Historical backgrounds guide long-time realtors
Historical backgrounds guide long-time realtors
Written by Kathy Lesko Tuesday, 07 March 2006
Don Quick, Round Rock Realtor
The Quick family history is typical of the Texas Swedish immigrant families. In 1885, Oscar Edward Quick came to Round Rock from Jonkoping, Sweden, as a sponsored worker by the Nelson/Avery family and six years later, registered his cattle brand “OQ” with Williamson County. Today, great-grandson Don Quick shares his memories and history of Round Rock with potential residents and business owners to the area through his commercial real estate brokerage, Don Quick & Associates, Inc. “Leadership in our family was a very important factor in making a contribution to society. I hope I have a bit of this spirit in serving my customers in the commercial real estate business.”
Q What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in Round Rock in the past five to ten years?
A The biggest change has been the establishment of Round Rock as a “college town,” due to the addition of the Round Rock Higher Education Center through Texas State University.
Q How do you work with long-time landowners who may be deciding whether or not to sell their farm land?
A We consult with long-time land owners in the area, and usually make recommendations after we’ve studied the property, the type of ownership and the opportunities that might be available in the current market place. Then we can make an honest recommendation to hold, sell or develop.
Q What is the most interesting deal you’ve ever made?
A It had to be the deal for the initial purchase of land for the Classic Auto Group property. I noticed two men putting up a sign at the intersection of IH35 and Old Settlers Rd. advertising seven acres for sale. I asked the brokers if they would consider entering a referral agreement with me for anyone who didn’t want that particular property. They told me that Don Carlton, a Honda dealer from Oklahoma, had called about the site, but wasn’t sure it was a fit. I spoke with the sales manager who confirmed they were looking at Round Rock for a franchise. I contacted my friend, Jim Spence, an Austin broker, who had land available to the south of this property and suggested we write up a contract for the asking price, send it to Carlton and see what happens. A couple of days went by and I received a call from Carlton that he was coming to Round Rock to see what we had for sale. He contracted to buy the property, and later informed me that Don Tamburro was assuming the franchise for Round Rock and would take over the contract. I worked more than eight months on the sale, and at the closing, Ford Motor Company ended up doing the financing. I remember the Ford representative saying “this is the first time Ford has financed a competitor!”
Education Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Southwest Texas College
Family Married to Jeanie; three children, Gina, Darren and Kelli; two grandchildren (and another one on the way!)
Contact Information 255-3000 or donq@donquick.com
John Pfluger, Pflugerville Realtor
On July 4th, you won’t have a problem finding a Pfluger in Pflugerville. There are usually about 300 of them, milling about at the family’s annual reunion in the town that bears their name. “It really is incredible when you realize that our ancestors basically packed up what little they had and sailed into Galveston from Germany,” says John Pfluger, a sixth-generation descendent and the driving force behind John Pfluger Realty.
“I think they would enjoy [seeing Pflugerville today] when you think about their life because they felt it would be better than Germany or they would not have left. For this reason, I feel that we should all be thankful.”
Q What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in Pflugerville in the past five to ten years? How has your business changed?
A Pflugerville has been blessed with a tremendous amount of growth. With that growth has come more traffic, and a changing city infrastructure, but I’d like to think it’s good changes for the city. We just need to all learn to embrace these changes. In the early 1960s, I received my broker’s license. There wasn’t a real estate broker in Pflugerville, so I filled an obvious need. Back then, farmland was abundant. There was also a lot of land for developments and commercial properties. Today, there is not much farmland left. I’ve resold several farm properties over the years, and each time, the value increases. I think Pflugerville’s proximity to Austin and the influx of people to the region are fueling that increase.
Q How do you work with long-time landowners who may be deciding whether or not to sell their farm land?
A Beginning in the late 1950s, I helped run a small bank in Pflugerville. I got to know a lot of the people in the city. Some properties have been in families since the 1800s. It’s sometimes difficult to think like a business person when you have personal ties to a property, so I try to bring the facts to the table so the land owners can make a decision based on good business sense, and maybe not so much emotion.
Q What is the most interesting deal you’ve ever made?
A I had only had my real estate license for two or three years, and I was handling the sale of an estate farm that belonged to the Taylor family. It was a large family, with 10 or 11 children. Everything was moving along smoothly until the actual day of the closing. When I arrived at the office, I was met by four different sets of attorneys, representing various children of the family! It was then that I realized that the clan didn’t exactly get along. When all was said and done, the closing occurred as planned, but I’m sure the ones who benefited most financially from that deal were all those lawyers!
Education Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Economics/Business Administration from Texas Lutheran College
Family Son, Kelly and daughter, Vickie, who both work with their father in the agency; one granddaughter
Contact Information 251-4439 or jpfluger@sbcglobal.net
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