Pittsburgh Real Estate Panel
November 30, 2020
We've hand-picked local lenders, agents, title companies, insurance agents, home inspectors, pandemic mitigators, and estate planners to help educate you about the home buying and selling process in Pittsburgh. With an average of 11 years in their perspective fields, you can contact any leader on this panel with your general questions about the real estate process.Our panel leaders are committed to consumer education and privacy and have agreed to not sell or share your personal information with others in the industry.
Lenders
Anthony DeLuca: Victorian Finance
NMLS #: 398494
724 519 2500 x319 Email Anthony a question
Banking & Lending Experience: 22 years
Blog Contributor
Shirelle Tramber: Citizens Bank
NMLS #: 749279
412 298 7971 Email Shirelle a question
Banking & Lending Experience: 17 years
Broker & Real Estate Attorney
David M. Tkacik
412 414 9644 Email David a question
Agent Experience: 12 years Residence: Cranberry Township
Expertise: New Construction & Commission Savings
David has been a practicing real estate attorney since 2008 and has helped countless residential home buyers and sellers throughout every kind of transaction. He founded Insight Realty in 2014 when he realized that the current real estate brokerage model could be vastly improved by offering buyer rebates and reasonable commissions without sacrificing service. Many of Insight Realty's clients come from the technology, legal, or medical industry and have been referred through word of mouth. Insight Realty has developed expertise in representing buyers of new construction and simultaneous sell/buy transactions. David earned a B.A. in Philosophy and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and is originally from Monroeville.
Real Estate Agents
Pittsburgh North: Julie Snider
724 933 1980 Email Julie a question
Agent Experience: 10 years Residence: Wexford
Expertise: First Time Home Buyers
Julie is a Pittsburgh Native who spent the first part of her career in biomedical research. Ten years ago, she ventured into real estate and never looked back. Having lived her whole life in between the North Side of Pittsburgh, and up to the Butler County line, Julie is an expert when it comes to the Northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. With her Accredited Buyers Representative designation, Julie is committed to educating and guiding first-time home buyers.
Fun Fact: Julie is an avid outdoorswoman. When she isn't working, you can find her skiing in the winter and spending time boating with her family on the Allegheny River in the Summer.
Watch Interview
Downtown & Historical Neighborhoods: Timothy Gyves
412 980 1639 Email Tim a question
Agent Experience: 10 years Residence: Friendship
Expertise: Historic Homes
Originally born in Brooklyn, NY, Tim and his wife (a Baldwin native) moved to Pittsburgh in the early 2000's. After spending years working with nonprofits, Tim took his passion for people and architecture and turned it into a thriving business in real estate. Now ten years into selling real estate, Tim works with a variety of buyers and sellers within the Pittsburgh area. Living in a 110-year-old Victorian home himself, Tim enjoys working with home buyers that are looking for unique and historic homes.
Fun Fact: Tim spent 10 years working with arts and literacy nonprofits in New York City. Now in Pittsburgh, Tim sits on the Board of The Silver Eye Center for Photography.
Watch Interview
Pittsburgh East: Jay Villella
412 477 8010 Email Jay a question
Agent Experience: 7 years Residence: Swisshelm Park
Expertise: Buyer Rebates
Originally born and raised in Erie, Jay moved to Pittsburgh in 2013 when his wife had an opportunity to get her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. Jay stumbled into real estate by accident seven years ago while teaching music classes. He quickly grew in real estate but started to become frustrated, with some of the practices in real estate that work against consumers. To help create a more consumer-centric approach to real estate, Jay started a rebate program and is one of the few agents in Pittsburgh that actively seek to give money back to their clients.
Fun Fact: Jay is a classical musician with two degrees in music. He has played with orchestras all over the US, including Carnegie Hall in New York and the Aspen Festival in Colorado.
Blog Contributor Watch Interview
Pittsburgh South: John Davies
724 271 8788 Email John a question
Agent Experience: 10 years Residence: Canonsburg
Expertise: Downsizing & Retirement Transition
John is a certified Project Management Professional who spent the earlier parts of his career managing projects for hospitals, power plants, and commercial buildings. He began dabbling in real estate investing by rejuvenating houses and became a real estate agent. For the past ten years, John has helped clients in the South of Pittsburgh buy and sell real estate. Using a project management approach, John now consults with clients who are beginning to plan their next life transition to simplify the complexity and maximize life enjoyment.
Fun Fact: John is currently a board member of the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce. An avid soccer fan, John played in adult soccer leagues until recently, and now spends time learning tennis and dabbling at playing the guitar.
Home Inspections & Pandemic Mitigation
Jessie Tait: Owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspections
President of Enspra
412 548 3629 Email Jessie a question
Industry Experience: 12 years
Jessie spent the beginning parts of her industry experience as an architectural and engineering consultant specializing in lighting and commercial fenestration on commercial builds all over the world. She began to pick up additional trades within the construction industry before deciding to open her own home inspection company in 2018. Jessie is known in Pittsburgh as one of the most thorough and honest inspectors in the area. When the pandemic hit Pittsburgh, Jessie partnered with NanoVapor Technologies to bring pandemic mitigation to Pittsburgh. Now President of Enspra, Jessie works with homeowners to not only advise them on the insides and outs of a home but also how to safely purchase and sell real estate during a pandemic.
Fun Fact: This Air Force veteran is a "jane of all trades!" Besides her extensive background in construction and pandemic mitigation, she also is a stunt driving school graduate, lover of motorcycles, and avid traveler.
Blog Contributor
Home Insurance
Ronald Brown: Goosehead Insurance
412 200 1253 Email Ronald a question
Industry Experience: 6 years
Ronald is a Pittsburgh native who originally started his career as a pharmaceutical/medical device representative. Six years ago he moved from selling life-saving medical devices to supporting Pittsburgher's in their dream of homeownership. Ronald represents Goosehead Insurance and the power of consumer choice. Goosehead represents 25 A-rated insurance companies which helps consumers find the best premium without compromising coverage.
Title & Settlement
Karen Stipetich: President of Good Deed Closings
412 835 7071 Email Karen a question
Industry Experience: 10 years
Estate Planning & Administration
Tim Sechler: Sechler Law Firm
724 841 1393 Email Tim a question
Industry Experience: 10 years
Tim is a combat veteran, having served in Afghanistan as a member of the West Virginia Air National Guard. He received his law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law and a Master's degree from the Duquesne University Donahue Graduate School of Business. Tim’s estate planning practice is focused on guiding clients through the complicated maze of balancing transfer strategies, wealth preservation, and family values in the planning process. In addition to becoming a Certified Elder Law Attorney, Tim is a multi-year recipient of the Super Lawyers Rising Star award, which is given to less than 2.5% of lawyers.
Fun Fact: Other than Tim, Sechler Law Firm is an all-female firm. In addition to empowering women in the legal field, Sechler law is also a family firm with Tim's wife, Robin managing the firm's community outreach and client relationships.
In our commitment to honesty and transparency in real estate, we want you to know that Pittsburgh panel leaders did not pay to participate in this panel. Your personal information is incredibly valuable in the real estate industry, and we want to see that value returned to you in the form of rebates and commission savings, rather than give it to other companies who profit by selling you out. You can learn more about referral platforms and the ways businesses collect your information on our resource blog.
