Introducing Teddy Mintz!

Daytripping: Decluttering 101: Tips for Moving Charming New Kent Staging Your Home for Sale With Family Pets Celebrating the Region’s Most Influential Real Estate Professionals Service to Others In Three Acts Teddy S. Mintz REALTOR® For Mintz, It’s All About Service to Others



Rainmakers are selected based on their sales Teddy Mintz accomplishments earning them a spot among the top 20% of Liz Moore & Associates’ top REALTOR® performers. In addition to sales volume standards, ALMA MATER Rainmakers share client-centric philosophies, a dedication to being masters of their craft, Trevecca University and a commitment to giving back to the communities they serve. BEST FRIEND I am thrilled to have been selected as the Franky King Teddy Mintzfeatured Rainmaker for the month! INSPIRATION “Twas a Brave Man Who Ate the First Oyster” KIDS 4 FAVORITE DESTINATION Coastal North Carolina or Sandy Beach Anywhere COMMUNITY/ VOLUNTEER Knights of Columbus/ American Legion Post 186 Teddy was completely wonderful and professional during my entire home buying experience. Jerra Williams

Teddy MintzRainmaker Spotlight: “MY At 53 years old, Teddy Mintz says he is “sunseting” into his third career, real estate. VOCATION Despite former careers as an Army chaplain for 10 years and as a special education teacher for 18, he doesn’t seem surprised to find himself house hunting with buyers or pushing “For Sale” signs in the IS TO yards of his listings. SERVE In fact, this third act of his working life has flowed almost seamlessly from the first two. Teddy credits OTHERS” that to a commitment to two guiding principles: his faith in God and his dedication to serving others. Over the years, they have remained unwavering even as the vehicle for them has changed. While in high school in North Carolina and at Trevecca University in Nashville, Tennessee, Teddy was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) with his sights set on a military career. However, all that changed when he spent a summer in Central America with a Christian Work & Witness Outreach program. According to Teddy, the experience altered his worldview. “All of a sudden changing the world through military force was not important to me,” says Teddy, who then dropped out of ROTC and graduated from college with a degree in social work. But life is what happens while we’re busy making plans. In Teddy’s case, life was the Gulf War. In August of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait resulting in international condemnation and economic sanctions, but also a multi-national call-to-arms. The affect on Teddy was swift. Despite an unresolved conflict of faith, his call to duty was even stronger. “There I was. I was trained and many of my friends were going,” says Teddy. So, he enlisted in the Army National Guard. However, before Teddy could even deploy, the war, whose combat phase lasted less than a month and a half, ended. Enlisted and still struggling with a conflict of faith, Teddy remained in the National Guard. Later, he attended Officer School and was commissioned as an Army Chaplain, a compromise that allowed Teddy to serve his country and stay true to his beliefs.

Ten years later, after honorably serving as a military, hospital and prison chaplain, Teddy separated from the military, but his guiding principles remained unchanged. That is when teaching presented itself. Teddy enrolled in the Military-to- Teaching program receiving his Masters in Special Education and History and, soon after, began working at Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, a career he says has been incredibly satisfying. However, more than a decade and a half later, Teddy found himself, once more, at a career crossroads. “I asked myself, what could I transition to that I would enjoy and would still embody the idea of serving people?” At first, he thought earning an advanced degree and moving up into school administration might be the answer. But, while working on his Ed.D. in Education, Teddy began to get curious about a career in real estate. With encouragement from his wife and a local broker, four years ago, he made the leap. If asked, “Why real estate?” Teddy will describe the more than 12 moves he has made since he left college, many of them during his training as a military chaplain which required internships at local churches in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and other states. “I understand the excitement and the stress of moving,” he says. His divorce necessitated a few more moves. Teddy had been a stay-at-home dad when his marriage ended abruptly. In dire financial straits from court costs and little income, Teddy struggled to find affordable housing for his infant son and himself. As a remedy, he purchased a trailer. As his situation improved, he sold the trailer and began renting. Eventually, a new life rose from the ashes of the old. Teddy is now happily married to Debbi, who is also a REALTOR® working with him. Together, they have two daughters and two sons ranging in age from 8-26, a grandson and two dogs. He and his family are involved in a local church community, attend VCU basketball games as well as William and Mary football games, and enjoy local Richmond museums. The lessons of his divorce, however, have not been forgotten. “It took awhile to get back to being financially secure. One thing I can bring to the table as a REALTOR® is that I understand what you lose from divorce and the impact it has on both the parents and the kids,” Teddy says. “I want to help others through similar situations. I want to be there for them and help them make good decisions.” Being a real estate agent has also allowed Teddy the income to serve others financially. “As a teacher, I didn’t have extra income to give to the food bank or to veterans. Becoming a REALTOR® allowed me to invest in the things that are important to me because I now have the income,” says Teddy. In fact, when Teddy made a commitment to creating his own real estate business, he budgeted five percent of his income to causes near and dear to his heart: Homes to Heroes, Canine Warriors, American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Boys to Men Mentoring Network, and the Chesterfield Food Bank. Despite the ups and downs, Teddy has stayed true to himself and his beliefs throughout his military service and his teaching career. Real estate, he says, will be no different. “My vocation is to serve others whether social work, military, as a teacher, coach or REALTOR®. That’s my foundation-- to serve others.”





DECLUTT1ER0IN1G HOME STAGING Home staging is one of the most powerful ways to help buyers imagine IS ONE OF THE themselves in your home and make them want to buy it. Decluttering is MOST POWERFUL the first, and most important step, in home staging. Removing clutter WAYS TO BOOST allows buyers to see the structure and space of your home. YOUR SELLING Sentimentality can be a powerful disincentive to declutter. You ADVANTAGE might feel guilty packing away your grandmother's china, or your budding Picasso’s finger paintings, but doing so allows your home to really be seen. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in your home, with their furniture and their belongings, and if too many of your things fill their field of vision, they might not be able to see their life there and they might walk away. Decluttering can be overwhelming, so we’ve broken it down and provided some helpful tips. Study your entire house. Go room-by-room, starting with the entryway. Try and view each room for the first time with a stranger’s eyes. Notice anything that sticks out? Try and make each room resemble a neatly organized, clean hotel. Taking it little by little makes the task more manageable rather than trying to tackle the entire house at once. 7

Making piles is very helpful. shine. A few well-placed home décor items can add sparkle to the space. Home stagers follow a “rule of As you go through each room, make a stack of items three” for clustering items into small groups to create to keep, one to donate, one to sell, and one to pack visual interest but not distract from the room. away. Evaluate the value, need, use, and sentimentality of every item, place it in one of the Purge attics, basements, and garages piles, and move on. This organized approach can make the task easier. of clutter. These storage spaces often don’t get much attention and quickly become cluttered, unorganized Creating a spreadsheet can also help. and untidy. Arranging items by type or holiday into clear, labeled tubs can help keep the space looking Each room will have different needs. Upon nice and neat while keeping you organized. It also evaluation, you might find one room needs new helps potential buyers see all of the storage space your paint, while another needs shelving for organization, home offers. and another needs boxes to pack excess items away. Organizing these tasks and needs into a spreadsheet Make sure your bathrooms are spotless. can help prioritize expenses and improvements. Not every house has a luxurious spa, but by cleaning Emptying closets makes a difference. your grout, tile, toilets and showers you can help your bathroom shine. Clearing off vanities and cleaning out Closets often become catchalls and graveyards; drawers, cabinets, and medicine cabinets can help when homeowners don't know what to do with buyers see the storage your bathroom offers and help something they often stash it in a closet and it them imagine their toothbrush by your sink. becomes forgotten with the out-of-sight out-of- mind mentality. A good rule of thumb is discarding Unfortunately, our homes can become cluttered on the anything you haven’t worn in the last year. Studies outside as well as the inside. Check around your show we only really wear about 20 percent of our home’s exterior for outdoor toys, decorations, and clothes and that extra space will make your closets natural clutter like leaves, branches, etc. This is also a look bigger and more attractive to buyers. great time to evaluate your home's overall curb appeal and make sure your home is making a good first Clearing off countertops impression. Lawns, shrubs, trees, and flower gardens should all be kept trimmed and tidy. and bookcases creates clean, visual lines and neutral style, allowing your home, and not your stuff, to You have loved your home and worked hard to maintain it, you want that care and maintenance to show. By removing unnecessary items, you allow your home to shine and make the great first impression needed to impress buyers. Don’t forget your bathrooms! Clean and clutter free is your goal. 8





Congratulations, Teddy!