My 94 year-old mother recently chose George to represent her during the sale of her home of 57 years. Our family was fortunate to have been referred to George as he did an outstanding job in all aspects of the sale. His knowledge of the market and the potential buyer pool enabled us to establish a realistic listing price that quickly led to a full price offer from a well qualified buyer. The sale closed less than thirty days from listing, thus avoiding what we had anticipated would be a long drawn out sales cycle through the winter months.

Also very important to us, George recognized that this was a traumatic change for my mom, and he was very gentle and respectful to her at all times. He always took time to be certain she understood the sales process and the meaning of any documents she was asked to sign. For example, when he presented the buyer’s offer and my mom balked at signing, George immediately backed off and assured her that she could “sleep on it” without jeopardizing the offer. I imagine some agents would have pressured her to sign right away so they could lock down the deal, but George gave her the time she needed to understand and be comfortable with the terms of the offer.

Because my mom’s house was over 70 years old, we knew there were things that needed repair or renewal to make the house attractive to buyers. George gave us excellent advise on what repairs to complete before we listed the house, as well as what things would not be a factor to prospective buyers. This advise saved my mom a considerable amount of money, as she had assumed she would have to repaint the entire house, purchase new draperies for the living room, and replace the kitchen linoleum. George felt that none of those changes were necessary given the actual condition of the house.

The repairs George felt were necessary prior to listing the house included foundation concrete repair and painting, painting basement window casings, painting one bathroom, and replacing a small area of flooring near the back door. George provided us with referrals to several handyman services. All of his referrals were very accommodating to our schedule, and within a week we had the necessary work completed and were ready to list the house.

Later, when the buyers’ formal home inspection identified several issues, we again relied on George’s handyman referrals. Within a week’s time we had the garage re-shingled, smoke and CO detectors installed in all bedrooms, some plumbing issues corrected, some electrical issues resolved, and some basement windows that were stuck closed had been addressed.

In all instances, the vendors George referred to us were able to complete the work in a very timely manner, and the quality of the work was excellent.

Through George’s contacts, we also obtained the services of an estate sale planner who prepared and conducted an on-site estate sale. That sale allowed my mom to dispose of the possessions she no longer needed since she was downsizing her living space, including her automobile.

Should I or any of my family ever need realtor representation in the Treasure Valley, we would not consider anyone other than George to be our agent.

Chuck Mayne