Justine A. Smith
Justine moved to Austin in 1991 on what could best be described as a youthful whim. She and a high school friend decided to leave California to see the world and threw a dart to pick the location. The dart landed near Corpus Christi, and Austin was the closest city they were interested in. If it didn’t work, she reasoned, she could move to New Orleans. Little did she know that it would more than work; Justine would grow to love Austin and its surrounding areas and make them her home.
Justine and her husband, Kevin, bought their first house in 1997 in South Austin. It was the realization of a life’s dream. Growing up the child of a free-spirited single mom, she’d never had that type of stability and her family never owned a house. Justine began turning an obsession into a career when she joined Keller Williams’s Realty International as a web designer, and her interest and enthusiasm just kept growing.
Justine became an investor in 2002, when she bought a small fixer-upper on the East Side. Justine was featured in season 2 of TLC’s (The Learning Channel) Flip That House rehabbing a house she’d moved to the East Side. Moving houses is another of Justine’s passions. “The architecture and style of Central Texas in the 20s through 40s just has a kind of soul. Sometimes I joke that I’m saving South Austin’s houses one at a time – but by moving them.” Justine has experience in land development, new construction, rehab projects, house moving, and condo conversions.
In 2005, Justine and her husband, Kevin, moved to a rambling old farm house on 5 acres in southwest Austin (near Driftwood). When he’s not on the road with Dwight Yoakam, or Willie Nelson, Kevin plays in Austin with Heybale! Justine is the mom of two terrific kids, which gives her insight into the issues facing families in deciding where to move.
Justine is an avid music lover and gardener, and is always in the know about the latest “only in Austin” happenings.
To contact Justine directly call 512-970-0681 or justine@moxierealtygroup.com
Mishell B. Kneeland
Mishell is also a native Californian, but finally found a true home in Austin after spending sixteen years on the East Coast in Philadelphia (at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania), Washington, D.C. (consulting, then going to law school at the Georgetown University Law Center), and Manhattan (where she practiced commercial litigation and employment law). While consulting, Mishell spent substantial time in Boise, St. Paul, Chicago, and St. Louis. When she decided to leave Manhattan, Austin was the clear choice. Among the things that drew her to Austin were the culture, especially the live music scene, the friendly people, and the fact that homeownership was possible.
Mishell moved to Austin in 2002 and bought her South Austin bungalow in 2003, which she substantially remodeled with the help of her very handy friends. Like Justine, Mishell grew up with an off-and-on single mother in various rent houses or apartments and had never owned a home before. She enjoys working on her house and has added solar power and an organic vegetable garden to her property. She loves living in Austin and enjoys introducing others to the benefits of home ownership and real estate investing in the Austin area.
Mishell leads a double life as a practicing attorney and a real estate agent. Mishell is also an experienced real estate investor who owns two investment properties.
When she’s not working, Mishell loves throwing parties, cooking, working in her garden, and going to see great live music.
To contact Mishell directly call 512-965-5463 or mishell@moxierealtygroup.com
