Aug 28, 2017
Bridgit McGarry
Assistant Principal for Academics
John Van Dyk was the epitome of being a compassionate, thoughtful, and supportive realtor.
My mother had recently passed away and my father soon after needed to relocate into assisted living from their home of 28 years. In order to continue paying for my dad's new location, the very difficult decision to sell their home became evident. In walks John and literally handles all the emotional and challenging details of selling the residence, which was the longest my parents had ever called a single place as home.
As Dad was very much in command of the sale of his home, John's gentle and attentive manner worked quite well with a person who was still suffering from the loss of all things familiar, as well as his wife of 62 years. In addition, my father was relocated near other family members quite a distance from San Jose. John patiently managed all the dealings through me as the local person, my sister who was near Dad, and my father, who is slightly tech challenged and partially deaf! Never was there a display of frustration for our unusual situation.
As a full-time working person, who did not know all the ins and outs of hiring removal companies, painters, house cleaners, etc. John just worked his magic and had everyone arrive and take care of the business to make the house "show ready." Staging the house, which had some slight imperfections, to be shown to a limited market was extraordinarily important, and it was accomplished without flaw. Also, John made it a point to know my parents neighbors and the dealings of the retirement community, which brings its own unique challenges as it caters to a very specific market, in order to better explain the community to potential buyers.
John was in constant communication with my sister and I and that allowed us to feel confident in the process. His patience with our never ending questions, need for assurance, and carefully walking us through the process was deeply appreciated.
Most importantly, John got the message out before the house went on the market. Over 1,200 hundred realtors knew that the house was "coming soon" and he described the fantastic potential of living in the retirement community. His proactive approach led to a preemptive offer two days before the house going on the market. The buyer offered over the asking price and John managed all the details over the telephone with my dad.
Although it was sad to say good-bye to the house that held so many memories this difficult process was made all the easier because of John. When we find ourselves needing a realtor, or if any of our friends do, we will clearly be contacting John.