Woman Owned and Operated

Cristyna Winters, Owner

     I was raised a carney kid in the Northwest.  We had a balloon stand while I was growing up, so if you've met me at a Saturday market, fair, or other group event it's no surprise I'm making balloons for the kids.  Balloons bring smiles and laughter, two of my favorite things. This upbringing also gave me familiarity with the I 5 corridor.  I would classify Seattle Washington to Ashland Oregon home.  The picture is Lithia Park, Ashland Oregon. 

     In 2008 I was going to school in Medford Oregon when I was asked to help at a local apartment complex.  I did some painting, landscaping, and clean up.  I had fun, the owner of the complex was wonderful to work for and the work gave me personal satisfaction.  I became his regular apartment "turner".  When one tenant moved out, I would fix the place up so the next tenants could move in.  Since the apartments were empty, he allowed me to work around my school schedule.  I received other calls for houses and increased my skill base.

     I didn't really take this type of work seriously until 2018.  I love doing it.  Going into a building that's worn and tore up, working hard for a few days, and before I realize it, the old place looks new.  In 2018, I was receiving so many calls to fix things and paint that I had to quit working other jobs.  That was it, my business began.  I first licensed as a handyman, and Washington real estate.  In 2020 gained my General Contractors license, now I'm a Realtor in Oregon as well.  This allows me to travel, visit family, and be very useful to people like myself that get transferred in between the states.    

     Over the years I've worked on A LOT of rental properties.  It's always broken my heart that seniors, veterans, and single parents have been hurt the most by landlord greed.  Fancy fixtures and counters can be quite pricey, but there are good quality fixtures that can be bought quite reasonably.  In fighting with building owners to let me fix things properly instead of just patching I promised myself that one day I will own and maintain Livable Homes.  Hence the name for my company.  My goal is to acquire and maintain low income housing and if possible buy, fix up, and sell homes to people that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it.  Please know that in using my skills as a contractor or a Realtor a portion of this money will be to help me reach this goal.  

     There are multiple reasons for this.  The primary is that most of my clients appreciate that they don't have a crew stomping through their home.  I often work for seniors or people with pets that get nervous around crowds.  It's one of my primary compliments.  They remind me during the entire job how nice it is to only have one quiet person coming and going.

     Scheduling is another reason.  I play nice with others and have no issues subcontracting.  I actually really like too. It gives me more people to refer if it's a job I don't have time for, or needs work I'm not willing or able to do.  But, things need to be done in a certain order.  If I was contracted to do the trim work, I need the sheet rock, texture, and paint done first.  When I do it myself, I'm not waiting for someone else to finish they're part.  I also work longer days than most, so the job can get done faster. 

     Quality of work is a real pet peeve of mine.  If it's a DIY project I smile, laugh and fix it with humor in mind, no issues and I understand.    When it's a professional that you paid to do the work, they need to come and fix it for free.  It's their job to make things right.  I find the most issues in places the contractor hires someone then gets busy at a different job site.  No one notices the work was shoddy, until it's to late.  I don't want to be one of those contractors, and I don't want to go behind subcontractors fixing their work.  I make mistakes too, no one is perfect, but I want to see it and fix it before someone else needs to step in.