Realtors and friends remembered Long Beach Realtor and well-known blogger Laurie Manny, who died on Wednesday from unexplained causes. Service arrangements were also announced for Manny, with Main Street Realtors in Long Beach, who had complained last week on her Facebook page that she had been ill—a posting that generated speculation over whether she’d had salmonella poisoning.
There is however no official report yet on the cause of Manny’s death. The results of an autopsy are pending. On Sept. 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. there will be a memorial celebration of Manny Parker’s Light House on Shoreline Drive in Long Beach.
“This will be an opportunity for all of us who loved Laurie to share stories, hugs and lots of laughs as we remember our dear friend,” said Colleen Kulikowski, a Keller Williams agent from Amherst, NY., and a close friend of Manny’s. “Laurie loved Parker’s Light House and we will be on the patio overlooking the water and the shoreline where Laurie took so many fabulous photos.”
Appetizers will be provided and there will be a no host bar. The dress is “Beach Casual.” “We are requesting no cameras or blog posts. This is a special time for her family and friends to share their memories,” Kulikowski added.
Services and a funeral are being held in Manny’s hometown of Long Island, NY over the next days.
Beside from being know for her real estate dealings, with a focus on condominium sales, Manny, 55, ran the popular local blog, www.longbeachrealestatehome.com. Now on her blog is a tribute to Manny by Kulikowski.
“Laurie was tough and gutsy and everyone in the blogosphere knew the name Laurie Manny,” said Lynda Eisenmann, Broker/Owner of Preferred Home Brokers. “She was a leader when it came to online real estate and was always willing to share with others (whether she knew them or not) along the way.”
Another friend and colleague, Kaye Thomas of Real Estate West, remembered Manny for the gusto with which she took on her daily routine.
“Laurie was one feisty lady,” Thomas said. “She was fiercely loyal to her friends and the first to do battle if she thought someone was trying to take advantage of a situation. She would call out anyone who she felt was not being ethical or less then truthful. She demanded no less from herself then from her friends.”
Brian Brady, a mortgage broker with San Diego-based World Wide Credit Corp., financed many of her home buying clients. He described Manny as a “shrewd negotiator.”
“Laurie aggressively sought negotiation advantages for her home buyers,” Brady said. “Her attention to detail extended to the financing commitments. She would have me prepare as many as three commitment letters so that she could choose which one might display her buyers financial status best. Oftentimes, I watched Laurie blow out competitors’ bids because her presentation was superior to other agents.”
Brady added: “She expected a high level of service for her clients and, while it was stressful at times, I never regretted her holding our feet to the fire. Laurie was successful because listing agents knew they could trust, that the offers she presented, would close in a timely fashion. I liked to think that we’re one of the better lenders in Southern California but, make no mistake about it, Laurie Manny made us better. We learned it was easier to get job done quickly rather than to explain why we didn’t to Laurie.”
The posting on Manny’s Facebook wall last week may have prompted a story from national real estate news medium Inman News Service, which stated that she had been complaining of severe “salmonella-like” symptoms.
In an Aug. 21 post on her Facebook page, Manny wrote: “OYE Have I been SICK, haven’t eaten solid food since Tuesday, 104 fever every muscle hurt, can only handle Gatorade, ginger ale, lemonade and sweet drinks, water causes violent reaction. Samonella? Pretty certain and never want it again! News just said they are still removing more eggs and dairy products from the market.”
However, Kulikowski, cautioned that assumptions about salmonella as the cause Manny’s death shouldn’t be made, as the cause of Manny’s death is not yet known. She added that an autopsy has been conducted and that the family expects the results in the next few weeks.
The Inman story, which refers to Manny as a “blogging queen,” states that police found Manny lifeless in her apartment Thursday afternoon after being urged to check on her by friends and family who grew concerned after she had missed an appointment.
Manny, who came to the Long Beach real estate scene about seven years ago after working in the garment industry in Los Angeles, drew some criticism from some in the real estate industry after one of her blogs, which drew coverage in an lbpost.com Realty Bites story, offered a treaties of sorts warning condo buyers to beware before purchasing. Despite angering some real estate agents who claim that negative news only hurts housing sales, Manny said she wrote the blog because it was the “honest thing to do.”
A “Laurie Manny Memorial Fund” has been set up for those who would like to make a donation. Make Checks Payable to: Laurie Manny Memorial Fund and mail them to: Attn: Tellers El Paseo Bank, The Market Place, 39580 Washington St., Palm Desert, CA 92211.