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The passion has been there from the start—that interest in the relationship between "house" and "home." I suppose it was in the gene pool. My father, Herbert Cudd, started his construction company in 1950 and spent his entire career dedicated to building fine houses and solid neighborhoods where families could nurture a sense of belonging. My brother has continued that legacy, turning the Charles Cudd Company into one of the premier home-building companies in the country. The lesson wasn’t lost on me. Working in the family business, I developed an understanding of architecture, construction and home design. I carefully followed the building of Interlachen Woods and Marsh Creek, both of which I opened. I also have the inside track on Evergreen, the Villas on Powers Lake, and many other distinctive Woodbury neighborhoods. In fact, I’ve sold more than 500 homes there since 1987. Now, with the Cheryl Brenna Group, my construction and design background provides a unique perspective, an insider’s advantage, on Woodbury’s most desirable areas. I understand that buyers and sellers require someone with expertise, a dependable agent who has respect for the process and commitment to the community. They want a representative with the willingness to listen and the ability to hear. At the Cheryl Brenna Group, these convictions are always front and center. And what about my personal surroundings? I still live in the same small university town where I grew up. It’s home. My husband Jeffrey and I have two grown daughters several gorgeous grandchildren (ask me, I have pictures!). I’m fond of that quote from author Jim Rohn: “Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.” The Cheryl Brenna Group knows that the same holds true for the larger community.
Cheryl and I have been best friends since we were 12. We grew up in River Falls, went to the same school, and were closely connected to each others’ family. We still live in that college town and have been happily married for 36 years. So it’s no surprise that we finally decided to work together in 2006. I ran my own company — J. Brenna’s Rustproofing and Exhaust in West St. Paul — for 25 years. I had a loyal customer base that trusted me to steer them straight. People respected me for that, and sent their friends my way. Like Cheryl, I built my business mostly on referrals. In the auto industry, as in real estate, integrity and trust are what set you apart. I enjoyed running the business and helping customers, but was ready for a change. Real estate was a natural choice, given Cheryl’s passion for the business and her family’s longtime involvement in home construction. In fact, her dad had encouraged me to join her in the business years ago. He thought we’d be great together. He was right. Licensed in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, I serve clients in the eastern St. Paul suburbs and in River Falls and Western Wisconsin - fast-growing areas that are in high demand. I count myself lucky. I have a wonderful wife, two amazing daughters and incredible grandchildren. I get to work with my wife and daughter at something I’m really good at. I’m excited about using my business and people skills to help other families buy or sell their homes.
When I went into real estate, I knew that I had found what I was meant to do. And it has turned out to be so much more than the basics of the business. The real reward is in the people I meet and the strong relationships that develop. After 7 years in the business, I decided to take my career to the next level by forming an association with the Cheryl Brenna Group. I must say, it has proved inspiring. I've always admired Cheryl and the way she conducts business. Joining the Brenna Group has rejuvenated my enthusiasm for buying and selling homes. It is exciting to be working with someone I respect, and also to be a part of a successful team. And it is that partnership - that teamwork - that ensures that my clients will always receive exceptional service. I'm particularly interested in Woodbury real estate. It's my extended neighborhood. I live in the area with my husband, a schoolteacher, and our two young children. We are a typical suburban family, with a home stocked with kids and pets and love. I'm thankful for all of it. The same sense of joy and devotion I have for my family spills over into my work life. I have been an agent since 2001. I have also worked with Mike Rygh Custom One Homes in the new home construction business - which I find to be invaluable background for my current profession - in addition to owning a commercial cleaning company for many years. There's nothing like spending time at a job you love, especially with co-workers who are passionate about what they do. The Cheryl Brenna Group is the right place for me!
My interest in a real estate career was first sparked by packing up and moving my household six times, to six different states, in less than a decade! Go through that and you're bound to get a feel for what it means to efficiently sell one home and buy another. You also develop a keen appreciation for knowledgeable, capable, empathetic real estate agents. I wanted to be that kind of agent. So I put aside my work in public relations and earned my license - first in Arkansas and later in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I also got e-PRO® certification (a real estate technology program) and designation from the Graduate REALTOR® Institute. My husband and I have three children, all grown now. We're into that rewarding part of being parents, when the kids have become the kind of people you'd want as friends. We have great respect for them. And of course, they remain the great loves of our lives. These days, we make our home in Stillwater, so I'm especially familiar with east metro properties. Every client I work with, every transaction I make, I remember those half-dozen moves in ten years' time, and I vow to make each client's buying or selling process as smooth and pleasant as humanly possible. I know that everyone at the Cheryl Brenna Group shares this mind-set. Over the years, I had done several real estate transactions with Cheryl and had experienced firsthand the meticulous way she conducts business, the second-to-none way she markets homes. Her high energy and passion for this profession are obvious. It's a can-do approach that inspires and motivates, and I couldn't be happier about being a part of this dynamic organization.
Every real estate team needs someone behind the scenes — the person who sees to every detail and makes certain each transaction goes through without a hitch. That pretty much sums up my role in the Cheryl Brenna Group. I may have inherited the real estate bug from my mom. She was a Realtor back in the ’70s. I followed up a business administration degree from North Dakota State University with four years of title work and three years in the mortgage-banking sector. Title and mortgage experience is a huge plus in providing a smooth buying or selling process for our clients. I earned my Realtor license in 2006. On any given day, you can find me reviewing agreements and relocation documents, providing clients with market updates and feedback, diving into market research, and tracking files from sale to closing. Some people don’t take to details — I thrive on them. While I grew up in White Bear Lake, Woodbury has been home since the mid-1990s. My husband Mark and I have a daughter and a son, who are the light of our lives. When I’m not caring for them — or Zoe, the family pooch — I enjoy golfing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
You know that old adage, “Like mother, like daughter”? Well, my mother Cheryl Brenna and I haven’t always seen eye to eye on every little thing (case in point, my teenage years), but we do share an unflagging passion for anything related to real estate and home design. So while Cheryl and Jeff are helping clients buy and sell homes, I handle the marketing activity for all the for-sale listings — the print ads, the signs, the brochures, etc. The work is exciting and challenging, and it taps into my creative side. It also affords me the opportunity to spend time with two very important facets of my life: real estate and my parents. After taking a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, I worked on a Master’s of Art Education at Iowa State. Then I spent a couple of years with a graphic design agency before joining the Cheryl Brenna Group. My husband Shawn and I are the proud parents of two young sons. Wonderful job, wonderful family. Life is great. |
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ABOUT
CHERYL BRENNA, Realtor
ABOUT
JEFF BRENNA, Realtor
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JULIE TURNER, Realtor GRI
ABOUT
KAIVA LACIS-HUFF, Realtor, GRI, e-Pro
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MARTHA ANDERSON, Licensed Real Estate Assistant
ABOUT
MOLLY JO SEVERSON, Marketing Manager |
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