Danielle Malecek
About Me
As a finance enthusiast and former hedge fund analyst, I believe there is no greater investment than a home. Home is where life happens. Home is where you feel safe. A home is also the single greatest asset anyone will ever own.
The home buying and listing experience is one of life's biggest decisions. It can be a complex and stressful process, requiring an advisor with a special skill set to bring all parties involved to mutual agreement. As a fierce and experienced negotiator, passionate for finance and investing, my goal is to help clients navigate the bends and curves of the real estate process. My objective is to help lower stress levels and ensure a smooth, and informed journey throughout. Leveraging my background and experiences in the corporate world, I aim to provide an innovative, white-glove home buying and/or home selling process to all the clients I serve.
I'm a life-long equestrian and, in my younger days, I was a barrel racer. As an avid runner, I have completed 7 marathons to date. Nowadays though, I stick to trail running. :-D More often than not, you'll find me outdoors - taking my Bernese Mountain Dog, Rosa, on hikes in the mountains, exploring the many waterfalls and rivers in the region, and adventuring the area as it should be! Western North Carolina is so full of wonder, mystery, and delight. I am privileged to call Hendersonville and North Carolina home.
Experience
Growing up in the country on a small horse farm in Indiana, being outside was my world. I also loved math. After high school, I attended Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, in Bloomington, Indiana where I obtained a degree in Finance. Outside of studying, I enjoyed hiking the many trails in the area, exploring southern Indiana's National Forests and foothills.
Almost immediately after college, I began my career in finance in downtown Chicago. Working for some of the world's leading financial institutions like Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and the hedge fund, Citadel Investment Group, I began my introduction to real estate. During and throughout the Great Financial Crisis, I managed real estate based securities & derivative portfolios (CDOs) ranging in size from $1-$6 Billion (notional). Upon the fallout of the banking world, I was appointed to help lead the unwind of the then bankrupt Lehman Brothers Real Estate Portfolio, the largest Real Estate Portfolio held by any bank up until that point.
While I enjoyed my "big city" experiences, I knew I missed my outdoor adventures more. In 2014, after spending nearly a decade in Chicago in Finance, my husband and I moved to North Carolina's Research Triangle. While he attended grad school at UNC, I transitioned into Technology Sales, working for Informatica, Red Hat/IBM, and SAS. Working my way from the bottom, I became a top selling Account Executive, negotiating multi-million dollar contracts with the C-Suite of companies like Disney, Johnson & Johnson, & MassMutual.
Meanwhile, my husband and I purchased our first home in Durham, NC. Throughout the process of updating and renovating our all-original, mid-century brick ranch, I arrived at a realization that changed our life as we knew it. Recognizing that my affinity for real estate could be combined with our pursuit for an outdoor-based lifestyle, we moved to Hendersonville in 2021. John Muir, the infamous naturalist and father of national parks once said "The mountains are calling and I must go". We heard it loud and clear, and we went! Can you hear them calling you?
Whether you've been in the area your whole life, returning after being gone, or you're completely new, just moving to the area, I would love to help you pursue your own dreams of what home means to you in Western North Carolina.
Photos
Service Areas & Specialties
Interests
- Painting/Drawing
- Photography
- Theater/Film
- Dog/Cat
- Cooking/Dining
- Dog/Cat Lover
- Fitness
- Personal Wellness
- Reading/Writing
- Book Clubs/Literature
- Pottery
- Music
- Bird Watching
- Environmental Activism
- Gardening
- Hiking and Camping
- Running
- Travel
- Equestrian
- Tennis
Ask An Expert
How is the tax bill of a home determined in North Carolina?
Real property is appraised at 100% of market value and includes land, buildings, structures, and improvements. State law requires counties to reappraise every eight years, but many counties reappraise every four. A bill can be a combination of tax rates. For example, a home inside the City of Asheville and Asheville City School districts will have three separate tax rates represented on a bill: the Buncombe County rate, the City of Asheville rate, and the Asheville City School rate. All rates are totaled to calculate the total tax liability. Tax rate estimates for our mountain communities can be found on page 127 of the Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Welcome magazine.
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