Chelse R Rinehart is hands down the best realtor I've dealt with (and I've bought and sold a number…read moreof homes).
My spouse and I set off to find our grand luxurious main home as we approached our retirement years. Wanting to stay in the Bay Area, we took a broad approach to our search. We had a realtor in each of the Bay Area counties so that if we found our dream home, we would have someone to work with us to obtain it. Our search has been years long, as we were uncertain where to put down roots. We also faced the balance of matching what we want with what we could afford. Chelse was one of our realtors as she represented the wine country from Napa to Sonoma counties.
In the years since being in touch with Chelse, there was indecision and Covid. Chelse never ever pressured us in any way. She did, however, keep in touch by sending friendly messages a few times a year - just to check in, say hello and wish us well. We appreciated this approach because until we had settled in on the North Bay, we just weren't ready to put forth any effort. It's fair to say that we tried in vain to obtain the sort of home we wanted within the inner Bay Area, as in San Mateo County, where we were currently living. Meanwhile, we looked east, towards Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. But it was becoming apparent that Santa Rosa offered more of what we wanted.
Alas, in the end, we chose the North Bay and in particular, we fell in love with the Fountaingrove neighborhood in Santa Rosa. Hence, from a pleasant yet dormant relationship with Chelse, we contacted her to see a particular home that caught our interest. While we didn't buy that home, our appetite was awakened and we began making the trek to Santa Rosa each weekend, meeting with Chelse and looking at homes, meeting with builders and generally exploring our options. It all fell into place, literally after years, and our focus and quest became laser sharp for a luxury home in that area.
Throughout the searching experience, the meet-ups and hours together, Chelse remained the lovely, charming, patient, non-sales-y person that educated us at every juncture, warned us about important aspects that didn't occur to us and guided us towards that perfect balance between following our desires, the realities of cost, and every other aspect to consider along the journey. Her patience never flinched and, although she is a busy realtor with other clients, she always made us feel we were her only clients.
We found the builder we wanted to work with, but the market was slim picking and we were momentarily at a standstill. Then, Chelse found a piece of land in Fountaingrove that was ideal. It wasn't on MLS yet, but somehow she obtained an unpublished flyer, and we knew it was perfect in every way - flat, large, and with unobstructed views! It was understood that if we didn't grab it fast, it would have been snagged by one of the developers already circling it. With Chelse's steadfast encouragement and guidance, we decided to make an offer. She knew this lot was what we envisioned and did not want us to lose this opportunity. When we said yes, she told us she'd already written the offer so not a second would be lost, so it was ready to go - and Boom, we got it!
Next steps- meet again with the builder of our choice and start the process of building our dream home on a piece of earth. We are currently midstream in that process and I cannot tell you how appreciative we are of Chelse as she remains on top of every aspect of the process. She is always prepared and several steps ahead of the process, keeping us informed and knowing what to expect. Whenever research is required, she is on top of it , hardworking and dedicated to do beyond her due diligence as our representative in what is inherently a stressful (yet exciting) process. The unknowns, expense and fragmented nature of a home-build is daunting, but with Chelse's help, it has been not only manageable, but fun and exciting.
Countless times throughout the process, we needed to contact and schedule various people ranging from the pool contractor, to the builders, to the lending company, and she was always right there on top of it. Also, whenever research was needed relating to our build, she would pounce on it, stating, "I got that, I will call... I will find out... I will get back to you on this..." And she never disappointed, true to her word, in her hardworking steadfast way at every single juncture. Hardworking, committed, detail oriented, warm and friendly-- who could ask for more?
Need a wine country realtor? Look no further!
