Family Estate Planning Sale
JW
[John Walt]
Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA
JD,
Thanks for putting the letter together. It puts a very closure on the sale.
I know you went above and beyond with helping my mom and dad with
the process and all three of us kids greatly appreciate it.
Call me when you want to hit the big waves in front of my house someday . . .
JW
First Time Home Buyer
Natalie Robison
Oceancrest Condos, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Dear John and Laurie,
Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful home, and I was happy to meet your family. Thank you, too for all your hard work to get me a new home. I’ll have you over when
I get my home decorated and painted.
Sincerely
Natalie Robinson
P.S. Love my refrigerator!
P.S.S. Lets do this home buying thing again in the next 5 years !! Upgrade !!
First Time Home Buyers & Sellers
Jane & Chad Smith
Emerald Avenue, Torrance, CA
Dear John and Laurie,
Thank you so much for all you hard work in selling our home! Although it was one
of the most stressful things I’ve ever been through, looking back it all went pretty smoothly. From the first open house to the final walk through we really appreciate all
you did for us (Chad & I ) are heading up to Ashland in a few weeks to look at houses
so the whole process starts again. We’ll be moving soon time mid-February. We’d love
to have you and your family visit us soon!
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sincerely,
Jane and Chad Smith
Listing Bank Repos (REOs):
John R. Polen
Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
Malaga Bank, CA
Malaga Bank has enjoyed a successful working relation with John Duston of First Realty of Palos Verdes for the last five years. We have used him to market several properties for the bank. He has met our needs by being able to obtain excellent sales prices in a reasonable marketing time. Additionally, John does more than just list the property. He takes care of everything. He has arranged for all of the little items such as ordering inspections, running papers around, getting answers to building department questions, obtaining termite inspections, and getting utilities worked out.
I would highly recommend John Duston because he obtains results while minimizing my efforts and gives me the confidence that everything is being handled correctly.
Sincerely,
John R. Polen
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer
1031 Tax Deferred Exchange:
Selling Two Properties to Buy
One Big Property
Tenny Sharpe
Manager System Engineering
Dear John,
Just a note to let you know that every thing is going well with us and to thank you once again for your help in closing the deals on all our properties last October. We realize that our situation was more complex than the average family real estate deal in that it involved the sale of our two existing properties, the purchase of a new property and all of the associated 1031 like kind exchange paperwork and procedures. Form our perspective now, one year later, we feel we were very fortunate to have had you serving as our agent for all of the properties particularly with respect to your knowledge in these areas and your good judgment in selecting escrow companies with the appropriate (1031-tas deferred exchange) experience.
We also greatly appreciated many of the extra things you did for us beyond the normal scope of your job.
I hope business is going well for you and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards
Tenny Sharpe
Manager System Engineering
Investor Flips
Jeff Steiman
Carol Drive, Torrance, CA
Dear John,
I would like to take a moment to thank you for selling our investment home in Torrance. Ann and I appreciated your honesty. The quick market sale can be credited to your input as to how to get our property ready to sell and your excellent advice regarding the pricing of our property.
It was great to know we could always count on receiving a timely response to our questions and needs.
Again, thank you for your time and effort and look forward to working with you again. When we are ready to list our Manhattan Beach Home, we will certainly call you.
Sincerely,
Jeff Steiman
James H. Kinney
Via Valmonte, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
The purpose of this letter is to recommend John Duston as a highly professional and effective real estate agent. He is a hardworking, resourceful and has high integrity. John has a nice personality and is effective in deal with people.
I listed my Valmonte home with him over the summer. John handled the listing responsibly with effective advertising and open houses on the weekends. The house sold in approximately 3 week at a price that satisfied us.
I highly recommend John and am confident that as an experienced broker, he will be very effective in selling any property that he lists. If anyone has any questions or requires any further information, please feel free to call me.
It was great to know we could always count on receiving a timely response to our questions and needs.
Again, thank you for your time and effort and look forward to working with you again. When we are ready to list our Manhattan Beach Home, we will certainly call you.
Very truly yours,
James H. Kinney
Move-Up Clients….
from Linda Dr., Torrance, CA
to Via Curva, Palos Verdes
Gina Keller
Via Curva, Palos Verdes, CA
Dear John,
Mark and I would like to formally thank you for the fine work you did selling our home on Linda Drive in Torrance which enabled us to move into our new home in Palos Verdes. Your service was extremely professional, friendly and courteous.
In particular, you helped us determine a fair price, gave us good ideas to improve our home’s “curb appeal”, ensured plenty of realtor traffic with a festive broker’s open which you followed up with several well attended open houses. Your service was even more necessary when the offers started coming in. You were able to make assessments regarding the potential buyer’s seriousness and financial resources and were then able to predict negotiation outcomes with uncanny accuracy. Since we were first time sellers, this assistance was invaluable.
We also want to thank you for finding our new home in beautiful Palos Verdes Estates. The purchase went so smoothly! We felt that the price negotiations were fair and were amazed to have both escrows close on the same day without a hitch. Now that we’ve had a chance to unpack and catch our breath, we felt it was time give you some kudos for all your hard work. Thanks again and good luck! We’ll be sure to send our home buying or selling friends your way.
Sincerely,
Gina Keller
Pierce
Dorris Way, Torrance, CA
Dear John,
‘Thank you’ for your thank you note – but it is Betsy and I who should ‘thank you!’ Thank you for being there and seeing us through an emotional time (my parent’s home) not to add to my stroke. I’ll never forget your visit to the hospital in Pomona!
All the best to your family hope to talk to you soon!
Pierce
Robert & Linda Watson
West 145th Street, Gerdena, CA
Dear John,
Finally I am sending this off! Robert and I really appreciated all you efforts on our hehalf on the Gardena house. Here is a surprise for your desk. Best Wishes in your new RPV house & Thanks again. It was a pleasure dealing with you.
Best Wishes,
Robert & Linda Watson
Short Pay Sale
[Mortgage Amount Exceeds the Sale Price]
Cheryl, Efren & Girls
West 21st Street, San Pedro, CA
Dearest John,
We’ve been wanting to send you a note for quite awhile now but things have been hectic – the girls started school again. I finally started back at college on a full-time basis, and Efren pretty busy at work.
We want to Thank You very much for all of your help in finally selling our place in San Pedro. Sorry about the crazy situation [short pay-off] but we want you to know that we really appreciate all that you have done for us.
How’s your family doing? Your two beautiful girls? Are you going to have a boy next? We hope you’re all healthy and are doing well.
How’s the real estate market doing back home there? (Hey! You should move here – real estate’s booming. Lots of building, selling and buying going on!)
We’re getting used to the big move to Idaho. If you guys ever want to get away or just venture out to see the area, we’d love to have you come stay with us and visit. It’s real nice here – you’d like it! Lots of trees, lakes, and things to do if you like outdoor activities.
Better go for now . . . Take good care of yourself. Keep in touch, okay?
Sincerely,
Cheryl, Efren and girls (Saenz)
P.S. Thanks again!
Cheryl, Efren & Girls
West 21st Street, San Pedro, CA
Dearest John,
Just a little note to thank you so-o-o much for helping us with the tree in our backyard (just our luck !!), and for all if the extra things that you’ve done to help us out with our real estate “ordeal”. (Can’t express our appreciation enough.) We hope that you’re family is doing well and you guys are surviving the rains we her are going on down there? Well, take good care of yourself. Talk to you soon (And Thanks Again!)
Sincerely,
Efren & Cheryl Saenz
John Duston
The “Best Letter of Recommendation” I ever received and I did even help them
sell their home!
Letter of Regret & Recomendation
Karen Sullivan
Dear John,
Well, we made it! We have officially become Oregonians. The move was hectic but we welcome the scenic change; we are truly experiencing autumn. Bob and I would like to thank you for all you time and attentiveness while we were making our decision to relocate. You acted so professionally and in hindsight, we realize that we should have commissioned you as or realtor. Perhaps, this letter is our apology and justification.
When we selected our listing agent, we miss prioritized our criteria. We chose an agent because of the brokerage office he represented rather than his professionalism and our established rapport. Because our agent’s office made a strong presence in the Harbor Pines-Lomita area, we felt that his clientele would more likely want our home. Thus, we overlooked the facts that the realtor worked another full-time job, or that our home might sell itself thru MLS.
Honestly, John, Bob and I really thought we could work better with you. Your office was not as familiar to our neighborhood and we wrongly thought that its Palos Verdes location might not serve as many buyers in our income rage.
Our buyers found our hose because they were actively looking in our neighborhood. There was no magic in a particular real office. And, fortunately, escrow went rather smoothly. However, we feel that we were misrepresented in a few issues, and some minor matters still have not been settled.
We are sorry that were not given our home to sell. We feel that you would have represented us more professionally and honestly. Although we won’t have another opportunity to work with you, we will recommend you highly. Please don’t change your style; that is your asset!
May you continue to enjoy good fortune.
Sincerely,
Karen Sullivan
From One of my vendors
Warranty Escrow Co., Inc.
Linda Doerr
Owner/President
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN…………
John has been working with our Escrow Officers over the past several years. He is one our most valued customers.
Through this relationship, we have noticed the attentiveness, concern, and professionalism which John extends to his clients. Lynne and Diana have often mentioned how much they enjoy and appreciate dealing with John.
He is on the top of our list!!!
Linda Doerr,
Owner/President
