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