5 minute read
Luxury Living with Lacie
Luxury Living with Lacie
Working as a REALTOR for 12 years, I’ve always sought out agents who have crafted careers I’ve admired and who I’ve wanted to learn from. I happened upon this dynamic lady, Lacie Lugo, making a name for herself in the Houston Luxury Real Estate Market this past year! What an inspiring story of perseverance and pushing yourself to achieve your goals. Hope you enjoying getting to know her as much as I have! ~ Crystal
How did you get started in Real estate?
I started leasing apartments at 19. I worked as a leasing agent and desperately loved my job. I was a young mother, so the struggle was real. And, right from day one, I had a serious love for people.
Working for several companies, such as Greystar and Asset Plus, I was promoted to an Assistant Manager. This started to set the foundation for my career.
I became proficient in multiple property management software applications, as well as troubleshooting front-end and back-end problems. During this period, I worked full-time, went to school full-time, and I had three children and a husband to take care of.
Around 2014, I came back from my 3rd maternity leave and joined Hunington Properties under Kate Good and Stephanie Burriss. Stephanie and I had worked together before at Greystar. There was a lease they wanted me to work on because they knew this to be my specialty.
I ended up having the time of my life working on this development! Stephanie and Kate eventually pushed me to get my Real Estate license. When I passed the exam, I started shopping for brokers. And, when I found my first broker, I failed to launch.
Kate pulled the plug, knowing I would never leave if she didn’t. Funny how I look back on that now and see it as a gesture of love. Kate and Stephanie were always great like that.
I sold my first house at $800K a month and a half later. I was ecstatic. I eventually worked for a home builder, and then Greystar asked me to move to Florida to assist with the Riverstone acquisitions.
I ended up going back to Houston, even through the difficult process of getting a divorce. I had to take about two years off from selling real estate, in large part because I found it so hard to focus. I ended up taking a sales job as a furniture rep for Cort Furniture - a Berkshire Hathaway company. This position covered City Center, The Heights, most of Med Center, and some of the Museum District in Houston.
After some time and introspection, I came back to Winhill, hitting the ground running and fully vested as the Vice President of Multi-family. I oversee one of the largest rental portfolios in Houston, with a team in place helping me run the rentals, as well as future developments.
I have several projects currently underway, and I’m building a team to help me with these, too. I firmly believe you’re only as strong as your team. I’m also overseeing several builder projects - townhomes, luxury construction, and hotel development - that are currently in the pipeline, along with continued selling of luxury residential, commercial, and multi-family properties.
I’ve added a consulting business to the mix for marketing packages offered to my clients, managed by my social media partners at Social Behavior. So, here I am in all my glory running around like a crazy person and loving every minute of it!
How do you find balance in your life with being a single mom and working on so many projects such as multi-family, homes for sale, etc.?
There really never is a balance. It has gotten to be very challenging and difficult. I have to really co-parent with my ex-husband and his girlfriend. My father has been an amazing help. I am so grateful for all of them. I just tell myself this every day. But, no lie, sometimes I feel exhausted!
What or who inspires you to keep going when you feel worn down?
My children!! I sacrifice so much time with them to provide a good life for them. I love them so much, and I wish I could give them all of the attention in the whole wide world!
I know that providing for them is crucial, and I feel it’s one of my ways of showing my love. I’m trying to provide the best education and life experience for these amazing little people. Chasing your dreams and being a full-time boss can be very taxing. I also remain very private when it comes to those most important in my life.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
A multi-millionaire by 33!
Are there any trends you are seeing in the Houston area that you think our readers who are considering investing in real estate should know about?
The forecast for housing markets in 2020 is good for home sellers. Listings have not grown, which has pushed prices up 5+% in July, according to NAR’s pre-release report. Demand for affordable homes is very brisk. Sales of homes under $200,000 for sale fell 10% Year-Over-Year. They’re selling 30 days faster than more expensive homes whose sales have dropped.
Purchases of homes by foreigners have dropped strongly, while demand from Americans is rising. I’m working on putting affordable housing into some opportunity zones. I hope to have this completed by 2021. If you are financially able, I would invest in lower-priced homes and hold onto them, especially in high-growth areas with up-and-coming future developments.
Any advice on success?
Are there any specific properties or deals that helped you realize that you could truly achieve what you wanted to?
YES!! I had a very hard lesson to learn in the beginning. I didn’t pick the luxury market. The luxury market picked me. I contracted a $4.5 million home as my 2nd contract, along with a larger, builder portfolio that was made up of million-dollar-plus homes.
I learned that not everyone is your friend. Sometimes the people you choose to trust the most can ‘shark’ you. This happened to me on my 2nd contract, by someone I trusted tremendously. It taught me a major lesson about how I needed and wanted to do business in the future.
I do believe in Karma.
