Nancy has been my Realtor through the purchase of two homes and the sale of one.
Nancy has three strengths:
* Focus on what the client is looking for in a home - key factors including avoiding the stress of buying more house than you can afford, and not settling for a lesser house or location than what you've identified as your minimum requirements
* Network of trustworthy, reliable, and responsive professionals - You need a mortgage? a painter? a new furnace? a second opinion? Nancy has a rolodex full of professionals she has vetted who answer when they see her name on caller ID
* Knowledge and planning - Nancy knows the market and the real estate process. She knows her strengths and where she needs to call on her network to make sure her clients get the best results. She knows all of the deadlines and the order in which things need to be done. I know that if I am up front with Nancy about what I can and cannot do, she will plan out the full process of selling and buying with her, her network, and me doing all of our parts for as seamless a process as possible
I learned about Nancy's first strength the day I met her. She was meeting potential renters for a relative's duplex. She focused on what I was looking for in a place to live. She listened and asked great questions. The result was that I did not rent that duplex, but I started recommending her as a Realtor from then on.
A couple years later, I learned about Nancy's second and third strengths. I was dissatisfied with my rental once again and did not like how much I would need to spend on rent to live in a place I would like. Wondering if I could possibly qualify to be a homeowner, I contacted Nancy. She got me in touch with a mortgage lender who educated me about the terminology and the process and focused on identifying what I could really afford. Nancy showed me houses and condos in my price range, advising me all along the way that I probably would not be able to find something I could afford that met all of my criteria. She kept me grounded so I did not settle and so I did not seek a house I would struggle to afford. When The House came on the market, and lowered its asking price to my price range, Nancy masterfully orchestrated the process of inspections, negotiations, and closing that got me a house with a new roof for less than the asking price. She even handled my second thoughts and cold feet with skill and grace--showing me a couple more condos and letting me know up to what point I could still back out.
A couple years later, my housing needs changed. Having exhausted all thoughts of remodeling, I contacted Nancy about the feasibility of selling The House and buying a more suitable home. This was pretty early to expect to make a profit on a house, but the market in my neighborhood was changing drastically. She thought it might be possible. She called on her trusted network for second and third opinions. We met with a lender. We sketched out a plan with how long I could afford to wait for the house to sell, what work could be done before I moved and what needed to happen quickly after I moved. People were painting, replacing appliances, and doing everything that was needed to get the best possible sale price. We ended up with offers at and above the list price, selling for much more than I had bought the house for just a couple years before. We sold on time and were ready to find the next home.
Amazingly, in a market where bidding wars sold homes up to $100k above list, we bought a well-constructed home twice the size of the house I sold, with the Walkscore and proximity to work that I wanted, for less than the asking price.
There's a lot of luck involved in my experiences. But it takes the skill of a great Realtor to make sure things are as good as they seem and act quickly enough to capitalize on them. Nancy has repeatedly proven to be that Realtor. read more
