This real estate professional is no 'Little Bo Peep'

Amelia Smith is in no danger of losing her sheep. Price, her champion Border collie sheepdog, makes sure of that. The Realtor lives in Valley Center with four Border collies and nine sheep. The dogs, who earn their championship titles from an agricultural sport called sheepdog trialing, are Amelia’s pride and joy. Price is ranked 22nd in the country. An African parrot, a cat and a horse make up the rest of Amelia’s household.

Horses have always been a part of Amelia’s life. She has shown hunters and jumpers since she was 7. This love and understanding of animals has brought her to where she is today: a real estate expert who specializes in large, agricultural property and multi-acre estates in Fallbrook/Bonsall and Valley Center.

Amelia started her real estate career at Western Mutual Escrow in Newport Beach when she was 18. She worked in the escrow industry for ten years then went into residential lending. At First Federal Savings she was the loan production manager for San Diego County; after that she worked for Great Western Bank, handling major loans of $1,000,000 and up and properties of at least 26 units. At Security Pacific, she single-handedly created a Commercial/Industrial division.

After ten years in lending, Amelia craved a more personal relationship with her clients. To this end, she got her real estate license and went to work for Prudential CA Realty 3. For the first five years she represented large horse property, including Hidden Oaks Ranch in Valley Center, a 15-acre horse facility in Bonsall and 72 acres in Santa Isabel. When she moved to the Rancho Santa Fe office, she added large estate type-property to her specialties. She recalls one listing in Saratoga Estates where she received ten written offers in less than 48 hours and ultimately sold the property for substantially more than the listed price. But Smith reiterates that her clients’ needs are of utmost importance to her; whether they are buying or selling a condo or a castle, she’s happy to represent them.

Amelia has recently moved to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and plans to redouble her efforts to serve the areas she loves. “If there’s ever going to be another Rancho Santa Fe, it’s Fallbrook/Bonsall,” she says. “I’ve always told my clients, if you want to live in a beautiful place and find property that truly suits your needs, this is where you have to look.”

Amelia Smith can be reached at (760) 505-1553.