Hi, I am Larry Smart, a Real Estate Broker and Appraiser located in Gatesville, Texas. That's right...bred, born and raised, right here. I am a 4th generation rancher and I grew up on a mid sized ranch about 15 miles west of Gatesville on Plum Creek, near the Community of Levita where we raised cattle, fine wool sheep and Angora goats and we also farmed, mostly small grains like wheat and oats. Ou
r family raised huge gardens, milked our own cows, butchered our own hogs in the winter and farrened our own beef for custom butchering. because my Dad and brother workied in construction, I spent most of my childhood and early teen years helping Granddad work the livestock and plant and harvest the grain. We also chipped in and helped all the other neighoring farmers and ranchers, just as they helped us. My Granddad, Jeff Smart, and the many other ranchers in the area instilled in me a love and respect for land and taught me the importance of being a good steward of the land, which I still maintain to thsi day. When I was not working, I spent coutless hours on Plum Creek fishing, hunting and swimming. I went to school in a three-room schoolhouse at Levita. keeton, for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, all in the same classroom. I like to brag that I got a 3rd grade education in the 1st grade. After 3rd grade I went to Jonesboro school then to Gatesville High School where I graduated in 1970. After graduating from hgih school, I went off to Texas A&M (WHOOP!) and later receive my BS degree in Animal Science, CLASS OF 74. I worked my through college with three part time hobs during the school year and in the summers I took on additional work as a carpenter's/electrician's helper, a framing carpenter, concrete finisher, ranch hand, backhoe operator and bulldozer operato; aything to make a little money. After A&M I went to Tarleton and got my teaching certification and landed a gig teaching vocational agricullture (FFA) at Marble Falls High for a couple of years. In 1977 I got the opportunity to return to my hometown of Gatesville to work for the National Bank as an agricultural and real estate loan officer. I worked 17 years in the banking industry in two local banks, National Bank then Guaranty Bank, receiving a graduate degree in banking from SMU during that tenure. After executive burnout got me, my entrepreneurial spirit called on me to go into Real Estate. I earned my Salesperson License in 1994, my Broker's License in 1996 and my State Certified General Appraiser's License in 1996. Since then I have established a well rounded, well trusted and proven full service real estate company that provides a full range of real estate needs in Coryell and all surrounding counties. I recently married my long time love, Theresa, in August of this year. I have two kids, Amy and Ross, three Grandkids, caden, Brody tom and Shylie grace and Theresa has three kids, Margaret, Mark and Michael. My hobbies include...heck, all I ever do is work, but I love cooking, gardening, yard work, fishing (particularly bay fishing), bird hunting and I actively help 4-H/FFA kids with livestock projects, as our family is still actively involved in showing market lambs. We won the prestigious Houston livestock Show and Rodeo Grand Champion Market Lamb in 2009. I am passionate about marketing real estate, but then again, there are a lot of passionate Realtors, agents and brokers. What sets me apart from the others is that I understand that land and houses have emotions attached to them. Sellers are many times emotionally attached by generations of land ownership. Buyers are emotional because they may be about to fulfill a lifetime dream of beginning a new generation of ownership. Growing up on a ranch I appreciate the emotional attachment and fully understand the love affair with land and house...many, many memories there. Most likely, I will have my own love affair with the property, digging deep to highlight all the positives, but not avaoiding all the negatives. I will know everything needed to professionally market any property to a well informed and motivated buyer. It is my goal to professionally, carefully and methodically walk sellers and buyers through the selling and buying process in a way as to place a firewall between all these emotions to promote a smooth, enjoyable transition for both sides...a truly "win, win" experience. That's who I am, Larry Smart, TRIED AND TRUE.
