About Barbara Charlton
I was born in Wisconsin, and moved to Minnesota when I was just two weeks old, so I feel pretty sure I count as a "born and bred Minnesotan." You know Minnesota, the land where everyone is nice?
My stomping ground is "south of the river" in the Twin Cities. I grew up in Rosemount, and have spent 2/3 of my life around here: Rosemount, Eagan, Lakeville, and such. The gravel roads that I learned to drive on (Diffley Road, Pilot Knob Road, and Cliff Road) are now 4-lane mini-freeways, and our old farm has about 600 houses on it with mature trees. When I was in 3rd grade, my mom won a naming contest in the Dakota County Tribune to name the road we lived on "Johnny Cake Ridge Road" (Apple Valley)!
To me, the Minnesota Zoo is still "the new zoo" and it's over 30 years old. The Cedar Avenue bridges used to be so narrow that two large cars could not pass each other, and if a barge hit one of the two bridges, the only other way "into town" was the Mendota Bridge.
Yes, I've been here a long time.
I have a few passions. One of them is helping people get value in buying and selling their home. I love
My second passion is animals. They are my soft spot, and I have a complete menagerie at home. My critters are all rescues, starting with Peanut (she was 10 weeks old when I found her running the 
ditches, and was so small I thought she was a black cat). At 60 lbs., she has grown into a Border Collie/Lab mix that runs the house when I'm not home. Duke is an English Pointer/Lab mix who came to us to keep Peanut company, and Zippy is Lord-knows-what....we think Boston Terrier/Rat Terrier/Pit Bull/Lab+ mix who is 30 lbs. and thinks he's real tough. They share the house with our two cats, Max and Ruby.
.jpg)
I am married to my best friend and man of my dreams, Steve Charlton (my passion for him transcends the need for any ranking). Because he said he was drawing the line on any more four-legged friends, I joined the Board of Directors at the Minnesota Valley Humane Society www.MVHSPETS.org. That way I can keep rescuing animals without increasing my vet bill. He is amazingly tolerant and supportive of my adventures, and I give thanks for him every day.
My third passion is riding my Harley Heritage Softail, customized just for me and I'll never sell it. If 
you ride, we can see a LOT of homes together and have a ball in the process. (OK, we'll have fun if we take the car, too, and you won't have to eat bugs in the process.)
I hold a Minnesota general contractor's license, but you don't want me framing a house! Steve handles the projects for his business www.GreatAmericanRemodeling.com, and I take care of the contracts, project management, and accounting. I have also completed the National Association of Home Builders "Aging in Place" course because we want to be able to help people stay in their homes as they age.
Two years ago I got my GRI, which I strongly believe should be part of the pre-licensing curriculum. We seem to turn our licensees loose without any practical experience or real training. I continually go to classes and study like a mad woman to keep on top of our industry.
I am known for my follow through and getting things done. For example, two years ago I started an independent, weekly networking group as part of my marketing effort. Today we stand at 26 members. Our goal this year is to exchange $125,000 in closed business. I am so proud of our group, and am grateful for their trust and commitment.
Whew, and I thought it would be hard to come up with stuff for this section!