Gary Lensing

Gary Lensing
Real Estate Broker and Consultant
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services NW RE
360-903-0444
www.garylensing.com
gary@garylensing.com

How long have you worked in Real Estate?
29 years.

What is your specialty?
My specialty has evolved to include residential real estate and acreage homes. Also, vacant land, rental property and small developments.

What is one tip you have for someone looking to buy or sell a home?
Buyers need to make sure they have enough time—rushing can lead to a bad decision. Sellers need hire a professional agent who has a quality photographer. Photos are the key along with a solid marketing plan to entice buyers to look at your entire photo package and generate a showing.

What is the most unique property you’ve listed or sold?
I listed a 10 acre piece of property that was two tax lots; 1 acre and 9 acres that the seller had a tough time selling with their previous broker. This was an octagon house with orange shag carpet that went up the walls 2 feet on the lower level to cover the cement foundation. Buyers were rejecting an octagon house with shag carpet on 1 acre. The property was zoned 5 acres. We completed a boundary line adjustment (BLA) changing both lots to 5 acres each. We were able to sell both properties individually for more money separately—and without replacing the carpet.

What is the most challenging/gratifying aspect of what you do?
Helping and informing vulnerable and non-real estate savvy people to get top dollar for their property. Recently I had a past customer refer their neighbor to me. She had an investor offer her a purchase price that would have netted her $10,000. Fortunately she talked to me before she signed anything. We listed the property and received seven offers. The seller is thrilled to be receiving $75,000 in proceeds from sale!

What do you see in the future for real estate sales/prices?
The future looks bright for real estate as long as people want to continue to move here. The fact that we are sandwiched between San Francisco and Seattle helps us. No state income tax is a huge draw that more and more people in Oregon will be drawn to as the prices in Portland continue to rise. Clark County offers a good quality of life.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? Hobbies, volunteering, family, fun?
Working on my 20 acre horse farm and taking care of the horses we board. We enjoy going to the beach, central Oregon and Ashland when we can. I travel to Minnesota frequently to see family. My wife and I just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We have three children (Hannah died of heart surgery at the age of 4). My children have been the joy of my life.

What do you like about living in this area?
I grew up in Minnesota where the winters are brutal and summers are humid. I love the mildness of the northwest and our beautiful summers.  Enjoy being close to the ocean and mountains are an added plus vs mosquito.

Anything else you would like our readers to know about you and your company?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota were hard work was the norm. I spent four years in the Air Force. After the Air Force I relocated to the Northwest with my cable television job. I was the cable guy when Portland did their initial cable build! I’ve been with Berkshire Hathaway 25 years. I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease for almost 10 years now. I am fortunate that my disease has been progressing slowly and I refuse to let it interfere with my life. I look forward to several more years helping my current, past and future clients buy and sell real estate in the Great Northwest.