The friendly people at Lake James Real Estate are not only experienced, enthusiastic real estate professionals. They are equally enthusiastic residents of this spectacular area in and around the charming town of Morganton, North Carolina. Away from the office, you’re likely to find us fishing, waterskiing, wakeboarding – and exploring Lake James’ many miles of scenic shoreline. We’d be happy to show you where all the best watering – and fishing – holes are. Polly Leadbetter, REALTOR®, GREEN, GRI Broker/Owner Polly grew up in western New York, where she visited that state’s Adirondack and Catskill Mountains and Finger Lakes often, and attended Delhi State University of New York. A real estate professional since 2001, Polly and her husband first discovered Lake James on the Internet. They liked what they saw so much that they bought property in Lake James’ Southpointe community and moved there shortly thereafter. Polly also has a general contractors license, and together with Steve, heads Cottonwood Development, a construction and development firm. When she has a chance, she enjoys waterskiing and wakeboarding with Steve and the couple’s three young children. Steve Leadbetter Broker/Owner Steve thinks he has the perfect job. And when you consider that he spends most of his time near one of the most beautiful lakes in North Carolina, you’ll probably agree. Since Steve and his wife Polly founded Lake James Real Estate in 2003, the company has become the leading expert on property here. Steve was a real estate professional in his home state of Florida before moving to Colorado to work for Phillips Medical in customer service for 15 years. There, he met his wife Polly – and fell in love with the active outdoor lifestyle in the Rocky Mountains. The Leadbetters moved to Lake James so that they could both live and work in a place where they could enjoy many of the same activities. With 20 years experience helping customers and clients of all kinds, Steve knows the value of personal service. He also has a B.S. in engineering – which doesn’t hurt when you’re in the home business. Loralie Clark , REALTOR® Broker Originally from Michigan, Loralie moved around the southeast from 1993-2003 while her husband, David, completed his medical training in the U.S. Navy. She is new to the real estate field, her background includes a degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and experience in logistics and office management. She and her family (which includes two sons and an English Springer Spaniel named Daisy) moved to Southpointe from Charlotte in 2010. They fell in love with the lake and mountains while visiting with friends in 2009. Loralie is learning to incorporated hill training into her bike and run workouts since moving to the Lake James area. She enjoys competing in triathlons in her free time. She also loves to join her adventure-seeking family in their various pursuits, including: hiking, kayaking, backpacking and boating. There never seems to be enough time to enjoy all that the area has to offer. Rhonda Edge, REALTOR®, GRI Managing Broker - Lake James Real Estate Town Office Rhonda has lived in the Lake James area her entire life, so she’s known all along what others are now discovering – that this is both a place of great beauty and a great place to live. A real estate professional since 2005, Rhonda really knows her way around. Growing up, she lived in Old Fort in McDowell County, and has lived in Morganton for the past 15 years with her husband Jack. She obtained her GRI in 2006 and loves being a member of the Lake James Real Estate team. To top it off, Rhonda met her husband on Lake James. Needless to say, this area is particularly special to her. In her spare time, she enjoys boating and playing the lake, golf, tennis and simply spending time with friends and family. Karen Hennessee Office Manager Karen grew up in the east end of Burke County, but spent many childhood summers camping on Lake James. She married a life long resident of Oak Hill and now lives within minutes of Lake James. Although Karen has been a real estate professional since 1996, she now concentrates her experience towards office management. She enjoys interacting and helping with customers and clients, as well as finding creative ways to keep the crew organized. Her family, which includes husband Dean, two daughters, and one son, enjoy trips to Holden Beach as often as possible. They also love to take off for day trips to the nearby mountains to hike and explore. Karen also enjoys designing jewelry and hunting antiques to pass along to others. Denice Rechtiene, REALTOR® Broker On Denice's first visit to Lake James in 1994, she told her husband Tom that this is where they would live someday. The next day they purchased a lot in Mallard Cove on Lake James. When time permitted they built their dream home. They have lived in the Midwest, the Northeast and the South, but, have chosen Lake James as their home. With the closeness to the city of Morganton and it's unique charms of a small city, there is something special here for everyone. Denice comes to Lake James Real Estate with 22 years of human resource experience with a degree in Business Administration. Her goal now is to help others find their perfect place to live in the foothills of Western North Carolina.