Krystine Eppley was 14, homeless, and on her own. Growing up, she slept on many different couches and floors, attended several schools, and had to grow up quickly—but it was still better than the alternative. As a child, Krystine was a victim of domestic violence and abuse. She decided at a young age to break the cycle. 

“I remember like it was yesterday… It was the month before my fifteenth birthday,” Krystine recalled. “I came home from school, and my mom told me she was moving to Florida with her boyfriend. I didn’t want that life and to keep living that way. I wanted to stay in Tucson, and that was it. She left. I had no one, so I found myself.”

In her late teens, Krystine enrolled in beauty school and shared an apartment with a friend from her classes. However, the arrangement took a turn for the worse when her roommate stopped paying rent. “I was on my own again,” Krystine sighed. “But that roommate's boyfriend was best friends with my now husband, so that’s how we met. And here we are, 16 and a half years later. It's a weird coincidence that your rock bottom can turn into something so beautiful.”

After Krystine and her husband, Johnathon, moved into their first apartment, they met a leasing agent who convinced Krystine that she would do great in Property Management. She spent the next eight years helping people find an apartment to call home. They called her “The Leasing Queen.”

During her time off, Krystine helped her manager by taking property photos for her real estate business. With her manager's encouragement and her husband's unwavering support, Krystine started classes to become a licensed REALTOR®.

“I worked Monday through Friday and went to classes on the weekend,” she recalled. She failed the test, went back to studying, and experienced a health scare with her heart. Undeterred, she continued studying and retaking the test. “Long story short—I fought hard for my license.”

Fueled by her desire to help others find a place of their own and make the experience a sweet one, Krystine dove into real estate in 2018. As a REALTOR® with Realty ONE Group Integrity, she’s as renowned for her dedicated service as she is for her brownie bombs—a brownie cupcake concocted in her kitchen. “My kids said, ‘Mom, these are the bomb!’ so I started calling them brownie bombs,” she laughed. “They’re my way of showing that I am here to help make someone’s move a little sweeter.” 

Embracing a steadfast commitment to her purpose throughout her evolving career, Krystine has stepped into the role of the 2024 President of the Tucson REALTORS® Charitable Foundation (TRCF) with a determined vision. Leading the charge in giving back to the community and making life more manageable for those in need, she envisions a future where the organization not only provides financial assistance to local charities but also establishes a robust volunteer base. 

“I want us to be able to offer boots-on-the-ground help to local organizations,” she said. 

TRCF focuses on housing, education, and community initiatives—a mission Krystine holds dear.  

“I understand how difficult it can be to ask for help,” she said. TRCF offers financial assistance to local charities like the Arizona Foster Association and meal services for elderly and shut-in residents. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, TRCF helped by donating $100,000 for the essential workers in Tucson.

Krystine’s vision perfectly aligns with the foundation's mission, creating a seamless blend of purpose-driven leadership and practical support for those navigating the challenges of housing and education while fostering community well-being.

On the weekends, you may see Krystine, Johnathon, and their two boys, Jaiden, 15, and Reiley, 10, cruising off-road in their RZR Pro R 4. They also own a 1972 called “Mater” and a 1974 Crew Cab F250 outfitted with monster truck tires. “It’s so tall the bottom comes about to my shoulders,” she laughed. The retired mud bogger is one among many of their toys. 

“The louder, the bigger, the better,” she smiled.

When Krystine isn’t managing transactions or baking brownie bombs, she’s either getting muddy or oohing and ahhing with Johnathon at a car show. 

“We love going camping in our toy hauler and hitting up trails with friends in our side-by-side,” she said. “We are always on the go.”

Her in-laws are avid collectors and were even featured on the hit TV show American Pickers. Krystine and Johnathon were photographed at their wedding in two of their classic cars—a 1918 Model T with its original wooden wheels and a 1930 Woody.

While life has taken her on some unexpected paths, Krystine looks to the road ahead with a cheerful heart. 

“No matter your background, you make your own future,” she said. 

Krystine has emerged as a dynamic force in real estate and community service, a testament to the unexpected beauty that can arise from life's most challenging moments. And she’s just getting into gear.