Carlie Back

When everything came crashing down, Carlie learned a valuable lesson.

One day, the phone simply stopped ringing. The month had started out like any other, but by the end of it, she knew nothing would be the same.

When the recession hit, it hit hard. Seemingly overnight, values fell and instead of doing business as usual, she came into homes as the REALTOR® telling clients their houses were only worth half of their mortgages. It was devastating and she did everything she could to come up with creative solutions. Even then, she lost almost everything herself in the following two years.

At the time, Carlie was reconfiguring her life on her own after a long relationship ended and it magnified the already bad financial situation, she found herself in like everybody else. After over a decade as a REALTOR®, she had been able to purchase some investment properties and had plans to do more. Unfortunately, that dream disappeared. In the first couple years of the recession, she lost every single one of those investments. Carlie almost lost her own home as well. Only through a last-minute creative solution was she able to hang onto it.

It was the first time in her life that hard work did not do the trick. It felt isolating to lose so much after all the effort she put in and she knew many others felt the same way. Still, it did not make it any easier. It was a rough time, but she has always been a positive person and she drew on everything she could to keep going.

She has long been fond of self-improvement books and teachings. During those dark years, she embraced that genre and did all she could to look on the bright side. No matter how frustrating or discoursing life felt, she continued to put one foot in front of the other each day. Carlie even got a puppy that not only brightened up her days, but also gave her a reason to get outside and exercise. She discovered mindfulness and began to pull herself out of the stressful past and the even more stressful unknown future into the present moment. She became present and it shifted everything.

What Carlie realized was that although she had lost nearly everything, it was just money, and she could always go make more. She was still here, so why not make the most of it? That realization led her to a lighter headspace without being weighed down by past or future worries. That is not to say she never thinks of the future or gets worried. Of course, she does, who does not? Mindfulness is a practice, and it is one that brought her through the toughest time in her life to a better future of her own creation. The recession knocked a lot of us back and crushed quite a few dreams. In the wreckage, she was able to not only continue to follow hers, but to do so better and with a lot more success than ever before. Even though it was stressful, Carlie is thankful for what happened in those years because they led her to the life she has now and all that she has accomplished.

Carlie has been a licensed REALTOR® since 1994. When she is not working, she enjoys skiing, tennis, hiking, traveling, cooking, and going to concerts. Her favorite part of being a REALTOR® is meeting other people as she helps them on their journey to accomplish their goals through real estate.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, the number one priority is to find the best fit for you. That means everything from the price you’re selling or buying to selecting the right agent. Carlie always started with her clients by asking a lot of questions to find out exactly what you hope to achieve and to make sure that she is the right fit to help you get where you are going. She has been in the industry since 1994 and in that time, Carlie has done it all. Arizona is her home, and she has deep roots in the community here. Forming relationships is one of the best parts of her job and she makes hers to last. Once the transaction is over, Carlie will continue to be there for you whenever you need her as your lifelong REALTOR®.

The recession knocked a lot of people back and crushed quite a few dreams. In the wreckage, Carlie was able to not only continue to follow mine, but to do so better and with a lot more success than ever before.