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Steady Values
This refreshing blend of common sense and sophisticated
savvy has always been one of Diana's most remarkable traits. More than
just buying 12 acres and building her home at the age of 21, she served
as general contractor on the project, utilizing other tradesmen for most
of the initial work, but finishing a large part of the home herself.
While it has been remodeled since then, the home still stands.
"I built it in stages," she laughs today. "But it's been a good house."
One of the reasons she sought the wide-open spaces around Basehor was
her love of animals, a collection of horses, dogs and other pets that
have since led her to purchase farms in Oskaloosa and even breed and
raise longhorn cattle. She currently owns three quarter horses and a
Tennessee walker, as well as two German shepherds and a Chihuahua."I've
always loved horses and pets," she noted. "I had a pony growing up and
the idea of having lots of animals stayed with me."
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Diana is that real estate was
not her first career choice. Although she's obviously a natural for the
profession, with a rare combination of business and people skills, Diana
first studied and worked as a graphic artist. A native of Kansas City
and growing up in Basehor, she worked at the age of 17 as a graphic
artist for the Command General College at Fort Leavenworth. She earned a
degree in commercial art and worked in that field for 15 years, first
for Dymon, Inc. and Hallmark Cards. Finally, in a move that foreshadowed
her entrepreneurial talents in real estate, she put out her own shingle
as a freelance artist. She also created and published an equine
magazine and a national automotive newspaper, building a reputation both
regionally and nationally.
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