Forest Lake Minnesota Real Estate, Forest Lake Minnesota Homes, Forest Lake Minnesota Lake Homes, Minnesota Short Sale

John's Testimonials

Have you ever seen a bad testimonial on a realtor's website? Me either. But if you want to read one written by me, please keep reading. What I really want to point out here is my slogan -- "Experience isn't more expensive, it's priceless" -- and illustrate exactly what that means by describing a recent transaction of mine. The more traditional testimonials are displayed after the first one posted below.

"I obtained an expired listing when I was contacted by the owner's daughter. The daughter was also a realtor who lived out of this area and wanted me to list the property on a referral basis. That was okay with me, the referral agreement was signed, we met at the property and reviewed several facts about the listing and the property was put on the market. A few weeks later, I was informed that renters would be moving in and I had to confirm showing appointments around their restrictive schedule and also get the okay from them at least 24 hours prior to any scheduled showings. A few months later, I was informed the seller was "upside down" and the only way to sell the property would be to get a short-sale authorization from the mortgage company. I was also informed the renters would be moving out in a month and the property condition had to be verified post-vacancy and a local contact (who handled snow removal and other concerns) was established. The property was then re-listed as an "as-is" short sale, the referral agreement was canceled and within another two months and 2-3 price reductions, two offers were generated. The offers were negotiated and subsequently submitted to the lender and I was informed there were actually two mortgages to negotiate, the primary mortgage being handled by Citi Mortgage out of St. Louis and the secondary mortgage being handled by NCO Financial Systems out of New York City. The superior offer was accepted by the counselor in Citi Mortgage's Loss Mitigation Department (which only communicated with me via e-mail) and then a short-sale agreement was authorized by them. About three weeks before closing, the buyers' Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) septic system compliance test failed as well as the well water test. We then had to re-negotiate and amend the purchase agreement with a 1.5X value escrow agreement for the septic system, which could not be brought into compliance before the closing date due to the weather conditions. The well water also had to be chemically treated and re-tested prior to closing. We also had to address a title work issue because my seller had previously formed an LLC and was not individually in title. Citi Mortgage then informed me that my seller had to contribute additional monies at the closing table to satisfy the second lienholder and broker commission had to be re-negotiated as well. I also forgot to mention my seller lives out-of-state and is legally blind, thus all of our communication was done via e-mail, fax and phone. My file grew to well over 300 pages and 150+ e-mails. I never met my seller until the day of closing."

Please read the following abbreviated testimonial letters written to Broker/Owner Mike Muske and General Manager Sheryl Craven:

"I wanted to take just a moment to thank you for your service and attention to detail when it came to representing the sale of my home in Wyoming, MN. I considered several agencies and was looking for someone that knew my particular market area as well as the regional trends. I found that my choice in representatives and companies was well placed and I enjoyed working with you.

You helped me understand the current market, helped me with pre-staging my home and gave me some pointers on curb appeal that I would not have considered. All in all, it was a very positive experience and the results were very good in spite of the current market conditions.

Curt Van Deen, Wyoming, MN

"I'm writing this letter to tell you about the outstanding professional job John Trenti did for us as our real estate agent. I'm a pilot with American Airlines and I'm out of town a lot. I normally have a hard time staying in touch with people when I'm on the road, but with John it was no problem at all. He's the first realtor I've dealt with (we've bought and sold eight homes) that would always return my calls within 5-10 minutes. To me, that's unheard of and it really showed a lot of integrity. John was always honest in answering my questions. If he didn't have the answer, he'd get it for me in a very timely manner..... the sign of a true professional and one of the biggest reasons we chose John as the listing agent for our home. I have a friend with another realty company who became very upset with me for not working with him, but I was so impressed with John's professionalism that it was really an easy decision. In conclusion, it was a pleasure working with him and I certainly would recommend John Trenti to friends and family for any of their real estate needs!"

Michelle and Rick Hansen, Wyoming, MN

"John targeted the exact neighborhood we wanted to live in and what our price point was for our first home. With his 'real-time' MLS search, a house came on the market that matched our criteria, we looked at it that night and wrote our offer without having to compete with any other buyers. We're still in that home and have recently added a 4-season porch. We just love it here!

Michelle and Tony Valentini, Wyoming, MN

"We reserved a development lot with ERA Muske to build our dream home on but knew we needed some critical advice to get our home in showing condition before we put it on the market. John went through the home inside and out, room by room, and we discussed what his priorities were in order for us to generate a solid sale. We followed his numerous recommendations to the letter, sold the home for a price we were very pleased with and even overcame a difficult situation with the septic system thanks to John's advice and patience.

Deb and Rob Stumm, Linwood Township

"John negotiated a great deal with no complications on our first home and then four years later helped my father and I purchase an adjacent investment property. Before closing, the pipes and boiler froze and the re-negotiating that John did was fantastic. Now I have a home that has appreciated quite a bit in a short few years and a rental property that is already in positive cash flow."

Jeremie Reinhart, Cambridge, MN

"Because we were facing a definite relocation to Florida, we needed a quick sale and we got one. We followed John's staging tips, replaced the septic system after getting bids from area contractors that John provided for us and got the exact price John told us it would sell for. What a true professional."

Dennis and Mary Whitman, Forest Lake

"John took the time to discuss our home-buying options and we also discussed the financial aspects such as interest rates, mortgage companies and the importance of pre-qualification to expedite the buying process. In three Sundays we had an accepted purchase agreement on our first home and, due to advice from John, we closed in less than a month!"

Nicole and Paul Belting, Ham Lake, MN

"Just a note to say thank you for your prompt attention, professionalism and follow-through regarding our recent transaction for the cabin at Spectacle Lake. Without question, your availability and willingness to go the extra mile was really refreshing! Thanks again.

John and Judy McClellan, Lino Lakes, MN

"Thank you again for all of your hard work in the sale of our home. Like we told you after closing, our previous realtors did not nearly stay in touch with us like you did. The marketing reports were also much appreciated and they helped us keep up to date on the sales process. Very professional! We would gladly recommend you to anyone who is looking for a realtor. Thanks again!"

Donna and Hank Petterson, Wyoming, MN

"Thank you again John for your help. You are honest and non-judgmental and you did an excellent job in preparing us with the (separate) sales of our home and land in Cedar. We are most grateful to you. You made our sales smooth and your advice was better than any of the other previous realtors. You kept us informed weekly and the pictures you took helped a lot. You took care of everything!"

Barbara and Pat Thielke, Princeton, MN

"John, Yes, I filed homestead status immediately after we closed. Thank you for checking. We have been extremely busy painting and putting in new lights at the new house. It is coming together beautifully. We move in this Saturday! Again, I would like to thank you so much for your assistance and dedication in finding me my new home. As a first time home buyer, I was a little scared and completely unsure of the process. You assisted me with each step, answering all of my questions and often going out of your way to ensure I had the correct information. You were never more than a phone call away! I think having someone with your expertise and knowledge on my side made my experience not only more pleasant, but less time consuming and stressful. Thank you again, good luck in the future and take care! Thanks,

Kathy Snelson, Forest Lake

"Just a note to say that it was a pleasure working with you. I wanted to let you know that I am very appreciative of your hard work and dedication to get to the closing table. I was impressed by the level of professionalism you demonstrated in handling your end."

Bruce Lindholm, The Barb Goerss Home Selling Team, Keller Williams Premier Realty, Forest Lake, MN

"Thank you so much for all your hard work and professionalism surrounding our recent co-op sale of the home at 19745 Erskine in East Bethel. You were very responsive to any and all requests we had for answers to questions and additional information regarding the home and immediate area. It was refreshing to work with an agent with your knowledge and experience who truly did his part to see the transaction to completion. You were very cordial and timely in your responses and it was certainly my pleasure to work on this with you. The buyers are equally pleased with this process and are very excited about their new purchase. I look forward to working with you again in the future."

Ann Finder, Coldwell Banker Burnett, Fridley, MN...