

VIDEOGRAPHER

Adobe House Media Production

Lew Thomas 27940 Bay Branch Drive Daphne, AL 36526 (251) 454-0004

adobehousemp.com

michael@myproshieldpest.com

Orso Owner/Publisher

Cosentino Ad Strategist

Lew Thomas, Videographer Adobe House Media Productions

Crystal Barley Publishing Assistant

Dave Danielson Contributing Writer Asia Schnoes Social Media Project Manager

Jon Jeffress Photographer

By Robert Orso, Owner

PLEASE PARDON MY ABSENCE

You may or may not have noticed that I personally have not been in touch with many of you since November. I have not been on vacation at some exotic location, I only wish! Mobile Bay Real Producers will have been in print for three years this April, so I thought it was time to stretch and open another market.

I am currently launching Gulf Coast Real Producers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. That stretch of beach that runs from Ocean Springs to Bay St. Louis. While it has been fun to meet more top Realtors and advertising partners, I have missed traversing the streets, roads and interstates of Mobile and Baldwin County. Launching a Real Producers platform is kind of like drinking from a fire hose. Lots of phone calls, meetings, and nighttime office work. I am on track to publish the first issue in April, exactly three years after I launched Mobile Bay.

Although you have not seen me much lately, you may have met or talked to my new assistant publisher, Crystal Barley. Crystal came on board in October and comes with experience because she previously worked at the Dallas, Fort Worth Real Producers as a content coordinator. She is full

of energy and great ideas. She is responsible for launching the private Facebook group, Mobile Bay Top 300 Realtors and Vetted Businesses. If you have not joined, please go to the page to join and Crystal will approve your request quickly.

You are welcome to contact me at any time, but you can also contact Crystal at (251) 300-0222 or Crystal.Barley@n2co.com

So, the real estate market has changed a bit. The Covid and Post-Covid Boom is over and things are more normal now. Most Realtors tell me they had a slow fourth quarter, but things are pick ing up now. I have also heard that 2021 and 2022 were an anomaly and may never happen again. Who knows, no one has a crystal ball. The import ant thing is to stay positive and filter out the bad news and naysayers. We get what we talk about, think about, and expect. Keep faith and keep doing the things that have made you successful. The com pound effect of our efforts is powerful.

I look forward to seeing you all soon. Good selling.

ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

Welcome

may be wondering what this

is all about, which is why

have created this

Here, we

answer the most commonly asked questions from around the country regarding our

My door is always open to discuss anything regarding this community — this publication is 100% designed to be your voice!

Q: WHO RECEIVES THIS MAGAZINE?

A: The top 300 agents in the Mobile Bay Area. We pulled the MLS numbers (by volume) from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021, in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. We cut the list off at number 300, and the distribution was born. For this year’s list, the minimum production level for our group is $7 million in 2021. The list will reset at the end of 2022 for next year and will continue to update annually.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BEING FEATURED IN THIS MAGAZINE?

A: The process is simple. Every feature you see has first been nominated. You can nominate REALTORS®, agents, affiliates, brokers, owners, or even yourself. Office leaders can also nominate real estate agents. We will consider anyone you bring to our attention because we don’t know everyone’s story, and we need your help to learn more.

A nomination currently looks like this: Email us at robert. orso@realproducersmag.com with the subject line

“Nomination: (Name of Nominee)” and explain why you are nominating the individual. Maybe the person has an amazing story that we need to tell, or perhaps someone overcame extreme obstacles, is an exceptional leader, has the best customer service, or gives back to the community in a big way. The next step is an interview with us to ensure a good fit, and then we put the wheels in motion for our writer to conduct an interview and for our photographer to schedule a photo shoot.

Q: WHAT IS THE COST TO FEATURE A REALTOR®, AGENT, OR TEAM?

A: Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, nil. The feature costs nothing, my friends, so nominate away! We are not a pay-to-play model. We share real stories of Real Producers.

Q: WHO ARE THE PREFERRED PARTNERS?

A: Anyone listed as a preferred partner in the front of the magazine is a part of this community and will have an ad in every issue of the magazine, attend our quarterly events, and be a part of our online community. We don’t just find these businesses off the street, nor do we work with all businesses that approach us. One or many of you have recommended every preferred partner you see in this publication. We won’t even meet with a business that you have not vetted and stamped for approval, in a sense. Our goal is to create a powerhouse network for the REALTORS® and agents in the area and for the best affiliates so we can grow stronger together.

Q: HOW CAN I RECOMMEND A PREFERRED PARTNER?

A: If you have a recommendation for a local business that works with top real estate agents, please let us know. Send an email to robert.orso@realproducersmag.com.

partner spotlight

HINDS STEPHEN

EYE SKY VIDEO, PHOTO & FILM

EARLY INTEREST. GROWING CAREER. EyeSkyVP began with Stephen, who has long had an active interest in photography that dates back to his time in the U.S. Air Force in the 1970s.

“That interest has continued through time. Then in April 2017, my wife, April, gifted me a drone and I started playing around with that,” Stephen remembers. “During that same time, I had a REALTOR® friend who asked if I wanted to do a realty shoot for him.”

At the time, in 2018, Stephen and April lived in Columbia, Tennessee. Stephen decided to develop a business name. That’s when EyeSkyVP (video and photo) was born. In time, they moved to Daphne, Alabama in 2019 — in turn, bringing their new small business with them.

That small veteran-owned business has continued to build ever since.

“It has grown tremendously while we’ve been here. Originally I was the only photographer. Now, we have six, and we’re doing business in both

GROWING WITH A TRUE FAMILY FEEL

In addition to Stephen and April, the EyeSkyVP team includes his son, Alan Hinds and his wife, Kristi; Stephen’s daughter Jessica LaPorte and her husband, Kevin LaPorte; and his daughter, Melisa Hajek.

Stephen and Kevin do photography and videography in Alabama, while Alan does the same for the Indiana areas. April and Leslie Brown do photography with clients in Alabama. Jessica edits video in Alabama, while Alan edits video for Indiana. Melisa serves as the company Accountant, while acting as Office Manager in Alabama. Kristi is the Office Manager for the Indiana location.

Stephen speaks with pride when he thinks about the growth of the business and the opportunity to share it with his family and team.

“One of the thrills I get out of this whole effort is involving the family. We’ve done well as a company. We have grown. Most of the team are part-time. I’m the only full-time,” he explains. “Most team members have another full-time job somewhere.

But it’s nice to be able to share this with the family and Leslie. That’s the biggest thrill I get.”

Stephen’s career has been rooted in corporate America in IT. He had always dreamt of having his own small business.

PASSIONATE PURSUIT

As Alan says, the team feels a deep passion for what they do with EyeSkyVP.

“I love the relationships we have with the REALTORS® we work with. It’s fun getting to know them and watching them grow through our work. I get a chance to work with new Realtors and seeing them grow.”

Kristi agrees, saying, “I really enjoy talking with our REALTORS® here in Indiana and connecting with them … getting to know who they are. You can tell which package they want when they call to order pictures and also suggesting other things for them to try. I also enjoy creating ads in Real Producers magazine.”

While Jessica doesn’t spend a lot of time on the road as part of her role,

RISING BEYOND

No one can predict with certainty what the future holds or the exact path that a business will take. But there is one thing that you can count on … if you do the right things consistently over time, good things will happen for you and those you serve.

That’s the truth and dynamic at work with Stephen Hinds and his team at EyeSky Video, Photo and Film. In a short time, they have proven to be an organization that is definitely on the rise … by providing a much-valued service with outstanding service and value.

By Dave Danielson Photos by Lew Thomas - Adobe House Media Productions

she appreciates seeing and working with the material she receives.

“I get a kick out of them bringing the footage home and seeing the properties,” Jessica says. “It’s so cool to put these videos together and see how people decorate their homes and the love they put into it. I like making it representative of what they want to do.”

Kevin really enjoys visiting different properties.

“There is a really big variety of properties that we shoot,” Kevin says. “It’s great to see those places and see what works the best for our partners to sell the properties and the best way to present it visually.”

EXPANDING THEIR EXPERTISE

EyeSkyVP provides a full range of photography and videography services. But they continually look forward to chances to expand their expertise.

“Sometimes it’s fun with pushing the edge a little bit with our REALTOR® partners. Sometimes a client or agent asks for a little more than what we typically do,” Stephen explains. “When that happens, we are up front and let them know whether we’ve had experience in that area. At the same time, we are always willing to step out and give new things a shot.”

The result of that attitude and open approach is continued growth and value for EyeSkyVP partners and clients.

“I enjoy the ability to customize our services to what they need for a particular property. We have enough experience to provide recommendations on what may work well for them,” Kevin points out. “We have the expertise to help them tailor what they select as services to make a sale more likely.”

While about 80 percent of EyeSkyVP’s business comes through the real estate sector, the firm also handles a range of other products, including wedding photography and videography, as well as creating short and long-form promotional videos/ films for corporate clients.

CREATIVE AND RELIABLE RESOURCE

Those who have the chance to know

and work with the members of the EyeSkyVP team appreciate that they can count on the group to help them reach their goals.

“We are dependable. We show up, do what they ask and we do it well. We are experts,” Kevin says. “We know how to take the photos and video recording and how to present it to the end product to buyers. We are recommending services that are going to work for them. We are partners for them … not just vendors.”

There’s a real satisfaction that the team gets in knowing that their work goes out into the world and has a real, tangible impact for their real estate partners and their clients.

“There has been so much growth in South Alabama, with people moving here from all over the nation. Our pictures and videos go outside of the state and are seen by these potential buyers,” Stephen says. “It makes us feel good when we get comments that a particular property was sold

to buyers outside the area who never physically came here … but who made their purchase decision in part based on the imagery and footage we provided.”

When you’re looking for a partner to help your business rise above, look to EyeSky Video, Photo and Film.

CONTACT EYESKY VIDEO, PHOTO AND FILM TODAY!

OFFICE PHONE: (800) 618--7735

STEPHEN DIRECT – (317) 727-2919

Kendall WAHLERT April

&HUNT

Water’s Edge Realty

Changing Lives

WE, the initials for Fairhope-based Waters Edge Realty, is the local real estate firm co-owned by Qualifying Alabama Broker Kendall Wahlert and April Hunt, Florida Broker and Head Facilitator of Training, and rarely has an acronym been more apropos. Their office officially opened for business January of 2022 and has seen phenomenal growth in terms of attracting agents, self-evident by the 34 agents that hold their license there.

Not only are the two partners good friends, with an obvious strong mutual respect and admiration for each other, but their skill sets are also complimentary. Their yin and yang balance of energy palpably permeates throughout a space found at 8 South Section St., situated in the trendy arts and crafts tourist epicenter of beautiful downtown Fairhope.

real producers

By Ron Sivak

April’s journey to today is a culmination of many stops along the way. Hailing from Louisiana, she married her husband and childhood sweetheart Johnny Hunt at the age of 18, who is currently the Pastor of Celebration Church in Fairhope. She handled many roles before venturing into a career in real estate in 2017.

Photos By Lisa Johnson, Deep South Focus Photography

“I became a cosmetologist and helped put my husband through school, then started having children. When my kids were small, I went back to school and got a degree at Arkansas State University in early childhood education. I taught first and second grade in Arkansas until we moved here to Fairhope.” Hunt said.

April said she initially got the bug to work in real estate while living in Shreveport. “My husband and I bought and sold our first two homes there and flipped one. I thought that it would be something that I would really enjoy, but the timing wasn’t right, and the place wasn’t right.”

Born and raised in Georgia, Kendall entered the business in 2005 at the age of 20.

“My mother owned multiple rental properties and that initially caught my interest.” Wahlert said. “When

I was at the University of West Georgia, I called my dad and told him that I wanted to withdraw from school and go into real estate. He made me promise that if it didn’t work out then I would go back to college. I have never looked back.”

In 2022 their firm was ranked 23rd out of over 391 brokerages locally as ranked in Baldwin County MLS. Last year April and Kendall were ranked first and second respectively within the company, while also managing tremendous growth within their brokerage all while opening up a new commercial sales and property management division.

“We both have learned leverage and have transaction coordinators, a marketing coordinator, and showing partners that help us show our buyers. When we look for a showing partner, it’s somebody who is in that three to five million sales experience range

and has had a little bit more time and but has some experience, because when you’re out showing houses, you often have to answer a variety of questions.” April said.

Moving forward into this year and beyond, the duo wants to continue growing while maintaining their open-door policy and egalitarian management style that seems to have captured lightning in a bottle in terms of positivity, especially for a Christian, faith-based company.

“Honestly, the growth with everything is because of God.” Kendall said.

“Because, I feel, we’re doing something that he was aligning us with. The way we found out about this office was God. This property was handled by a well-known Fairhope property management firm. The owner was retiring and selling office furniture.” she said.

Honestly, the growth with everything is because of God.

We pour into our agents, I tell them to not call me boss, but look at me as their equal. If we are doing it right, that person is going to pour into another person.

“When she called me about it, I literally almost cried,” April said.

“Kendall told me ‘You’re not going to believe it’. The amount was the exact budget we had set for rent. It was like God just kept opening the doors on one side and shutting them on the other side.”

Measured in terms of families served, they went on to say that their goals are to remain consistent in the numbers that their office produces, while expanding their commercial property management division this year.

“We would love to continue to serve around 40 to 50 families a year personally. That’s a doable number for April and myself, to have the life that we live, to have the freedom that we have, but also to be able to pour into our agents to grow our company.” Wahlert said.

“It’s not just about us, because we have some new agents who have come in and who have started doing well. There’s just something that resonates inside when you see somebody being able

to create the financial freedom that real estate can bring when they’re selling at a high level like that.” Hunt said.

“We try to help them when they feel those pressures, because this can be a very mentally challenging job. You have a lot of highs and lows with dips in business, and that’s normal. When you’re in one of those downturns, I’ve jokingly told our agents that it’s still always in the back of my mind that I’m never going to sell another home.” April said.

“We pour into our agents, I tell them to not call me boss, but look at me as their equal. If we are doing it right, that person is going to pour into another person. If we can grow leaders in our company, then they can grow more leaders alongside them. Imagine what that could become. It’s not just about us and the families we serve, but about changing people’s lives through real estate. I know of a

realtor who couldn’t pay her power bill, and now she is doing well and is one of the top Realtors in our industry.” Kendall added.

These two top-producing agents seemed to have found a way to balance managing their growing brokerage, continuing to serve their clients at a high level, and most importantly being present for their families. Without doubt, these faithfilled women have made a mark in their market and on the area and will continue to see success.

For questions or comments about this article, contact Kendall at (706) 5758800 or kendallsoldit@gmail.com

RIDINGS JOSELYN

Ridings Realty

GIVE BACK IN ABUNDANCE

From making an immediate mark as “Rookie of the Year” in 2015 at Keller Williams, to a consecutive fourtime Nappie Award finalist as “Best Realtor” with Lagniappe Weekly, to a freshly minted Broker and co-owner of Ridings Realty with her husband Andy in Mobile and just recently earning the REALTOR®

broker in charge

By Ron Sivak

Photography

Commitment to Excellence endorsement (C2EX), Joselyne Ridings’ remarkable journey from South Florida to Lower Alabama shows a brilliant ability to connect with clients across a broad swath of markets and diverse backgrounds.

Additionally, this month, not only was her firm recognized, but the

Real Producers’ Rising Star spotlight (Victor Howard) also hails from her family’s freshly minted office.

Ridings Realty, located at 1555 S. University Blvd. in Mobile, officially held their grand opening in October of 2022, and the genesis behind the idea of its creation held a special meaning for her.

“We wanted something we can leave behind to our son and daughter. That took a little bit longer than expected because timing is everything and I had to feel that deep down inside.” Joselyne said.

“That feeling to go out on our own came to us after the passing of my father-in-law in August 2022. We were left with a huge void, and we decided the time was right for Ridings Realty to open its doors to the world. I fought hard to hold back my tears of joy as I tried to give a little speech at the ribbon cutting. It was overwhelming to see the support

we received that day, and we will never forget it.”

Joselyne Ridings was born in Puerto Rico but grew up on Long Island, New York. She moved to Miami in 1991 and graduated from Miami Coral Park Senior High School. She studied business administration and graduated from Miami Technical College in 1992.

After college graduation, Ridings worked for several companies which included a telemarketing business, an insurance company, an international Fortune-500 PR firm, a chemical company and briefly opened a cargo trucking company called Blue Port Cargo Services.

Nothing was the right fit.

“In the middle of 2005, I was approached by a man at a restaurant who gave me his business card and told me he had overhead my lunch conversation with a co-worker and thought I would make a great loan

Photos by Kayley Robinson, Deep South Focus

officer if I was willing to be trained. So, I met with him and was intrigued.” Ridings said.

“I immediately got my mortgage license in December 2005 and in October 2006, I opened my own company, Mi Casa Mortgage Group, Inc. in West Palm Beach, Florida. My background in finance has been instrumental in my dealings with real estate transactions and has helped me to fully understand and assess my clients’ ability to purchase a home. Unfortunately, the housing market crashed, forcing me to close the business in August of 2009. I always loved the real estate industry, and knew I’d be involved with it again.”

In 2010, Joselyne moved to Mobile. In 2011 she married her husband Andy Ridings. “We have been attached at the hip like Bonnie and Clyde ever since.” she said.

When the couple decided to purchase their first home together in the area, they were disappointed with the service provided by some of the agents they worked with. It was at that time when Joselyne realized there was a need in the local market that her specialized customer service skills could fill.

forward to 2019, I was offered and accepted the position of Qualifying Broker at a new Keller Williams branch office in Spring Hill. That year

I got my Mississippi Brokers license. The Ridings Team’s expansion continued and in 2021, I received my Florida Brokers license.” Joselyne said.

She went on to say that, as a very driven person, she someday knew the opening of her own brokerage would be a reality, but deeply valued the time spent at Keller Williams and the experience, knowledge and relationships formed there.

“My real estate career began in 2015 at Keller Williams Mobile. In my first year, I received the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. I quickly realized that I was going to need help with the amount of business I had, so my husband Andy joined me in 2016 and together we formed ‘The Ridings Team’.” Joselyne said.

Soon after, her son and daughter, Anthony and Priscilla Lopez, followed in their footsteps and joined the team, along with other agents.

The team’s determination to provide top service was acknowledged by their colleagues at Keller Williams Mobile. They were consistently making the monthly Top Producers list and the Annual Top 10 Agents list out of over 200 agents in the office.

Joselyne was also recognized individually as a finalist for Lagniappe newspaper’s “Best Realtor” award in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. To date, she still doesn’t know who had successfully nominated her every year to rank her among Lagniappe’s “Best of the Best” residential realtor category locally but is appreciative of the recognition.

“As soon as I was eligible to get my Broker’s license, I did so in 2017. Fast

In the coming years, Ridings Realty is looking to expand its reach, and open branch offices in Mississippi and Florida when the timing is right. They are also currently looking to add to their team of agents.

“I truly believe that if you do a good job like you should, there’s no end in sight. We want our agents to reflect us and our commitment to provide the best experience to all our clients. We provide the tools and resources they need to be successful in this very competitive market.” Ridings said.

“We don’t know exactly what the future holds for Ridings Realty, but we have started 2023 with a bang. We’re extremely grateful for the love and support our community has shown us and our goal is to give back to them in abundance.”

For questions about this article, contact Joselyn at (251) 518-4819 or joselynridings@gmail.com

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF YOU DO A GOOD JOB LIKE YOU SHOULD, THERE’S NO END IN SIGHT. WE WANT OUR AGENTS TO REFLECT US AND OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE THE BEST EXPERIENCE TO ALL OUR CLIENTS.

HOWARD VICTOR RIDINGS REALTY

INVESTED IN OTHERS rising star

By Dave Danielson

Photos by Lew Thomas, Adobe House Media Productions

Mardi Venue

While your talents and gifts allow you to achieve certain goals in life, it seems that a person’s true potential is realized when they dedicate their energy and efforts on behalf of others.

That’s the dynamic at work with Victor Howard.

As a REALTOR® with Ridings Realty, he achieves success by being totally invested in the interests of others.

“As I work with people, my hope is that they describe me as genuine and not greedy. I’ve always been that way dating back to my time when I was working in lending, too,” he emphasizes.

“For me, it’s important that people know that I’m here to genuinely help them without chasing the dollar.”

CHANGING PATHS

Victor graduated from high school in 2005.

“I was always doing plays and drama things. My goal was to go to UAB and major in theater arts. That was my childhood career goal,” he remembers.

Like most lives, Victor’s took a bit of a different path than what he had envisioned. When he graduated from high school, he soon learned that his

girlfriend was pregnant. That definitely changed his view of the future.

“I said I can’t leave her by herself to deal with a baby. I stayed and enrolled in community college and got my Associate Degree,” he remembers.

Victor had worked what he calls a few dead-end jobs before getting his degree. He went on to work at a car dealership for five years. In

Photos taken at Chateau de

the process, he also earned his Bachelor’s degree with a 3.8 GPA.

A NEW DIRECTION

As Victor moved forward in life, he was ready for a new challenge for his future.

“I knew I needed to grow up and get a career. I was living on my own but wasn’t satisfied with life and wanted to be successful,” Victor recalls. “I had always told my teachers that I would have my name on a desk one day.”

Victor applied for work with a credit union.

“At the time, I really didn’t have experience. I had a restaurant job in high school. And I knew how to talk with people and make friends,” he says. “I feel like I had customer service down. So I applied for the job.”

GAINING GROUND

It wasn’t long before he got the phone call that the firm wanted to interview him. Through the course of rounds of interviews, he got the job.

“I started as a Teller. I am hungry for knowledge and want to learn. I trained and got experience … my mom always told me give 110 percent. I did exactly that, I got polished and good at that. I had a gap in my teeth and I saved up for braces and dressed very well. I was always a step ahead,” Victor says.

“As time went by, I got promotion after promotion and moved to Teller Supervisor and then Branch Supervisor and then Branch Manager and then Loan Operation Manager.”

He worked at the credit union for eight years, and then moved to another credit union to serve as Branch Manager there.

In July 2021, Victor made the decision to earn his real estate license. It has been a perfect move for him since then.

“I love the flexibility of this business. I don’t want to be the person to go 9 to 5. I really enjoy when clients call me and then we look at beautiful houses,” Victor says. “I really like furniture, and beautiful houses. This is what I want to do for the rest of my career.”

A WONDERFUL LIFE

There have been plenty of signs of success for Victor. In fact, in 2022, he averaged two deals a month.

In his free time, Victor enjoys cars.

“I am fascinated with new cars and the way they look when they are clean,” he says. “I picked up a detailing hobby that turned into a side hustle that I enjoy.”

Victor also has an interest in clothing and shopping. In addition, he has a heart for helping. He likes supporting the efforts of LifeLine Counseling Service, where his mother works.

Congratulations to Victor Howard for making an undeniable difference in the lives of those around him … be demonstrating that he is totally invested in their needs and interests.

For questions or comments about this article, contact Victor at (251) 5452978 or soldbymrhoward@gmail.com

I KNEW I NEEDED TO GROW UP AND GET A CAREER. WAS LIVING ON MY OWN BUT WASN’T SATISFIED WITH LIFE AND WANTED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

I HAD ALWAYS TOLD MY TEACHERS THAT WOULD HAVE MY NAME ON A DESK ONE DAY.

HOUSEPLANTS

Your Health

I grew up in a Southern family with roots deep in the soil. My grandparents grew anything at all you’d want to eat right there in our back gardens, though my grandmother’s favorite plants to meddle with were, by far, her houseplants. That love spilled over to my mother and her sisters and, eventually, to me. Though my collection may look a little different than hers, we both recog nize(d) the endless benefits of having useful, versatile and visual ly engaging plants in the home, such as those on the list below.

By Shauna Osborne

Peace Lily

In addition to its gorgeous white ers” in the summer, the stunning peace lily is a master of air pollutant removal, working hard to absorb and break down toxic compounds throughout your home. Sometimes called “closet plants,” peace lilies are perfect rooms that don’t get much natural light.

Snake Plant

This low-maintenance plant is a popular choice for small apartments and bedrooms, working while you sleep to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. Snake plants purify by removing toxins from the air, absorbing them through their leaves.

This plant has been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy to ease irritated skin. The clear, gel-like substance found inside the plant’s leaves can be used to soothe and heal burns and even cold sores when applied directly to the skin.

Boston fern helps to rid the home of harmful toxins and is the ideal houseplant for locales with humidity problems, as it is considered a natural humidifier, benefiting those who suffer from dry skin, noses or throats.