Bringing to real estate transactions personal experience, Chris and Tim Larsson take the stress out.
Brothers Chris and Tim Larsson of Coldwell Banker Barbara Sue Seal Properties, know real estate from the inside out.
Not only do they understand what buyers and sellers are going through, but they can help navigate the tumultuous real estate waters for investors and home flippers alike, because they have done it themselves.
"Between the two of us, we've bought and sold 11 homes in the last 12 years; a lot of flips, personal resdiences and rentals," says Chris. "That's why we entered into the business-- doing a lot of personal transactions and seeing a need for agents with personal transactional experience. We understand the amount of paperwork, time, energy and effort it actually takes to purchase or sell a home.
"Moving is one of the most stressful things you can do in your lifetime and since we've done it a lot, we understand what our clients will go through and help make their move as smooth as possible," explains Larsson.
In addition, Chris and Tim can help clients sell their home for a higher price by giving them practical advice on how to add value to it. "We have a good handle on what home improvements cost; no only the materials portion of the job, but labor costs as well," says Tim, adding because they have remodeled serveral kitchens and bathrooms over the years, a customer that was anticipating, for example, a $100,000 remodel can realistically expect to pay far less.
"Because we've remodeled many times, we can look at a home ang give a realistic expenditure assessment on appliances, countertops, cabinets, etc.," explains Larsson.
Along with renovation know-how, the Larssons also understand capital gains tax rules. "It's such a huge tax advantage now with the two-year capital gains exemption. There are a lot of people that are selling their houses and making tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit, tax free," they explain.
The note that real estate market is still very strong. "We've sold four of our last five listings within 6 days. And, there is still a lot of opportunity out there for buyers/investors. We are able to help buyers see value by putting a pencil to what makes sense and what does not because we do it a lot ourselves," the brothers say.
The have wide range of clientele. "We work clients that want second homes, rentals, or flips," they say. Our primary focus is taking great care of our current clients and making sure they come back to buy or sell with us again."
Article by Suzie Ridway, Pictures by Vern Uyetake. The Lake Oswego Review, July 27, 2006
