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Testimonials:
Here's What Our Past Clients Have to
Say!
To Whom It May Concern,
Last year I was appointed 'administrator of the estate' by the Contra Costa County probate court for my deceased sister and had a friend recommend that I contact Don Forrester for advice on marketing her small, dilapidated condo in Concord. After our first conversation I felt confident that he had the experience, knowledge and connections to help me make critical decisions. We met at the condo and he suggested I do several economical improvements to the property so it would have a better chance of being marketed during a housing slump. Over the next year Don negotiated several contracts to have the property cleaned, painted, floors fixed, heaters with permits installed and other minor improvements. In every case he got professional work done for good value and when I inspected the unit upon completion I thought it was beautiful! The next step was to put it on the market and again he showed his skill in dealing with potential clients, giving me daily updates, working with the title company and navigating me through an endless amount of paperwork to seal the deal. When we closed the transaction Don paid great attention to detail and was emphatic that everything was done according to real estate law so it would satisfy the probate court and there would be no questions or issues after the fact Throughout the process Don was constantly in touch. laying out options and giving invaluable advice. He made the entire ordeal as easy as it could be and I feel went way beyond what I ever expected from a realtor. It was a pleasure working with him and I would highly recommend him to anyone interested in marketing real estate.
Yours truly, Scott Hodgkinson
Dear Homebuyer,
As a first-time homebuyer in my 20’s, I had no idea what the process of purchasing a house would be like. I am truly grateful that I had Don as my agent to get me through this complicated process.
I can attest that Don explained to me in detail every single aspect involved with buying a house - from the different types of loans I can use, to various structures on a house such as the kinds of roofs, gutters, foundations etc. When you’re new to all these kinds of things, this knowledge is extremely helpful.
I happened to use an FHA Loan on a short sale purchase in Antioch. I was fortunate enough to have a realtor like Don who is informed and patient enough to accept both of these types of conditions on a house! He explained to me the numerous kinds of codes and regulations required in order to pass an FHA Loan inspection and qualify for a house for this Federal Program. I realize not all realtors are willing to take the time to deal with the hassles associated with an FHA or short sale but Don stuck with me on both issues for several months and I ended up getting the home I wanted because of his dedication.
I remember when I showed my parents the home I bought for the first time and Don was there. My parents had lots of questions for Don regarding selling their current home and he took the time to answer and clarify all their concerns. They later told me they were so impressed with Don’s patience and vast knowledge that they plan on using him in the future as their agent when they decide to sell their house.
What impressed me most about Don is his attention to detail. He showed me what I would need to do to “weather proof” my home for the different seasons. For example, rather than just let me buy a house and be done with me, Don explained how it would be wise to install French Drains around the house, especially for the winter months, in order to avoid water build-up and future foundational problems or how to keep up with the caulking inside the bathrooms to prevent wood rot or mold problems. I recall looking at various homes in which Don pointed out problems of what can go wrong and what can be avoided with simple preventative measures.
Don is a realtor that always looks out for the best interest of his clients. When my home was in contract we were having issues with the seller’s agent not giving us the C.L.U.E. report in a timely manner and not fully explaining disclosures. I remember Don staying late at night past 11 pm and meeting me at 6 am one day to make sure we had our documents ready and ensuring the sellers fully met their responsibilities by providing information I requested to my satisfaction. The end result, we closed on the house in under 28 days.
Lastly, prior to me signing my closing documents, Don happened to review the documents himself, again something he did not have to do… He coincidentally found a typo in the closing documents by the title company that several people had missed! This error that Don caught ended up saving me a significant amount of money which allowed me to remain with more cash in hand prior to closing.
It is extremely important to have trust and confidence in a realtor when you make the most important purchase of your life. You will get that with Don. Without hesitancy I absolutely recommend you choose Don Forrester as your next real estate agent. I’m glad I did.
Very truly yours,
Tio Galindo
Just like a lot of people when I decided to try to purchase a house in early 2008, I was inexperienced, scared, and excited at the same time. At first I thought it would be a piece of cake. I was pre-approved for a loan and I was working with a real estate agent my family recommended.
The first day we went to look for a house I realized it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Basically the agent would just open the doors to the homes and let me look around the house and tell him if I liked it or not. We saw some nice homes through the course of a month and decided to put an offer. It was accepted and I was thrilled. But at the same time I didn’t feel sure about everything in general. I didn’t know if it was a good deal I was getting, wasn’t sure if it was the right house, didn’t know much about the whole process and I just wasn’t sure of what I was getting myself into. It felt like the agent was rushing me and just trying to get his money and really didn’t care about what kind of home I ended up with. Twice in the course of four months our offers were accepted and twice something happened where I was unable to get the house.
After the second disappointment I decided to stop looking and save more money to put a bigger down payment. That is what my real estate agent advised me to do. He said it would be easier to get a house with 15-20% down. A couple of months later around August, that’s when Don contacted me. Since that first conversation we had, I felt that Don was the real deal and very trustworthy. I felt he was honest and experienced. For about 4 months we started going out and looking at homes. We must have looked at more than 200 homes and every time I learned something new. The patience that Don has to take the time to explain to you every detail of the whole process, from putting an offer, to
Inspections, to how FHA works and final documentation, really makes you feel sure about the house your getting and what your getting yourself into. My experience working with Don was something special. The knowledge he has about homes and the unselfish nature he has about teaching you, its priceless!
On December 24, 2008, Don called me up and met me at a restaurant. With a big smile he gave me the key to my new home. After a lot of work and a long wait, I was a homeowner. Don stuck by my side through the whole process and not only a business relationship developed, but also a lifelong friendship. Thank You Don.
Sincerely
Walter Martinez.
My husband and I thought it would be a great opportunity to buy a house for our family of 5. Having had a realtor already we just didn't feel like we were in the right hands. We shared our concerns and frustrations with a close friend of ours and decided to look up Don again after 6 or more years had gone by from the first time he had helped us. We were now in a better position financially this time to purchase a home and really thought we had a good shot at buying a house. I am so glad we returned to Don because it saved us a lot of time, frustration, and worry.
Our whole experience with Don was so different than with our previous Realtor. In our conversations with Don over the phone he had so much energy and interest in us and our needs, my husband and I really felt like we were going to accomplish something. He was very knowledgeable in FHA Loans and shared that knowledge with us. Don would go out and look at properties that he felt would interest us based on the needs of our family and then would call us to check them out if they looked like they would pass FHA. I really appreciated this the most because with our previous realtor we wasted so much of our time looking at properties only to find out they wouldn't pass FHA or they were already pending. Don did the homework before he called us and that was so very helpful.
Many offers were put in and Don spent many many hours of his time checking over the properties thoroughly and getting all the paper work together we needed to put in the offer before he called us up and was ready for us to sign it. The paper work itself must have been exhausting for him but he made sure we had it to sign. I Remember the first time he came to our house to sign papers, not only did he have his laptop with him but he also had a portable printer if things needed to be changed. You could say he was very well equipped and ready to go. Don took his time to go over the papers with us and answer our questions even if it was late after my husband got home from work. At one time I think we were up till one in the morning getting the papers signed to make sure it got out the next day and our bid was considered early.
I really appreciated that Don was always keeping us up to date as things were unfolding and never did I feel like I didn't know what was going on. We were so confident in him finding us a home that if we didn't hear from him for a little while we knew he was still looking. And sure enough he would give us a call with an update and a house to look at. I still remember the time when we first switched over to Don and my husband went out looking at a property that we were interested in and found Don there already checking it out for us. We had been so use to looking up houses ourselves and going to properties ( which was very tiring with three small children) that we never expected he would have been there. Both my husband and I were very impressed with Dons work ethic and never again did we feel the need to worry about missing out on a house. We knew Don was looking out for us and our confidence in him was very strong.
My husband and I cannot express enough how happy we have been with Don. It has truly been a pleasure having him as our realtor. My only regret is that we didn't use him sooner. Being able to have the level of confidence we had in Don is truly remarkable. He doesn't play around, He knows his Job and gets things going. He's up front with how things should go and he goes far and beyond what his Job requires of him. I truly felt that he was looking out for our best interests and didn't give up until he found us a house and that he did.
Thankfully we now have a place to call home and a beautiful place at that. I could have never imagined such a beautiful home for our family. Thankfully Don kept in contact with the realtor who was in charge of selling this home. The house was a short sale and we had put a bid on it back in May of last year and then lost it because the homeowner filed bankruptcy. Don continued to keep a good repore with the agent hoping to get another chance at it if the circumstances allowed. Sure enough 8 months later it was finally ready to get sold again. Don was immediately on it, vouching for us that we were still interested. He really made things happen and quick. He had us on step 4 and 5 when only step one was required. We were always one step ahead of the game because Don wasn't playing around. I still can't believe how much he went out of his way to get it up to code so it would pass FHA for us. That was truly amazing in itself. He would always tell us I'm gonna make this happen for you and he did his best to make sure of it.
When signing the final paper work he even shared with us how to care for our home which I had no clue of what was really needed. He told us what needed priority and how to take care of it so we wouldn't be spending tons of money down the road. Over all I am extremely satisfied as one of his clients and would Never go any where else if I were to buy a home again in the future. As Don would always say, "Were going to get this thing done. I'm not playing around here, I want this finished and you in a home." Getting it done and finished he did! Thank you so much for all your hard word, dedication, and time you spent helping my family Don. You are truly one of a kind and we couldn't have done it without you. You have made the experience of buying a home so enjoyable and we cant thank you enough. THank you,thank you ,thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
The E. Family
Don,
Ruth & I would like to thank you for guiding us through this process of buying a home. Together, we’ve gone through the foreclosure/pre-foreclosure (short sale) and finally the new housing markets. You were another set of eyes and were constantly giving insights/observations on the properties we looked at. You have taken our calls and shown us homes at the last minute. Even when we left messages, you returned our calls without fail. When we thought we’d found the home we wanted, you were right there typing up the offer (three), even having us sign papers at 10PM due to my working hours so we could get the offer in on a timely basis. After having our offer accepted you arraigned for necessary inspections and were right there as they were being done. When it came time to close, you kept on top of the process so as not to have anything fall through the cracks so to speak. You constantly kept us informed and in the loop. With the loan now having been funded and as we take possession of our new home we again want to thank you for your attention to detail. We’ll use you again and will highly recommend your services to our friends and acquaintances.
From the Heart,
Dennis & Ruth F.
North American Title Company
To whom it may concern
I have had the pleasure of working with Don Forrester on Estate Sales on several occasions. Don has worked diligently to educate himself on the process of estate sales. Don has done an exemplarily job and is always on top of all details within the process. In my experience estate sales are always an emotional time for the sellers as many times they are not only dealing with the loss of a loved one, but also dealing with trying to sell the family home. I would highly recommend Don to anyone who is going through the tough emotional estate sale process.
Don is one of the most compassionate and responsible realtors I have worked with and really goes above and beyond to make this process as easy and painless as possible for the sellers.
In closing I would say that I just wish all the realtors I work with could be as detail oriented as Don is.
Sincerely,
North American Title Company
Grace Riveria
Don stood next to me for a 3 year period of time during the difficulties and complexities of the sale of this property (6 months of the 3 years the property was in escrow). Don knew that he had a qualified buyer not only from the stand point of the loan but equally as important.. they loved the property. Because of this for 7 months he spent countless hours not only talking to them but also emailing them. Thus making sure no matter what happened they continued to be comfortable with the decision they made in purchasing the property. During the time the property was actually for sale he took over 300 calls from interested individuals. He was involved in getting the septic study done as well as the survey which included a lot line adjustment. Because of a third party being entitled to some of my land. Don ended up having to deal with the legal aspects of the Lot Line Adjustment! Lot Split! Or A Exclusive Easement. For the next year he is keeping an eye on the lot line adjustment the City of Lafayette is pursuing as a favor to me. I understand that a nominal file on one of his transactions would be 4 to 5 inches thick, this one was actually a foot thick. Because I lived and did business out of the area it was nice to only have to be at the property a few times. Please don't hesitate to call me at 775~831-2030 if you would like additional information about Don or if you have specific questions. We could not have done it without him.
Sincerely,
Victor Z. Gossler
Hello Don and Deborah,
I wanted to thank you for all the thoughtfulness and dedication in finding our new home. We are truly thrilled with our home and rest easy with the help you both provided us in the transactions.
Preparing us and listening to us in the years and months before the search is truly appreciated. The loan and terms for the purchase we couldn't have found without you! You both were there with us every step of the way! I really felt very well taken care of ,as every aspect of each property, neighborhood,city,schools,amenities and lifestyle were taken into consideration in our decision by you. All of the questions answered . If there wasn't an answer right at the moment, you found the answer and called us !
We took an immense amount of your time. Don and Deborah......you never complained once and made yourselves available in an extremely generous manner. Always gracious to the owners of homes we were looking at and asking them things in a non threatening way. That made the visits stress free for all . Due to the abundance of homes coming onto the market we sure did look at plenty of them ! I really appreciated all the time you took with us. We had a great time and it was so fun!
Don and Deborah, you taught us so much about the process and what to look for. You were always there to make sure we saw the areas that needed improvement in the properties. Made sure we understood the offer process, what to expect with our lender, escrow and title. What the legalities are and how they protect the seller and the buyer in real estate transactions. I believe I said it earlier.......We rest easy every night knowing that everything was handled with such caring and knowledgeable real estate agents!
Due to all of your sincere efforts we are in the home of our dreams! Before we even thought it was possible!
Sincere and Heart Felt Thanks,
Sandra and Peter
P.S. Thank you for showing up on moving day Don!
Thank you for the cookies Deborah!
For all of you looking to buy or sell a home, Don and Deb Forrester are absolutely the BEST and ONLY real estate agents to work with! They not only helped us sell our townhouse and buy a new house, but they also became life-long friends.
Let me start from the beginning…My boyfriend and I decided that we wanted to move out of our townhouse and look to buy a new house. About a year before we actually put our house on the market, we met Don and Deb through friends of ours that were selling their townhouse. Don met us with a big smile on his face and his hand out ready to shake ours. We started talking and ended up asking him for some tips on getting our house “ready for sale”. At this point, we had not decided who our real estate agents were going to be. Without any hesitation Don offered us his professional opinion and gave us some tips and suggestions. (This really went a long way with us.)
Since that initial meeting, we ran into Don and Deb as they were helping our friends sell their house. As time went on, we really started to build a relationship with Don and Deb and knew that they would take care of us and watch out for us. They had our best interest in mind the entire time. (As we all know, this is hard to find now a days as many look for the “quick buck” or “the get in and get out sale”.)
Once we got close to the townhouse going up on the market, my boyfriend and I were close to being at the end of our ropes. As anyone getting ready to sell his/her home, it is a very stressful time – keeping everything perfect all of the time and finishing any last details. Don and Deb were there the entire time to help us through the process and let us vent to keep our sanity! J I will never forget one Saturday when we were working outside cleaning up the yard – picking up leaves and sweeping. Don and Deb showed up in jeans and t-shirts. They got out of their car, opened the trunk, and started unloading bags of dirt, plants, and other staging items. This was more than anyone could have asked for. (They did not have to do this, but did this to help us out. This is the type of people they are).
We really appreciate everything they have done for us. They were always supportive and behind us every step of the way. They were always well-prepared and knew everything that you would need to know about buying and selling a new home. In addition, they are very detailed. Deb put together a schedule for the progress of selling our old home and buying our new one. She put all of our docs on a CD. She even made postcards for us to send to our family and friends with our new address.
In closing, if you are looking for the “perfect-fit” for your real estate agents, I would highly recommend Don and Deb Forrester. You will end up with much more than real estate agents, you will gain two wonderful people into your lives.
Don and Deb- Thank you again for all of your help. We are so happy and would not have made it here without all of your hard work. Thank you for being in our lives! See you soon.
Sincerely,
Mike and Audrey
During mid-July of2006, my girlfriend Kathy and I decided it would be in our best interest to own a home and put an end to paying rent for apartment living.
The process of purchasing a home seemed like an immense task to undertake. we were unsure of our decision initially and somewhat hesitant to begin the search. How much could we afford? Where would we live? What are these neighborhoods like that we have never visited before and how do we know we are paying a fair price? These are some of the basic questions and concerns we had in the beginning.
At the start of our search, we were checking the real estate listings, reading the ads in the Sunday paper and searching on-line through hundreds of property listings. Many of the homes looked ok on paper or in a picture on the internet but were disappointing when we went to see them first hand. We had done some of the search on our own and soon became frustrated.
Earlier in the summer we had been contacted by a family friend who was now a real-estate agent, Don Forrester and his wife Debbie. He had asked that if we ever considered becoming homeowners to give him a call and they would help us with the process. I remember him telling us that the most important thing we would receive is the "education" of buying a home and we would be gaining a lot of knowledge throughout the process. So, one day, I picked up the phone and called Don and told him we were ready to begin to search for a home. That phone call turned out to be one of the best decisions we made in our search.
From the very beginning, Don and Deb were great. A framework was laid out as to what we could expect to happen during our search for a home and the home loan process we would go through. They teamed us up with a mortgage broker, Peter Gillis who was very friendly and patient. Peter explained much of the loan process to us and at first it was a lot of information to understand, but he stayed patient and re-explained how the loan process works and eventually we became confident about securing a loan. Peter found a loan that was tailored to our income level and our situation of having no money to put down up front.
Our search began with Don and Deb asking what price and payment level we were comfortable with, where we would like to live and if we would be open to living in other parts of the bay area. Not only was the price of the home essential to our comfort level, but to Don and Deb's also. He explained that even though we may be able to get a loan for a higher amount, he would not be comfortable selling us a home out of our income level. He was sure not to let us become "house poor". Where all we could afford each month was our mortgage payment and nothing else. That made perfect sense to me and I could really tell that the Forrester's had our best interest in mind.
Each Saturday, Don and Deb would pick us up and take us around to different properties that fit our criteria. At first, the search was a little overwhelming due to what kind of properties we were seeing and the price these properties were going for. Keeping both our wants and needs in mind, Don and Deb were great in pointing out positives and deficiencies in a property or structure and things that just did not look right. As they brought more of these things to our attention, Kathy and I began to learn about what to watch out for that could lead to issues down the road. We soon became knowledgeable about what we liked in a home or did not like and more importantly, why. Issues like roof conditions, lot grading, excessive wood around a property, cracks in sidewalks or foundations, general age & condition, remodeling potential and room to grow. Along with the homes location all became issues we were more aware of. Don and Deb were very patient with us and kept taking us on a tour of properties until both Kathy and I were capable of pointing these things out on our own. Soon we had looked at many, many properties and had a much clearer thought process about our decision to look deeper into a property or move on.
We looked at a lot of properties in the Concord, Pleasant Hill and Martinez areas and discovered that the price range was a lot higher in these areas than in others in regards to the condition of a home within a certain price level. Also. it seemed there were so few properties in these areas that interested us with the right combination of look, feel and location. We had seen a few that we were interested in and expressed that to Don and Deb and they helped us weigh our thoughts about making offers on these properties. They understood that seeing a piece of property as a potential "home" was an emotional step for us to take and they had cautioned us to be ready if an offer was not accepted. There were tough situations at first, we were either a little too late in getting an offer in or had to make some tough assessments as to the correct otfer to make.
With Don and Deb's reassurance and supportive information about the area and comparable homes for sale, we learned to be patient in the offer process and not to get overly excited or look to far forward. It was hard to wait after making an offer, not knowing for a few days if the offer had been accepted - but there was no second guessing about the offer we made due to our new found knowledge. We also learned to stay objective about the offer/counter offer process and not pursue a property any further if the whole situation did not make perfect sense for US. At a point, we realized, this may not be the right situation for us and we were confident in finding something else out there that suited our needs more.
Again, Don and Deb were very supportive in our decisions and in helping us handle these new experiences. We thought we were taking too much of their time since we were having trouble finding a property and thought that we might be frustrating Don and Debbie... But this was not the case at all. They were happier to see us make a confident decision and not chase down a bad offer on a property but instead be patient and give the entire process a little time, relax and let the market refresh. Another alternative Don and Debbie had recommended was to look in a different part of the Bay Area, suggesting the Antioch and Oakley areas. While I had thought about these areas in the beginning, I was not sure of my comfort level living in these areas because I was not familiar with them. We agreed to look into Antioch and Oakley, and after seeing a few properties and getting a feel for the surrounding areas we were more willing to expand our search there.
Now, a new wave of information was provided to us in regards to commute times, quality ofthe local schools, various road and infrastructure tax, potential road and town improvements, environmental hazards, and new home developments that may impact these areas. This became a wealth of knowledge and information to consider and helped us to weigh the positives and negatives of different areas to live in. Along with the information we now had and armed with an attitude of "We will know it when we see it", we were finally excited to find a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood within the town of Oakley.
Sensing our excitement, Don and Deb were very thorough in helping us understand all about the home we would potentially make an offer on. We toured the home three or four times and scrutinized it each time with a more critical eye. This helped us to understand that some potential issues with the home may still exist and not to be blinded by the simple fact that we had found something we liked. To our satisfaction, the deeper we investigated into the property and the more we discovered, the uncertainty started to fade away. We soon became very confident that this was the home and the property we wanted to own for ourselves.
We understood the time to make a serious offer was now. Don and Debbie were really focused on getting an offer done properly and helped us negotiate items with the seller that would be fair to both parties. They were very thorough with the necessary disclosures that accompany a real estate transaction and, most importantly, made sure that we fully understood all the information we were given. We were guided and informed every step ofthe way through the process of inspections, escrow, tips on maintaining the property and the logistics of finally taking over the residence when the time arrived.
We are now very happy in our new home and extend our special thanks to all of the personal attention given to us from Don and Debbie. With their friendliness, knowledge and patience, Kathy and I were able to make some difficult decisions very comfortably and now could not be happier. I cannot imagine searching for a home without the guidance of Don and Debbie Forrester. We not only have discovered a real estate team for life, but very good friends for life as well.
John Mazur & Kathy Bentz
To all perspective clients of Don and Deborah Forrester,
We want to express our appreciation for their foresight, rock solid advice, and dogged attention to detail in the promotion and FULL PRICE SALE!!! of our home at 360 Lindsey Dr., in Forest Hills of Martinez, Calif. This sale was achieved more or less against the odds as this was a record setting price for the neighborhood, shattering all previous sales, by greater than $250,000. The home was lovely and worth the asking price but suffered from a lack of local comparable sales. Wet seemed that local real estate agents either lacked the vision or were unwilling to devote the energy to find local comps. to support our asking price. Don & Deb Forrester did a masterful job of research to secure the necessary comps. They gathered the information into an impressive portfolio, and met with appraisers to make sure that no stone was left unturned in the appraisal process. This extra effort provided the needed intangible push to gain financing approval. They were flawless in their communications with us, the lending institutions, and buyer’s agent. Always staying one step ahead during the entire closing process, eliminating any chance of oversight, misstep or misunderstanding. Don & Deb ‘s sensitivity and team work approach allowed us to have the confidence that experienced hands were always at the helm, piloting a safe course threw the difficult, complex, and often times the emotional sale of our family home. We cannot give you higher marks, or a stronger recommendation.
Thanks again
Mike & Debby Davey
Don & Deb,
Just wanted to drop a line and thank you for all your help!
We think we met approx. 1 year ago, We informed you We wouldn’t be ready to sell until spring or early summer. You guys were so good, contacted us on a monthly visit. Pointed out items & things you thought would bring a better value to myself as well as to the neighborhood. You pointed out potential safety concerns. Wetems We probably wouldn’t have looked at.
As things came closer & closer to listing and sell, you and & Deb became more like friends/family than a person trying to list a house. (You’re very special, one of a kind individuals involved in the market).
You brought your heart into helping myself and Lisa sell our house. You showed so much love towards my kids, you played with them, bought ice cream for them, thought as them as a part of your family.
With your help and nobody other than yours, we couldn’t have made the move, and bought the perfect house for our family.
Thanks so much for your help, and love towards our family.
We will always keep in touch as life moves on and keep you informed of life’s progress.
When you decide to come into Weowa, we have a lot of extra space.
Stay in touch, as we will think & thank you often.
Rod, Lisa & (our monsters), Brock, Gina, and Gabe
Dear Don and Debbie,
Once again on behalf of my wife and We, we would like to give the both of you a big THANK YOU for helping us sell our house on Sun View Terrace. As we look back on the whole process, several things stand out in our minds that make us thankful and appreciate that we choose the right team for what usually is a very stressful experience. The speed and the ease of the sale, the top dollar we received (as you pretty much 'promised'). Most importantly, your honesty, integrity and pleasantness.
My wife and I remember consulting with you back in February, not exactly sure if we were even ready to give up our home at that time. Even after the first few discussions, Peaches and We kept tossing up the idea of just renting it out. Reflecting on certain personal goals we wanted to achieve, we decided to sell. There was something you guys DWeD NOT do that helped us to make a clearer decision to sell, and that was PRESSURE US. From start to finish, you both gave us sound advise and options from which we could choose from and never tried to push us one way or the other. We think lots of sellers go through a period where they, for many different reasons, feel like changing their mind about selling. Again, what helped us stay focused was the lack of any pressure (at any time) to sell.
Once we went into contract, we also appreciated the strategy for prepping the house and giving us a very reasonable schedule for the deadline. Basically, "go at a pace that is comfortable for us". We originally asked for a couple of months to keep it manageable and to keep our sanity! Of course my family and We still had to put in some 'elbow grease' but the list of "things to do" was great and helped us to put our time and energies to best use. Also the flexibility to extend the deadline when we really needed to, helped us tremendously. Oh, and thanks for tlle both of you rolling up your sleeves to help us when we were running behind just an hour before the first open house!
Your strategy to receive offers only after 2 open houses worked out really well. Wet gave us a chance to get to know who was interested in our home and why, which in the end was key for us in choosing the new family that we wanted in our home. We choose the one that we actually liked the most, which just happened to also be the one that bidded 20k over our asking price. We remember at one point my wife thought we might be taking too long on getting the house on the market, your constant reassurance that our house was still appreciating in value was right on. Who would of known for sure that we could even ask about 40k more in just a matter of a few months? Or that our house would sell in only 2 weeks?
Well Don and Debbie, we could go on and on, but hopefully we've said enough to let you know both again how much we really appreciate everything tlmt you've done for us. You both were the best people we've worked Witll on such an important business and personal matter! We wish you both continued successes in your professional careers, and your own personal endeavors. Thank you!
Sincerly,
Laural and Peaches Trias
We had read once before that two of the most stressful events that can occur in one's life is the selling of one's home and the buying of another. We couldn't agree more. My husband and We underwent a venture that would combine not only the above two, but the expectation of a new baby as well, all the while caring for a rambunctious toddler. Needless to say, we definitely were under the heat of it all. But after enlisting the help of Don and Deborah Forrester, we were able to get through these life changes with our sanity in tact. Bumps along the way were to be expected but Don and Deborah helped to make the transition less scathing. Kudos to the Forrester Team in not only helping us find the perfect home but being there as we said goodbye to our old! \par
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Thanks again!\par
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Maia del Fierro-Lemon\par
Dear Don and Deb:
I am writing this letter on behalf of myself and family to thank you for the job you both did in helping locate and purchase our new home in Clayton. We all could not be more pleased. We would, also, like to thank you for the professional attitude and conduct that you displayed despite the sheer ineptitude on the part of the selling broker. We understand that due to your diligence and hard-work, we were able to meet several deadlines that, at the time seemed very unreasonable. Additionally, though we paid $685,000, our house is already worth quite a bit more! Our family has come to trust both of you as one of our own. Over the coming years, I am looking to buy quite a bit of property here in Contra Costa County and will be in need of people that possess the character I have observed in the both of you. Please feel free to use us as a reference for e future.
Sincerely,
Jeremy G Roe
To: Don and Debbie Forrestor
I wanted to Thank Don and Debbie Forrestor for working so diligently to sell my house.I was very impressed on their professionalism, experience, and knowledge. I was in a desperate situation. They both came in and got things rolling full speed. I was very surprised because the last realtor that I had was the very opposite. Don and Debbie showed that they really knew their stuff. They were always very flexible with me and my schedule. One of the things that I appreciated the most was how they explained everything, and constantly informed me of the progress, and any changes. Including always asking me if I had any questions. They did everything their best. All their ideas and suggestions were excellent, as well as having a very positive attitude. They did over and beyond and that's what makes them outstanding Reactors I would most definitely refer Don and Debbie to everyone!
Thank you for your hard work!!
DESlRAE BULYSZYN
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