Jean Carney founded Carney Realty Inc., in 1983. She & her husband were the 12th homeowner of Ono Island. Mom had foresight to know that Ono Island would "the place" to live in the future. She was a visionary in her time and made incredible investments. When she went for lunch, she would return with a contract in her hand with yet another purchase. Jean never could pass up a good deal. After Hurricane Fredrick land sales "soared". That didn't stop Jean Carney; if she liked it... she bought it. She left me, her daughter, with two of her famous mottos: #1 "Don't get greedy" and #2 "Don't fall in love with real estate" ( meaning property). If someone made you an offer, take it and go on to the next investment. Leave some money on the table for the next owner. Jean had a great sense of humor and a way of attracting folks. And, she was a "prankster". As hard as she worked, she found time to tell a good joke every now and then. Since Jean grew up poor, she always had an open door at her office for anyone who needed money for their family or children. She would give you her last dime, knowing she could go out and work and make it back. She never collected half of the money she loaned over the years.

At the time when Jean was getting into real estate, there were no franchise realty companies and The Board of Realtors had not been established. However, Jean Carney was and still will be "well known" for her work ethics and integrity. Her peers and competitors respected her in business. When Jean decided to have her real estate signs Pink and Purple, many of her colleagues thought it was too "feminine". However, no one ever forgot those pink and purple signs. Those colors were representative of her two granddaughters: Tiffany liked Pink and Kara liked Purple. Today, Dr. Tiffany Veale is a chiropractor with her own clinic; Island Family Chiropractic in Orange Beach, Al and has two children: Sabrina and Sebastian. Kara lives in Dothan, Al with two children. My daughter, Dr. Tiffany Veale called her "Maw Maw" and Al was named "Poppy".

Today folks still call Al "Poppy". There will never be another Jean Carney; she passed away unexpectedly March 2002 and since that time, her daughter, Shirlee Poulos, has joined with her step father to carry on Jean's legacy. Shirlee has the passion her mom had for taking care of clients and building relationships.