[SSLance]

Now for the buy side...

Realtor.com was a valuable tool for us when looking for a home 1200 miles away...for sure! We spent months scouring, saving, searching, and google earthing properties on realtor.com and Zillow. Even then, we still had to put boots on the ground in PHX to find what we were looking for.

A friend recommended a realtor from the East side of PHX and on our first trip out we did a bunch of drive bys and had her show us several properties in and around the Mesa area...but we just couldn't find what we were looking for.

Our needs were very specific so we were able to cull most properties out by the details on the sites and a quick drive by.

We then regrouped and decided to concentrate on the West Valley where there seemed to be more new construction going on. The wife wanted a newer more open floor plan with a killer kitchen and I of course wanted as large of an RV garage I could get...and all had to be within a certain budget.

We flew back out with a list of 30 homes we compiled to drive by ranging from Queens Creek South of Phoenix to Cave Creek on the North side. In a day and a half we put over 300 miles on a our rental and culled 27 of the 30 off the list...and scheduled to have our Realtor show us the other 3. The next day after viewing them...we walked away disappointed... The closest one was 80-85% of what we wanted and $50k over budget.

We were standing in line for lunch at a Chik-fil-A when our Realtor called me back and asked if we had been in the subdivision Vista Montana? I said "No" and she said... "Get back up here...I've already signed you in".

For the first time in my life, a Realtor really earned her commission and she has been instrumental in every step of the way after actually finding us the home were were looking for in the first place. She came and sat with us during the contract signing with the seller even though most of the details had already been worked out. She met with us at the Design and Decor studio 6 weeks later to check out the choices we made and to offer up ideas and opinions regarding them. She helped find a pool contractor...and she's helping us find a rental place to live in while the house is being finished.

It is refreshing these days when you find a professional that is REALLY good at their job, cares about their clients and is just a good person overall on top of the rest. Again...it can happen...and we are living proof of it.