TESTIMONIALS

Given our credit history, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised when we were pre-approved for a VA home loan in mid-November 2013. The catch was that, in order for us to remain eligible, we had to close on a home before Christmas due to anticipated expenses in the coming year that would cause our debt-to-income ratio to deem us ineligible. We had to move fast and we didn't have firsthand knowledge of any realtors in the area. I read a number of reviews and, based on those reviews, decided to give Leslie Gossett with Austin Portfolio Real Estate a call. She seemed very knowledgeable on the phone and immediately responded to our need to move fast. Because of our time frame, we had searched some of the homes on their easy-to-use website and chosen a few that looked interesting. The very next morning, amid her already busy schedule with other clients, she took us out to look at some homes. I had described to Leslie what we were looking for, a home large enough and on a big enough piece of property to accommodate our hobbies, desire for privacy, and in a wooded area where we could enjoy nature. It was beginning to look like achieving all of this was a pipe dream on our budget, but Leslie worked diligently to see that we found the perfect home for us. I was excited that we were buying our first home together and was constantly finding homes we were interested in and e-mailing Leslie about them. Although some were a bit out of our reach and I bombarded her with e-mails, often just before we were to go see homes, with changes and questions. Leslie was always patient, professional, and personable, addressing any issue we had and accommodating our requests. We originally decided on a home that was much smaller than we desired but was an acceptable compromise. Leslie worked diligently with our lender and discovered there was a problem with part of the home extending into a second lot belonging to the same owner. Despite both lots being included in the price, the lots had to be combined legally before the lender would approve the loan. Leslie coordinated efforts between the seller's agent, the lender, and the property appraiser's office to resolve the issue and was straightforward in putting together all of the information from a variety of sources and presenting our options. As a result, it was determined that the jeopardy of the deal not closing before our deadline was too high and we would have to start over again on the house search. Leslie remained confident and vigilant about helping us see our dreams come true and within a few days, we found a home that was actually a much better match for us. Leslie worked tirelessly with our lender to ensure that all of the paperwork was in place for the closing to happen on time. Leslie advocated and negotiated on our behalf through the inspection, repairs necessary to meet VA approval guidelines, and making certain that the loan documents accurately portrayed expenditures. We were impressed with Leslie's knowledge of loan processing, her confidence and prompt responses to issues we didn't understand, and her ability to explain things in a way we understood. At our expected closing date, the lender had a last-minute underwriting problem that delayed our closing from December 19 to the 23rd. We spent a lot of time waiting for the lender and, although we were all a bit frustrated, Leslie continued to encourage us and kept in constant communication with the lender to ensure she was abreast of the latest developments. When we picked up the keys to our new house, it was a true blessing. We were able to move enough into our new home to have Christmas breakfast with our family there, enjoying the spring-fed creek and the multitude of deer roaming around in the backyard. We couldn't be happier with our home and look forward to making Lago Vista our community. Leslie continues to follow up with us to ensure that we are settling in and enjoying our new home, sent us a reminder and website link to information about applying for homeowner's exemption, and is always available if we have any questions. We can't imagine that any real estate professional would have done as good a job as Leslie did for us! She is not only professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and a strong advocate, but a very personable and likable woman. We are blessed to have found her and have no hesitation in highly recommending her to meet your real estate needs.

After searching with several Realtors in Austin, we could not find anything that we loved, and then we found Leslie, that is when our luck really changed. She talked to us about very specific wants and needs we had with our dream house. She also was extremely knowledgeable about all of the different neighborhoods in Austin and told us the pros and cons of each one of them. After our conversation, she immediately sent us links to many houses for us to look over. We selected several that we wanted to look at and she had them scheduled for us at times that were convenient for us. She was always a phone call or email away and was quick to respond. After looking at several houses, we found the one we wanted. It was perfect in every way for what we were looking for. Since we were first-time home buyers, it was very beneficial to have Leslie walk us through the process of sending a contract and then negotiating from there. She guided us confidently when we felt uneasy about asking for something from the seller. Not only did we get the perfect house in our price range in Westlake, which is where we wanted to be, but we got it for less than the asking price. Leslie helped us negotiate until both the seller and we were happy. Leslie also referred us to a great inspector that was more thorough than anything I could have ever imagined and very reasonably priced. Through the inspector's findings and Leslie's tactics, we were able to get an additional $3000 back from the seller for minor repairs. Leslie was at closing and the event sent us a nice housewarming gift our first morning at the new house. We honestly couldn't think of a complaint if we tried to about the entire process with Leslie. She was knowledgeable, professional, and so easy to work with. Not only did we find our dream house to start a family in, but we also found a friend and Realtor for life in Leslie. I couldn't imagine working with anyone else, so do yourself a favor and contact her next time you need some help.

Leslie Gossett is simply the best! I just closed on a condo in Austin thanks to Leslie's incredible skills. The ultimate professional in all respects. As a newly retired Bay Area California resident, returning to Austin after 35 years, my search started online. I randomly chose Leslie for more information on a property and got an immediate, warm, welcoming response both online and by phone. She got me in a backup position on that property, but the original deal went through, so we started over. Leslie emailed she would be away for a weekend starting at noon on a Friday. Early that morning another listing came up in the same location, so I immediately called Leslie to put a contact on it. She put me first! She prepared and submitted the contract, which we learned the following Monday was successful. I learned that same day my apartment building had been listed for sale. Thanks to Leslie's incredible client care, I had secured my new home and peace of mind. Leslie obtained an option agreement from the sellers so I could fly from California to Texas to see the home, something a previous realtor with whom I had worked did not even suggest, and I lost that home. She arranged and attended the inspection while I was en route, then delayed the next day. She included a seller-purchased homeowner's warranty in the contract and added protection I had not known or thought about. When an underwriting glitch postponed my closing and could have put me in default, her amazing negotiating skills and professionalism brought all parties together while keeping me calm, informed, and reassured and made sure lender promised credits for the delay were applied. Leslie is resourceful, responsive, knowledgeable, and just a lovely person. She is a joy to work with! Highest recommendation.

Been a new resident for Texas and for the United States, It was a quiet experience to move forward and buy a house. there were a lot of unknowns like locations, paperwork, equity of the properties and type of properties to buy new constructions, build, townhomes, detached, and much more. I was lucky to find Leslie while looking for a house on the internet. She was very responsive since the beginning, she answers my 1k questions always with detail and very comprehensive answer, and more than that without any commitment she refined my search based on what she learned from the communities and house she located for me and we visit until and solid decide on an option I had my heart since the beginning. It is new construction, we went through a lot including time, but she was always there present to help and respond. I truly appreciate her support and education which I saw was more of the support she provided than just a sale. I am very homeowner today and definitely will recommend Leslie for any of your needs. Thanks, Leslie.

Leslie was a very kind and diligent broker. The home was under construction by a local builder and consistently behind schedule due to permitting and contractor issues. She was consistently up to date with time constraints and details regarding the construction and kept me in the loop. Local knowledge is highly sought after and she is was prepared to answer questions regarding the overall city, competitive and ideal residential properties, and nearby highlights to a home. Her process, capabilities, and responsiveness were keen and constant and I would rate these highly. Her negotiation was not used on price, although she would have engaged with me on this, it was strong on the construction quality and timing aspects and she kept me strongly informed on results. I met Leslie through a contact who purchased a $1million home in Westlake and they informed me she was highly capable and ready to help me. This was true and it worked out perfectly. I would certainly suggest her to others.

As a person new to real estate and Austin, Leslie Gossett was a perfect match for us. I am more interested in a location whereas my partner is more concerned with the actual quality and construction of the home. She took time to get to know our likes and dislikes with each and every meeting. Leslie was able to show us homes that fit into each of our likes and budget. In fact, Leslie patiently and happily showed us over 80 homes before we found the right one. Each home that we toured Leslie was prepared for my questions regarding the neighborhood and his questions regarding the construction, she was always 100% professional. There was not a question that we could ask that she didn't have the answer to. She is very flexible and you as the customer, are her priority. Leslie worked hard for us to find the perfect home and when the time comes to move she will be our go-to realtor.

It was a pleasure working with Leslie throughout the process of finding the right home for me in Austin, Texas. She was always attentive to my needs and persistent in searching for the home that met my criteria. She was always flexible with her schedule to find the time to meet with my busy schedule to visit houses as soon as they become available on the market. During the loan closing process, she was there to help move things along to meet the deadlines. She was also very astute in the review of documents, for example, Leslie discovered that the loan company made $1,500 on the contract and found a way to get it corrected without delaying the closing date. Even after I closed on the home, she was still there to help with any issues with the new home to ensure I was satisfied. You cannot go wrong with having Leslie as a part of your team in buying or selling a home.

Leslie was amazing, she met us out and showed us the properties we wanted to see and had some other listings in mind that we didn't even find that really fit what we were looking for. We actually fell in love with one of the properties she suggested and helped us navigate through the entire process and since this was our first time going through this it was extremely helpful having someone so knowledgeable. I'm usually a pretty tough critic but she was amazing and did all of this just weeks before having a baby, yes I said that correctly she went above and beyond really exceeded all expectations. I have referred all of my friends who are looking to buy, sell, or rent a property towards Leslie she is great.

My husband and I searched for a property on our own for about 6 months but couldn't find anything we really liked that met our criteria. We started to work with Leslie some after that but kind of gave up on our end, she continued to bring us options over the next 6 months and ended up finding us a beautiful lot that no other broker probably would have found, it was a private listing that she hunted out by using her connections. We loved the location, the neighborhood, it was in our price range, and she worked very quickly to help us close. I've worked with other brokers in the past, none compare to Leslie. She's very thorough and doesn't give up on finding what you want. I highly recommend her!

As clients that just closed on a home in Austin and being complete strangers to the area, with some ideas as to what we wanted but not knowing the Texas lifestyle, Leslie was the right person for us. She was knowledgeable, attentive to our time issues, the size of the home to fill our needs, the distance from town, traffic, and of course, views and lot size. She and her associates were cognizant of our needs and negotiated our purchase with speed and attentiveness, keeping all parties informed in a timely manner. All in all, I would have to say that this was a very good experience and if the opportunity arose again for real estate needs, Leslie would be the person to call.