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Jewell Burkwalt
Century 21, David Brigham
Jewell
Burkwalt and her brothers
and sisters were raised in
Albion, Michigan. Her father
traveled and did private
contracts for the Navy.
He then bought a service
station in Albion when
Jewell was about 10 years
old. He also owned a bar in
Jackson, which she worked in
as a teenager. She met David
Burkwalt and married him in
1960. They moved to Homer in
1967.
Jewell
has a great love for people
and it shows in her daily
life. All who meet her are
treated with the utmost
respect and consideration
for all she does. Hence, her
successful career!
Jewell
met David Brigham through
her parents, who knew his
aunt. Eventually, he
pressured her into selling
real estate and she has
worked for Century 21, David
Brigham since 1979. She has
high regards for the local
school system, which is what
she attributes her success
to. She sold customers
on the advantages of the
school system first, and
then sold them a house! She
started out selling to
family and friends as there
was not much real estate
sales in Homer, at that
time. It was also a
time when there were very
few women selling real
estate. This gave her
a competitive edge. She has
seen a change in the real
estate world in the last few
years. She noted that
real estate is far more
competitive now. She
has seen 20-25 realtors come
and go, but Jewell and found
a niche & stayed with
it...and has been very
successful.
When
asked how she managed a
successful career and
family, Jewell states that
she was very regimented in
her daily schedule, and
continues to be that way
today. She is up at 4:00
a.m. to get the evening meal
prepared, and what laundry
or cleaning needs to be done
before she starts her career
day. She tried to juggle
appointments around her
children's school schedules
and after school activities
so she would be there for
them. Some
appointments were scheduled
for after dinner or bedtime.
Jewell
has sold between 57 & 58
million dollars worth of
homes in her career. With
the average selling price in
the $80's and $90's, that is
a lot of homes! She has
received 150 awards for
Sales Achievements from the
National Association for her
sales, and in her case,
selling in Homer and Albion
where the housing market is
smaller...she had to sell
twice as many homes as
someone in a larger
city. She still sells to
this day at least 90% of
Homer homes.
Jewell
and her husband David have 2
children, Candy Lynn, a
nurse and seamstress who
lives in South Dakota, and
Bill, who resides in Homer
and is a commercial
electrician and the Homer
Fire Chief.
She and
David share a passion for
abused or troubled teens and
animals, and have taken in
several children, who she is
still close with, as well as
152 neglected animals since
working at Century 21. She
even traded her commission
once for a neglected bird
that she still has.
Jewell
wears many hats. She
was a Youth Group leader,
Teacher at Junior Church at
Cook's Prairie, Boy Scout,
Cub Scout & Campfire Leader,
Festival Committee member,
Performing Dance Group
called the Orange Slices,
Homer Chamber of Commerce
member, Village of Homer
board member, past secretary
to the Albion Board of
Realtors, Member of the
Michigan and National
Association of Realtors,
Homer Food Bank volunteer,
and was also the first woman
to become a member of the
Homer Lions Club!
Jewell is
a very passionate and
remarkable person and does
many things for the
community that are known as
well as unknown.
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