Real Estate Customer Testimonials
Testimonial For Leanna Young
I am writing to give you my strongest backing and recommendation for The Cascade Team and especially for Leanna Young. Before selecting this team, I had used the services of two other agencies without results. In fact, I even tried to sell FSBO for almost two years without success. I did a lot of research which lead me to Leanna Young whom I discovered is a Rockstar in real estate, so, I gave her a call and we met and discussed a strategy. In less than two months I got an offer and closed the sale in January 2012. I cannot emphasize enough how awesome The Cascade Team has been and everyone on the team hit a home run. They all have the experience and foresight that very few real estate teams have. I personally look forward to working with The Cascade Team again in the future.
-Mark
It was such a hard decision to sell our house, especially in this current market. To have an agent that makes you feel comfortable, that is available, advises you in way that is honest, yet empathetic, and is willing to think out of the box when needed, really makes the process more comfortable. Leanna Young, truly has her client’s best interest in mind, and is open for ideas that other agents may find inconvenient… Leanne was always available, and truly listened even when we had those moments of doubt, delays and seconds thoughts. We were continually surprised with Leanne’s patience, insight, and genuine interest in the right choice for our family. It is obvious that Leanna is one of the rare people that loves her job, and has a heart for helping people! I would HIGHLY recommend Leanna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!
-Rachel
We had the great fortune of having Leanna Young as our real estate professional as we navigated the challenging purchase of a short sale property. With a very tight timeline for closing, Leanna's guidance and support was instrumental in guiding us through the process. Leanna's market knowledge, understanding of our needs/wants and process expertise was evident from the beginning of our search for our next house, through to closing. Her attention to detail and passion for her client's success makes her the ideal choice when seeking a real estate professional and we look forward to working with Leanna again for our future real estate needs.
-Terry and Rachel
Leanna Young sold our condo in less then two weeks! This was when the market was heading downhill! We were also impressed with how she negotiated the deal when purchasing our new home. You can tell that helping clients find the home that is right for them is her passion. I also know that honesty and intergrity are very important to her. I would recommend Leanna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.
-Ashley
My experience with the Cascade Team was outstanding. I was very lucky to have Leanna Young for an agent, she worked extremely hard to get us our home in North Bend. The closing of our home was not an easy one due to the fact that is was a short-sale. If you have any experience with a short-sale you know that they are anything but short. Leanna kept us up to date on all information related to this process and was able to close our deal days before our wedding. I have had friends that have gone through this process with other agents and every time I hear their stories I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to work with Leanna and the Cascade team.
-Hailey
Testimonial For Bev Auffray
We wanted to send our appreciation for your representation in the sale of our home...
We were very pleased with the four month time frame in which Beverly sold our house, particularly in a challenging real estate climate. We felt very well represented, and know that our house sold due to Beverly's marketing efforts, attention, and diligence. We moved out-of-state and left our house in Beverly's hands. She brought in personal effects to make our home welcoming, she was very communicative and responsive, and she was a welcome calm when our emotions were high during negotiations. Beverly was a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend her as an agent.
Tera - Sammamish, WA
When making the important decision to find a home and raise our family, we wanted a real estate agent we could trust and understand the right fit for our family. We had very specific and unique needs that required custom service. Stan & Marisa’s combined experience, knowledge and expertise are in a league of their own. Due to their hard work, attention to detail and loyalty to us as clients, we were able to get the home of our dreams. They hit a home run! Stan and Marisa at abellahomes were our dream team!
Ben & Marijke - Sammamish, WA
My husband and I met Marisa when she was the listing agent for a property we were interested in a few years ago. We liked her so much that we asked if she could represent us in the purchase as well, and she recommended that we work with her husband Stan. As first time home buyers we found Stan and Marisa to be excellent resources on the local market and the home buying process. They helped to walk us through the purchase of our first home and were honest and straight forward to help us avoid any rookie mistakes. They made it such a positive experience for us both that when we were ready to look for a larger home we knew immediately that we would work with Stan and Marisa again. They are experts on the local market and truly partner with the people they work with – it’s a relationship, not a transaction when they’re involved. They are extremely dedicated to helping their clients find the right home for them and are great at understanding a client’s wants and needs. They are supportive and available to their clients and helped us feel relaxed during what has the potential to be a very stressful process. We have recommended Marisa and Stan to several of our friends who have enjoyed working with them. I would highly recommend Marisa and Stan as agents for anyone who is looking for a great resource and partner through the home buying and selling process.
Jess and Charlie - Sammamish
We found Jonathan by sheer luck. But let me tell you sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, because he is professional, hard-working, friendly, and most importantly devoted to his clients.
My wife and I began looking at areas to live all over the Eastside, and finally decided one Sunday afternoon on Snoqualmie Ridge. That same day as we were driving around we called The Cascade Team and Jonathan picked up the phone, and boy are we glad he did. We told him we were looking at homes in the Ridge area and one of the homes was listed by The Cascade Team. We were wondering if there was any way we could see it that day. Jonathan dropped everything he was doing and met us in Snoqualmie to not only show us that property, but two others that he knew he could get us in to that were similar. The houses we looked at that day were not really what we were looking for, but we were able to get to know Jonathan and help him get to know us, so he knew what to look for as well.
Jonathan kept in constant contact with us over the next two-three weeks of house hunting. Not overbearing, but kept us in the loop so we knew he didn't forget about us and we talked enough about likes and dislikes that it was less than two weeks later that we walked into the house that was to be our house. Even before we got there that night Jonathan said, you guys are going to love this one, and he was right. He had gotten to know our personalities and our styles in a short period of time and was genuinely happy for us when we found this house.
The next day my wife and I decided to make an offer on the house. We talked with Jonathan to get his expertise about the local real estate market and his thoughts on the property. From there we sat down with him at his office, which he again came to on short notice over the weekend, to draw up the contract. Every meeting we had with Jonathan felt more and more like old friends getting together, rather than business relationship. He still nailed the business side of the relationship down for us, but also brought something extra to the table every time, and that was a sincere care for us and our well-being.
Our negotiation process was a difficult one, because of the seller's situation and their agent who was, well, let's just say not like Jonathan. There were many ups and downs and two separate points where we thought we lost the house. Each time Jonathan cared much more about us than the deal. He would call the day after to see how we were doing and to let us know that he wasn't doing fighting yet. Good thing too, because due to his persistence and skillful negotiation we finally had a signed contract. He even came over to our apartment that night to walk us through the paperwork and get everything signed.
Now, from what I know of realtors, I thought most of their work stopped at this point. They help the potential buyer find the house and negotiate with the sellers and then fade off into the distance. Not our guy though! Yes, we had to deal with the lender, underwriter, escrow, and all the other people, but throughout the entire process Jonathan was checking in on us and seeing if we needed anything. He offered suggestions and helpful local contacts for things we might need. He was there with us at the inspection and gave us more information about the area. I can honestly say he was with us every step of the way.
We finally closed on a Tuesday, five days before Christmas, and since it was a Tuesday most of our friends were working so we didn't have many people to help us move. Guess who showed up at our apartment for 5 hours to help us move out? And guess who went to our new home before we got there and turned on the lights and heat for us? And guess who also helped us move in to out new home? Yep, that would be Jonathan. We were lucky enough to dial his number that Sunday afternoon and stumble onto this fantastic realtor and great guy. He is the only realtor we have ever dealt with, so is it possible that there are more like him? Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. He went above and beyond for us, and even a week after closing we still talk a least once a day. We were fortunate enough to find a great house and also make a lifelong friend.
Thanks for everything Jonathan!
- The Cahalan's
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Erika Kahler of the Cascade Team Real Estate office for her tireless effort from the beginning to very end of my search for and purchase of my home. I have worked with numerous Real Estate agents in the past and none have impressed nearly as much as Erika with her effective time management skills, attention to detail, responsiveness, dedication,professionalism, and personal touch. She must be a great asset to your real estate team as I would be honored to have such qualities in an employee on my team. Because of Erika, I found a home that met the difficult standards I expressed to her and secured an agreement in a tough market and made that agreement stick despite numerous setbacks. In my opinion she went above and beyond the call of duty yet without her personal care and dedication to helping her client reach their goals this transaction would have failed in the hands of a lesser agent. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! You Are The Best! I will refer your service to my friends and family with confidence."
- William Scott
"My experience with The Cascade Team Real Estate was second to none. When purchasing a condo for my mom, we ran into some issues on inspection and had mold in the attic. Our agent went to work with a mold inpsection company and made numerous visits out to the property to meet contractors and get bids put together for us. In addition, they worked witht he HOA and the other agent to get resloution on the corrective action. It was definitely Simply Outrageous Service and I would highly recommend them when buying a home."
-Henry Weaks
"In today’s challenging market, it is absolutely essential to hire the right agent to sell your home. Having used only “full commission” agents in the past to sell my homes, I did think twice about using a “discount commission” agent – but Matt changed all this. He truly lives up to this statement: “Simply Outrageous Service! Not Outrageous Commissions!” What is outrageous service? It is not only meeting but EXCEEDING our top priority goal to be on the market for the shortest time possible, it is finding a strong buyer who will have the best potential settle on time, it is being available to answer our questions as well as the ability to negotiate to our terms with the buyer. We would have gladly paid “full commission” for Matt’s services but glad we didn’t. If you’re selling or buying, especially in Issaquah Highlands, it would be outrageous not to go with Matt and his team!"
-John Moh
"We were extremely pleased with your outstanding work during the listing and final sale of the Alki home. Due to the bad real estate market, we both saw the listing value drop by 35% from early 2008 to the final sale this February. During all this time, you continued to help us as we reduced the sales price each month over the last 11 months. You were always helpful in guiding us through this process. Additionally, you made sure that there were open house showings when we requested them. Due to the underlying mortgage, we unfortunately got in the position where the mortgage company was going to start the repossession process. Your timely negotiating for us with two buyers in early December saved us from the possible repossession and, upon the sale, gave us some equity to share among the 7 beneficiary/owners. Additionally, we believe that your knowledge in the lending area (special rates and options for a buyer) helped assure the buyers of their ability to buy the house. And, your 1% listing commission helped us when negotiating the sale, and securing some of the equity out of the house sale for the beneficiaries/owners. In summary, we thank you for all of the hard work, determination and help you gave us during the entire listing and sale process. We will gladly recommend you to other sellers we may come in contact with."
-Bill & Mary Marx
"My husband and I have been lived in Issaquah Highlands for about 6 years. We often talked about what kind business we would like to have in our neighborhood. I always said that I like to have a nice bakery because I remember that we used to go out and buy fresh baguettes every morning for breakfast in Paris. My husband wanted to have an organic fruit and vegetable store so that he can have access to fresh, organic vegetables and fruits daily. However, we never thought about having a real estate agency in our neighborhood.
Surprisingly, our great real estate experience changed my mind about having a real estate agency in my neighborhood. I never realized using a neighborhood real estate agency was so convenient and advantageous in selling our house until we put our house on the market through Matt Jensen at The Cascade Team. With all the good memories about Issaquah Highlands, our real estate agent, Matt further added to our good memories by making the process of selling our house easy and stress-free.
In February 2010, we put our house on the market a second time with Matt Jensen at The Cascade Team Real Estate. Voila, again we had several strong offers including at the full asking price. At this time, my heart started to break realizing that, this is it, we are really leaving Issaquah Highlands. It was too sad and we are now considering changing our minds again toward keeping this house as an investment. Matt has known since the beginning that we may rent our house and he always encouraged us to do whatever works best for us. Despite this I know that he always patiently and carefully listened to our needs and worked feverishly to exceed our expectations every single time. I can not ask for anything more than the professionalism and genuine caring I received from Matt.
I hope to see more great businesses come to Issaquah Highlands and provide great services to our residents as Matt and The Cascade Team Real Estate has provided for us. "
-Francoise
"A big thanks to you and your team in helping us sell our home and working with us through a smooth, quick and successful closing!"
- Bailey and Yvonne
Thank you Matt! You are an outstanding person to work with and truly giftedwhen it comes to working with people. These markets have created challenging times with new hurdles around each corner. You did an excellent job selling our home! I would recommend you to anyone searching for a home or looking to sell their home.
- Connor and Kelly