For a 2nd time, Kathleen well exceeded our expectations and we are grateful…read more About 8 years ago, we looked to move from our home in Concord to our present home in Benicia. At that time the real estate market was increasing in value rapidly in both markets, and to make the transition was going to be challenging to say the least. We were fortunate to engage Kathleen Olsen as our agent in Benicia, and in a very tight market helped us coordinate the sale and leverage our equity to our present home, well beyond our expectations. To say that we are thankful is an understatement. The result is that we have been extremely happy in this hidden gem of a town, full of artists, friendly neighbors, and people that walk very small dogs. Our son has been renting a house we purchased in Concord so he could be near the high school our grandson attended. Our grandson graduated a couple of years ago and at a family dinner, I asked everyone, why are we maintaining a home in Concord? Why don't we sell the house and buy something comparable in Benicia area so we can experience the magic of the town we love? How hard could it be? Ahhh - famous last words. So we called Kathleen again, and we laid out all the relevant information for her and that our objective was to have our family close so we can all enjoy the community that we have learned to love. We determined that a 1031 Exchange would save a lot on capital gains taxes. The challenge was that this would require that the sale and the purchase would need to be timed precisely. She helps us figure out all the components about how we are going to pull this off, and then helped us put together all the pieces. First, she told us that it would best to secure another agent for the sale who knows that market. She introduced us to Greg Sousa, and worked with Kathleen, communicating every stage of the process. While the property was being readied for sale, the family started exploring homes in Benicia area. We finally found a home that fit our son's family's needs, and then put the Concord house on the market. As is common in this market, we had a mountain of offers. We picked the offer that met our needs and our timeline. We then worked on securing the home we wanted to purchase. Kathleen did a masterful job of negotiating the price and the terms. We were on pins and needles. The market is unusually sparse and trying to find an alternative home brings uncertainty. I think the skill she had was to manage our expectations and anxiety against her experience in this marketplace to get us a fair deal that we would be happy with. She helped us stay the course with our emotions in check, and the result is that we are able to move our son and family within 10 minutes of us and be able to enjoy the rest of our lives sharing adventures with the people we love. We are so grateful to Kathleen and her team, as well as all her colleagues who for a 2nd time has changed the trajectory of our lives. For a 2nd time, Kathleen well exceeded our expectations and we are grateful.

Best realtor in Benicia, California. Informative, responsive and reliable with a deep understanding…read moreof the market.

Please note that this review was flagged by Krystle Properties and removed because I didn't specify…read morehow I'd been a customer of Krystle Properties although it clearly states in the quote below. I will clarify and add that Krystle DM'd me because she has no idea which property I'm writing about...It says a lot about how her company is run. "Hi Me Y. We're trying to figure out who you are so we can understand where we went so wrong with servicing you and your properties. Please let us know so that we can understand this mystery and learn from our past experiences. Thank you, Krystle Karimian, CEO Krystle Properties sales@krystleproperties.com 707-342-2290" Since you asked: These are some of the issues we faced and why we fired you the first month: 1. The building had so many keys in such a disorder that we had to go unit by unit to confirm that it was the correct key. This included front and back doors, mailbox keys, basement keys, and excess storage keys, so you can imagine the mess. The labels were tangled and some had become wet and therefore couldn't be read. Key labeling may seem insignificant but when there is an emergency and you need to access a unit, garage, etc. it becomes very important. 2. The maintenance on the property was horrific. The tenants explained that the yard had been left unmaintained throughout their tenure which made it difficult for them to access their units, storage, garbage, garages, etc. Why, Krystle? This lowers the rent you can get on a location and will cost only $100-$500/mo for a reliable gardening service. That's nothing when you are considering this is a commercial property. Why wouldn't you explain that to an owner to HELP THEM? 3. The windows in many of the units had been painted shut and were therefore inoperable. (Some of the tenants liked this as it allowed them to hotbox more effectively. LOL. ) This is a fire hazard along with something that lowers the property value, since people want a home that functions properly. 4. The backdoor screens were all broken. EVERY ONE. Either the latches didn't work, they were bent and didn't close properly, or the screens had holes (from the cats and dogs), making them nonfunctional. This contributed to the "cheap" vibe and was an easily fixable annoyance. 5. Rentable space. There were garages and storage areas that were not being rented. Why? This represented a +5% increase in property income, which almost paid for Krystle's services. Why wouldn't you mention that to the owner? It would have been nice to have your services covered in the increased rent. 6. This building is in a highly desirable location and rents were 20-50% under-market, with NO CHANGES TO THE BUILDING and, at the time, no rent control. Why, Krystle? I started bumping rents the first year and couldn't believe how quickly the units rented. It is now a VERY profitable building, largely because YOUR TEAM DIDN'T EXPLAIN TO THE OWNER THAT HE HAD A GOLDMINE. It just needed tidying, good maintenance, and some aesthetics. 7. ALL the tenants hated your team. They didn't like the $50 charges for things like replacing batteries. (I have smoke alarms checked 2x a year as a standard part of maintenance and safety.) The tenants felt disrespected and ignored. They knew how nice the property could be but felt mentioning anything to you or your team would NOT result in anything being fixed. Here is my original review, for those interested, and I've attached a photo of my previous review and their other location where there is much more information: "Ugghhh. Just started looking for a PM for our Benicia property. Be forewarned that a MAJOR reason Vallejo's properties aren't in "above the rent a crack dealer can afford" is due to Krystle Properties management philosophy. (This comment was said to me by a tenant as an explanation for the condition of the property when I purchased a residential commercial property managed by Krystle Properties.) After speaking with my new tenant community, one of the first things I did was fire Krystle. That year I raised the rents 20%, fixed the broken screens, hired a gardener, and fixed the unsightly repairs done by her "team", and began to build a plan for the property to shine. The results speak for themselves... The Cap Rate went from 7% to 25% in 5 yrs. Yes, I'm not kidding about how badly marketed and managed this place was!!! Given they'd been managing it for +6 years, they also cost the seller $X00,000 during the sale, since Cap Rates drive commercial property pricing. If you are considering a PM for your rental, understand that KPM thinks all potential/current tenants are beneath them and will treat them as such. There are also more incentives for PMs to have turnover than to set the rental rates high enough to provide quality maintenance to attract tenants with high incomes and job security. We are going into a deep recession. You need to be VERY careful with who you choose to partner with during this coming era."

Krystle was great, words cannot express how grateful I am to have met her. As a first time buyer…read moreshe made the whole process super easy. Very professional, communication was on point. First person I will call when buying my next home. Thank you!!

When it comes to knowledge about real estate, Johnny is the go to person! I've learned so much from…read morehim, especially with the educational videos that he has created to spread knowledge to buyers and sellers. If you are looking for someone to help you through the buying or selling process of a home, give Johnny a call!

Bob is an amazing well prepared real estate agent. Well in advance of needed inspections, he has…read morethe reports ready. He is an amazing listing agent for sure.

Bob helped us sell our house in Dec of 2020. Process was smooth and he was great in keeping my…read moreanxiety to a minimum. I definitely recommend him.

Extremely satisfied with Marc's professionalism and ability to deliver. I recently purchased a…read moregorgeous home in Alamo. Through a coworker I was recommended to contact Marc. Going into this process I was wary on which Realtor to use. This is my 3rd time purchasing a home and still have a sour taste in my mouth from the real estate agent I used back in 2008. Marc has certainly won my business. I have walked away with a home that my wife and I love and have gained a friendship through the process. He made this purchase go by very smooth and was effective in each part of the sales process. If your looking to purchase a home you MUST contact The Afzal Group and ask for Marc. You will not be disappointed.

We just purchased our first home with the help of Marc, he was also our mortgage broker. We are…read morevery satisfied with his professional, knowledgeable and caring expertise. He was always available for any questions or concerns I had during the whole home buying process, which can be very stressful. I highly recommend him.

Outstanding staff who makes sure your needs are met. Shout outs to Steven, Ashley & Veronica just…read moreto name a few. Highly recommend!

CAUTIONARY OFFER…read more This isn't a complaint, but rather a cautionary tale for those who want to move forward in the application process. I found it to be a bit misleading, and not as straightforward as it seems. First, ensure that your income before the application date meets the 3.5 income requirement. Secondly, they request a deposit, which shouldn't be asked if the application is gearing towards a declined decision . Yes, the funds are refunded, but why ask for a deposit if you know the application will be rejected? Lastly, what's the purpose of processing applicants through the application or pre-approval process if you're aware of their circumstances beforehand? The application fee is $40.00 per applicant. Again, this is merely my personal experience. Since I am at peace with the fact that I will not be reconsidered in the future, I feel comfortable sharing this information with complete transparency.

This review is long overdue. Roped me into an adjustable at 6% for first year bumping up to 7%…read moreafter that on a 30 year loan. I was told that interest rates historically had been low. That they would come back down into the 5% range and I would be able to refinance and that this would all save me money. It cost me thousands of extra dollars because if I had secured a 30 year 6.25% I would've been fine. I subsequently did refinance and that cost me thousands of dollars. So overall this loan that was supposed to save me a couple thousand dollars cost me probably upwards of $9000-$12,000. Buyer beware.

--She told us upfront we could get approved for a home loan with a 500 credit score. That was the…read moreonly reason we moved forward with her. But after she ran a hard credit pull--which negatively impacted our score--we got no follow-up, no real plan, and no communication. We waited 13 days, only to be told she was "waiting on information" that she never asked for. I had to chase her down myself. And when we finally spoke, she sent us a generic 620 credit plan that we never discussed. That wasn't our goal, and it wasn't the agreement. To make it worse, there was no acknowledgment or apology for the lack of follow-through. So here it is, for her: "I'm sorry we wasted time, lost points on our credit, and got strung along for nearly two weeks without real answers." Don't be fooled by upfront promises. If you're serious about buying a home, find someone who's honest, consistent, and actually follows through.

Tiffany Young and the other staff at Estey Realty are amazing! They are so great at making things…read morehappen. They will make phone calls immediately when things need to get fixed and are awesome with follow-up calls & messages to make sure things are done properly. They are all so helpful & friendly. They are also good hearted, down to Earth, and always willing to help in any way possible Teresa Ray

I would not use them. There have been a multitude of issues with renting with them. One including…read morenot properly refunding deposits. Also claiming damage occurred that didn't. There have been several people in town who have told me they have had the same issues. Also repairs not being made. Use Delgado or any other trustworthy rental agency in town where you don't need to worry.