Where to begin? I guess I should start from our first telephone conversation. We chose a date and time to connect and discuss my late fathers' home and the possibility of listing the home with Shelley. My father had this home built and it was his "Happy Place" so, it was extremely important to our family that the home would be represented by someone that would appreciate it and the memories that were made there. From that first conversation on I knew I had made the right decision. Shelley was definitely the right choice. Her knowledge of the area, the current state of the market and the real estate industry was impressive to say the least.
Our first in person meeting...My sister and I scheduled a trip to Florida to prepare the home for listing (we are from Ohio, coincidence...turns out Shelley grew up very close to where we live!) Shelley arrived in the afternoon and she patiently walked us through the process. She answered all of our questions and gave us the most valuable lesson on "decluttering" so we could get the home ready for what turned out to be the most impressive marketing video we had ever seen. Her direction motivated my sister and I to go room by room and make the home look more amazing than ever. What we both thought was going to be a sad and emotional time turned out to be rather fun and enjoyable.
On the market...Shelley took over! Since we live in Ohio, she took the lead. Never did we worry about the showings or Open Houses. Shelley handled everything. She made sure the house was always ready and provided feedback from the viewings. She monitored the weather and made sure the air was set correctly, that the pool furniture was secured when necessary, that the landscaping was always spot on and if necessary she did it herself, why? Because she "Get's it done!" And she did time and time again. We had some repairs that were required and she handled everything. She spent hours coordinating visits from contractors to ensure things were done correctly and according to code.
Florida weather...Hot, humid and what about those tropical storms and hurricanes? Shelley kept me informed throughout the summer. Always letting me know what was happening. After Hurricane Helene she helped so many that were impacted by the damage. Searching for pets that were lost and cleaning out flooded homes to help those in need. Then came Milton...so time to get back to Florida. At least we get to see Shelley again! She gave us advice on how to prepare our home and kept in touch to make sure we were all safe. She was like our guardian ANGEL!
The Buyer...so, as I said earlier, we really hoped that the new owner would be someone who would love this home as much as our family did. Well, she found him! As we worked through the final details she shared what she could about his love for the home and his hopes that this would be his new forever home. We felt that this chapter was able to close on the most positive note possible and that was everything we could ask for.
In closing...thank you Shelley. You are the best in the business! You are passionate, professional, and admirable. I wish you the best in the future. I hope our paths cross again soon.
Hugs!
Janine Bertsch