About


Hello, I’m Rebecca, the founder and editor of Real Savvy Real Estate. I welcome you to the site and hope you find it helpful. I’m always open to advice or comments, which you can send to me here. Below is my story, and how this site came to be.

Bio: I’m originally from Albuquerque, NM, the land of big skies and amazing green chile. I’ve also lived in San Francisco, Connecticut, Portland (OR), and New York City. I recently worked at a New York City management consulting firm for 3 years and was lucky to have the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. and Europe. Everywhere I went, I researched the real estate market and toured open houses. My hobby became learning how people live and what it means to “settle down” in any given place–even as I did just the opposite. I left my job in the fall of 2009 in order to create a more self-directed life and follow my passions.

Real estate adventures: The real estate bug bit me in my early 20s, and I closed on my first property in Portland, OR (more about that here) in early 2008. In addition to snooping in real estate markets across the world, I’m currently casually looking for a place to buy in San Francisco, where I now live. I’m enjoying researching the local market and finding tons of useful information to share with Real Savvy readers.

On the American Dream: Home ownership has been a cornerstone of the American Dream, an idea first expressed during the Great Depression, when the government was desperately trying to get the economy moving. Buying a home can certainly be a gratifying experience, and home ownership is great for local communities. I do not believe that it is the automatic Right Choice for everyone at every point in life, however. Part of the Real Savvy Real Estate mission is to help potential buyers figure out if home ownership is right for them. Sometimes, it makes sense to wait or to not buy at all. I believe that not buying can be part of the dream, too.

On the Crash: The real estate and financial collapse of 2007-8 reminded us that the American Dream, when pursued at any cost, can be a disaster. Predatory lending, uninformed buyers, and a lack of accountability led to an epic meltdown. I came into contact with all of this while buying my home in 2008, which is what ultimately inspired me to start this website. I hope to help people feel empowered and informed as they pursue home ownership.

Real estate philosophy: Deciding whether to buy a house–then actually taking the plunge–is a scary, confusing, exhilarating time. I know because I’ve been there, and I believe that no one should face the biggest purchase of their life without quality, unbiased info. I humbly offer my evolving cache of research and experience I wish I’d had during my early days of real estate wrangling. Whether a new home is just a glimmer in your eye, or you’ve finally paid off the mortgage, I hope to help you feel super savvy!

More of My Story: