Age: 56
Occupation: Owner/realtor, Mountain Valley Realty at Snowshoe
Family: One daughter and three grandchildren
Pets: Chico, a Chihuahua and Millie, a miniature dachshund/ miniature Pinscher mix
Favorite Movie: Honeysuckle Rose, with Willie Nelson and Dyan Cannon
Favorite Book: The Bible
Philosophy of Life: Honesty is always the best policy.

Deb Goodwin didn’t necessarily plan to enter the realty field, it just happened to be what she was good at.

“When I lived in Jackson, Wyoming, I started working for a property management company and so that was all outdoor activities,” Goodwin said. “I also worked the front desk at a resort.”

When she decided to return to West Virginia, the Clarksburg native knew she didn’t want to work for the government or in a corporate job so she chose to be her own boss.

“I stayed with realty because it was the last thing I was doing when I came back,” she explained. “When I first came back here, I bought a teepee and had it on Slaty Fork farm and did weekend dinners. For a while, I had a restaurant, the Paradise Cafe, which something I had never done was food and beverage and it was hard. So I figured I’d do what I knew how to do and that was rental management.”

With her mind made up, Goodwin began Mountain Valley Realty with a simple goal, to have rentals and sales with a personal and welcome atmosphere.

“I think we have been a nice compliment to Snowshoe for guests and homeowners who want something a little bit different,” she said. “They don’t want to be necessarily a number, which when you get too big, that’s what they become.”

Two of Goodwin’s assistants are part of the ‘little bit different’ part of her business. Her pups, Chico and Millie, are always present and are ready and willing to give their opinions on a new rental or house for sale.

In a profession that is marred by uncertainty, Goodwin is happy to have passed the 10-year mark.

“We opened June 1999, so more than 10 years,” she said. “I think we’ve been around probably more than anybody. When we hit the 10-year mark, I was like ‘Wow.’ I think that means we’re going to stay.”

Goodwin and her four-legged friends have been joined by realtors Rachel Fanning and Bobby Jo Simmons, who have made it possible for Mountain Valley Realty to expand their sales beyond Snowshoe and into other areas of county as well as in Randolph County.

“We have two cabins down on the Elk River that we manage in Randolph County and I’ve got some land and houses for sale there,” Goodwin said. “We also have some houses in Green Bank, Arbovale and Marlinton. We’re not so big that we can be all over, but we do branch out.”

The branching out has led to a new sign near the former Meck’s Bakery on Rt. 66 and plans for another office to be open this spring.

With more than 10 years under her belt, Goodwin has a good grip on the realty handle.

“I think to succeed you have to be motivated, have to reach out and try different things,” she said. “You just need to know what you want and be willing to try different things and be flexible.”