Hannah Trueblood was born in Valparaiso. She’s lived in the Region all her life. In 2013, she graduated from Valparaiso High School and later went on to study at Ivy Tech Community College. Today, she works as a real-estate agent under @properties, a Chicago-based company, even though she’s self-employed. Having been working full-time since 2020, she’s assisted an abundant number of hopeful families looking for promising homes.
Trueblood originally set out to study engineering, taking after her grandfather, who was an engineer in the military during World War II; he helped design some of the planes of the time. After the baffling experience of her first college-level calculus class, she diverted from the path she thought she was bound to travel and instead embarked on a chase for a real-estate license. Her eventual attainment of one made her a third-generation professional in the field, as her grandmother once owned and operated her own office. Her mother, too, was an active landlord.
Since she’s been hustling for a while now, Trueblood knows all about what makes a good agent. In the past few years, she’s quickly picked up the best ways to fulfill any number of the many wishes of those who seek out her expertise. Her job has opened her eyes to what she feels her true purpose is.
“I really believe that I’m on this Earth to serve and to make the world a better place. My mom always taught me to leave things better than how they were given to me, so my life's mission is to do just that,” she said.
Trueblood has been granted much leeway in her profession. Due to how she sets her own schedules, more time for family and her two children has become a huge blessing she can’t stop counting. There are always certain downsides to anything comfortable and pleasing, however.
Closings must happen in order for agents just like Trueblood to get paid. The reality of that sometimes is a lot to bear, as well as how much misinformation exists in the realm of real estate. Shady happenings plague the industry, but her strong set of ethics consistently allow her to shine as a force of goodness.
“It’s not like I get a steady paycheck every two weeks, and circumstances vary. It’s all about remaining optimistic. Another challenge comes with all the not-so-good stuff that happens in the business. Running into that fairly frequently is hard, but always priding myself in being ethical helps me change things from time to time,” she said.
Trueblood is currently running for mayor. The vision she has for the future of Valparaiso is quite bright, and she’s determined to see it realized before her. She started to get involved around the community as early as the age of 8, with her going as far as once raising thousands of dollars for neighborhood kids without homes. She also proceeded to donate a sum of earnings to local homeless shelters. Her own mother continually has been a positive influence on her, a woman who’s never not encouraged her daughter to make any area around her a better place.
Though Valparaiso has been established since the mid-1800s, never has a female mayor been elected to office. Trueblood’s in pursuit of becoming the first, and she hopes her potential election will inspire women to pursue the dreams of their own.
“Looking back on what a lot of female trailblazers accomplished, like Amelia Earhart and Elizabeth Warren, the two of them being women who achieved firsts in their respective careers, I want to do the same because I want to inspire. The thing is, history has taught me that it's never going to be your turn — you have to make it your turn,” she said.
Trueblood is constantly expanding her knowledge by reading thought-provoking books, such as “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz and “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. Past the pages, she loves to spend time outside with her family, visiting parks about town. Her son enjoys cooking, so they regularly indulge in that activity together, while her daughter enjoys art-related activities, like playing music and painting empty canvases. Frequently working out, she’s a fitness junkie, having even lost 100 pounds over the last two years.
Considering that she has her sights on mayoralty, Trueblood knows a fair bit about Valparaiso’s history. She’s a resident herself, so she’s been exposed to the splendor of what the city has to offer on more than just one occasion.
“We're not a small town by any means with 35,000 people, but it has this close-knit feel to it. I really love the neighborhood feel about the city. Having such a great school system is also great, of course. I definitely would be remiss if I didn't talk about all of the great local charities and nonprofits that we still have. All of those organizations break their backs to make the city a healthier place,” she said.