It’s my great pleasure to recommend Ms. Lori Sauer as a real estate agent for anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Bluffton area. Ms. Sauer and I recently closed on my house in Alston Park and I wanted to take a minute to provide some context to this endorsement. Quick background: Towards the end of 2014 I relocated from Bluffton to Virginia and at the beginning of 2015 I decided to place my house on the market. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right so I advertised my house as a rental, secured tenants, and waited. For those that have had tenants, you know the horror stories and thankfully these tenants were respectful of the house, although there is always some wear and tear. For the past three years the tenants went about their lives and I mine and in February my fiancé and I were fortunate to find some beautiful property with an amazing house near the mountains. So we placed an offer on the house and it was immediately accepted and with that it was time to sell the house in Bluffton. The timing between closing on our house in Virginia and selling Bluffton was an important consideration. Having tenants while listing compounded matters. In comes Ms. Sauer. Towards the end of March, I drove from Virginia to meet with the tenants and to find a listing agent. Having only two days, I interviewed a couple of realtors, reviewed the local market comps, and discussed pricing strategies. Another aspect of this trip was to identify areas of the house requiring repairs. The bonus room over the garage needed to be finished, carpet needed to be installed, and there were a few areas that could use some fresh paint. While discussing this with the tenants, they recommended Ms. Sauer as a realtor who they knew and who also lived in the neighborhood. She successfully sold a couple of the houses along the street, including their neighbor. After meeting with Ms. Sauer and discussing the projects required she took the bull by the horns and provided references of individuals capable of performing the necessary work. Less than 24 hours later and work had started on the bonus room. Impressed with her quick responsiveness to the house repairs, I asked for a listing contract. She provided market-comps and analysis, outlined possible strategies, and provided contractor oversight for work being performed in the house. It was quickly becoming apparent that the house, over the last few years as a rental, was beginning to reveal some potentially costly repairs. Given my work schedule coupled with the remoteness of where I live and the lack of cell phone reception, Ms. Sauer provided updates via e-mail outlining the progress of the work being completed on the house. She coordinated all of the ‘open-house’ events and followed-up with other realtors for comment cards. The feedback from the comment cards allowed Ms. Sauer and I to assess the continued marketability of the house while balancing potential buyer’s wants against a limited budget. One aspect of the open houses that we didn’t anticipate was scheduling these events around the tenants who were preparing to move out since the rental contract was going to expire soon. In order to gain tenant support and to get them out of the house, Ms. Sauer recommended that I treat them to a dinner at HHI. Glad I took her advice because shortly after the open house I received two offers on the house. You are searching for a real estate agent. Chances are, you will find one who will satisfy your real estate needs. Your relationship will be a business transaction. Ms. Sauer brings more to the table than someone who simply moves from client to client for a commission. With Lorie, you are listing with your neighbor.
Best Regards,
Guy Callahan
