Wife, Mother, Real Estate Pro
By: Courtney Burkholder
Caroline Decherd is one busy mama. When asked to describe her typical day, she shares an analogy that answers an age-old question that has plagued students for generations:
“In high school, I used to wonder why we had to do all those word problems in math. ‘Susie has four apples, and Johnny has three pears. If Johnny gives one pear to Billy, and Billy gives two bananas to Susie, who has the most fruit?’ Well, that’s my typical day. My life is a word problem.”
Juggling four children and their numerous activities, a husband who’s a successful plastic surgeon, a new career with Corie Properties as a real estate agent, as well as staying active in not one, not two, but three separate PTOs, Caroline knows the meaning of organization and having a good attitude. “I try to find the humor in all situations and just remember what’s important. My life requires a lot of multitasking,” she says.
Born and raised in Alamo Heights, Caroline has reaped the benefits of being an ’09 resident for most of her life: “Alamo Heights definitely has a small town feel, and I love that.” After graduating from Alamo Heights High School in 1988, she attended the University of Texas at Austin. where she graduated with a degree in speech communications and met her husband, Mike. Married in 1992, the Decherds set out on a 12-year educational journey through Mike’s medical school and two residencies, with Caroline planted firmly at the financial helm of their fledgling ship.
“I had a job in sales that supported us while Mike was in medical school and residency,” she says. Dually certified in otolaryngology and plastic surgery, today Dr. Decherd is a successful plastic surgeon whose focus is primarily cosmetic surgery, and he recently opened a new office right here in Alamo Heights. “When we first moved back to San Antonio, I worked for Mike for several years,” Caroline recalls. “I found his office space, hired his staff and worked as his office manager for several years. Slowly, as his business grew, I hired out my job.”
The Decherd Family
The Decherds have four daughters: Cally, 16, a junior this fall at AHHS, who is active in Destination Imagination and loves to sing; Josie, 13, an eighth-grade student at the new charter school, BASIS, who is a violinist in the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio and plays golf; Lucy, 10, a fifthgrade student at Woodridge Elementary, who is also active in Destination Imagination and loves art; and Francie, 7, a second-grade student in the Spanish immersion program at Woodridge Elementary. Needless to say, the girls are the center of the Decherds’ world, and while they were young, Caroline was happy to stay home and be the hands-on, stay-at-home mom they needed.
But as many stay-at-home-moms find, there came a time when Caroline was ready for a new challenge. “When our youngest daughter was in kindergarten, I was ready to do something forself,” she explains. “I always loved houses, and I thought I would enjoy real estate.”
According to Caroline, her interest in real estate began at an early age. “My dad is a residential real estate attorney. Growing up, he would sit on the end of my bed, and my bedtime stories were about the people and situations he encountered through his work,” she recalls. “He loved to drive me by buildings and get my opinions on them. My parents loved open houses. On Sundays, we would go to every open house just for fun.”
In December 2011, Caroline earned her real estates license and went to work for Corie Properties, a prominent boutique real estate agency based in Alamo Heights. “I’ve been doing it for a year and a half, and I love it,” she says. Though she still enjoys the houses, it’s her clients that make her job rewarding. “It’s all about the people. I really enjoy getting to know my clients on a very intimate level. It’s a stressful time, and they are looking for guidance. They need a calm person to help them think things through. If I can help them through this time in their lives, then I’m making a difference in their world.”
And according to Caroline, there isn’t a better time to be in the real estate market than right now. “The current market is fantastic. If a house is priced correctly and it’s a good house, it will sell fast. Things are really moving,” she says. With interest rates still low but starting to inch up, buyers are eager to find that perfect house. “I’ve seen the shift from it being a buyer’s market to being more evenly distributed. Buyers are fighting over the good homes, and by ‘good,’ I mean they are priced right, have potential and are in the right location.”
The Decherds have recently found their own perfect new home in ’09 overlooking the Quarry golf course in Lincoln Heights. “We moved a year ago because all four girls were sharing one bathroom,” Caroline laughs. “Our new location is like urban living but with a neighborhood. My kids can walk to Jamba Juice or to the movies. I can send them to Trader Joe’s to pick up something for dinner. It’s been a surprisingly fun adventure!”
Proud to call Alamo Heights home once again, Caroline considers herself blessed to be raising her daughters in the same neighborhood where she grew up. “Having kids at different ages and schools, it really takes a village,” she says. “There’s a level of comfort because I know my kids’ friends and their parents. I’ve been in their homes. Alamo Heights really feels like a small town, but with all the benefits of a huge metropolis.”
Spoken like a true real estate agent!
