Mar 14, 2018
House Buyer Closed Feb '16
$630K, House Buyer (Closed)30 Colonial Dr, Mahopac, NY
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My wife and I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Alea throughout our house hunting process. We are first time home buyers, and we have learned so much from her. From our very first house tour to the very last one, Alea was able to quickly point out everything that is both good and bad about any of the houses we were looking at. Water damage, roofing, gutter placement, foundation settling, structural weak spots, furnace condition, different stucco types, ventilation, you name it. “This kitchen looks like it was added on, not part of the original house.” “Those windows are foggy because the seals are broken.” “See that gap in the roof there? That’s ventilation from the attic, which is good.” She has a very sharp eye, and she can point it all out and give you a rough idea, on the spot, of how much it would cost to fix. I personally prefer an agent who is not afraid to be truly honest about a house, which is the first thing I look for, because that allows us understand what we are getting ourselves into. Alea is very friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and rigorous, and this has proven priceless throughout our house hunting process.
After each tour, we’d talk about each of the houses we saw that day and make a decision on which houses go into the “naughty” and “nice” lists. We would communicate quite often through email as well, and have surely asked her a ton of silly questions which she had no problem answering. This entire process with her made us that much more confident about the house we eventually chose – when she said that house is “hooked up,” that meant that even she was impressed with it, which means we can be impressed with it. That is exactly the kind of agent I want to work with.
When it came down to making an offer, she not only helped us understand what would be an acceptable range of offers, but she also helped us understand why, by contextualizing the prices for these houses we were looking at. Could we expect the value to appreciate? Will it matter if we buy a colonial or a raised ranch? Every step of the way, from the tours to the offer to closing, she was there for us, giving us great recommendations on inspectors, lenders, insurance agents, etc., and being there to represent us if we hit any snags or scheduling issues along the way.
My career is such that I’m surrounded by very smart people with very high standards, and I can say without hesitation that Alea’s dedication and competence as a real estate agent cannot be overstated. She is 110% amazing, and she sets an example for exactly the kind of real estate agent that everybody should be so fortunate to work with. We are endlessly impressed and forever grateful for everything she has done throughout this experience of buying our first home. Thank you, Alea, for everything.