Northwoods Realty

Northwoods Realty is a real estate brokerage in Spearfish Lake. We first encounter the business in Chapter 25 of Absent Friend when Ryan Clark puts Binky in contact with Tom Rufner, the owner, shortly after her marriage to Steve Augsberg in 1983.^BAR711 Tom needed a receptionist and they soon discovered that she had a talent for real estate.^AF25 She had a knack for matching buyers and houses plus a love for haggling.

From Absent Friend Chapter 25:

Binky had found her calling, and took to selling real estate like a duck took to water. Before long, it was clear to everyone who knew her that she never would have made it in a communist Vietnam; she was too thoroughgoing a capitalist. She had a touch for real estate that was almost uncanny. Prospects and listings somehow came out of the woodwork for her, and she was an utter magician for putting one and the other together. Success breeds success in real estate, and she had success to build on.

Getting listings hadn’t been a problem after she’d managed to sell the old Wayne and Donna Clark house out on Point Drive for $450,000. That was about $400,000 more than Wayne’s son, Brent, and Donna’s son, Frank Matson, ever thought anybody in their right mind would be willing to pay for the old lumber baron’s mansion. Within a year, Binky’s income had become more than what Steve made out at Clark Plywood – and, since he was the Production Manager now, he did well there. Since most of it went back into real estate investments, she and Steve continued to live modestly in the cottage at Hannegan’s Cove.

Later on (date unknown) she bought Northwoods Realty from Tom.^DW63 She speculates on some properties, purchasing a home for later resale and keeping some as rentals.^HP5