June 26, 2008
To a future home buyer:
Let me start off by saying I am jaded. I have been in law enforcement for 13 years, which frankly leaves me a little skeptical when it comes to trusting people.
The organization I work for gave me a few months notice before moving my family into lower northwest Michigan. Without any contacts in the area, I blindly emailed Coldwell Banker asking for help finding a house. That evening I got a call from Matt Case.
I had my reservations about Matt at first. He grew up in Benzie County which meant he would have answers to our questions about schools, economy and local favorites. It also meant he would have connections. We did our research and found that Matt had won an award the year before for Agent-of-the-Year. He also seemed to be respected by his profession being voted President of the Traverse Area Association of Realtors and one of the most influential people in the area under 40 years of age. I was still skeptical.
Matt patiently showed us five to seven houses at a time. I am sure this took more time than normal because of our three young kids in tow (one of Matt's greatest attributes is his ability to find a public restroom between showings). His style was perfect for us. As we entered each house, he highlighted the property's attributes and then silently gave us time to explore. Inside houses he had never seen before, he was just as curious as we were.
We watched carefully for real estate tricks such as showing a block of less desirable properties followed by a nice house slightly above your price range. We experienced nothing of the sort. In fact, I can think of two instances where he seemed to shield us from other realtors who were quick to highlight their properties without knowing anything about our family.
Now, a little about my wife of nine years. She needs to be well informed. I don't know how many emails with questions she sent, but Matt found answers to every one; and the answers came quickly. The range was astounding, too. Everything from taxes, specific schools (and teachers!), builders, water, foreclosures, types of construction, weather and even good fishing spots.
At the end and after several months working with Matt, it came down to two properties. One was significantly more expensive than the other, but the less expensive property fit us better. It was now that I truly appreciated Matt's style. He waited patiently. He waited without even suggesting what he thought might be the better pick. Now that we look back, that is exactly what we needed.
Matt truly took the time to understand our needs. As the weeks passed he seemed to mold around our family. The showings became more poignant. He seemed to anticipate our questions. That fact that he grew up in the area and that he seemed to be related to half the county proved to be a wonderful asset. And, the most important thing to know about Matt is he wanted us to be happy. It seems to be rare to find someone so dedicated to the spirit of their profession, but, I truly feel, Matt's one goal was to find my family the perfect house.
After our experience with Matt and how well he treated our family, we should be counted as his biggest fans and would whole-heartedly recommend him to anyone looking for a home.
Sincerely,
Michael and Karen Stansberry
Honor, Michigan