When I lost everything, I learned a valuable lesson.

It was the end of the road. After a year of scrambling and trying to prevent the inevitable, in 2009 my husband and I filed for bankruptcy.

We were not the only ones struggling, but as a REALTOR® and auto mechanic, we were in two of the toughest industries at the time. We had done everything we could to avoid filing bankruptcy, we even drained our savings and retirement funds. Through that whole fight, all I felt was shame. I used to believe that filing bankruptcy was the same as failing. To reach that point myself, I felt like an enormous failure. With three kids at home and creditors calling all hours of the day, it was one of the most stressful times in my life. What those creditors did not understand was that I was another human being at the end of the line.

Before the crash, we were model middle-class Americans. We did everything right, paid our bills on time. Sure, we used our credit cards, but who did not? It was only when those cards became the sole option to put food on the table that bills started piling up. The one thing we managed to salvage was our home. No matter what, we never missed a mortgage payment, and we were lucky to come through bankruptcy with the roof still over our heads. After it was over, and the paperwork filed, what had originally felt like failure metamorphosed into something new.

Suddenly, I had all this knowledge about bankruptcy, loans, and credit that I did not have before. I even learned that if I had only asked for help earlier, we would still have our retirement fund because you do not have to drain it to declare bankruptcy. I started using what I learned to help others in similar situations and even offered help with loan modifications for free.

What I realized was that sometimes things happen outside of our control, but those events are not what define us, they are what shape who we are. Because of what happened to me, I was able to help others and I cannot thin

k of a better use for an experience like that.

I have been a licensed REALTOR® since 2004 and working in the industry since 1999. Real estate is my passion and I love what I do.  Rohnert Park has been my home for decades and I love this community. From my years as a PTA board member to founding a rotary club, I like to stay involved. Our community is what we make of it, so I am not afraid of rolling up my sleeves and getting to work.

When I am not working, I enjoy crafting all sorts of things from

T-shirts to mugs for friends and family. My favorite part of being a REALTOR® is seeing the potential in so many homes and helping my clients find the one that fits their dreams.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, this is about you. I want my clients to have the smoothest transactions possible and that is why I go over everything with them in modules. There is no need to overwhelm you with an info dump. I am there every step of the way, providing everything you need to know and giving you all the power to decide for yourself what is best. My clients matter to me, and they are one of the reasons I am a REALTOR® at all. I am not in the business of selling homes, I am in the business of fulfilling dreams and building relationships. Once the paperwork is signed, I will not disappear. I will continue to be there as your lifelong REALTOR®.

Sincerely,

Shari Lorenz
REALTOR^®