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MyHousingGuide
Categories: Home Services Real Estate Real Estate Services Home Services Real Estate Real Estate Agents Real Estate Services, Real Estate Agents [Edit]
342 Highland AveOakland, CA 94618
Serving Oakland and surrounding area
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
(925) 580-8801
Stay Up To Date on Open Houses
Email me for this Sunday's Open House Guide: ledwards@myhousingguid...
44 reviews for MyHousingGuide
44 reviews in English
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Review from Suzy G.
Nipomo, CA
8/26/2011
In all honesty, I turned to Linnette because when I saw all of her high ratings, I thought, "someone who's willing to spend the time manipulating her Yelp ratings this well must be able to sell my house at a great price."
It was cynical of me, but pragmatic. Turns out, Linnette is COMPLETELY AWESOME! She's got an amazingly pleasant personality and yet she's strong force of nature. She's a really nice person, very intelligent, and very, very, competent. And that girl gets shit done!
As an IT professional, I appreciated the way she and her partner fully utilized technology for marketing, communicating, and paperwork.
As a nervous homeowner, I appreciated the way she played therapist on occasion. She pushed me when I needed pushing and she coddled me when I needed coddling. She even told me to "suck it up and deal with it" (not in those words...) on occasion and I respect her for that because she was absolutely right.
Linnette started the process by sitting me down and giving me a very thorough presentation on herself, her marketing philosophy and technique, her thoughts on my property, and what I can expect. I was so impressed that I decided to put myself thoroughly in her hands. I got myself out of the house and let it be painted, staged, landscaped, and photographed.
Linnette created a beautiful and professional website, slick printed marketing collateral, and when she was done my house was so beautiful that it was featured in the SF Chronicle. It became the house I would want to buy!
I got a solid sale and the buyers are as happy as I am (which is important to me!). Isn't that how every sale should go? -
Review from laurel l.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
I love Linnette! We just bought our first house in Castro Valley. I actually found her on yelp when we decided to start looking in the east bay. She got in touch with me right away once I emailed her and we set up a time to check out some houses. Our budget was small for the bay area, but I never felt like we weren't a priority because of it. When we looked at houses she really educated us by pointing out things that I never would have thought of on my own. Like how things could be remodeled, or if the roof needed replacing, things like that. We found a house we loved and she was on top of everything through the entire process, and has all the new technology that made it much easier to sign documents and whatnot. All in all it was a great experience and I'm glad we found her and our new house!
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Review from Yaj ..
Oakland, CA
3/23/2011
My wife and I found her too high pressure for us. She is very friendly, enthusiastic, and a "top producer" (meaning she is skilled at getting people to part with their money). After about 3 months and a couple offers, we felt she became impatient with us because we didn't want to place higher bids. The last home we viewed with her she thought that it was such a great value we needed to put a bid on it that night if we wanted a chance (she was leaving on a business trip the next day). We didn't love it, didn't place a bid on it and changed Realtors shortly after. The house was still on the market months later at a reduced price. (We did find a home at a price we were comfortable a few months later with another Realtor).
She shows her listed homes very well and would use her to sell our home. -
Review from A. D.
Oakland, CA
1/27/2011
I second Kristen T.'s comments. I had NO IDEA just how critical a good real estate agent is. They don't just find the home for you. In fact, that is not even the best use of their talents as far as I am concerned. What I have learned is that the skills of a good agent lie in navigating the sea of hurdles and potential disasters that crop up along the way, knowing the business and how to handle each situation with professionalism and aplomb. This is what Linnette does. Without this, I would have been a complete mess and I doubt the sale would have even gone through. It is her level of experience, her intelligence, her dedicated perseverance and, simply put, her wonderful personality that make her so skilled at what she does.
Even though we were first-time homebuyers of a short sale and, as such, not her most lucrative clients and even though her fee was drastically reduced by the seller's bank (something she knew all along and we only found out at the end of the sale from the seller's agent) she worked tirelessly for us. For those who do not have experience with short sales, they are notoriously difficult and time-consuming. After submitting our offer to the bank on the first property it took three months to get final approval. During that time we made a couple offers on other properties, entering a 24-hour bidding war on one. Linnette never let up. She was patient, kind, and reassuring, but was also discerning enough to give us excellent guidance when we needed it. In short, we feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to work with her.
Thanks Linnette!! -
Review from Eric G.
El Cerrito, CA
7/28/2010
I think this is my first yelp review but Linnette totally deserves such a review.
I'm not sure what else to say other than she was absolutely fantastic. We used 3 other agents before we finally found Linnette. She won't tell you that you need to put your best foot forward and bid your maximum. She'll provide her analysis and recommend what something is really worth. I wish I had more words to describe how amazing she really was through the whole process. We found the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood. We could not be happier! -
Review from Kristen T.
San Francisco, CA
11/22/2008
We found Linnette on Yelp. She is tops. Tippy-top notch. Are you thinking, "Do I really want to find a realtor on Yelp?" We thought that. Then we met Linnette. Let us help you. Yes, you want to use a realtor you find on Yelp.
We had absolutely no idea what we are doing. Linnette made it so easy. The things that we appreciated most about her were:
ACCESSIBILITY: I won't bother you with anecdotes. If you work with her, you'll understand. She is always there for her clients.
PROFESSIONALISM: She knows her shit, and she treats everyone with respect. She is responsive and upbeat.
HONESTY: She is honest. Always.
TEACHER-LIKE ABILITY TO BREAK SHIT DOWN: Even though she knows a lot, she is able to explaiin things in small pieces that are easily understandable.
GREAT FOR FIRST-TIMERS: She's not a commission whore. She actually cares about her clients. She marched our asses right out of the places that were wrong for us and was a ruthless negotiator when we found the right place. It was almost like having your mom as a real estate agent, if your mom was 30 and extremely articulate.
Hooray for Linnette!Listed in: How to Buy a House in Oakland
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Review from Neha S.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2010
Thanks to Linnette, her incredible track record, and her credibility in the industry, I am very lucky to be living in a home I absolutely love.
We stumbled upon a home in a neighborhood we hadn't even considered in San Francisco. It had been on the market only a few days and already had several offers (even in the crappy economy in late 2009) so we had to move extremely fast. I truly believe the only reason we were brought into the mix is due to Linnette's outstanding reputation. By having her represent us, we suddenly had some clout and our offer became "entertainable."
Once we jumped through some hoops and managed to get in contract for the house, Linnette was even *more* on it. She checked in multiple times daily and played the role of cheerleader and coach at the same time as we worked through various hurdles.
Her experience and attention to detail, coupled with her positive attitude and sense of humor was the perfect match for me. And from the beginning, she understood my unique needs and managed accordingly. I am so grateful to Linnette and her team for all of their support and hard work -- I would highly recommend them to anyone on the hunt for their next dream home... -
Review from ilana g.
Berkeley, CA
7/4/2008
The previous outstanding reviews for Linnette are spot on. We found her on yelp and once we met her in person, we didn't look back. Linnette is among the best in the business. Not only does she understand the real estate market incredibly well, but she is patient, professional, fair, and reliable, not to mention simply a joy to work with. Perhaps most important: she loves what she does and it shows!
Linnette stuck with my boyfriend and me every step of the way when we decided to venture into the crazy Bay Area housing market. And I'll be honest: we weren't always the easiest people to work with. We were very particular about being within a half mile of a BART station. And while we were generally clear on what we did not want, at times, we were fuzzier on what we did want. Linnette stuck with us, getting more info on particular properties quickly when we needed it and backing off when we got cold feet and requested more time. She was supportive, yet honest throughout the entire process, meaning that she comforted us when we were discouraged but was also willing to step up and tell us when we were being unrealistic in our expectations.
Our first offer was on a fixer-upper. Despite competing higher offers, Linnette got ours accepted and went to bat for us when the selling agent tried to pull a shady fast one on us. Ultimately, the fixer needed more work than we could handle; with professional savvy, Linnette helped us back out and get our deposit returned, never making us feel foolish or guilty about the situation. A few months later we made an offer on a townhouse, which was accepted, and I write this review from our new place.
One part realtor, one part advocate, one part therapist, and one part friend, Linnette is the realtor to go to. -
Review from Steve H.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2007
I used Linnette Edwards as my buyers agent in my first home purchase of a two bed two bath apartment in South Beach, SF. I came into the whole experience knowing little more about buying a house than the fact that it would cost me a fortune! Linnette was able to break down the whole process for me and explain things very clearly and carefully without overwhelming me with information. Linnette and her team were great at responding to my questions in a timely manner - normally instantaneously over the phone, but if she wasn't available instantly she would be sure to return my call within the hour. Now thats what I call great service!
As others here have said, Linnette excels when you want things to go through quickly. I called her on a Thursday after seeing the place and we had an offer accepted by Friday evening. My only complaint would be that she was so damn efficient and on top of things I didn't have any time to consider backing out :-). Linnette also gave great advice on what our offer should be - in this market you need someone who can help with that.
On top of her professional skills, Linnette is just a lovely person to work with. Always friendly, smiling and making you feel really at ease.
So thank you, Linnette, I sit in my lovely loft writing this review and if it weren't for you I would not be here with a big grin plastered over my face. -
Review from jason l.
Alameda, CA
1/29/2009
As a first time homebuyer, I was nervous about the whole process. I took the time to research realtors and interviewed 3 of them. I found Linnette on Yelp and chose her. I definitely made the right choice. She was extremely patient with me, educating me on the whole process, neighborhoods, etc. Her patience with my never-ending questions was greatly appreciated. She steered me away from neighborhoods that she felt, based on our discussions, wouldn't be suitable for my tolerance of nightime activity. She knows her shit and is a go-getter. She's very responsive and seems to work 24-7. She also has a keen eye on fluctuating values of neighborhoods and can tell you which neighborhood is up and coming.
Eventually, she found a home for me in Oakland that, in the 2 months I've live in, I'm extremely pleased with. -
Review from Leah I.
Berkeley, CA
11/18/2008
Yay Linnette! My husband and I found Linnette on Yelp and we knew pretty much instantly that she's the one we wanted to work with. We are newlyweds and we were shopping for our first home. Linnette understood our wants and needs and was patient with us through the entire process. Her input is invaluable and her feedback as to what is a good value helped us make our final decision.
When we finally found our home, Linnette really went to bat for us. Her connections helped get us a great deal on our house and she continues to hook us up with mortgage brokers, contractors, and pretty much anything else we happen to ask her for.
We'll be having Linnette over for drinks and watching the sunset from our spectacular view for years to come!
I can't recommend her more. -
Review from Steve B.
Moraga, CA
9/11/2007
When we first started looking for homes in the Lamorinda area, we knew very little about the area, other than having been up there a few times. I spent a lot of time searching for a realtor that covered the area well. The one name that kept popping up everywhere was Linette's.
http://Myhousingguide.com is where my wife and I did a lot of shopping and got a good feel for what we could get in the area and for how much. It is the best MLS portal that we could find that covered the Contra Costa county. We looked up a bunch of houses, then ultimately contacted Linette to set up a tour of the area.
The web site was fabulous as far as functionality goes. Some searches were slow, but that could be the MLS system backing it. Its hard to tell as there aren't many portals for that area. Normally I'd ding it a star if I thought others were faster, but at the time it had zero competition, so I'll leave it at 5 stars.
On Linette as a realtor-
We contacted here literally right before she left the country on vacation. She hooked us up with an associate of hers to begin our search. We got the benefit of two realtors for the price of one! Individually each were great, but together as a team they were twice as fabulous!
Noticeably, Linette is a very shrewd negotiator. She helped us get a great deal, then later she was able to get us more money back to cover some unexpected repair work that the property required after contingencies were lifted. That was clearly above and beyond the call of duty!
I highly recommend both the site http://myhousingguide.com as well as Linette as a realtor! -
Review from Heidi S.
Walnut Creek, CA
8/25/2008
After feeling a bit underwhelmed by other agents we decided to do our homework to find the right fit for our needs. So straight to Yelp we went to find Linnette!
As first time home buyers, we required a bit of hand-holding throughout the process ... Linnette was not only willing, but happy to help us. She toured us around the East Bay, offered suggestions, her honest opinions and eventually helped us purchase our lovely new home on a short-sale.
We also discovered that when you work with Linnette you receive her army of contacts from mortgage brokers to HVAC contractors to locksmiths ... bonus! We couldn't have done it without all of them.
Linnette is the ultimate East Bay [and beyond] agent who will not disappoint! -
Review from J M.
Oakland, CA
1/4/2011
Linnette Edwards is wonderful. (This review is past due). After nearly a year hunting with another agent with no result--long story short, we're home buying newbies, we found Linnette off yelp. Linnette is honest and resourceful. She provides credible advice; she won't force you into a home to make a sale. She offers thoroughly analysis of any home you are interested in, showing you comparable home sales. Her professionalism, experience, resourcefulness, and knowledge really put you at ease in a fairly nerve-wrecking process. She is accessible: quick to respond any questions you may have. She explained the whole home buying process to first time home buyers and guided us every step of the way; she made buying a foreclosure relatively easy. Linnette is an incredible realtor, and I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Bay Area in a heart beat.
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Review from Mike B.
Oakland, CA
5/30/2009
I was referred to Linnette via my original broker, and I've never looked back. Linnette was a great help from day one of talking to her on the phone. The positive reviews of Linnette on Yelp are spot on all the way.
When I finally decided to dive into the real estate Market, Linnette took me to see several great units on the first day to get me acclimated to the market environment. She also urged me to continue to do my own research, which was refreshing: Linnette operates like someone who wants you to compare, because she's sure of herself, her experience, and her expertise. Linnette is also clearly a busy person with a lot of clients... which I consider a good thing in this market. Despite her client load I never felt that Linnette wasn't available to answer my questions, or wasn't taking care of my needs expeditiously.
As it turns out, I actually found the listing for the condo I closed on on my own. That didn't stop Linnette however from being there every step of the way from that point forward. She assisted in the negotiations, offered her advice while allowing me the room to make my own decisions (sometimes different), and used her team to keep the closing process moving forward quickly. I was even able to switch lenders halfway through closing to get a better mortgage rate; I don't think I would have been able to do so if I didn't trust Linnette to carefully negotiate the necessary extensions. All-in-all, together we closed on what I consider to be a rare find in the Oakland area.
By the end of the process I've come away with a much better understanding of the home-buying process (I was a first time buyer) and a feeling like I got a lot of house for the money, all thanks to Linnette. Linnette is smart, friendly, and intensely professional. I strongly recommend her for anyone considering the purchase of an East Bay home, and perhaps look forward to having her sell my unit in the future.
Thanks so much Linnette, and the entire MyHousingGuide team! -
Review from Ethan E.
Oakland, CA
2/26/2011
My wife and I recently purchased our first house, naturally we were very nervous about making the right choice for a Realtor. I went on yelp and found Linnette as so many different people had so many great things to say. They were all 100% correct, Linnette got us exactly what we wanted, and for the price we wanted. When it was go time in regards to making an offer she was so on top of it, and always there to guide us every step of the way. I would not hesitate at all to use her again. I feel that I have a very high standard in regards to customer service and work ethic, and Linnette far exceeded any of my expectations, she delivered in every way. Look no further, she is the best!!
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Review from Rebecca G.
Oakland, CA
8/9/2010
My family and I are just about to move into our very first home with huge thanks to Linnette. We found Linnette through her company's website and after seeing all the great reviews on Yelp decided to start working with her in May. I got a great vibe from our first phone call and in-person meeting a few days later. Being professional, accessible, personable, and honest is a winning combination in this business, especially for first-time home-buyers who needed a fair-amount of hand-holding once we found a house we loved and wanted to write an offer. I believe Linnette's reputation in the industry absolutely helped us get a house in a neighborhood we'd all but written off.
The entire process went a lot quicker and more smoothly than I ever imagined not only because Linnette is so fantastic but because she'll also help get all the parts moving in terms of the folks she'll put you in touch with if you take her up on it: broker, title, handyman, etc. We really couldn't be happier. We highly recommend Linnette and will refer anyone and everyone we know to her as well as work with her on any future purchases. -
Review from jennifer s.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2011
I don't leave reviews often on yelp, but when I have experiences like the one I had working with Linnette I feel compelled to do so.
My husband and I were living in SF and wanted to buy our first home in an area that had elements of the city, warm weather, great schools and good value for your money. We had a baby on the way and were short on time. We found Linnette and couldn't have been luckier to have found someone that new the Lamorinda area (Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga) so well. She spent time driving me around the different neighborhoods and explained the swim clubs, schools and types of houses in the area. She new which homes were built on slab foundations and which areas rarely had houses come on the market. It was very informative and helped me to narrow down my search.
On one of our first days out she showed us a house that was absolutely perfect! The house was in a private neighborhood of Moraga. My husband and I fell in love. She told us exactly what we needed to do to prepare to make a winning offer, which was accepted! We were shocked that our first offer was accepted as we had heard that it can take several tries. During the inspection process Linnette brought out some very well regarded experts in their field. To our surprise there was an issue with the home. We found a fresh water spring in the backyard that was making the soil quite moist in the middle of the Summer and was flowing towards the home causing some moisture in the subarea. After some consulting with her and some experts, we found that it was going to cost us upwards of $40k to "potentially" fix the issue. This was disappointing since the problem was not disclosed in the disclosures. The only reason why we found the issue was because Linnette read a line in the disclosures that sounded fishy and suggested that we call out the experts. We were so happy to have found this before removing the contingencies.
We started our search again and quickly found another house that fit our needs even more than the first house. We are now in Orinda near the Glorietta Elementary School. We made an offer and it was accepted even though we were under our competition on price. She put together a compelling offer that was about more than just the offer price. We were lucky to take advantage of the low point in the market in late 2010 where bids did not have to be well above asking. The bottom line was we found a house that was right for us and we made the best offer we could. She stood by it and worked her magic. We have been in our home for 6 months now and love it!
Linnette was great about guiding us through the market, especially when it was changing daily. She is truly and expert at what she does. She was always pleasant to work with. What really stood out was that my husband challenged her a few times and even though she did not always agree with the approach that he wanted to take she represented us to the sellers with respect and confidence. Her partner Tammy was fantastic to work with as well. She was on top of all the paper work that needed to get done. She was always available to help explain what we needed to do and made sure that we stayed on track. If you're thinking about using Linnette you will not be disappointed! Great team! -
Review from Melanie K.
Oakland, CA
12/10/2007
I was looking for a real estate agent and found Linnette here, on YELP. As a first time homebuyer, the thought of this entire process was completely daunting. Linnette found me the *perfect* home, in my price range, in a neighborhood I wanted with all the bells and whistles... garage, laundry room, tons of closet space, etc. I didn't think that would be possible with my (limited) budget. Linnette was patient and as helpful as one could hope for. She knows the East Bay so well. She also connected me with an excellent mortgage broker and has resources for just about anything one might need, related to housing. I recommend Linnette 100%. If you're a first-time homebuyer, she's the best... The entire process took less than a month, and that included finding the perfect home!
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Review from sophia m.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2007
My sister and I are first time home buyers, and thanks to Linette we were able to purchase the home of our dreams! Since we were completely unfamiliar with the process, it was very nice working with Linette because we were able to rely on her knowledge and experience in making sure that we were buying the right home. We purchased a condo in Oakland, and she is really knowledgeable on the different areas, and the pluses and minuses of different locations. After purchasing our condo and having gone through the whole process, I realize how important it is to be able to trust your real estate agent, and Linette is definitely someone that you can trust. No matter what, she is on your side and supports your best interests.
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Review from Amoreena B.
Burlingame, CA
5/22/2008
Linnette has helped my husband and I buy both our condo and as we speak our first home! Linnette is very professional, knowledgeable and a honest agent. She welcomed our candid remarks about each property we saw throughout the east bay. We finally found the perfect home, better than we imagined, and we are in escrow right now! I was confident with Linnette that when we made an offer, like the first time around, she would help us put our best foot foward. And again, we were not the only biders, but we were the winners! She really knows the Berkeley, Oakland, Walnut Creek area like the back of her hand, so I completely trust her judgment in value/good areas, ect. She will honestly say what the cons are on a particular property which is appreciated in this whole crazy process. I would recommend her services to anyone I know looking for property in the East Bay!
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Review from Laurie A.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2008
Linnette was incredibly helpful and generous with her time, showing us the lay of the land and educating us as we knew squat about the different Oakland neighborhoods. Plus, she is a person you actually DO want to spend the afternoon with...a real BONUS! She makes the homebuying process truly enjoyable and as stress free as it can be......in this market and all....I'd highly recommend Linnette to anyone I know looking for a home.
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Review from Sian H.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2010
Here are a few phrases that describe the circumstances of buying our first home: Foreclosure property. 2 month long escrow. Difficult lender. Soul-less asset manager. Zero willingness to negotiate...
If we had any other realtor, the deal would have fallen through at least 3 different times. Linnette was there every step of the harrowing process, basically holding our hands. With our price range, we were convinced we would be pretty low in terms of priority for any realtor, but Linnette spent massive amounts of time explaining the process and working to get us the best deal possible.
I would recommend Linnette to absolutely anyone, she truly goes above and beyond. -
Review from jonathan s.
Oakland, CA
4/10/2010
Linnette was amazing! It would take me an hour to write a review that would elucidate all of the helpful advice and great consultation that Linnette gave me and my wife. She helped us buy our first home and we couldn't be happier. I plan on using her for all future real estate matters!
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Review from Kourosh K.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2007
Linnette helped us sell our condo in Moraga in Oct. 2006. She was a rock star and a godsend. Our property had been on the market for months and my wife and I were starting to panic. Linnette, however, kept her cool, gave us excellent advice, consoled us when deals fell through and always kept a cheery, professional demeanor, even when we were not. I won't hesitate to use her again.
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Review from Sean R.
Oakland, CA
2/22/2011
When my wife and I embarked on our journey to home ownership, our first and smartest step was to bring Linnette on board as our realtor. Her reputation is sterling, she came to us highly recommended by trusted friends, and she blew us away with her professionalism, savvy, and presence from the instant we met her. As we began working together, it quickly became obvious that she is well known and highly regarded by her real estate colleagues, mortgage brokers, inspectors and contractors alike. She really understood what we were looking for in our first home, and showed us several well-chosen properties. Her assessments of the homes were knowledgable, direct, and spot-on. She brought her A-game for us every step of the way, and as another poster commented, once we were in contract on the home we wanted, she really kicked it into high gear, closed the deal, and secured a significant credit from the seller to boot. I could go on and on about how happy we are with the work Linnette did for us, but the other ratings and revews here say it all: Five stars, well earned. Thanks, Linnette!
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Review from S M.
Piedmont, CA
2/20/2010
Linnette recently helped us buy our home in Piedmont. She and her team, including Tammy Brown, Marketing Director/ Transactional Coordinator, wow'ed the sellers with a very professional presentation of our offer in a multiple bid situation. Linnette was knowledgeable and competent about every aspect of the inspection process and helped us negotiate substantial credits towards closing costs (due to unexpected discoveries during the inspection). Both Linnette and Tammy are easy to work with, efficient and clearly enjoy being in the real estate business. We loved working with this team !
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Review from Karen M.
Oakland, CA
9/11/2007
I bought my first home in Oakland with Linnette Edwards three years ago. As we prepared to write the offer, she asked me, "Do you want this house?" "Yes," I said. "Then this is what we need to do." She guided me through an efficient, painless process which, based on her expert knowledge of the market, netted me a new home within 24 hours - against multiple offers, some of which were higher than mine. A few weeks later, she did the same thing for a friend of mine - another first-time buyer.
Fast forward three years to the end of August, when I learned another friend of mine had submitted an offer on a home in the Oakland hills. He was anxious, naturally, and didn't know if his offer would be accepted. I asked him who he was working with. "Linnette Edwards," he answered, as though it had been a ridiculous question, something on the order of "Did you breathe today?" "Oh, in that case you'll get it," I told him, "You can stop worrying." Lo and behold, I was right.
Did I mention that with all three purchases, we each got the homes on which we'd submitted our very first offer? In short, if you want to buy a house, Linnette Edwards will get you that house. And though I'm not planning on selling my home in the very near future, I can't wait to work with Linnette again and watch her in action when the time comes. -
Review from Anne E.
Livermore, CA
9/15/2007
Buying a house can be a stressful experience; but with Linnette as our Realtor we felt in great, competent hands from the beginning. She is very knowledgeable in addition to have great connections; for instance she found us the best Home Inspector! Thanks to her skills and solid advise we were able to purchase the house in Livermore that we wanted - without headaches, hassle, or doubts. We trust Linnette and http://MyHousingGuide.com explicitly and would recommend her without hesitation!
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Review from stacey w.
Berkeley, CA
11/6/2007
My husband and I had a buying experience that was smooth as glass with Linnette Edwards. Put it this way, within the course of one week we found the perfect home, put in a bid and signed a contract. With a 21-day escrow we were in our new home in under a month from start to finish. Linnette is super-smart in her field, super-savvy on everything East Bay and an absolute delight to work with. Being first-time buyers, she held our hands through the whole process, answered our endless questions and educated us. With Linnette, we had a fantastic realtor - now we have a fantastic friend.
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Review from Kathleen B.
Alamo, CA
2/1/2011
With any other agent our deal would have been lost. Linnette Edwards performed beyond expectations to bring our home purchase to a close. She is knowledgeable, professional, principled, fair, and scrupulously detailed in her approach. This is our 10th purchase of a home, so our experience and judgement of Linnette's superior capabilities includes a lot of past comparisons with other agents. She is A-1.
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Review from Rob G.
Oakland, CA
12/13/2010
Linnette was an outstanding agent. I found her online, and she was so helpful in helping me buy my first home in Janurary 2009. She helped me put in offers on multiple places and was there when I finally closed on a great unit in Rockridge. A couple of months ago I ran into Linnette and told her my girlfriend and I had gotten engaged and were getting married in November. She found our registry on Amazon and sent us a very nice gift. Now that is customer service!
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Review from Debra H.
Alamo, CA
11/11/2010
Thank you Linnette and Tammy. We started out looking for a house, never thinking we would find the perfect one. They helped us find our house and when we thought it would not go through they worked behind the scenes to make sure the sellers knew we were interested. Their hard work made it possible for us to be our perfect house for us. Their help was invaluable. They guided us through the process with ease. I could not find a better team! Thank you!
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Review from Moe R.
Oakland, CA
9/10/2008
My husband and I bought our first house in Oakland with Linnette's help, and we couldn't be happier! At the beginning of the process we were left discouraged by other agents. We felt we didn't have enough money and that we would be forced to settle on something we weren't "in love" with. However, once we found Linnette everything started to look up. Linnette tirelessly found us listings to check out in our price range and in great neighborhoods. She was always very honest with us in her opinions of the places we were looking at. She was always available to answer questions and to go out and look at properties. Once we found the house we wanted, Linnette was awesome. She diligently reviewed all the disclosures and was a tenacious negotiator. She was able to hold our hands through the entire process and get us our dream home. I would HIGHLY recommend Linnette to any first time buyers or anyone looking for an agent who really knows her stuff and will go to every length possible for you to get into a property you can proudly and lovingly call home.
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Review from Kelly M.
Castro Valley, CA
9/19/2008
Over the last 5 years, Linnette has helped our family buy our first home, then sell it and buy our second, and, most recently, buy a vacation home. Through all of these major events (including the addition of two children), Linnette has been professional, skilled and honest. Her real estate savvy and business connections got us the best deals on our purchases and the most for our sale. As an agent, she responses quickly to inquiries and keeps her clients aware of progress and developments. She knows the market well, and knows how to get the most out of it. As a person, Linnette is relaxed, confident, and fun to work with (even when house buying and selling isn't very fun). I'd buy more houses if it meant I had a chance to spend more time with Linnette Edwards!
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Review from Traci M.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/15/2009
Linnette is the best realtor in the Bay Area, bar none. Whether it's a buyers' market or a sellers' market, she gets the job done like no other real estate agent I've met. I've used Linnette's services to buy a home in a very competitive sellers' market where there were 10+ other offers on the table. I've also sold two homes through Linnette, one in a good market and one in a very down market. She edges out all other real estate agents by being a highly effective marketer. As a listing agent, she's very cutting edge with her use of technology to attract buyers and market your property in a way that cinches and closes the deal quickly. Both homes were under contract in less than two weeks, even while other nearby homes languished on the market for months. I would never consider doing a real estate transaction with anyone other than Linnette representing me.
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Review from Bill H.
Oakland, CA
9/18/2007
I was referred to Linnette and http://MyHousingGuide.com by a friend. When I started my house hunt, I wasn't sure what I wanted, all I knew was a rough ballpark of what I could afford. I wasn't even sure that I was ready to buy. We spent a couple of hours going through the houses I had identified and a few more that Linnette had picked out based on what she thought I was looking for based on our initial phone conversation. At the end of exactly one day of looking I had found the house I wanted, at a price I could afford. Linnette immediately recognized the value in the property and knew that we would need to act quickly--a rather frightening prospect, considering I thought I was only window shopping. The numbers required some massaging, but Linnette helped me write an offer that I was comfortable with and one that was accepted over another offer for more money. Linnette referred me to an excellent mortgage broker and exactly one month after seeing the house I was signing loan papers. Oh yeah, this was during the worst of the recent mortgage industry crisis, with daily doom and gloom articles in the paper. For me the process was relatively pain free (not counting my frequent internal freak outs at the prospects of buying my first house). Linnette was patient and very willing to explain things and answered my many questions. I credit this to Linnette's extensive knowledge and her very hard work. I do not hesitate to refer anyone to her.
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Review from Heidi S.
Oakland, CA
7/30/2009
We can't say enough goods things about Linnette Edwards and her team at My Housing Guide. They made buying our first home a pleasant experience. We found her here on Yelp and could not have been happier with the level of service, experience, and professionalism. On top of all that Linnette and her team are friendly, helpful, and made us feel very comfortable. Linnette is a trustworthy advocate in what can be a complicated and an unpredictable process. As first time homebuyers we had tons of questions and uncertainties but Linnette was always available to answer a question or make an informed suggestion. We were VERY impressed with her offer preparation and submission skills. She knows how to impress sellers and be creative with offer terms. We look forward to knowing Linnette as a friend for years to come and wouldn't think about using another agent when the time comes for us to sale our home.
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Review from dreamer s.
Oakland, CA
4/9/2010
Should you pick Linnette Edwards to be your buying agent?
Yes! Definitely! If you are looking for something in the East Bay, and you are reasonably sure you are actually going to go through with the idea and buy something.
Why? She's terrific, and I wouldn't want her to waste her time with potential clients that aren't serious.
What was my experience?
I found Linnette on Yelp after a disappointing experience with other agents. When I met Linnette I was immediately struck with her fantastic organization skills, energy and positive attitude. I'd sent her a long rambling email about my requirements and she'd taken them all into account and arranged a schedule of properties to visit. She showed me all the MLS listings set out in order with a labelled overview map and route at the beginning. On the map she had marked all the areas that fit my criteria, and then showed me which areas were no-go, for various reasons. We set out. With good humor she filled me in on what I needed to know about the properties we visited, which covered the full range of what was available in the market.
After that I went to open houses on my own (mostly I scoured the printed Chronicle in a cafe on a Sunday morning and marked it up), or to ask her to look up the MLS details of properties I found on Redfin (iPhone application was great) or occasionally craigslist, or other properties for sale I found when driving around. She was great at pulling out the for-agents-only details and calling up the selling agents and finding out what the real story was of the sale history of each property, how many competing offers were in already, how fast the sellers were trying to move, and what they would care about in an offer.
I wrote offers often. Linnette was terrific at pulling together what was needed and making a compelling presentation to the selling agents. There was a lot of nuance here, tweaking the terms of the offer to appeal to the specific needs of the sellers, that I wouldn't have had the expertise or time to get right on my own. We put together offers on 7 or so properties over about 4 months. Whenever I was ready to say "go", Linnette moved fast. She turned out well-prepared quality documents when needed, and liaised with my mortgage broker (Tai Tu at Bank of America - highly recommended too) directly even while I was, for instance, at a concert in the evening. She used her Blackberry to great effect and at no time did an email or voicemail go unanswered for more than a few minutes. I think we always managed to move from "let's make an offer" to "the offer is in!" in less than a day. The selling agents liked her positive energy too and I think that helped. Sometimes she would find something out at the last minute and realize I could put in an offer lower than I had planned to. In those cases she would call me and we would adjust the figures downwards before presenting.
There were two properties that I was sufficiently serious about to go through inspections. One was a foreclosure and I needed all the help I could get to work with the bank's selling agent. The property was the sort of property that a buying agent says "keep away from this thing at all costs". But I really liked it. Having said her bit, Linnette then noted my eagerness and worked with me. We negotiated the price down from $490K list then to $465K and then once more (after we decided to refuse to sign the bank's horrible "addendum" and to proceed to inspections anyway) to a $365K accepted offer. What made it work was Linnette's team of inspectors and contractors and her willingness to work with my Google Spreadsheets to pull together information from their quotes, information from the city and county watershed teams and our own research to make a compelling case that the property was overpriced. Linnette rolled up her sleeves and helped edit the proposals online (so we could both see the evolving documents from our own locations) and make them more effective. And it worked.
Just before the bank came through with the acceptance of that offer, I found the dream house. We moved fast to get the right offer in, and she pulled out all the stops to ensure I had a strong chance to get the offer accepted. After it was, again her crack team of inspectors and contractors (really responsive, thorough, personable, well-informed experts) provided great insights as to what it would take to fix the safety and structure hazards at the property, and once more managed to get a price reduction from the offer price. I'm now working with one of her contractors to fix the plumbing in the house, now I'm happily installed there.
I work with a lot of highly-energetic, bright, people in my job, and I'm accustomed to getting things done quickly and easily using the best technology available. Linnette is top-notch and I would want to have her on my team any time I was embarking on this kind of assignment again. She added masses of value to my life and to this home purchase effort. -
Review from radar f.
Berkeley, CA
4/1/2009
I know what you're thinking: These reviews are rigged; no real estate agent can be this good. Well, it's all true. Linnette Edwards of MyHousingGuide is flat-out a great agent to work with. We found a neat home, but it needed a ton of renovation; fixer is a kind word for it. As first-timers with no contacts in the contractor/reno world, we relied on Linnette to line up a slew of inspections and contractor estimates so we would know what we were potentially getting into. We were always pleasantly surprised at the high-quality people she brought in for those inspections. She then worked with us to use the laundry list of inspection/renovation estimates to negotiate a sizable price reduction on the home even after we had already negotiated a purchase price that was lower than the seller's initial price. Yep, Linette twice helped us get a lower purchase price--even though it ultimately meant less $ in commission to her. Need I say more?
Okay, I will: she's fun to work with. Look, buying a home is a bit of a financial and emotional roller coaster. Having Linnette along for the ride made it immeasurably easier than we ever anticipated possible.
We don't plan on moving for a looong time, but when we do, we won't hestiate to ask Linnette to handle the sale. She's all good.
