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KISS your realtor

From a garbage truck, to a rock 'n' roll band to a real estate career, to a mortgage brokering business and back to a rock 'n' roll band, a local boy makes good with decency, honesty, hard work and hard play

DARLENE VINSON
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

Eric Helzer by day. Real estate agent, mortgage broker and family man.
Photo courtesy of Eric Helzer
When he was eight years old, Eric Helzer climbed out of bed one morning at 5:30, pulled on his clothes and joined his dad on his garbage route. Tossing small bags into the truck and removing lids of cans to speed up the work, it is unlikely Eric understood at that time that he was continuing a legacy begun three generations earlier by his great grandfather Henry. But according to his mother Donna, this action was typical of her oldest child who she describes as exuberant.

Helzer’s story begins with his grandfather Donald Cornell introducing his daughter to Bill Helzer. Cornell was a gardener for the City of Portland. Nineteen year old Bill Helzer was a laborer working for the City of Portland, to put himself through college. Cornell liked this hardworking young man and arranged a meeting with his 17-year-old daughter. The young couple married in 1967. Bill followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and joined the crew of Alberta Sanitary Service, the family business.

Settling in the Wilshire neighborhood in Northeast Portland, the Helzer’s welcomed their first child, Eric in 1970 followed by Grant in 1972. Born three weeks early, Donna says she believes Eric simply could wait no longer. She describes a child who slept little and never really walked, but ran, and ran, and ran from the very beginning. A child that possessed an insatiable curiosity about the world around him, Eric insisted the family watch the evening news during dinner from the time he was five years old. Always a big hearted child, Donna recalls watching Eric on the playground at Meek Elementary School playing with handicapped classmates. Like most kids, she says, Eric would occasionally show a stubborn streak, but she and husband Bill were patient and consistent with the boys in matters of discipline.

A close family, Bill and Donna Helzer were always active in their children’s lives. Bill helped coach soccer teams; Donna was active in the Parent Teacher Association or PTA. They worked at bookfairs and conducted fundraisers to pay for play structures at the grade school. Their involvement continues today with their four grandchildren, Eric’s two girls and Grant’s two boys. Donna says, “We’re just a good old-fashioned loving family. We talk every day.”

In 1985 the Helzer family moved to Maywood Park.

After graduating from Parkrose High School in 1988 where he wrestled and played in rock ‘n’ roll bands, Eric enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College in their firefighter program, all the while working in the family garbage business.

Eric learned well the lessons taught by his parents. He recalls his dad telling him at a very young age that “If you treat one person right they’ll tell ten people. If you treat one person wrong, or are dishonest, they’ll tell a hundred people.” The father of 11-year-old Kadie, and 9-year-old Carley, Eric tries to live his life with that essential philosophy in mind.

The Helzer family at Eric and Janeen’s wedding. Standing from left: Kadie, Eric, Janeen, Donna, Bill and Grant. Seated from left: Jordan, Carley and Cameron.
Photo courtesy of Eric Helzer
Along the way, he acquired an interest in real estate. He would go to open houses for the fun of it and bought his first home at age 20 on Northeast 113th Avenue next to Parkrose High School. Deciding to sell that first home, Helzer bought another house in Cliffgate, doing much of the real estate transaction on his own. Through mutual family friends, Helzer met local real estate agent Wayne Lindquist, the principal broker at Wayne Lindquist & Assoc. Inc., a Mid-County real estate agency established in 1981, eventually seeking Lindquists’ expert advice and assistance. Lindquist was so impressed with Helzer’s self acquired knowledge of real estate in general, and of the Gateway and Parkrose areas in particular, he told the young man that if he ever got a real estate license, there was a job waiting for him at the Lindquist Agency. Always driven, it didn’t take Eric long to accept that challenge. Beginning in the winter of 1997, and upon the successful completion of the real estate licensing exam, Helzer joined Wayne Lindquist and Assoc. Inc.

By his second year, Helzer was a member of the ‘Million Dollar Club’ which recognizes agents with sales totaling a million dollars or more in one year. “Out of 56 agents, he’s a top producer of ours,” Lindquist says. “There are so many good things I can say about Eric. He’s eager, he’s energetic, he’s enthusiastic and he’s humble. He’s very well thought of by all the members of our company. We’re very fortunate to have Eric Helzer as one of our Associate Brokers.” Lindquist says Helzer expects to join the ‘Diamond Club’ this year, a club for agents who in one year, sell more than five million dollars of real estate.
Sales volume and numbers speak to his success, but Helzer is proud to point out that 80-90% of his business comes from word of mouth referrals, and from people he has met along the way. He disdains high-pressure tactics preferring to let business come to him.

In October of 2001, Helzer and cousin Jon Pederson recognized an opportunity that would mesh perfectly with Eric’s rapidly growing real estate business. In the fall of 2001, Helzer and Pederson created Keystone Mortgage, a mortgage brokerage firm, to aid their customers financing of real estate purchases. Recently marking their second anniversary, Keystone Mortgage now has a staff of 15 loan officers whose work is focused in the Mid-Multnomah County area.

Keystone Mortgage gives Eric the flexibility to not only locate the appropriate home for his clients, but to also assist with finding appropriate financing. Helzer does not charge loan fees to clients when he is working as their realtor as well. This simplifies the whole process for his clients, as they only have to work with one person.

Shout It Out Loud, KISS tribute band members, from left ‘Gene Simmons’, ‘Paul Stanley’ aka Eric Helzer and ‘Ace Frehley’.
Photo courtesy of Eric Helzer
As hard as Helzer works, he likes to play hard too. There was a time when he would play a hundred or more softball games a year with various local teams and perform weekly in local bands, but free time began to get scarce. Music became the recreational outlet he chose when offered a roll in a KISS tribute band, called “Shout It Out Loud,” performing and made-up to look like KISS lead singer and guitar player Paul Stanley. The band plays about two dozen dates a year and has been featured at The Fiesta Bowl X-Fest in Tucson, Arizona as well as other big festivals and numerous fundraisers and charity events.

Helzer has met Gene Simmons, an original member of KISS several times and says Simmons loves what they do. “He (Simmons) told me once that every time we perform in an area sales of KISS CD’s and merchandise goes up. They love us,” says Helzer grinning widely. Referring to this aspect of his life as ‘rock ‘n’ roll fantasy camp’, Eric likes the fact that he can work very hard at his different jobs knowing he has the occasional break for music and travel scheduled as well.

Eric says everything he has accomplished in his life comes directly from the rock solid foundation of love and support provided by his parents. They taught him early the value of hard work, the virtues of decency and honesty and showed him how powerful a strong family is. With that in the forefront of his planning, Eric says he maps out each day by first scheduling time with wife Janeen and his girls. Work, music, all other activities fall in and around his family activities. He recently began a music production company with Janeen, booking live music shows and getting involved in artist management, already representing nationally known artists.

Much as his Mom indicated, Eric is still running, and running and running. So when you next find yourself in need of a realtor, a mortgage broker, or a guy who will wear make-up, put on spandex, and play the guitar at your next party, Eric Helzer is your man. Just don’t expect to keep up with him.

Both Keystone Mortgage and Wayne Lindquist and Assoc. Inc. are located in Argay Square, at 4110 N.E. 122nd Avenue, 503-408-1432.
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