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June 2005
As you’d expect, we’d never admit to ignorance; let’s just say we didn’t know
what to do. When a relative became incapacitated it became our responsibility
to arrange his affairs, which included selling his house. But how?
Choosing a real estate agent without guidance is chancy to say the least. The
housing market, especially one as explosive as in the greater Boston area, has
spawned a breed of agent more concerned with making a fast buck than doing a
thorough and honorable job. The needs and concerns of the seller can often
sacrificed for the quick profits available to one who is willing to sell volume
at wholesale prices. And who’s to know just how much the house really might
have been sold for if the agent had done his homework, taken his time and done
things right?
Although my wife comes from Waltham we live hundreds of miles away. And except
for brief visits for the holidays she hadn’t been back for decades. Who could
we trust to wholeheartedly represent the best interests of a sick man and his
distant surrogates who wouldn’t be around to keep a close eye on things? With a
feeling of desperation we went to the internet to research the resources
available, to try to find an honest real estate agent, to find that needle in
the haystack.
And that’s where we found Sam Webb. We had to trust someone and my wife
remembered Sam and his family from her youth. Stemming from one of the oldest
and most influential families in the area, he certainly would have an in-depth
and historical understanding of the market. Plus, he has an honorable and
honest lineage. Even better from our perspective, he has post-graduate
education, indicating to us, at least, that quite simply he has brains.
Well, if we had to take a chance, why not start with Sam? We closed our eyes,
made the call and even now marvel at our good fortune.
I think we actually met with Sam only once: when we interviewed him at the
house. He came to the appointment on time and quickly evaluated its pluses and
minuses. We handed him the keys and then became totally dependent on his
ability to assume the responsibility for the entire process.
I can’t begin to tell you what he accomplished in less than a month. In short,
he made a relatively neglected house the object of a bidding war that
culminated in a sale tens of thousands of dollars above initial projections. He
has his own crew of professionals that did everything from fix minor plumbing
problems and sand and varnish the floors, to a squad of men who made short work
of cleaning-out over a half-century of accumulated debris. He had carpets laid
in strategic areas, made a rather uncared for kitchen shine and straightened-up
the yard. And he did all this with an eye towards minimizing these crucial
expenditures. In fact, I discovered that he actually carries his own set of
tools in the trunk of his car and is not the least bit reluctant to get his own
hands dirty if necessary.
Then, when the house was ready he employed the latest technology and posted it
on the internet. This resulted in queries from scores of potential buyers
before the house was even open for inspection.
And for the finale, Sam made it possible to get through the legal end game
without our ever having to make the long trip to Massachusetts.
From beginning to end, Sam took full responsibility for the job he accepted
and he performed his duties flawlessly. He handled every detail and met every
difficulty alone and confidently. He kept us informed every step of the way by
e-mail and by telephone and returned each call within an hour or so regardless
of where he found himself. We even received digital photographs of the
improvements he accomplished.
In conclusion, if this unsolicited testimonial appears nothing less than a
paean and its subject no mere mortal, so be it. We could have been taken
advantage of, but good! Instead, my wife recognized a name from the past, we
took a gamble and won the jackpot.
Anyone interested in selling his house need look no further than Sam Webb.
Harold Boss
Albany, New York
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