PETER DELUCA

PETER DELUCA

“Want to go for a ride?”  The adventures of a lifetime can start with a simple question. Thirty-three years later, Peter DeLuca and TamarRala Kreiswirth have raised a family, built a business, and shared many adventures. “On several occasions, I bumped into TamarRala out n’ about in town. When I saw her at the 4th Avenue Street Fair, I asked if she wanted to take a ride on my motorcycle. That was it; we’ve been together ever since!”  

Adventurous from the beginning, Peter and TamarRala and their two sons, Ryan and Adam, have traveled the world. They’ve hiked, scuba dived, skied, and explored more than 25 different countries. Peter shared a few stories about their adventures; “We took the boys to Botswana and Zimbabwe. It was surreal! Being among the animals was unlike anything we had experienced before. You are driving around in a Jeep in the middle of a herd of elephants or a pride of lions. It’s unbelievable!” Risk taking is apparently key to their travels! They bungee jumped in New Zealand. “We did a 440-foot-high bungee jump. Adam was 13-years-old at the time. He saw it online and signed us up!” Peter describes the experience, “You are in this plexiglass box over a deep ravine. You walk out on a plank with the bungees attached to your ankles. At the end of the plank, you dive off, falling 440 feet before springing back up.” Peter laughs and adds, “My palms still sweat talking about it. We’ve gone sky diving too, and they are both about the same rush. It’s fabulous!”

While the Coronavirus altered their travel plans this year, it also brought a surprising blessing. “Both of our sons were living in New York when the pandemic hit. Everything shutdown, and unfortunately, Adam contracted COVID. As a result, they both moved back to Tucson.” Thankfully, Adam is doing better. “It’s been six months, and his sense of smell has not fully returned, but he was lucky it wasn’t worse.” Adam works remotely in the tech industry. “Ryan joining me in the business was a dream come true. I am excited about growing our business together.”

Peter was introduced to real estate when he was young. “My mom sold real estate while I was growing up. She always said that I would be good at it.”  While Peter’s mom could envision his future in real estate, it would take Peter several years to discover that vision for himself. “After high school, I quickly realized that college was not for me.  I had a buddy who was a carpenter. I went to work for him and his stepfather.  I helped build homes and apartment complexes.” Peter herniated a disc and moved into the next career. “I had a good friend who was a massage therapist at Canyon Ranch.” Peter enrolled in massage therapy classes. “I was a carpenter during the day and a massage therapist at night.” Peter loved working at Canyon Ranch, but when Ryan was born, he wanted to transition into a career with more opportunities. “While I was working at Canyon Ranch, I met an investor that wanted to buy and sell fix-up homes. We completed several projects. I truly liked the whole process and all that I learned when I was a carpenter prepared me well for this. It didn’t take long before I was in real estate classes!” 

Early on in his business, his mentor, Sherri Neasham, set the gold standard for Peter that he still holds himself to today. “Sherri was paramount to where I am today. She is one of the most ethical people I’ve ever met. From the beginning, she demonstrated the importance of integrity in this business. ‘Put the clients’ interest first’, she said;  “you won’t go wrong and the clients will come back to you.” 2,400 transactions later and over half a billion dollars sold, Peter’s real estate business is a solid testament to the wisdom in those words. While Peter’s integrity and customer care earned him more referrals, his wife’s marketing suggestion would take the business to the next level. “My wife and I worked together before she retired five years ago. She and my office manager, Geri Murray, decided that we should add my photo to our business cards, signs, and advertisements.” At the time, Peter had about 50 listings. “After we rebranded, the phone never stopped ringing.  It made a huge difference; my listings were no longer just another company listing.” 

TamarRala first joined the business during a challenging time for Peter. “In 1995, I became very sick. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I was steadily losing mobility. My wife got her license to manage the business.” After being misdiagnosed for six years, Peter finally received an answer. His diagnosis: Multiple Sclerosis. He started taking medication, but it didn’t help. Even though daily life became increasingly difficult, Peter refused to give up. Family adventures took on new significance. “We didn’t know where it was going, so we just kept pushing to have as much fun as we could while we could. I started using a cane when we traveled so I could get through the airport. When I could no longer hike, my family decided to start scuba diving because I could do that. We thought I might end up in a wheelchair. I pushed hard with work too because I may have only had a limited time to make a living for my family.” Peter found new doctors and a different treatment plan for MS—chemotherapy. “Not many people know that you can do chemotherapy for MS; it changed my life. After the treatment, I started to gain mobility.” The more mobility Peter gained, the more he did. “Once it started coming back, I fought hard to keep it. I still work out every single day. In the winter months, I practically live in the Catalina mountains. I hike there weekly!” For years Peter didn’t tell anyone about his diagnosis, “It’s a competitive business. I was concerned about the effect it may have, but I’m proud we’ve beaten it. I say we because it was a family affair. I could not have survived without my family, especially my wife. She has been strong through all of the ups and downs while I was sick and then when the market crashed. For five years, she negotiated short-sales with banks on behalf of our clients. It was tough, but it paid off. It kept us in business, and our team employed.”

In life and business, Peter strives to set a good example. “My reputation in this business is very important to me. I want everyone who works with me to feel that they have been treated with care, respect, and knowledge. I am honored to work with a team of professionals and I would not be where I am today without their dedication and service to our clients.” 

As Peter looks to the future, he’s excited to help his son launch his career in real estate. “I want Ryan to have the opportunity to be just as successful. Ryan has a big heart. He understands how important it is to make sure our clients have everything they need to make the best decisions in this fast-moving market.” Peter wishes the same for every member of his team. Peter’s team includes his sister Peggy, his son Ryan, Buyer’s Agent Dawn Heinemann, Ryan’s best friend and Buyer’s Agent Matt Landau, and Office Manager Geri Murray, who has been working with Peter for over 25 years. Peter is thankful and excited to help lead the next generation in real estate. “I am passionate about helping others create a foundation that they can build on and achieve their goals.”

For more information about Peter Deluca, please call 520-977-4770, email Peterdeluca@realtytucson.com or visit PeterDeluca.com 

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