Many of you already know that we sold our house in Petaluma this summer and are elated to have found a new home in Rohnert Park that checked all of our boxes (even boxes we didn't know we had till we saw it. Even boxes that the girls made up on the spot!). So, this is less an announcement than a shout out and heartfelt THANK YOU to two women who helped us make this dream come true: Jen Birmingham and Lindsay Doyle at Compass. They are such shining stars! Our ✨ North Stars✨guiding us through every single part of the journey. Jen first listened to our vague fantasy of selling about 5 years ago and then patiently held the phone for another 5 years while we kept wringing our hands over it and resenting scary adult decisions. When we finally jumped in, Jen clarified about 1,000 terms and details for us and connected us to every contractor needed in order to make our home irresistible to buye…
Many of you already know that we sold our house in Petaluma this summer and are elated to have found a new home in Rohnert Park that checked all of our boxes (even boxes we didn't know we had till we saw it. Even boxes that the girls made up on the spot!). So, this is less an announcement than a shout out and heartfelt THANK YOU to two women who helped us make this dream come true: Jen Birmingham and Lindsay Doyle at Compass. They are such shining stars! Our ✨ North Stars✨guiding us through every single part of the journey. Jen first listened to our vague fantasy of selling about 5 years ago and then patiently held the phone for another 5 years while we kept wringing our hands over it and resenting scary adult decisions. When we finally jumped in, Jen clarified about 1,000 terms and details for us and connected us to every contractor needed in order to make our home irresistible to buyers. I warned her more than once that we were "babes in the wood," and that she'd have to take us in hand, and she did so with the utmost care and integrity. And when we realized that we were small fry in shark-infested waters--trying to buy a house in Sonoma County, after all!--Jen gave us the confidence and insights we needed to stay patient and make the right bid. Tip: when Jen says, "My gut tells me..." you listen! I haven't even mentioned that Jen was just as dedicated to us when she got slammed by COVID. If you know Jen, you know that she's a powerhouse who gives it her all, and we could hear in her voice how incredibly frustrating it was to be sick and sidelined. At that moment, Lindsay stepped in so instantaneously and graciously, it was like she'd been part of our team the whole time. She made her schedule and knowledge available to us as though we'd known each other for years. She is just that professionally and personally invested in whomever she's working with. And then...COVID came for Lindsay, too, from a completely different direction! Through COVID and summer vacations, these two superstars still managed to keep us feeling represented, empowered, and poised to succeed in the buying process. They are a truly impressive team who provided us seamless coverage from start to finish. If you know of anyone who's on the fence about selling or buying, please send them to Jen and Lindsay for a pep talk that will help them take that first tiny step forward. If there ever is a next time, I won't want to be represented by anyone else.
Jen helped us recently to buy a house in Petaluma. She was a great agent throughout the process. She responded almost immediately anytime I called or emailed with a question. She got a good sense of what we were looking for and helped filter the listings. What is especially impressive is that she was very pregnant during this time-- and would up working with us until just one day before she delivered. She was very professional and in having another agent as a backup (and informing us ahead of time about this). I don't think anyone could go wrong working with Jen.
We did our research in selecting a realtor to sell our family home. We talked to loan agents and escrow officers. We read reviews. We talked to past clients. There were only glowing recommendations for Jen Birmingham about her knowledge of the field, understanding of the market, negotiating skills, aesthetic, and overall follow-through. We were not disappointed. From beginning to end, Jen made the process easy. She was accessible and always responsive to our questions and concerns. We were instantly comfortable with her, and we never worried about what she would think. As we prepared our home for sale, Jen guided the steps we took, helping us to identify the most important projects. She has a quick mind and is able to play out decisions and scenarios quickly. This saved us time and money. As we finished projects and neared listing our home, it became clear that we needed to move out of t…
We did our research in selecting a realtor to sell our family home. We talked to loan agents and escrow officers. We read reviews. We talked to past clients. There were only glowing recommendations for Jen Birmingham about her knowledge of the field, understanding of the market, negotiating skills, aesthetic, and overall follow-through. We were not disappointed. From beginning to end, Jen made the process easy. She was accessible and always responsive to our questions and concerns. We were instantly comfortable with her, and we never worried about what she would think. As we prepared our home for sale, Jen guided the steps we took, helping us to identify the most important projects. She has a quick mind and is able to play out decisions and scenarios quickly. This saved us time and money. As we finished projects and neared listing our home, it became clear that we needed to move out of the home we were selling. In a tremendously difficult rental market, Jen (with no financial gain for herself) assisted us in getting a month to month rental property that met our needs perfectly. (What realtor does that?!) When the time came to list, Jen took great care in pricing our property, taking into account the local market. She also crafted a fantastic description of our home, utilizing social media, listing it on websites that were bound to get attention, and taking pictures that got people in the door. As it turned out, Jen hit the mark perfectly. Our home was visited by over 150 potential buyers. We received 12 offers in 10 days, and our home sold well over asking price. I should mention Jen also staged our property so beautifully that our friends who came through thought we'd hired a professional stager. This helped us to really show off our home. I even heard about it from other realtors, asking who we'd used. Jen Birmingham truly made the difference for us. She was absolutely the right realtor for our family and will be for years to come.
This is not going to be your typical review because Jen didn't help me sell my house - she helped me KEEP it. We moved from Petaluma to Tahoe for a six-month adventure, renting our Petaluma house out in the meantime. We liked our new adventure and decided we wanted to buy the cabin we were renting, which needed renovations, so figured we had to sell our house in Petaluma. Jen talked with me multiple times discussing our options and really felt that we shouldn't sell our house in Petaluma if at all possible (since we will likely move back in a couple years). Without us even asking her to, she did the research and found us a loan agent that specialized in renovation loans. Through him, we were able to craft a plan which allowed us to keep our home in Petaluma while purchasing the cabin with renovations as part of the loan. Jen easily could have made another Petaluma sale but she really hea…
This is not going to be your typical review because Jen didn't help me sell my house - she helped me KEEP it. We moved from Petaluma to Tahoe for a six-month adventure, renting our Petaluma house out in the meantime. We liked our new adventure and decided we wanted to buy the cabin we were renting, which needed renovations, so figured we had to sell our house in Petaluma. Jen talked with me multiple times discussing our options and really felt that we shouldn't sell our house in Petaluma if at all possible (since we will likely move back in a couple years). Without us even asking her to, she did the research and found us a loan agent that specialized in renovation loans. Through him, we were able to craft a plan which allowed us to keep our home in Petaluma while purchasing the cabin with renovations as part of the loan. Jen easily could have made another Petaluma sale but she really heard my dilemma and, instead of going for the commission, she worked to help me keep my house which is in my best interest. I cannot say enough about her level of integrity, compassion, understanding of the markets, and conviction to find the best solution for YOU, all while being fun to work with, upbeat and friendly. I recommend her enthusiastically. I highly recommend Jen and hope to bring her a huge commission one day. This is an agent you can trust through and through.