Our Team Is On YOUR Side! 

We SOLD Almost 2 properties Every Day Last Year - How About Selling Yours NOW ! 

Team Birtola-Garmyn – Prudential’s #1 team in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest!
Whether you are buying or selling your home, Team Birtola-Garmyn is a winning combination of professional realtors and assistants committed to satisfaction for each and every client without compromise. 

As top real estate agents, we do not work alone! We have a whole team of people working in your best interests. Meet our team. 

Ruben Garmyn,
Broker/Owner
Ruben has been serving the real estate needs of Central Oregon since 1994. He started with Coldwell Banker, after which he became the Top Producer with Century 21 and RE/MAX. Ruben brings to real estate his knowledge in architecture, which he studied in Belgium, and his extensive experience in marketing. After a 4 year stint in the Navy as a weapon technician and 4 years as a Police Officer Ruben owned and operated 3 successful businesses including 2 restaurants. Ruben joined the RE/MAX system in 1998. In his second year he became a member of the RE/MAX "Platinum Club", the top 1% agents in the nation. On January 1, 2002 he opened his own office with Jim - Prudential High Desert Realty. Ruben looks forward to another BANNER YEAR. Ruben is also an Accredited Buyer Specialist, Graduate of the Real Estate Institute, Certified Residential Specialist, and an e-PRO Internet Professional.  

Jim Birtola,
Broker/Owner
A native of California, Jim moved to Central Oregon in 1990 for a career change. Jim worked in the "fast lane" of Silicon Valley for 13 years as a Software Engineer and Engineering Manager. These skills have kept Jim on the leading edge of the new Real Estate technology trends and supplied him with the priceless people skills needed in today's Real Estate arena! As a Central Oregon homeowner since 1990, Jim has been involved with community activities including Sunriver Area Chamber Director and Rotary President for 2001-2002 term. Jim is ranked in the top 1% of all brokers nationally. He holds the two prestigious designations of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and is a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI). Jim's hobbies include Martial Arts (Jim is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do), music, skiing, boating/fishing and marine aquariums.  

Lori Birtola,
Office Manager/Owner
Lori moved to Central Oregon with Jim and their small children Jeremy and Justin. Central Oregon provided a safe and beautiful atmosphere for raising a family. As the team "Office Manager", we rely on Lori daily! In past years, Lori had developed skills as an Executive Secretary for various corporations, as well as Accounting/bookkeeping skills for Mirrassou Winery. 

Janet H. Breyer,
Transaction Coordinator/Owner
Janet is a native of Chicago. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Southern California Law Center, where she graduated in the top 10% of her class. Janet has practiced law since 1986 and has been in private practice in Bend since 1995. Janet is a member of the American Business Women's Association. Janet has authored many law related articles, most recently co-authoring a chapter in Oregon Women and the Law, published by the Oregon Commission for Women. Janet is a past instructor at UCLA, Extension Division, and Loyola Marymount College, Los Angeles, and has lectured on legal issues to various professional and business organizations. Currently Janet is retired from Law Practice. 

Ken Mucha,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Ken, an Arizona native, spent 5 years as a physical education teacher before relocating to Central Oregon from Scottsdale in 2001. Because Central Oregon offers a variety of outdoor activities, is an ideal place to raise a family, and his wife is originally from the area, Bend has truly become “home.” Ken joined Prudential High Desert realty in 2002 and has consistently been a top-producing Buyer Specialist for Team Birtola-Garmyn. His credentials include: Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®), e-Buyer Specialist (eCertified®), and he was awarded the Sales Associate of the Year for both 2003 and 2004. Ken is driven to provide exceptional customer service by being accessible and organized. He is committed to listening and effectively communicating with his clients to meet their needs. As a member of Team Birtola-Garmyn, Ken is continually working to achieve "Mucha Results." Ken enjoys hiking and camping with his family, playing with his son Dillon and daughter Sydney, and keeps fit by jogging and going to the gym.
 

Stan Seaman,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Stan Seaman and his wife Melinda moved to beautiful Central Oregon two years ago from the San Francisco Bay area after vacationing in Bend and finding the perfect environment to enjoy life. Originally from New York, Stan has traveled throughout the world and fell in love with sunny Bend at first sight. Stan brings over 25 years experience as a Real Estate Broker and developer to Prudential High Desert Realty/Team Birtola~Garmyn. He has extensive experience in many areas of real estate sales, marketing and customer service and truly enjoys working to find clients their dream house and knows there's a perfect home for everyone, just waiting to be discovered. For fun, In their free time, Stan and Melinda and their three dogs, Bailey, Ali and Lola, enjoy Central Oregon's premier outdoor life. They delight in hiking Bend's many trails, fly fishing its mountain lakes and biking whenever they have the opportunity. 

Will Florence,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Will originally lived in several Mid-west States before moving to Oregon. He is a published author, has a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Oregon University, and previously worked with NBA players and fans at the Portland Trail Blazers. With a diverse employment background in community relations and office administration, he never expected to work in real estate. But as he says, "The one thing all those jobs have in common with real estate is working with people to achieve a goal. And now that I've worked in real estate for a couple years, I can't imagine doing anything else." In his free time, Will is an avid golfer and also enjoys playing guitar and hiking.
 

Clair Sagiv,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Clair, a native of Central Oregon, comes to Prudential after a long-time association with not-for-profit organizations in Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Her professional background is fund development, planned giving and estate planning. Clair spent many years away from her native country but always returned for the mountains, steams and sunshine of Central Oregon….and her family, of course. Her hobbies are music (particularly the piano), hiking, reading, fishing and enjoyment of the great outdoors. Clair welcomes your call and is ready to serve your every real estate need.  

Susie Biggs,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Being a Native Central Oregonian and a licensed Real Estate Agent for 12+ years all of which in the local Market has allowed me to make the dream of ownership in Bend to many wonderful people. I truly love my profession and take pride in the way I do business. In my spare time I enjoy soaring the skies above Central Oregon in a Cessna 172, riding roller coasters and spending time with my beloved mom and 3 wonderful sisters. Living on a 7 ½ acre Ranchette in Tumalo, producing Orchard Grass for re-sale is also one of my spare time endeavors.  

Nancy Nolan,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Every day I'm in awe of the rugged beauty of Central Oregon and love the friendliness and adventurous spirit I find here. I come from a background in customer service and am starting my 8th year in real estate residential sales. I am thrilled to be partnered with Team Birtola-Garmyn. My passion in real estate is twofold: One, to find the right property and home at the right price for you and your family. Two, to be your transaction sherpa! What does this mean? It means I do all the heavy lifting from negotiations, contracts and contingencies straight through to an easy, on-time close. This allows you to relax and enjoy the experience. In my spare time I enjoy getting outdoors hiking and biking, spending time with family, cooking and reading.
 

Andrew Ellis,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Andrew has lived and worked in Oregon for many years. After living and traveling throughout much of the country he fell in love with the people, natural beauty, and opportunities here in Oregon. He now calls Central Oregon home; and with his wife, a native Oregonian, they are raising their family here. With a thorough 10-year background in sales and marketing, recently with Hewlett Packard, Andrew brings great understanding into the communication & negotiation necessary to bring about a successful real estate experience. In his free time Andrew enjoys cycling, fitness, and keeping up with his 1 year old son. 

Korina Chinchen
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Originally from Portland, I moved to Central Oregon in 2002 to enjoy all that Central Oregon has to offer. I have been in the real estate field for the over 12 years, working as a Residential Appraiser and owning an Appraisal business. This experience gives me an additional knowledge base needed to negotiate the most competitive price for my Clients. I have a Bachelors degree in fine Art with an emphasis in Design and Architecture. I have also spent time volunteering as a child advocate and working with abused and neglected children. I enjoy hiking and travelling, as well as spending time with my children. 

Shawna Cecil
Broker/Buyer Specialist
As a transplant Central Oregonian I am very aware of what the area has to offer. From trail heads for hiking to where to hunt, all the way to the best spots to grab a bite! I love the outdoors and when I get a chance for my husband and four kids and I to camp, I take it! Central Oregon is an amazing place and everyone should have a chance to enjoy it!! Being in real estate allows me to dive deeper into how great the area is, from old downtown to the newer areas. Finding homes for my clients is my passion! When I am not doing that I am cooking for friends and family and enjoying Central Oregon's great outdoors! Cheers!! 

Kathleen O'Conner,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
If you can give me the clues, I would love to search out your dream property. It’s not always easy to find what you are looking for especially if you are moving to Central Oregon from out of town. I like to pick my clients’ brains to get a wish list for their next move. When the list is complete, I will preview properties that might fit with my clients. Sometimes I can even call you and say, “I found your home!I began my career in real estate 20 years ago and I’m not burned out yet. I view my job as a service I can do for people who are undertaking one of the most exciting and at the same time stressful undertakings of their life. The process is more challenging with all the distressed properties that are on the market. But now is the time to get an excellent value. I would like to make this a “painless experience” for you with a big reward at the end of the process. During my years in this industry, I have sold everything from small condos to large ranches. Please feel free to call or email anytime if you want to pick my brain about your potential move. Or if you want to drop in the office, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee at one of the local coffee shops.
 

Aaron Lamb,
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Aaron knows that despite all the positive media Bend receives as being one of the best places to live and invest in properties, navigating the housing market these days can be difficult. In fact making this important personal and financial decision through the sea of short sales, foreclosures and mortgage problems can be almost overwhelming at times. If you are a buyer and this sounds or feels familiar, Aaron can help. Aaron works with BUYERS ONLY. As a native Oregonian with over 6-years of experience as a Buyer Broker Specialist he can help you wade through the difficult decisions and make your home buying process a positive one. Because he does not divide his time with listings and sellers you get focused professional service in finding, negotiating and buying the home that meets your needs. Aaron and his wife Debora are the proud parents of twins and love to watch movies, travel, and enjoy all the great outdoor activities that make Bend an incredible place to live and raise a family
 

Jet Cowan
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Hi! My name is Jet Cowan. I started my Real Estate career this year (Mar. 2011). I have taken the opportunity to join one of Oregon's primer Real Estate offices, Prudential High Desert Realty. Although this is only my first year in Real Estate, I have the guidance and expertise of a Real Estate master Mr. Jim Birtola. His experience will ensure that our transactions go as smoothly as possible. I am here to serve you, your wants, and your needs. Please call me today and let me know how I may be of service to you. 

Barbara Barany
Broker/Buyer Specialist
Originally from the Willamette valley,my family and I moved to beautiful Central Oregon in 1999. We have taken full advantage of all the outdoor activities that Central Oregon has to offer All of my children are grown and are their own paths. I decided it was time to start a new chapter with Real Estate. I look forward to helping clients find their dream home and enjoy the quality of life here in Bend.
 

Frank Massari
Broker/Buyer Specialist
I am well known as "The guy with 9Kids!!"
Offering 20 Years in housing, and finding customers what they want, and are willing to buy! and service to them for even longer. The customer is always right! I am just here to guide them through the process of the legals jungle and finance hoops with experience, I do not have to guess at what I am doing!
As a Father of 9 children, I am accustomed to waking up to a daily riot! With that in mind, I am well suited to navigate the riotous market conditions we have been in, these past years. There are plenty of non-caustic transactions, but there seem to be much more that are most volitile and need constant attention of which I am well versed. After raising my brood, in a three decade marraige, the fruitis in the labor. 7 university students and two current grads! I have well over 1000 transctions under my belt, and though some of them may have been easy, none of those come to mind! But they all closed and many were resold by myself at at a later, equitable position to the client.
 

Jerry Johnson,
Buyer Broker/Independent Contractor
Jerry, and his wife Julie, moved to Bend from the San Francisco Bay area in 2002. Originally from Montana, Jerry felt that the qualities of life in Central Oregon were superb. Jerry's business career has given him vast experience in a number of industries. Early years were in the Corporate world going up that ladder to President, CEO; and later as owner of several successful companies and retired from the US Marine Corps Reserves. Jerry is a licensed Oregon General Contractor and has built many nice homes in the Central Oregon area. And as a member of Oregon's # 1 Prudential agency, he knows the area, the housing market, lenders, and would like to have the opportunity to share that knowledge and experience to help clients find the right home. 

Jennifer Bernstein,
Assistant to Jim Birtola & Ruben Garmyn
Customer Service-Listing Manager
Jennifer moved to beautiful Central Oregon from the San Francisco bay area with her two boys, Ian and Drue in 2001. She brings over 20 years of experience in administration and hands on customer service to Team Birtola~Garmyn.As the Customer Service Manager and Lisitng Manager she is dedicated to assisting the team with the highest quality and standards in customer service. 

Sheena Hansen,
Customer Service
Sheena was born and raised in Bend, Or, she has one son who's name is Braden and is always on the go with her family. As a short term goal she is currently working on her Real Estate License. As to some of her pass time favorites, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and friends, ocean trips, and tons of outdoor activities.  

Jamie Knopsnyder,
Escrow Assistant/Customer Service
Jamie is a native Bendite , she brings exceptional regional knowledge to our team. As Janet’s assistant, she makes sure the short sale process flows smoothly so you have a seamless transaction. 

Samantha Miller,
Customer Service
Samantha is a 2005 graduate of La Pine High School, after moving here at the age of six from California with her family she considers herself a native to Central Oregon, and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon. At Prudential High Desert Realty, Samantha works as a receptionist part time while working towards her business degree, she hopes to make her mark here in Central Oregon while also working towards her other goal of becoming a published author.