Real Estate Agents

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Interview multiple Agents to select one that will work best for you! Whether you are buying or selling it is important to hire an Agent whom you respect and communicate with. Know that although you may not receive a daily call, your Agent is constantly working for you! Looking for attributes that suit your needs in a Brokerage firm is crucial before deciding who to hire. It's best to only interview one agent from each Brokerage as they ultimately will function as a team in getting your property purchased or sold!

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Realtors are Real Estate Agents, but Real Estate Agents aren't necessarily Realtors! The Realtor designation is recognized on a local, state, and national level for ethical conduct. We're not just a group of agents that pay monthly dues to have lunches together; but an organization that follows specific ethical guidelines to provide the highest level of service to home buyers and sellers! We practice truth in advertising, never discriminate for any reason at any time, and place our clients goals ahead of our own!

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. The most important starting point for a Buyer is to get pre-qualified for a home loan. 80% of home buyers in this market begin looking online at homes. It's good to know if you are looking into a condo or a home, and what monthly fees you can afford that are associated with the property. Sometimes online websites won't tell you the Home Owner's Association or Mello Roos fees that will definitely affect your loan payment and purchase price that you qualify for. Best to know up front what you can afford before you fall in love with a specific home.
If you are a Seller it's important to find out what type of marketing will be done on your home. Do a sample home search of your own and let your Listing Agent know what you expect during the listing process. It's great to form a timeline with your agent in regards to what will be done and when. This way your expectations are met!

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We treat each and every client equally and provide customer service beyond compare.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The thrill of matching people to a home!! Big or small, condo or house, we've listed and sold homes priced from $70,000 all the way to $10million.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. What is a short sale and why aren't they short??

A short sale is when the homeowner owes more to their mortgage lender than what the home is currently valued at. They are asking their lender to allow them to sell the home for less than their current loan. They should be called "short pays" instead of "short sales" as the time it takes to process with the lender(s) and their investors is far from short!!

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. The most rewarding story was working with a buyer to purchase a short sale in Downtown San Diego. The Listing Agent was not negotiating the file properly so we stepped in to help at no additional charge. Unfortunately the first lender foreclosed on the condo before they came to an agreement with the second lender. We investigated the foreclosure and found out who the bank was going to hire to list the condo for sale as a bank owned. We called every day expressing our interest and submitted a strong offer the day the condo re-listed on the market. Our offer was accepted and our Buyer is still happily residing in the home! It took almost 9 months start to finish but we made it happen!!

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Real Estate Agents work on commission. Our services are paid for by the Seller of a property through the Listing Agent. If you are a Buyer it would be in your best interest to hire a Real Estate Agent to work on your behalf, why not, the cost is FREE!! If you are Seller, remember your Listing Agent should be working in your best interest and not just trying to double end an offer. Also remember we are working free of charge until there is a close of escrow- maintaining mutual respect for your agent will deliver results! Communication with your Agent is the key to opening or closing the door to the sale!

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I always promised myself I'd never go into the family business! Mom in Real Estate and step-dad an appraiser, so go figure! I was in mortgage lending through the subprime market crash and one thing led to the next! I was licensed at the time and thought it was a great market to learn in. As a team we've been tenacious and thoughtful enough to make a living in one of the toughest industries today!

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes. Our team is focused on education. In this market the biggest factor protecting our home buyers and sellers is our knowledge of the industry and our California Real Estate Contracts. We attend classes through the San Diego Association of Realtors and are always visiting special events to keep us on top of our marketing, social media, contracts, communication, public speaking, community awareness, and much more!