Before houses, I was drawn to the forest. My Forestry career cultivated my passion for advising property owners on the best practices and uses for their property. During this time, I became a licensed real estate agent buying and selling houses and properties on my own. What followed is a Rome Top Producing REALTOR® career.

 

Growing up in New York I was drawn to trees and the forest.  I was active in Boy Scouts with plenty of hiking and camping. I pursued a degree in forestry, studying the biology/science of trees and forest management. 

 

After graduation, I moved to South Carolina to work in the forest industry, as a land manager. My job included land preparation, tree planting, timber management and sales. The harvesting resulted in the raw material for paper, plywood and lumber. It was fascinating and best of all, the forest was my office. 

 

Moving to Georgia, I began buying land, reforesting it, and reselling it. In 1979, I obtained my real estate license and began investing in properties for myself. I bought and sold houses in my spare time, renting them out or flipping them.

 

By 1984, I merged my one-man forestry consulting business with Michael Dooner another private forester to start Southern Forestry Consultants. Our main office was a restored 1800’s antebellum historic home in Bainbridge GA with the most gorgeous orange heart pine floors. We helped landowners manage their property to achieve their goals for wildlife management, recreation and timber income. Our business grew rapidly, expanding to four offices across three states. During this time, I was also active with land and farm sales as the Broker for our real estate offices in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. To make things even better, I met Linda, the love of my life, around that time. We got married and had two children, Thomas and Kendrick. 

 

While my business was booming, my health wasn’t. I battled chronic insomnia, and no doctor or medication could help. I would take pills only to find myself sleep-deprived a few days later –– until a friend introduced me to a meditation tape by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I listened to the tape daily for a week, and soon after, I was sleeping again! I realized I was going too fast and doing too much! My body asked me to slow down. This experience began my journey into spirituality, philosophy, and nutrition, which has recentered my life.

 

After 14 years, I was ready for a change. No longer working in the woods, my job had become managerial, and office-bound. I bowed out with my partners and moved the family to Rome, Georgia. I started over, a new life –– transitioning to a full-time residential REALTOR®. It wasn’t easy at first, since I didn’t know anyone in town, but with strategic marketing and word of mouth, my business grew.

 

Being a realtor has brought me joy ever since. It put me back to working with buyers and sellers with whom I could share my experience and expertise. I closed 15 sales in one month at the market peak in 2006. The market crash in 2008 all but shut down the real estate business in Rome and throughout the country. I put on my entrepreneur hat and started a car dealership with my son. After graduating from Ole Miss, he took it over and I went back to helping people find their dream homes.

 

When I’m not working, I volunteer with Fork, Spoon, and Plate, and Bus Fare where we feed our local homeless and food-insecure two meals a week. I am active in my church’s mission ministry and food pantry.  Also, my interest in construction is alive and well –- I’m working on a plan to build affordable housing with a tiny home community on the drawing board.

 

My six grandchildren are also an incredible source of joy and fun! I am still running 3-4 days a week and dedicated to healthy conscious living.

 

It brings me great joy to use my 40 years of experience to help others. I’ve bought and sold land, assessed and managed it, and flipped houses –– there’s nothing I haven’t seen. I offer a wealth of knowledge to my clients, and because I have their best interests at heart, I’m honest with them. I won’t recommend a house or property I wouldn’t buy for myself or my family. I’m clear and direct in my advice, whether it’s what to buy or what to avoid.

 

I specialize in residential real estate and help investors find duplexes and multifamily properties. I have access to builders who can custom-build any plan. My deep understanding of a home’s value, including the land, makes me a skilled negotiator—I know when a property is underpriced or overvalued. In addition to bringing insight into the complexities of selling a house, I’m sensitive to my clients' emotions and able to craft offers that help them achieve their goals. I am eager to share my full career experience with you!

 

Sincerely,

 

Tom Sipp

Broker-Associate | LIC# GA: 56741, AL: 58659

Cell 706-346-4077

Office 706-291-4321

sipprealty@bellsouth.net

tomsipp.com