Buying Your Home
You Don't Just Buy The House.
You Buy the Lifestyle, Too.
Here are the steps to our buying process.
Our 8 Step Buying Process:
Beginning your home search can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Because of that, our team makes sure that you, and all other potential buyers, understand each of the 8 steps that we take to make the process as easy and painless as possible. By the end of your search, with our support and guidance, you will live happily ever after in your new, dream home.
1. Meet in person and create a wishlist
Let’s get to know each other! Once you’re ready to work with our team, we’ll meet together for a Buyer Consultation to focus your search and determine what you want and need in a home.
2. Pre-qualification
We’ll introduce you to our mortgage partner, who can help you determine your buying price range with confidence. Be prepared to dig into paperwork during this part of the process such as pay stubs, W2’s, and tax returns. The lender will do a full review and then tell you what you will be able to borrow in order to purchase a home. This is a vital step in the home buying process!
3. Listing alerts sent to you based on your criteria
Our agents get to know you — Need to move for a job? Want a shorter commute? Getting married? Having a baby? Need to upgrade or downsize? At this stage in the process, we’ll send you notifications about the listings that you’re most likely to be excited about. Be sure to let us know if one (or more) jumps out at you so that we can skip to the next step and schedule a viewing. be there for you every step of the way.
4. Schedule viewings and attend open houses
Here’s where the buying process gets really fun! We’ll go to local open houses together and schedule viewings of the homes that you’ve loved from our listing alerts. We’ll talk about how the budget will work and make sure that we find you the perfect home.
5. Find the perfect home and write an offer
When you’re ready to make an offer, your agent will present a written offer to the seller. And while everyone loves getting their offer accepted right away, the seller could come back to us with a counter offer, or reject your initial offer all together. We’re happy to walk you through each of these possibilities and exactly how to handle them. Once the offer is accepted, it’s time to get your financing in order and move forward to the next step!
6. Acceptance, appraisal, and inspection
The sellers accepted your offer, and the home is going through appraisal and inspection. The appraisal guarantees that the price of the property matches the condition of the property while the inspection makes sure that everything in the home is functioning properly and there are no major issues inside. These are the last steps before the shiny keys to your home are placed in your hand... for good!
7. Time to close and get the keys
Get excited because it’s time to close on your home! This process includes going through all of the final paperwork and signing your name (a lot!). Don't forget to bring all of the paperwork you’ve collected along the way and your down payment.
8. Celebrate! 🥂
Ready to find your dream home?
Let us help you make that happen! Schedule a Call
Testimonials
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I've worked with Dawn Marston for years. She has always been patient and responsive. In a highly competitive market it is important to work with a realtor you trust. Dawn gets the job done! I can't speak highly enough about her.
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- Google Review
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Sara Treacy is strategic, transparent, and effective past the closing. My wife and I came to her as complete real estate novices, and we closed last week on a first home that is better than either of us could have imagined. She helped us understand the market, assess our options, stay encouraged, and negotiate a winning offer that landed right on the appraisal value. On top of her competence, responsiveness, and command of the landscape, Sara is friendly, easygoing, and so easy to work with. She will always have a direct line between us and any friend looking to move to or sell in the area.
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- Google Review
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I have had the pleasure of working with Nick [Guerrette] on 4 separate transactions. I've yet to meet a harder working, more attentive agent than Nick. Highly recommend if you are looking to buy or sell a piece of real estate.
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- Google Review
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Heidi Krassner is an amazing agent and is at the top of her game. We found her by chance after I retired from the service and stuck with us for over a year before we found our dream home. She is a constant professional and my wife and I couldn't have asked for a better agent to help us buy our new home. Thank you Heidi Krassner for everything that you have done for us and we will be sure to recommend you to anyone we know looking for a new home.
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- Google Review
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Bev Brooks is a wonderful and diligent agent.
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- Google Review
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Over this past week I closed on my new place in West Bath, Maine. Back in November, 2019 I was nearing retirement and had made the decision to sell my condo residence of 28 years in Dover, NH. I had decided that relocation from a busy city to a quiet Maine coastal town would be very fulfilling after a lifetime of work. Back in the 1970s I was a lighthouse keeper at Owls Head Light, so the allure of mid coast seemed like the perfect place for me. 2020 brought the COVID challenges and ushered in over three years of renting as real estate prices climbed. My hope was to find a new place without having to take on a mortgage. I quietly searched properties on my own via the Realtor site, hoping to find the right fit for me. I met Cassie Symonds after requesting a showing on a property and even though this particular place wasn’t meant for me, I finally had an enthusiastic agent that I chose to work exclusively with. I was 70 years old, planning to retire at the end of July 2023, and was hoping to find a home prior to that time. I recall saying to Cassie that I knew she was going to sell me a home. In short, the challenge was set and it was February 2023. As the months followed, I continued to scout listings, looking at places on Google earth as well as town research and Cassie not only followed up on what I could winnow out to look at, she forwarded listings of interest for showings. We were on a mission. Two more showings were arranged up the coast in Phippsburg however they simply weren’t meant for me. Then in June she forwarded a listing in West Bath and I decided to do my Google earth look and drive by one Saturday to find a significant amount of interest from others so I drove on, heading around the corner to yet another listing that captured my interest. I called Cassie and we arranged a showing and this place was it! As usual in this market, one must hit hard and fast and I found myself as a back up bid. It was now the first week of July…. Three weeks to retirement. When something is meant to be… Cassie called me later that week… it was a Friday with incredible news. It was mine for the taking… and so it was. The asking price was reasonable, paperwork in order, and everything right down to the cash closing on July 26th. went seamlessly via Maine Title Services. On Friday, July 28th, my employer of 31 years put on a wonderful party and I retired… mission complete. I am now moving in. By god, it’s like Christmas Eve around here this week! When I look back on the endeavor to relocate nearly four years back, there was a share of uncertainty, encouragement and disappointment along the way. When Cassie took the real estate reigns earlier this year, a pathway to success was underway. By her working within the challenges and constraints she brought my real estate goals to fruition, in the 11th hour, to which I am incredibly grateful. She brought it all together and when I look at the additional extenuating circumstances and retirement plans that impacted my life at this time, she worked nothing short of a miracle. So here’s my review for Cassie. Her professionalism, courtesy and persistence brought this real estate endeavor to fruition. I wish her many years of personal and business success. What an incredible career path she is navigating. Many thanks and best wishes from a very satisfied customer.
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- Google Review
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We counted on Josh Charette for so much, and he came through both in the sale of our home, and finding us the perfect new home. Not an easy road; we had many boxes to check for what we were looking for. Josh introduced us to many different properties so we could find our best forever home.
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- Google Review
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Erin Finley is hands down the best realtor around. She’ll take good care of your real estate needs and put you in a position to receive the best value possible. I highly recommend her services.
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- Google Review
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We could not say enough about the quality, easy-going demeanor and professionalism of our Realtor, Nick Guerrette. He was incredibly well-informed about today's market, had a listening ear to any concerns, and shared great wisdom to guide us to great outcomes. We have bought and sold home many times in the past 35 years, but hands down, Nick is the best Realtor we've ever had. He has our gratitude always.
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- Google Review
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I have used many Realtors in my life, but Mike Rudolph exceeded all my expectations. We were living in Arizona and had to sell a house on the Seacoast. In addition to all the services normally expected from a realtor, from start to finish Mike went above and beyond. He arranged to have the house cleaned out, possessions stored, found contractors, had needed repairs made, the yard maintained, plowing and walks maintained, got to know the neighbors, and kept an eye on the place. Whenever we needed something that couldn’t be managed remotely, Mike was right there to make sure things got done. In addition to that, he displayed excellent relational skills, treating everyone involved with respect, kindness, and unimpeachable integrity. Finally, despite the market cooling off and it being the dead of winter, he was still able to find a buyer and negotiate a fair price. He even sent us another copy of the closing documents at tax time without us even needing to ask for them. Mike was exceptional. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
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- Google Review
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Derrick Buckspan went above and beyond our expectations to help us find a condo in Portland. We were out-of-state buyers and he was patient and responsive to our needs whether we were in town or looking long distance. When we found our condo he negotiated well & ensured a smooth closing. Derrick is knowledgeable, extremely professional and great to work with! We highly recommend him.
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- Google Review
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Dawn Marston is the best real estate agent ever! She went the extra mile to make my purchase as smooth as possible.
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- Google Review
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Josh Charette did a fabulous job in helping us find a vacation home. He was very responsive to all our questions and concerns always got back to us by calling or texting within a reasonable amount of time. Highly recommend him and will definitely use him again when and if needed.
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- Google Review
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Heidi Krassner is an amazing Realtor (and person)! We started looking for homes while living across the country, and probably started looking a little too early. Instead of casting us aside or getting frustrated, she took us under her wing, literally. She was extremely patient with us and very knowledgeable about the homes we looked at. She let us come to our own conclusions but was also upfront with us. She is a diligent worker who was available whenever we needed her. She is someone you can rely on 110%! She found the house we bought before we knew it existed. So not only did I end up with my dream home 100% thanks to her, but I also gained a lifelong family member/friend!
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- Google Review
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My husband and I recently bought and sold our homes with the amazing team of Tom and Julia Ranello of The Ranello Group at RE/MAX Shoreline. Tom’s wealth of knowledge from 40+ years of real estate experience combined with his calming demeanor and sense of presence (and humor) was apparent to us right from our first meeting at a house showing. Even though that house wasn’t a fit for my husband and I, Tom was the perfect fit for us; then we had the added pleasure of meeting Julia!
Julia is the perfect complement to Tom. We felt an immediate kinship with her as well. We appreciate her straight shooting, tell it like it is, matter of fact personality and her get down to business attention to details.
Both their patience with our “processing of the process” and their gentle intuitive guidance made our dream home a reality. We are certain they will do the same for you! We feel we struck gold when we found the Ranello Group and we plan on keeping our connection with them!
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- Google Review
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I worked with Bev Brooks to purchase a home in a tough market. Bev is extremely knowledgeable and made herself available on short notice when new properties were listed. She has a positive but realistic attitude that made it easier to make competitive offers. One of the best things was that even when an issue came up, which is to be expected, she already had a solution in mind. This made the whole process less stressful so that I could enjoy the fun parts of buying a new home.
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- Google Review
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Dawn Marston was such a pleasure to work with during the sale of our old home and purchase of our new home. She works extremely hard for her clients!
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- Google Review
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Our experience with RE/MAX Shoreline was a friendly and smooth process. Our home was sold in less than a week thanks to Tom Ranello. Tom is a professional. We enjoyed the experience working with Tom and highly recommend his services. Give him a call. There will be no regrets.
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- Google Review
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The team at RE/MAX Shoreline were exceptionally helpful on a recent transaction. They have been my go to place to get real estate guidance over the past decade and have always worked to cultivate a relationship with me instead of just focusing on the sale. I highly recommend them!
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- Google Review
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Terri Golter provided outstanding service and support to our family during our house hunt and buying adventure. Her professionalism and attention to detail, combined with her unmatched knowledge of the housing market in the area, made our home buying experience top notch! Terri took the lead in touring our home choice…and supporting us while we were overseas. Buying a home “unseen” in person could have been a scary and daunting task but with Terri on a Zoom screen or a WhatsApp phone call …she made it pleasurable and ensured we purchased a wonderful home. Many thanks to Terri and all those who made our home buying experience a success. Strongly recommend you choose Terri as your real estate professional.
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- Google Review
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Bev Brooks is my family go-to Realtor, and we could not have been more thrilled to have her as our facilitator for this exciting purchase. Thanks for being part of this dream, Bev.
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- Google Review
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Over the years my wife and I have had the opportunity to work with several real estate agents in either selling or buying properties associated with moves. I can say without hesitation Kathy Walsh has been the most efficient and most pleasant of any we have worked with. She was very knowledgeable about the local market and guided our negotiations very effectively. Maybe most importantly she was very supportive during a stressful time. We can recommend Kathy without reservations. If I were going to negotiate another sale ( which I hope never occurs) we would turn to Kathy.
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- Google Review
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We can’t begin to thank Rich Deering for making the selling process painless. He was kind, responsive and helpful! I can’t imagine anyone making it easier!
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- Google Review
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My wife and I went to Buckspan & Deering to help search for our new home. With the help of Rich Deering, as well as the other members of his team, my wife and I were able to find a beautiful home that was within our price range, and fit our desired parameters. We couldn't be more grateful for the help of all the individuals involved with our house hunt! Rich is truly an exceptional individual who took our requests/input and really found us a wonderful place that we can call home. Rich is so passionate about his work and helping others discover their new home that he was able to formulate a client/realtor bond like no other. Day OR night I was able to reach out and contact Rich about concerns, questions, and comments; Rich was great at responding quickly and efficiently, and he was not afraid to ask his team members for assistance if needed! We hope anyone who's looking for a home within Maine seriously considers Buckspan & Deering realty.
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- Google Review
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I am more than happy with how well the experience has been with Ash Oberholtzer. Attention to detail and timing was facilitated and completed like magic. He made the whole process simple and smooth. I will absolutely use his services again when I'm ready to enter the market again.
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- Google Review
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Carol Lavigne was very professional, caring, and always available to answer questions. Good person!
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- Google Review
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Josh Charette was amazing. Listened to what we were looking for and when we decided on a property he helped us navigate as if we were family. I would use Josh again and highly recommend him to anyone looking for real estate in the area.
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- Google Review
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Deb Bateman listed and sold a vacant lot of land for me quickly and in a professional manner. I received my full asking price and she walked me through every step of the process, making it an enjoyable transaction. She is very thorough in her work and gives a superb level of customer service. I highly recommend her and will be working with her again in the future.
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- Google Review
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Occasionally, you work with someone who is exceptional at their job. Heidi Krassner is one of those people. Heidi’s professionalism, experience, confidence, and deep understanding of the real estate market were invaluable. Her negotiation skills were top-notch and she was able to secure a dream home for a great price. Heidi was always available, went the extra mile and was incredibly responsive to questions. Heidi’s honesty and transparency throughout the entire process made the home buying process a breeze as well as finding the perfect house. Heidi was not just knowledgeable, but also remarkably caring, patient, and compassionate, which helped to make every decision very comfortable. We are very grateful for Heidi’s guidance and support. Heidi is not only our Real Estate Agent, but also a true friend. We would recommend her to anyone in a heartbeat!
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- Google Review
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I worked with Emily Taylor as my agent (buyer agent), while I was looking for my first investment property. I knew close to nothing about property search, inspection, and all the other stuff concerning the enormous amount of paperwork and stress it takes. Emily was an angel! She was professional, knowledgeable, proactive. She knew her stuff! If you’re trying to get a property whether or not you’re a first time home buyer, I would definitely recommend her.
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- Google Review
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Tim Cheney was an amazing agent! He is extremely knowledgeable about the market and trends and makes spot on suggestions. I moved from another state, which made my search trying at times. Tim was very patient and supportive of the process with me. I truly appreciated that he was the one helping me. I would recommend him 100%!
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- Google Review
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Steven Gray of RE/MAX Shoreline is the best real estate agent that I have ever worked with. The attention he paid to every detail to shepherd this property deal to a successful conclusion was impressive. There were a lot of things that could have gone sideways. He made sure none of them did. Thank you, Steven.
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- Google Review
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This was a wonderful experience both for buying my dream home and selling my former home. Jamie was fantastic and I would 1000% recommend her for all your real estate needs!
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- Google Review
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We couldn’t have been happier with Tim Cheney as our Realtor. He was highly professional, went above and beyond with helping us obtain information about the property prior to going under contract, was extremely responsive throughout the process and a great liaison overall. 6 out of 5 stars from us!
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- Google Review
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My husband and I moved from Pennsylvania. We had Emily Taylor helping us. Our experience with her was outstanding. She helped us make the transition very smooth.
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- Google Review
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Sara Treacy was fantastic to work with! She was knowledgeable, professional, and accessible. I changed what kind of home I was looking for nearly 1,000 times, but none of that phased her. Sara kept finding options and guiding me on my first home-buying journey. I can't recommend her enough.
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- Google Review
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Derrick Buckspan was our agent in buying our first home and he made it so simple. He understood what we were looking for and always had an eye on houses that matched what we wanted. He did video tours for us since we were out of state and always responded quickly to our questions. We couldn’t have asked for a better agent. Thank you!
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- Google Review
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My husband and I were out of state buyers and needed to find a Realtor who was willing to work with us. We were not easy, but Stephen Peck came highly recommended and was willing to take on the challenge. His personal knowledge of the greater Portland area, as well as his vast experience in real estate, helped us secure our first home in Maine. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Stephen to anyone looking for a Realtor!
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- Zillow Review
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Glenn Thibodeau was nothing but amazing! He helped to buy our summer cottage two years ago and when we decided to sell our cottage we wanted Glenn! The process of buying and selling our cottage was stress free for us both times! Glenn was always professional, knowledgeable with buying and selling properties! We didn’t have to worry about anything! Communication with Glenn was outstanding! Any situation or questions we had he immediately had an answer for us whether by email or texting! The process of selling our cottage was smooth, stress free and were amazed how quickly Glenn sold our cottage! Glenn is a really nice guy! Very personable and a professional Realtor! I would recommend Glenn to anyone buying or selling property! We are forever grateful to him!
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- Google Review
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Andrew Rissman made our long distance transaction seamless and went above and beyond taking care of our property. Highly recommend Andrew for all your real estate needs!
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- Google Review
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Cassie Symonds was our real estate agent. She was knowledgeable and timely in working us through the process. She helped us negotiate the purchase and gave us good feedback on what would help us with the sale.
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- Google Review
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We could not have been more pleased with the team of Rebecca Lord & Michelle Donald, they went above & beyond what we had come to expect. Rebecca stayed in contact with us throughout the whole process of purchasing our Condo. Would highly recommend to any future Buyers or Sellers. Thank you Rebecca & Michelle.
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- Google Review
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Nick Guerrette is amazing. He is such a people person and makes you feel comfortable even if you ask a stupid question. Always in contact with us even during his family vacation. Couldn't have asked for a better Realtor. We give him a 10 plus!
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- Google Review
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We had a pleasant experience. Roz Siegel is very capable and she did an excellent job In helping us find a new home and selling our old home, which we loved. Roz is excellent at what she does and we felt very comfortable with her. She is personable and extremely helpful.
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- Google Review
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Colleen Bedard and Emily Taylor represented me in selling my home. My experience with them was outstanding. They did a fantastic job of marketing my house and generating interest, they were extremely responsive, and they gave me solid and much-needed advice throughout the process. I felt like I was in good hands from start to finish, and in the end I did much better with the sale than I had expected. Top notch service! Highly recommend.
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- Google Review
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We first met Ashlan Oberholtzer when we had rented his vacation home near Sebago Lake. His attention to detail and service were exemplary. When we decided to move back to our home state, we knew there would be no one better to find our next house. Ash is kind and patient, he listened to our needs and helped us explore numerous styles of home in various states of care. When we found the home we wanted to make an offer on, he provided honest and direct advice that helped us secure the house. And even after, he helped discuss equity building options for the future. There aren’t enough wonderful things that we could say about Ash. If you’re considering buying a home in Maine, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to Ash.
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- Google Review
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Maria Shute was amazing! I had feared living out of state would make the home selling experience difficult, not with Maria as your Realtor. Maria was patient, kind and extremely efficient. With her knowledge and experience she assisted me in making the best choice and had our home sold for top dollar almost immediately.
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- Google Review
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Mike Rudolph walked us through the process from start to finish with patience, great education, and efficiency. We couldn't be more satisfied with the process!
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- Google Review
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Erin Finley was an awesome Realtor! She helped me throughout my entire process and showed me homes even on Christmas Eve. She works tirelessly for her clients and I would recommend her to anyone moving from out of state. She knows the area so well and guided me through every detail. She is a consummate professional.
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- Google Review
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We want to take this opportunity to thank Tom & Julia Ranello for all they have done to sell our property. We certainly appreciate their due diligence and time commitment in completing the contract. Their expertise and knowledge of the market secured the best of the best for us. We are truly grateful.
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- Google Review
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