My name is Mary Anne Kirby. I have been a REALTOR for 30+ years in the Pittsburgh area. I do not limit myself to any particular area, so I have listed and sold east, west, north, and south. I am a native of the area and grew up in the Lawrenceville section of the City of Pittsburgh. I have been involved in the Pittsburgh area's GLBTQ community for many years. I managed a lesbian restaurant in the 80's called Wildsisters. It was a wonderful restaurant with a stage area for local and national talent as well as a gallery for local artist. My wife of 26 years and I share our home with our latest rescue-Phoebe. Prior to becoming a REALTOR, I was an opera singer. I love being on stage. Most people note my flare for the dramatics. (This skill comes in handy when negotiating!) I had the opportunity to live in Italy on 3 occasions for extended time periods. I loved Italy! I learned the language and soaked up the culture. It is my ardent desire to take a trip to my father's homeland, Ireland. I have a need to walk on the sod and look up my clan. During my "starving artist" years, I did a lot of restaurant work. I did management and training, as well as waitressing, bartending and cooking. I ran my own catering company for a number of years called "Creative Catering." I LOVE to cook and entertain. I was known to my staff as the garnish queen because of my love for beautiful presentations. I studied karate off and on for approximately 15 years. I started with a self-defense class and then another class and then another. I got hooked. I even helped my sensei (teacher) teach a self-defense class. I was thrilled to be part of helping someone else to understand and to become empowered! I believe my life experiences, travel, linguistics, management, karate, and the stage all contribute to my skill as a REALTOR. I have very good listening skills, and I love to match people with property. I believe that most people prefer to be proactive in this process, but often need to be given information, in order to make informed decisions. I know that my job is NOT to make decisions for you, but rather, to guide you with information and to act as a sounding board. I love the Real Estate industry. I work long and goofy hours, but I get to continually meet new and interesting people both locals and transferees.