Back From the Storm
In April 2011, Tuscaloosa, Ala., was devastated by an EF-4 tornado, which killed 64 people and destroyed 30 percent of the town’s structures. “I was concerned that instead of rebuilding, people would move out,” says Mary Harmon Young, CRS, SFR. Her worry spurred her to action: She purchased four lots for redevelopment from residents who chose to relocate elsewhere in town. She and her husband built the first home on a street that had been leveled by the storm. In addition, Young, 29, connected owners who wanted to rebuild with builder contacts. “It was a labor of love. I did it because I believe in our city,” she says. Now, development in her city is booming, helped by its restored infrastructure. Based in a place with 17 international companies an