Agent featured on television reruns

Chattanooga Crye-Leike Realtors agent Dottie Gunkel is being featured in reruns this season of an episode from the show “My First Home” on the TLC channel.

The episode highlights Ms. Gunkel’s work with Jeffrey and Emily Maddux, a couple from Memphis, who wanted to buy a home in Chattanooga.

“I heard that the TLC network show was looking for interesting stories and I immediately thought Emily and Jeffrey would be perfect,” Ms. Gunkel said. “They’re a great couple that was moving from Memphis to Chattanooga and had only three days to find their dream home. I loved them and the show loved them too and realized their situation would make a great story.”

In each half-hour episode of “My First Home,” viewers get to meet a prospective buyer as they seek out a place to call their own. From touring the real estate and picking out the perfect house, to waiting through escrow, to the final exchange of keys, viewers get to follow these real estate novices through the highs and lows of buying a first home.

For program information go to tlc.discovery.com/tv/my-first-home/my-first-home.html and click on the TV schedule link to find weekly show schedules.

Elite Mortgage taps senior specialist

Jeff Gibbs has joined Elite Mortgage Services as senior mortgage specialist.

Mr. Gibbs has more than six years of home, commercial and investment lending experience. He is certified in Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Administration and reverse mortgages, and is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. He holds degrees in business marketing and management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

RealtyCenter names top agents, teams

Prudential RealtyCenter recently honored its top sales associates for 2008.

“Even with a tougher marketplace, we have superstars and rising stars making a great career in real estate,” said Ben Kelly, the firm’s owner-founder. “We always gather to celebrate the hard work our professionals dedicate to their clients day in and day out.”

The top individual agents were: Linda Brock, first place; Paula McDaniel, second place; and Kim O’Leary, third place. The top three teams were: the Lawrence Team, first place; The Shaw Group, second place; and The Colvin Team, third place.