Who is the Realtor of the year? Familiar face spoiler alert

REALTOR OF THE YEAR TJ JENSEN

A group of my fellow Realtors and I were eating lunch on a recent sunny day in the fresh air on the outside patio at The Union restaurant in downtown Oroville. One of our group, TJ Jensen of Century 21 Select, didn’t know it yet, but had been voted Realtor of the Year by the Oroville Association of Realtors. The Executive Officer of the Oroville Association, along with a few Board of Directors members arrived on the scene and made a surprise attack on TJ, presenting him with the Realtor of the Year award. TJ was truly shocked, surprised, and honored. We all congratulated him and honored him as well. We of the lunch group had been part of the set-up, getting him positioned at the lunch meeting so he could be nailed with the award.

We were not surprised TJ was given the award, because we know him as a standout person who works hard in this business of Real Estate. But some of us at the lunch have spent most of our careers in the Chico market, and had not spent much time with TJ until lately, having joined forces with him in a new Oroville Office with Century 21 Select. Now we know him better and understand how special he really is.

“I’ve known him since he was a little boy,” says Karen, a fellow Realtor. “He mowed my mother’s lawn when he was 9 or 10 years old, he’s that kind of guy. Always industrious and hard-working. He’s also honest and kind, one of the greatest people I know.”

Karen encouraged TJ to get his Real Estate license, which he did seven years ago. “I knew he would be good in Real Estate, because he loves helping people,” she said. “He had already owned three businesses, and donated time and money to civic affairs on boards and committees, for years.”

TJ owned and operated Mugshots Café on Montgomery Street for 11 years, as well as TJ’s Deli and the Copa de Oro. He has served on the Feather River Recreation and Parks District, elected by public vote, serving as chairperson. He has also served on the YMCA Board of Directors and served as Vice President and President of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce.

Debbie C., TJ’s recent Broker, said, “TJ’s knowledge is amazing, and he is completely honest. He knows the area and he knows the people. He goes the extra mile for his clients. He also goes the extra mile for people outside of his business. He has been right there after the fires and during Covid, getting people connected with the resources they need during a disaster.”

Debbie P., Realtor and friend said, “He’s a totally ‘get it done’ person. He tackles things nobody else would even attempt. And he always gets it done! He’s also a team player and is awesome to work with. A collaborator. He is the perfect Realtor!”

Debbie C. added, “TJ is a sweetheart, and he has the sweetest dog, Deli. If you know TJ, you know Deli!”

You can visit TJ Jensen and maybe his dog, Deli, at his new office at 2061 Montgomery Street, next to The Union restaurant in downtown Oroville.

LOVE BUILDS A HOME FOR BECKY PORTLOCK

Becky Portlock has one of those stories that simply makes your heart sink, and sadly, it isn’t one that’s all too uncommon up on The Ridge. She moved to Paradise in 1954, and has remained there ever since, raising a beautiful family and deeply rooting herself within the community. At the beginning of 2018, Becky took her life savings and invested in a new home, purchasing the property outright in cash, excited to never again have to make a rent or mortgage payment. As would be the case for just about anyone, the purchase was a major accomplishment and the culmination of a life’s work—freeing her from a form of debt many struggle with month-aftermonth. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived, as her home was consumed by the Camp Fire seven short months later. To make matters worse, Becky had not purchased homeowners insurance—an oversight made by many who purchase homes with cash, as it isn’t required like it would be with a regular home loan. “It was the first home I purchased.” Becky said, “I lived in Paradise my whole life, and I never expected this would happen.”

Left with nearly nothing, Becky relied upon FEMA for assistance, eventually moving into a travel trailer on the property where her home once stood. She has lived in that travel trailer since then, nearly two-and-onehalf years since her home burned in the fire. Throughout the experience, Becky has remained hopeful, believing her luck would turn around. As most victims of the Camp Fire are sure to agree, it’s been a long road. Thanks to the team at Love Builds, her luck is quickly turning around.

“We were so moved by Becky’s story.” Love Builds’ Executive Director Joelle Chinnock sighed, “You have this incredible woman who has worked so hard for so long to purchase a home, and then it disappeared in an instant. Her humility and patience throughout the entire experience was absolutely incredible, and we felt honored to have the opportunity to help her.”

Thanks to the combined efforts of a number of different organizations and individuals— including the Paradise Adventist Church, North Valley Community Foundation, Maranatha Volunteers International, and Mark Balken Construction—Becky will soon have a brand new home at no cost. her on as a client in January.” Becky’s case manager, Miranda Comfort said, “Love Builds was just starting, so I signed her up. Mark met Becky and I at her property and her situation checked all the boxes. She was the perfect candidate for their project.”

“We just broke ground two weeks ago, and we honestly couldn’t be more excited!” Love Builds’ Director of Construction Mark Balken said, “The partnerships we’ve been able to make in such a short period of time have been absolutely astounding. Knowing we’re making a positive impact in the community and helping Becky find a sense of normalcy once again has been all the fuel we needed to keep pushing forward.”

With construction underway, Mark and Joelle expect Becky’s home to be complete by this coming November, and though her story has been one of unending trial and tribulation since the fire, we’re glad to know it will come to a happy end.

If you or someone you know is a victim of the Camp Fire and still in housing limbo, visit Love Builds at www.LoveBuildsParadise.com to see if you can benefit from their project. You can also call them at (530) 520-0000.

"Effie is far and above the best agent we have ever dealt with. Recently, we had to use someone in another town, and the difference was so apparent. She really misses nothing and stays on top of the process the whole way. She never drops the ball and makes sure you are covered and protected. We have worked with her on various properties over the years and her professionalism always remains the same. I always recommend her to everyone no matter the $$ amount involved. She will represent you well, no matter that amount, big or small." -Sondra Kreuger, Chico

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Sweet Spot

Oroville is a sweet spot for me. In my real estate career, my main focus has been the Chico area, but my life has been enriched by the fine people and places of Oroville.

My first trip through Oroville was back in 1971, illegally riding inside the open boxcar of a freight train. A couple of buddies and I from Feather River Junior College hopped the train in Quincy, rode it down the Feather River Canyon along the Feather River, hopped off in Oroville, got chased around by a railroad guard with a bullhorn, and hopped a return freight back to Quincy. On the return hop, we clung to the outside catwalk grid on top of a tanker car, so we took the full face-load of diesel exhaust from the forward engines of that train the whole 80-mile ride back up the canyon. The tunnels, and there are some long tunnels, really drove that smoke into our pores and follicles. I’m still picking that black grit out of my teeth and hair, and my skin is still a shade darker.

My next trip through Oroville was fifteen years later, my first year in real estate, with a buyer client, a retiring professor from the Bay Area.

“Chico’s too hoity-toity,” said my client, Ron. He knew Oroville from visiting family there as a kid and told great stories of fishing, hiking, and camping around Feather Falls, Table Mountain, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown, and up into La Porte. He took me to a family-owned tavern in Downtown Oroville. He swapped stories with the locals. “This is a sweet spot right here,” said Ron, “but there’s gold in them thar hills!”

Ron and I covered a lot of territory over a couple of weeks until he found his sweet spot in the hills of Berry Creek, off the grid. “I can always find the bright lights of town, but I don’t have to live with ‘em,” said Ron.

Some ten years later, I was on jury duty for a trial at the County Courthouse in Oroville. On a break, I went to Houser’s Music on Bird Street in Downtown Oroville. My old friend, Trudi, had told me about this guy Dave Houser, owner of Houser’s Music, who gave her guitar lessons and plays music around town. “He likes the same kind of good ol’ music you do,” said Trudi.

Houser’s Music had, and still does have, racks of fine guitars, music rentals, sound equipment galore, all things music, in a down-home vintage brick building on a nice stretch of downtown. I met Dave, we wound up playing guitars in the music room, found we were musical soulmates, and he drafted me to play with him at Shakey’s Pizza on Friday nights with his band.

Since that meeting twenty-five years ago, my playing music with Dave Houser and friends, in and around Oroville, has clued me into the sweet spot Oroville is. Oroville has more events and festivities than any town around, and the community feels like a community.

Now, with The Union restaurant on Montgomery Street totally revamped with excellent dining inside and out—and a great music venue—along with Mugshots Café across the street, the Coyote Cantina soon to open across the side street, The Purple Line Winery, Vibe Grill and Pub nearby on Safford Street, and the restored State Theater, Downtown Oroville on a given evening feels like Nevada City, already established as a destination Gold Rush town.

In the real estate world, Oroville is now more like an extension of Chico rather than the estranged version of days gone by. Buyers are moving in, both for residential homes and commercial property, and the town is bustling. The surrounding lakes, streams, rivers, and open space leave lots of room for getting out of town, so whether looking for the bright lights of town or some gold in them hills, Oroville is a sweet spot.

Doug Love is Sales Manager at Century 21 in Chico. Email dougwlove@gmail.com. Call or text 530-680-0817.