2022 Marks Valerie Klapper’s 20th year serving Possum Kingdom
By Steve Nussbaum
Valerie Klapper, (center front row) at home with family.
For Valerie, her 20 years of selling real estate at PK has always been about family. Valerie grew up in Arlington and her family owned a home on the peninsula from the early 60’s to mid 70’s. Valerie’s fondest memories were waking up to the birds on the screened porch she shared with her 5 siblings at the 1 bedroom 1 bath cabin her dad built on Cedar Crest Circle. Valerie recalls the smell of the cedar trees and knew they were getting close to lake from 30 miles out. Valerie says, “back then the roads weren’t so great and it was a much longer tripâ€. Valerie has loved PK since her childhood. When she married Tony in ’79, she knew they would eventually purchase at PK to share those memories with their children.
Tony and Valerie bought their first place at PK in mid 90’s in Rock Creek Camp. Later purchasing on Airport Rd. in ’03. Valerie says, “with the hot real estate market at PK, we sold that home in 2019 and started their new dream and recently completed construction on their new home in The Hills Above PK. Valerie had spent a career in corporate America in the DFW area and felt they needed a change. So, in 1999 they moved to Possum Kingdom Lake permanently. The job options were a little slim, so it was, “flip burgers or go into real estateâ€. Valerie joined Cabin Fever Realty and earned her license in 2002. This year marks the 20th year Valerie has been selling real estate out at PK. Tony Klapper joined his wife in the real estate business in 2017, after a career in sheet metal, and the dock building business to form The Klapper Team. Valerie focuses on homes and Tony’s focus is on ranch, undeveloped land and of course lake properties as well. It’s been a great partnership for the last five years. In 2020 the Klapper’s son Cody joined the team and Valerie couldn’t be more proud of what Cody has done in such a short period of time. This past year Cody’s wife Daisy got her license and has since joined The Klapper Team. It really is a family business for all the Klappers.
I asked Valerie what has changed the most in her 20 years of selling real estate at PK. She said the prices! Never in her wildest dreams did she believe they would see $10million dollar homes on the market here at PK. The market has changed significantly in the past twenty years and Valerie feels like she has seen it all! “Helping families purchase their dream vacation home or permanent residence as well as the numerous lifelong friends we have made along the way, truly is the most rewarding thing about this business. We are so blessed to share our success with our family and see them blossom in the same businessâ€.
