Sarah Martin, Broker, NC REALTOR®
“Sarah was amazing with getting us in quickly to see the highly sought after homes that were ending up in multiple offer situations. She was a pleasure to work with and very patient, considering how particular we are.” – Kristina Young
What does providing exceptional customer service really mean? To a Savvy + Co. Real Estate agent it means making the process of buying or selling a home easy, enjoyable and positive. It means providing new homebuyer education courses, working with the most caring and knowledgeable agents in the industry and continuing to go above and beyond for each and every client no matter the market conditions.
It means forming meaningful and trusting relationships when working with clients who are moving to a new city and state with specific criteria! Kristina & Jeff Young were ready to make the move from Tampa to the Queen City. They turned to Savvy + Co. agent Sarah Martin to help them find the perfect home for them in Dilworth.
From the Sunshine State to the Queen City, the Youngs are excited to call Charlotte home.
Read more about their Savvy experience!
Time to make a move
Kristina and Jeff Young were living in Tampa when Jeff was offered a job in Charlotte. The hunt began for what would be their 16th home together.
Kristina, an interior designer, took to the Internet to research areas of Charlotte that could interest them and potential real estate agents. She soon found Savvy + Co. agent Sarah Martin, a Dilworth-area expert, and it was a perfect fit.
“We chose Sarah Martin for several reasons,” Kristina said. “She has a lot of experience, knows the areas, is very professional, and most of all, she is such a nice person.”
Sarah, who has been a Savvy agent for over 16 years, spoke with the Youngs on the phone to get their specifications. They were interested in charming older homes with character and didn’t mind a fixer-upper and had a budget of $1M+.
Sarah and the Youngs decided Dilworth, Myers Park, Eastover, Elizabeth, and Plaza Midwood would be great starting points.
Homebuying in the time of COVID
The Youngs began talking to Sarah in the fall of 2019 when Jeff was going through the hiring process here in Charlotte. After he accepted the job offer, Jeff moved to Charlotte first and then Kristina joined him later.
Homebuying is stressful enough, but add a pandemic in the mix and you’ve got something else altogether.
“They were one of the few clients needing to look at homes, and they were the first buyers I met where we had to wear masks, adhere to the new protocols, etc.,” Sarah said. “It was such a surreal time.”
“Once I moved here, it helped us to understand the neighborhoods and narrow down our search,” Kristina said. “Sarah showed us a lot of homes and we chose our house in Dilworth because it had the location and the character that we were looking for.”
Sarah estimates that they looked at almost 30 homes before finding the Dilworth house on Park Road.
Home Sweet Home!
Patience pays off
“When the Park Road home went on the market, we tried to see it the first day but we couldn’t because COVID had just hit the area and there were restrictions,” Sarah said. “We made a sight-unseen, plus $5K over-asking offer with a tight expiration on it. Other offers were coming, per the agent, so we went in fast and strong… AND we got it!”
“The home that we ended up purchasing was sold after the first showing and the sellers refused to have any other showings,” said Kristina. “Luckily, the buyers backed out within two days and Sarah worked hard to get our off in first thing.”
Taking chances pays off
“As I said, we have moved 16 times, so we have worked with a lot of real estate agents and Sarah really stood out,” Kristina said. “One thing that stood out to me when choosing Sarah was that she had several YouTube videos. Being out-of-state buyers, these videos helped us to understand the different areas in Charlotte. She made a very stressful situation fun. She was always kind, patient, knowledgeable, and professional.”
Ready to embark on a renovation to refresh the home after closing, Sarah connected the Youngs with local contacts, designers, and contractors.
Sarah was impressed by the “fabulous ideas” that Kristina and Jeff, an architect dreamed up in each home and neighborhood they visited.
“Every home could have become a gem in their hands and we were just waiting on the perfect location,” Sarah said. “They did a major overhaul on their home after closing and the before/after pictures will be amazing.”
We’ve seen the photos, and we agree. Check out some of the amazing before and afters below, and then follow Kristina on Instagram at @kristinayounginteriors for more updates!
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