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Top Women in Real Estate

LUCY BURNI

FEARLESS

REAL ESTATE INVESTOR

By Judith A. Habert

Lucy Burni was born and raised in La turned out that although they had sold the
Barca, a small town outside of Guadalajara, stores, they still owned the land, so as the
Mexico, and little did she know where her landlord, he would be stopping in once a
life would end up. Lucy was 19 when she month. The two became fast friends.
paid her first visit to San Diego, to stay with Since she was new to San Diego, he Photos courtesy of Lucy Burni
her sister, who had recently moved here. decided to take it upon himself to show
Lucy knew from that first sojourn to San her around town. The friendship grew and
Diego that this was where she wanted to turned into a relationship, and two years
live. Lucy returned home after her two- later, they were married. Lucy was 23 and
week visit and told her parents that she was still feels "Marrying my husband was one of
going to move to San Diego. Being some- the happiest moments of my life. He was a working there, but come five o’clock every-
what traditional, her father was adamant wonderful man, husband, and father, and one would leave. But we saw a great oppor-
that Lucy would not leave home unless she we had three beautiful children together." tunity in buying downtown properties. In
left with a husband. For weeks after her vis- In 1991 Lucy started working with her a city as wonderful as San Diego, we knew
it, finding a way to get to San Diego was all husband, who had been in the furniture that it would need to have a great down-
she could think about. Knowing she would business with his father for a few years. They town at some point, and we were right. The
never get the okay from Dad, Lucy decided started buying small apartment complexes growth of the Gaslamp was just around
to head to San Diego without her parent’s that were in disrepair and did a complete the corner, and we had purchased some
permission. rehabilitation of them and then sold them great properties on 4th and 5th Avenue.
She arrived at her sister's home with for profit. After they realized that the profit We hired our own construction crew so we
a mission in mind. She would take one was more than they expected, they contin- could expedite renovations and control the
month to prove herself to her family. She ued to do the same with a few more apart- cost for the highest quality work.”
visited for two days, and on the third day, ment complexes. "I loved working with my Things were going amazingly well. “We
she set out to get a job. She filled out about husband. I learned so much and was given a were so happy, our kids were growing up, and
13 applications all around her sister's neigh- lot of responsibility. The learning experience then in the course of a few days, my world
borhood of Chula Vista, and the next day was amazing. All that I learned back then is came tumbling down. I received a phone call
she got her first response and was invited in so valuable to me today.” from the gym were my husband Dean was
for an interview. The call was from a family Lucy and her husband teamed up with working out with his trainer, and they told
from South Africa who had just bought his father, who was a smart and successful me there had been a terrible accident. My
three furniture stores and were looking businessman. Ralph was born in Amman, beloved husband died of a brain aneurysm at
for someone to keep their books, answer Jordan and his wit, ambition, and sense the age of 47, leaving me with my two-year-
phones and basically handle all the clerical of humor led him to an array of business old son who barely knew him and my two
duties for the business. The interview went ventures. He took his son Dean under his girls, ages 9 and 12, who idolized him.”
well, and they decided to hire her. They wing right after high school, and together Lucy's world turned upside down.
asked when she could start, she said right they started the Burni legacy. The thought of telling her children of
now, and she did on the spot. They ventured into commercial real his passing and living the rest of her life
Two weeks later, while working, a man estate, and Lucy loved it. "Commercial real without this wonderful man devastated her.
whom she thought was a customer came in estate was so much easier than residential "If not for my family's love and support, I
the store. He asked if she was new there and real estate. Clients sign long term leases, don't know how I would have ever gotten
she responded that she was. They talked and the management of the property is less through it. I am one of nine children, so we
briefly and then she found out that his time-consuming. They started looking for have a huge support system, but still, I had
name was Dean Burni and he and his father good deals to invest in, and soon opportu- no idea what I would do next. I spent two
Ralph Burni were the previous owners of nities became available all over San Diego full weeks at home, trying to just manage to
the furniture stores. So, he had stopped in County and especially in the downtown put one foot in front of the other to move
to see if there was any mail since they had area. In those days it was like a ghost town. forward. I knew I had to for my three chil-
only sold the business a few weeks before. It Yes, during the days it was busy with people dren. It was the hardest time of our lives."

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