Ginny Howden

Born in Boston, MA, where her parents, Piet and Mary Jo Offringa, met, Ginny moved to the Netherlands soon after. To truly honor a move this substantial, Mary Jo chose the more gradual passage of an ocean liner. En route, the Captain surprised the Offringa family with a celebration of Ginny’s first Birthday, mid-Atlantic. During Ginny’s early years, Piet, a Dutch Architectural Engineer, in conjunction with the Dutch national historical society, restored over 40 Romanesque and Renaissance churches as well as other historic buildings throughout the country. The many family trips to the British Isles, lead to a love of antiques for Mary Jo, a musician and native Virginian, who evolved this passion into a business. Carefully curated period pieces were offered for sale out of the family residence, a turn-of-the-century downtown row house. Surrounded by art, antiques and architecture and an international community of family and friends during her formative years in Europe greatly shaped Ginny’s view of the world, influencing her personal and professional style. Ginny’s first venture into real estate came in her early 20’s, initially in residential sales, joining the firm her mother was affiliated with, and later transitioning to mortgage banking. After broadening her professional experience in the corporate world, to include new-hire training initiatives and customer satisfaction programs, she took a hiatus to focus on her young children. In 2011 she returned to real estate full bore, this time joining forces with Mary Jo, in her established practice, adding her corporate acumen and organizational skills, and on occasion her multi-lingual abilities, to Mary Jo’s vast experience and market knowledge. The two served and expanded a loyal clientele of both repeat and referral business. Now retired, Mary Jo is still a most valued resource to Ginny who continues to earn a loyal following in her own right.