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All my life, I've been a very lucky person, but I'm not one to take those blessings for granted. I have always been aware when fate and outsized fortune smiles down on me, because that is when great things happen and life changes dramatically for the better. Without question, Christel Cottrell is one of those blessings, perhaps even the greatest blessing I've experienced, but at the very least, the most impactful one.
I came to Christel with little more than a dream of buying a duplex and breaking cycles for my family. I was too inexperienced and vastly under funded to make that dream an easy reality. All I had was an uncompetitive loan to give Christel to fight with, in the hot LA county market. From day one, Christel was a fountain of creativity with Ideas on how to make this loan work in such a competitive market. I wish I could have given her a better/ stronger tool, but after an expensive divorce, a NACA mortgage was all I could qualify for. For four arduous years, Christel doggedly championed my cause, with a persistence and determination that only befits someone with her level of commitment to her faith. I can't remember how many times we found the "perfect" property for our loan, only to get beat out by cash at the last second- it must have happened a dozen times. And EVERY time, Christel would pick me up, put me back on target and remind me that every "no" was a step closer to the day we'd get that sweet "yes". She stayed with me for four years- no sale, no commission. Even when I lost faith, she knew how important this duplex was to the future of my family and never wavered. What kind of person does that these days? I can only answer: an incredible person, a person with character and loyalty oceans deep, a fearless professional, who knew exactly how much I needed her and refused to take "no" for an answer, no matter what the odds.
After all those "no"s, when our "yes" finally came, Christel was ready and dazzling. The story of our escrow is worthy of being made into a great movie. I was leaving the country for work, the fluctuating interest rates constantly threatened to kill the deal, there was a looming strike in my industry, I couldn't make this stuff up! Every few days we were rocked by some unforeseen potential deal killer and Christel would calmly produce some miracle to guide us around the problem. I hope it's not blasphemous, but seeing THAT many miracles produced by someone THAT full of faith... I honestly do feel the Big Man Upstairs is on our side. You could just feel the groundswell Christel was creating. She is a pleasure to watch in action!
But Christel wasn't near done with me after we closed on the duplex and she handed me the keys. As I was leaving the country, the day after closing and had to get the property rehabbed and a unit rented as quickly as possible, Christel knew I needed her still. She set me up with a great contractor and Christel, herself, project managed the rehab and fully designed and outfitted the rental unit with the same selfless vigor and meticulous attention to detail that she's displayed since day one. And I'm proud to say, every single person who's seen that unit has been impressed by her design work. Christel Cottrell just gets things done right- it's who she is. Thank God! And thank you Christel!!
How do you write a review for someone who literally saved your life? It might be a slight exaggeration to say Christel Cottrell is a cape wearing superhero, but ONLY slightly. If you are fortunate enough to work with her, you can rest assured, she'll save the day and carry you across the finish line and well beyond, even when you think it's impossible. Like I said, it's just who she is and I am a very lucky person to have met her!
Christel Cottrell has shown my family and me how far a Real Estate agent is willing to go for their client. As first-time homebuyers, we knew nothing about the home buying process. Christel took the time to get to know us and curated a list of homes that fit our budget and needs. Always fast to answer our calls, we were always able to attend a showing ASAP (sometimes the first to see a house). The second we knew we wanted to make an offer, Christel was fast in delivering comps and all the necessary paperwork to make sure our offer was sent to the buyer. In a hot and competitive market, we were blessed to have an agent that stayed in constant contact with the seller and us to make sure we were first in line. She was honest and realistic when it came down to which houses to make an offer on. The closing process went by smoothly. Christel's expertise and due diligence quickly resolved all issues. In the end, we found the perfect house in our desired neighborhood. I can't imagine having a better professional, helping me find my dream home. Thank you, Christel!
Finding a home in Los Angeles is hard. REALLY HARD. We searched for almost two years, submitted over 100 offers, and had countless heart breaks over missing out on what we thought was "the One." But through the thick and thin of it, Christel was our rock. We would have never gotten to the finish line if it wasn't with her. Christel is the definition of optimism. Her bright charismatic charm matches her realtor expertise, making her the total package. If it wasn't for some absurd offers with no inspection window beating us out, Christel would've had us in a home in no time. Other realtors and clients absolutely loved her, putting us at the top of their list, but the market is so crazy we were constantly beat. That didn't stop Christel though, she encouraged us to keep our heads down and continue searching for the next one. When we closed on our house this summer, I couldn't believe it was over. The search for a home, the praying we don't get out bid, the hustling up the 405 in between meetings and soccer games, getting offers in on time; everything was worth it. But realizing our time with Christel was coming to an end left finding our home bitter sweet, making me wish our home search could've last a few more years.. (no really, but you know what I mean!) Christel was the best, is the best, and will continue to be the best realtor LA has to offer. Without her, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Christel is AMAZING. She works extremely hard and has the patience of a literal saint! I will absolutely be recommending her to all of my friends and coworkers. She was always available to answer any questions we had, she knew what we were looking for and even drove to homes an hour before our appointment to make sure it ticked all of our boxes. Christel is professional, kind, hard-working, and overall, an AMAZING realtor. If you don't go with Christel I promise you are missing out!!!
Christel is such a great agent (one of the best I have worked with). She communicates very well, she is very honest & forthcoming, and she is easy to work with which led to a super smooth escrow. Thank you for such a smooth transaction!
Your House Dreams Rocks!
Christel’s professionalism, persistence, and ability to learn my vision of what I was looking for in an investment property really paid off, literally. She found my most profitable investment property yet! Thank you Christel! Ready for the next one!
Time is my most valuable asset. As an investor, I don’t have the time to visit multiple locations and oversee multiple construction projects that are in varying stages of development.
Christel has made my life as a real estate investment professional immensely more fulfilling. Her expertise, professionalism and attention to detail have been the winning ingredients that have helped me to have some of the most profitable years I’ve ever had. I could not have never done it without her. I look forward to our continued partnership.
The stress the anxiety all disappeared when we started working with Christel. The priceless information Christel shared made our search for a home a pleasant experience. She is extremely knowledgeable, resourceful and professional. Her knowledge of homeowners needs really made the difference. She was able to point things out in homes that were positives and in some cases negatives that we never even considered, that saved us thousands of dollars down the line. We cannot praise Christel more for the personal care she takes in the buyer and seller. We recommend her wholeheartedly. Happy Hunting!