Jeanne Jensen Shada was a teacher in San Jose and Scotts Valley for twenty-three years before she retired from teaching and took on becoming an entrepreneur. Her teacher qualities of intelligence, creativity, and perseverance transferred very well for Jeanne when she earned her realtor’s license and entered the real estate field. Jeanne worked at real estate part-time until she left teaching in 1995. She started managing properties and named her company Jensen Property Management. She manages and sells residential properties including single-family homes, multi-family homes, apartment buildings, townhouses, and condominiums throughout Santa Cruz County. Jeanne is a responsible and ethical realtor. Her company’s motto is “Careful Management.”
Eventually the business name was changed to Scotts Valley Property Management to better reflect the office location. It is still a family-owned business, and Jeanne’s oldest daughter, Gigi Jensen, is the Office Manager and Assistant. Kathy Schutt, who was also a teacher, is a Property Management Assistant. Jeanne’s other daughter, Vicky Nitch, and son, Kristian Jensen, are both educators. For almost twenty years, Jeanne has been married to Wayne Shada, a retired teacher, who also worked in the business for many years before retiring.
Scotts Valley Property Management is a full-service business including advertising the available rentals and interviewing prospective tenants. The company also collects rents, inspects and repairs properties, handles tenant problems, returns security deposits, and writes letters of recommendation for tenants who move out. SVPM’s owner/clients live mostly out of the area; however, some owners live on or near the property but prefer to have a professional company handle the many details of management and legalities involved in their rentals. From decades of experience in the business, Jeanne has relationships with excellent service providers and vendors that assure that repairs can be quickly and cost-effectively made.
Jeanne belongs to a number of local, state, and national real estate organizations. She is also involved in community activities serving as President of the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2001 and as a Commissioner of the Scotts Valley Arts Commission since its inception in 1999. In 2003, Jeanne was chosen “Woman of the Year” by the Scotts Valley community.
As an involved community member, she and several other people started the annual Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival sixteen years ago. She has recently re-joined the Board of Directors of the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce. Another of her interests was the Sister City relationship between Scotts Valley and Nichinan-Cho, Japan, which she and Wayne promoted for ten years. Jeanne is also a board member of the Scandinavian Cultural Center of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz County Symphony League. She enjoys traveling and will return to Norway in the fall to visit cousins. She was recently featured on Doree Steinmann’s Community Television program, “Your Second 50 Years.”
Although she has worked very hard at her business and has volunteered in the community, Jeanne says she is somewhat surprised at how successful she and her business have become. In conclusion, Jeanne stated for the Scotts Valley Times: “Although I have been fortunate to have had two professional careers and have derived much satisfaction and pleasure in my community activities, the most rewarding part of my life has been my wonderful and supportive family.”
•••
Scotts Valley Property Management is located at 4615 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite B, Scotts Valley CA 95066. Telephone: 831.438.2208; Website: scottsvalleyproperty.comsvpm9331@yahoo.com.
