Grand opening is Nov. 13, beginning at 4 p.m., for Mary Oettinger’s San Juan Vacation Rentals LLC, located at 100 First St., Suite A.

Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

Oettinger is a licensed real estate broker formerly associated with Windermere San Juan Island. Earlier in her career, she founded a physician marketing company in Boulder, Colo., and operated a marketing business for high-end retail stores in Laguna Beach, Calif.

She then relocated to Bellevue, where she was a marketing consultant for children’s hospitals.

She has a master’s degree in business administration, a broker’s license and what she calls foresight enough to hire a capable and multi-talented full-time employee to help her run the business.

Carol Maas of Friday Harbor will help run this latest venture, Oettinger said.

A grand opening on Friday the 13th may sound like a gamble, but Oettinger is used beating the odds.

“This will be my fourth startup but my first in Friday Harbor,” Oettinger said.

The local real estate market may be ailing and the regional economy sluggish, but Oettinger believes markets reward those who work hard, have a good game plan, and are willing to take a chance even in tough economic times.

San Juan Vacation Rentals will specialize in vacation rentals and in long-term home rentals as well, she said.

“I think it’s a time to be brave, especially with everyone else running for cover,” Oettinger said. “People will always have to have a place to live, and I think there’s at least room for one more vacation rental company.”

For more information, call (360) 317-6423.