Everyone buying a house should have the benefit of an agent who is fiercely devoted to their interests. That’s what we had, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Now that we’re sitting in our new home, dreaming up furniture schemes, we wanted to let you know how much we appreciate all the tremendous work you put into helping us find and buy the house.

Let’s review how we got here: we’re a couple who had not only never owned a house, we had never really looked into it. We called you a few years ago to ask what sorts of financial arrangements and positions we needed to be in to seriously consider buying, and you told us how to reorganize our messy financial situation. Once we were ready, we came back and started looking. You seemed to have a sixth sense for which houses we would like or dislike before we walked in.

When you alerted us to this one, you had a feeling it would go quickly. You were out of town the day of the initial brokers’ tour, so you arranged special permission for us to see it that day. We loved it from the first.

This is a crazy time for real estate in Santa Cruz, and we had witnessed many houses disappearing as soon as listed, so we understood that we had to move fast if we wanted to get this house. But we probably would have defined “fast” as a few weeks, and lost our chance. You gently prodded us to move with true speed, and had a proposed offer contract ready for us to look at the next day. Of course the listing closed within four days, so you were exactly right. We could only proceed comfortably with an accelerated time line if we knew that all the proper inspections would be make by competent authorities. We won’t soon forget looking the offer sheet over, our baby crying, as you were simultaneously on the phone with several of your trusted contacts to demand they schedule inspections for a house we hadn’t even put an offer on yet.

Everyone you hooked us up with did a wonderful job for us: inspections, mortgage brokers, title company; and all of it went without a hitch in a smoothly organized way. Given how unclear on the process we were, it was very reassuring to be told by you: if you can be at this place at this time, I’ll lead you through the next step.

All of that organization in a tight time line was stressful, of course, but we never felt railroaded into anything, particularly because you insisted on explaining every clause of contracts and every detail of inspections. When something didn’t look right, you didn’t say “you might want to look at this particular clause.” It was a personal affront to you, and you instead would say, “I don’t like the way this particular clause is drawn’, and get on the phone with the listing agent to make it right.

We wanted to write a bit more, but have decided instead to go to the nursery to pick out a hanging plant for the front porch. How do you feel about fuschias?

Take care, and thanks again for everything.
Asher and Naomi Brauner