Minh Tran of CENTURY 21 Market Professionals

Personal Profile

Flipping a house is child's play. Minh Tran flipped her career.

Despite a master's degree in education from University of Queensland, Australia, and fruitful work as a teacher, Minh gutted her classroom experience, took a wrecking ball to load-bearing homework, and hauled dated, standardized-testing appliances to the landfill, totally transforming her life into one based on real estate.

This has yielded many advantages, not the least of it being that, for the most part, homebuyers present far fewer discipline problems.

So given Minh's background, it should come as no surprise that she specializes in helping buyers find properties that can be transformed into a new home to be proud of, or for resale at a meaningful profit. Let's see you do that in English class.

Minh says she became interested in home remodeling while watching shows such as Flip or Flop on HGTV. Minh was fascinated by watching the processes of property transformation from outdated conditions to the fresh, modern and new trendy looks.

Yes, we love that fake-mahogany wood paneling and those olive green ovens as much as the next person, but sometimes they just have to go.

It takes a practiced eye to know which houses can be brought back to life, and which should be left to the lady with 17 cats and a spare bedroom filled with fabric swatches and ceiling-high stacks of National Geographic magazines. That's where Minh's experience is invaluable, as she guides you through the potential and possibilities of properties in need of freshening.

Since 2019 Minh has been honing her knowledge of fixer-upper and investment properties, and you can use her expertise to your advantage.

So when you see a listing for a "handy man special" or a house that "is in need of a little TLC" - which is normally real-estate code for "Run for your lives!" - you do not need to be afraid. Minh has spent a significant amount of time working on projects transforming properties, including redesigning floor plans, installing the latest in trendy interior materials, managing properties, or preparing properties for the market. And, of course, if you are a seller, she also knows the tips that will help that property move.

You might even say she will be happy to give you an education. Or not.

When she isn't replacing linoleum-covered shower stalls, Minh likes to spend time with her family, enjoying parenthood, cooking a variety of dishes and going on weekend adventures and road trips with her loved ones. Like the singer Lana Del Ray, Minh believes, "home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams." And her work on your behalf will surely earn an A.