Alma Avizenislived and worked in St.
Paul, MN and Austin before transferring to South Padre Island. She has a BS
in finance from St. Catherine's College in St. Paul, and had a successful
career for 25 years as a financial analyst for 3M, a Fortune 500 company. Alma
was licensed in 1996 as a Real Estate Agent, and has practiced in Austin as
well as South Padre Island. Alma has traveled across the United States,
Europe, and extensively in Italy, but never found a better place to call
home than the beaches of South Padre Island.
"As a real estate
professional, I bring to the transaction my years of experience and
expertise in finance and investment analysis -- whether it's for a dream
vacation home, investment properties, or business. It is my commitment to
help you determine a fair offering price or sales price, and to assist in
negotiations and other decision items all through closing... and beyond."
Humberto
"Bert" Valdez, Jr.
was born and raised in Hammond, Indiana. He and his family spent summers in
the Rio Grande Valley. In 1978, his parents moved to Harlingen. His father,
a home builder, and his mother, an interior designer, built and sold custom
homes in the Treasure Hills area. "They are the reason I'm involved in Real
Estate today!" says Bert. He obtained his education at the University of
Texas Pan American and worked at the Historic Yacht Club for several years
while attending school. He uses the skills he learned in the hospitality
business to serve his clients in Real Estate; listening to their needs and
working diligently to find them the right property. Bert lives on the Island
with his wife, Lilia and their fourteen-year-old son, Austin.
FOR HIS SPANISH SPEAKING FRIENDS, BERT HABLA ESPANOL!
Humberto Valdez, Jr. nacio en
Hammond, Indiana; cerca de la ciudad de Chicago. De nino Humberto y su
familia pasaban los inviernos en la Isla y en El Valle Rio Grande. En 1978
su familia se movieron a Harlingen, Tejas. Donde su padre fue contratista de
cassias en la colonia Treasure Hills, y su mama los decorava. "Ellos son la
razon que me gusto Bienes Raices!" dice Humberto. Se educo en La Universidad
de Tejas Pan Americano estudiando Negocios, tambien trabajando en El
Historico Yacht Club de Puerto Isabel. Humberto usa sus pericias que
aprendio en el negio de hospilidad, para servir sus clientes en Bienes
Raices; escuchando los deseos de sus clientes y trabajando rapido para
encontrar el mejor propiedad. Humberto vive en la Isla del Padre con su
esposa, Lilia y su hijo de 14 anos, Austin.
Carolyn Bogardus hales from Huntington, New
York. She and her husband first visited South Padre Island in January 1995,
“looking for a place to escape the cold New York winters.” After enjoying
the sun, sand and surf on and off for several years they decided to make the
BIG MOVE in 2002. “We always enjoyed our vacations here and after a while it
began to feel like home, so we pulled up our stakes in New York and
relocated to the island.” Carolyn holds a B. S. in Business Management from
Adelphi University in New York and has a strong background in bank
management. Sales and the art of selling is an integral part of being
successful in the banking industry in New York and over time Carolyn
believes her skills and consultative selling style will make her a winner in
the world of real estate.
Cherith
Fenton is a native of South Padre Island.
She graduated from Port Isabel High School, is a licensed boat captain, an
artist, and holds a degree in Culinary Arts. Her skills and personal
attributes have enabled her to travel the world fishing, diving, and
exploring. No matter where she has been, South Padre Island has always
been her home. Cherith has joined Troy Giles Realty and Management and
the productive team and would love to help with all your real estate needs.
Jules
Wilk grew up in Bloomington,
Indiana and attended Indiana University. She migrated
to the South Padre
Island area in 1991. "The beauty and friendly people of the Island were
very
inviting, and the time was right to utilize my degree in secondary education
and teach
near the beach. Jules taught high school English in Los Fresnos
for ten years. She has always been
interested in real estate and in 2002,
with her only son almost raised, again, the time was right
to pursue her
dream and obtain her real estate license. Since 2003, Jules is full-time,
motivated
and dedicated to selling South Padre Island and the surrounding
area. Her teaching background
facilitates her work in discerning and meeting
people's needs. She is a 2004 graduate of the
Leadership Laguna Madre
Program and currently serves on the Steering Committee. Jules remains
active
in the community through her work with the Leadership Program.
Karen
Moore
Karen has held her real estate license
since 1994 and is currently in her
10th year with Troy Giles Realty.
Karen came to the area from Dallas where she was
self employed as a private
investigator for many years. The Island pace brought out her
more creative
side and she began working to bring the artist Wyland to paint one of his
famous marine murals. Efforts were successful with the assistance of the South
Padre
Island Community Foundation (SPICF) and over 100 volunteers. The South
Padre Island
Convention Centre is a poplar attraction where Mural #53 can be viewed. Described as
a "career volunteer," Karen has served with the SPICF
since 1991 and is currently
Vice-President. She is also an advisory board
member of the Texas International Fishing
Tournament (TIFT), the largest
tournament in the state of Texas. In the past, Karen has served
on various
boards to include the Property Listing Service (PLS), the Valley Proud
Environmental
Council, the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival, and the South
Padre Island Beautification Committee (10 years),
She wrote a regular
newspaper column, "For Padre's Sake,"
supporting area beautification efforts.
Karen's belief is: "It is much easier
to welcome a new buyer or sell an existing property when your
community is
clean, beautiful, and has quality activities for families to enjoy. It just
goes hand-in-hand."
Karen is a mother to five grown children and has been
blessed with nine grandchildren. Her youngest
granddaughter, Miya, age 6,
lives on South Padre Island and attends Garriga Elementary in Port Isabel.
Other family members visit regularly. That's what happens when you live on the
Island! Karen, indeed,
as a vested interest in making the area a great place
to live.
In a time where markets don't care
about anything but profits, I'd like
to welcome you to a
brand new real estate approach-one
that transcends buying and selling,
one that connects
with you.
Homebuyers are on the sidelines,
consumer confidence is shaken and your
average realtor
can only sympathize - I want to
gravitate you into an organization
that will help you grow
as a consumer. To do that, I've
taken the first step into re-inventing
myself as a
professional as I work towards distinct
professional endorsements within this
industry - as an added service
for you.
Choices are life-altering decisions,
both personally and financially.
That often sought-after
quality
service is now available to
you in a
Realtor®...for free. The
knowledge of an Accredited Buyer
Representative
is also available to you...for free. A Certified Residential Specialist is
proudly coming soon! And it's
all part of
an
introductory package at Troy Giles
Realty and Management.
Introducing a brand new agent, with a
brand new attitude and the biggest
drive to succeed.
Robert Ortega,
a Valley native (McAllen), has been
visiting South Padre Island since 1972,
and
remembers a time when there wasn't
much of anything other than some beach
homes and
Blackbeard’s Restaurant. For
the last ten years he has been buying
and selling condos (flipping)
which he
began to rent out to Island visitors. He
is currently a full-time Real Estate
Sales Agent on South Padre Island Texas
and surrounding areas, a member of the
Local
Property Listing Service (PLS),
and currently owns several income
generating
properties on South Padre
Island. Robert
understands all the aspects associated
with such
investments and presently he
and his wife, Viviana, manage their own
condo rentals.
Robert also serves as a
Board member of Gulfview I condominiums
and does bookkeeping for
Vista Del Mar
condominiums, Coronado condominiums, and Southwind condominiums.
“ My mission is to have your best
interest at heart and provide
professional, current,
precise market
information, based on my extensive
resort community real estate experience
on South Padre Island.
Our business is
based on referrals and reputation and
sometimes all we have is our word.”
Melissa Clark,a long time
resident of South Padre Island, began working in Real Estate over
seven years
ago. Since then, she has become very familiar with the business and all that
comes with it. She obtained her Texas Real Estate License in May 2004 and
eventually hopes
to become a full time agent. For now, she will be handling
the Graphic/Marketing Department
and learning all that she can from the
experienced staff with hopes of furthering her career
and joining the Troy
Giles Realty Sales Team.
Patrick McNulty grew up in
Highland Park (Dallas), Texas and
graduated from Ole Miss
(University of
Mississippi) with a BBA and a minor in
Real Estate. He has been involved in
real estate on
South Padre Island for 8
years and began working as a sales agent
for The Villas of South Padre while
still
in college. After graduation
Patrick was promoted to Project Manager
of Development and later became
Vice
President of the holding company with
responsibilities including management
and oversight of
contractors building
the perimeter wall, gate house, amenity
center, and beach access; representing
The
Villas at various meetings with Town
officials, engineers, and architects;
oversight of all joint ventures
at the
“The” Villas; contract negotiations;
closings; and transfer of the HOA. Once
the Villas of South Padre
project was
completed, he started his own
development and construction company on
South Padre Island,
Willis Development,L.L.C., which is a
registered builder with the Texas
Residential Construction
Commission.
Patrick also has experience in
hotel/commercial valuations and sales.
Patrick’s education
combined with his
“on the job” training, and his great
pride in the product he builds, will
make him a wonderful asset to the
Team
at Troy Giles Realty and Management.
Troy
Giles has been at the forefront of innovative
development that has made South Padre Island a
favorite
destination for both vacationers
and those who enjoy resort living year-round. He has played
a
vital role in the early growth of South Padre Island including the original
Town Charter (established in 1974),
the Laguna Madre Area Chamber of Commerce,
the South Padre Island Volunteer Fire Department Emergency
Medical Service
and the original Tourist Development Corporation. He has served as a member of
the Town Board of
Aldermen (1993-95) and helped establish the current Beach
Management Program, the creation of a Single Family
Town Home Subdivision, and
the Economic Development Corporation.
inspection
He also has been instrumental
in such projects as the Miss USA Pageant (broadcast live, worldwide from the
South Padre Island Convention Center from 1993 to 1995), televised Miss
Texas USA Pageants and the first
Offshore Powerboat Races also held on South
Padre Island. His continuing commitment to the local community
is exhibited
in his volunteer
service to the Board of Directors of Chapel By The Sea and
the Beautification & Parks Committee.
As a Realtor, Troy Giles has
participated as a Director and Committee Member in the local Board of
Realtors. Through his past ownership
and management of Troy Giles Realty,
Island Services and SandDollar Realty & Management companies, he has
firsthand experience
in daily sales and management of individual
properties, land acquisition, condominium sales, rental and owner
association management.
Projects in which Troy Giles has played a pivotal
role include Padre South Condominium Hotel, Beach House, Beach View, Puesta
del Sol,
Saida Towers, Suntide Properties, Padre Grand and Bridgepoint
condominiums. He is also codeveloper of the exclusive, innovative
Boardwalk
Condominium Yacht Club, a private residential marina development.
At Troy Giles Realty,
we have been extremely successful in a strategy we call "Cooperative
Brokerage." Basically, we see it as having the support of real estate
offices across South Padre Island, the Lower Laguna Madre and Rio Grande
Valley, and the state of Texas. Maintaining frequent contact and keeping
others informed of real estate trends and property listings in the South
Padre Island area, we have developed a reputation as The Real Estate
Office for South Padre Island.
Although this information is believed to be accurate,
