STEVE SNYDER

unknown

Steve was the first realtor to get back to me as I was searching on line for a small property near Kalamazoo. I had to make the purchase before I could sell my primary house 3 hours away. He sent me dozens of listingsfrom which I whittled down my ?ideal home?. He was very patient as my criteria evolved. I was wary of realtors but I quickly found Steve to be focused on serving my needs rather than making a quick buck. After meeting him, his style and work ethic put me at ease. I was very unfamiliar with the area, the type of house (manufactured), the process of dealing with a HUD foreclosed property and the precarious process of timing the de-winterizing and all the inspection processes. I was also unfamiliar with the HUD bidding process but Steve knew the ropes. We did take a look at some small houses that had some serious defects. One example I remember was a house in Paw Paw. The first thing he did was to show me the floor and be straight with with me about the huge risk and potential expense in dealing with reconstruction. Similarly in Gobles he pointed out the termite damage (which I had never seen before). I don?t have any comment about working with a lender since this had to be a cash only purchase due to house size and condition. I found it very helpful that Steve has considerable experience in rehabilitating houses in this area. This hands on expertise was helpful during the search. Even after closing he called me to see how things were going and to offer advice about the many improvements that I am trying to deal with and to help locate an agent to help sell my old house. Communications are crucial to this unusual type of real estate experience when the buyer is not around much. The frequent up to date listings, adjustments to my changing criteria and punctual and detailed emails made the process fast and comparatively stress free. Since there is always room for improvement I would only suggest that Re/Max develop a one-page guideline for dealing with the de-winterizing process. I had to scribble my own flow chart to clarify the steps I needed to take. However Steve?s 2nd email about this was very detailed and punctual on this matter. One last positive was the willingness to take the time to drive an hour round trip to go and check on things like propane gas level in the tank or the heat furnace. Considering the modest commission from this HUD purchase I thought these extra favors went above and beyond the call of duty.

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Steve is the absolute best real estate agent I've ever worked with. I started talking to Steve in February before I moved from Oklahoma. I was not referred to him, but just got him by chance because I called with questions about a house listed by his agency. Steve showed me houses off and on from March, when I arrived in town, until the end of July, when I finally decided I had to buckle down and find a place ASAP because I wanted to have a home by the time school started here. Steve developed a list of houses in my price range, with all the features I was looking for, in the neighborhoods I was interested in, and he took two full days with me to show me all the ones I wanted to see. We found a great house for me, and Steve gave me excellent advice and guidance on making the offer and guided me through all the steps throughout the buying process. He was vigilant about ensuring everything was happening on-time, so much so, that we were even able to close early. Whenever I had an unusual problem, he had the knowledge to tell me what I should do next. I pretty much expect all of the above from a realtor, but Steve went above and beyond his job description in my opinion. The lending standards have really tightened up since I bought a house a decade ago, and when the underwriter refused my loan because the appraiser reported that the toilet was leaking and there was a question about the roof leaking over the porch, Steve went to the house with me, tools and ladder in hand, got up on the roof to take pictures and then FIXED THE TOILET! I would never expect this from a real estate agent. I would expect a referral to a contractor who could help me. I thought, "Wow, does this guy ever work for his commission!" I would encourage anyone looking to buy or sell a house to go to Steve. He's a great guy. He's very ethical. He's always upbeat and has a smile and a great attitude, and his experience in real estate really shows. He is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the area, the market, and the buy-sell process, and he was very patient about explaining anything I had questions about. And, apparently, he does whatever it takes! I was truly impressed with him.