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Nick & Samantha
Sam, a high school chemistry teacher, and Nick, an intellectual property attorney, met as chemistry undergrad majors at the University of New Hampshire. After a chemistry-themed wedding and moving around the greater Boston area for graduate school and jobs, they finally settled in the Merrimack Valley with their 9-month-old daughter Matilda (Tilly) and dog Lily. When not busy chasing Tilly (or Lily), Sam and Nick enjoy spending time with family, visiting coastal Maine, and cooking and baking (well, Sam cooks and bakes, Nick eats the fruits of Sam’s labor). While Nick is out skiing, Sam enjoys crocheting by the fire in the lodge.
Why Rachael and MA Properties Real Estate?
One of the reasons we decided to work with Rachael and MA Properties is their marketing magic. We saw another of their listings and were impressed with the staging, photography, and other marketing materials. Upon arriving at the listing, we were impressed with how true the marketing materials represented the property – there were absolutely no surprises and we really appreciated that. Real estate is their full-time job and at no point did we feel like we were being squeezed in, or not prioritized.
What surprises and challenges did you encounter during the buying and selling process?
Having lived in our home for over 5 years, decluttering was a challenge with multiple trips to Goodwill. In the end we were pleasantly surprised about the high level of interest and the correspondingly high number of offers.
During the buying process, it was surprising to us how many or how few offers some properties received, as well as the closing price of those properties – some were way higher than we anticipated, and others were much lower. Over our 2.5-year search, we put in a handful of offers and found it incredibly and unnecessarily stressful to make a big decision in such a time crunch. It is difficult to determine if a house will make a suitable home after maybe one or two short visits.
Walk me through how your real estate agent prepared your home to sell? What stood out to you?
Rachael walked through the house and around the yard to get a feel for the property. Once Rachael had a good understanding of our former home, she made some great paint color recommendations and, along with Kristina McKenna (stager), developed a great staging plan.
What stood out to us was how well coordinated all parts of the MA Properties marketing “machine” are. When we saw the advertising package, we wanted to keep the house!
What are your top tips when buying and selling?
On the buying side, understand what it is that you want (community, type of neighborhood, type and size of house, type of yard (wooded, open, etc.)) so when a property matching your parameters hits the market, you can strike with your best offer and your unwavering interest will show through. Also, have your finances in order and a pre-approval letter in hand!!
When selling, set an appropriate list price – listen to your Realtor’s suggestion!
Would you recommend Rachael and MA Properties Real Estate to friends and family?
Yes, and yes!
Rachael’s energy, enthusiasm and, of course, experience make her a great agent to work with. On the buying side, we appreciated her relentless efforts to figure out exactly what we wanted and what would work for our family. On the selling side, we appreciated her understanding of the market, market trends, and buyers’ searching trends.
MA Properties was the icing on the cake. Take a look at some of their listings and you’ll know why. They know what buyers are looking for. Thinking about freshening up your house? They have paint suggestions. Need your house staged or help with furniture arrangement? Yep, they can do that too. How about professional photography that doesn’t mis-represent your home because of fancy Photoshop techniques? Check and check. MA Properties has team members that facilitate all steps of the process – whether you are buying or selling, they will help coordinate your transaction every step of the way in a very seamless manner.
Thank you, Rachael and MA Properties, we look forward to working with you again! But hopefully not too soon, moving is a lot of work and we like where we are!!
Thinking of Buying or Selling?
Let us help you make that happen!