Testimonials from real estate clients and customers

Testimonials

	It's not what I say about myself that counts. It's what others have to say. If you're selling or buying, it would be my pleasure to provide you with the same great service and results!
		Sharon Gonwa came highly recommended by my mortgage broker who said of her, "Sharon is as honest as the day is long. She will never try to sell you anything you don't want." Sharon proved that much and more on the first day we met and continued to work hard for us throughout the buying process. She was always available for calls and to go looking at houses. She made it clear that she was on our side. Sharon was alert for potential problems with each house that we viewed, not only for our enjoyment of the house, but for potential resale issues. Things really kicked into high gear when, due to issues with my current landlord, it became necessary to find and close on a house ASAP if not sooner. We ended up finding the perfect house and closing in record time (under 30 days), largely thanks to Sharon's hard work. Additionally, my lawyer cancelled out at the last minute, so Sharon handled much of the negotiations while I frantically searched for a new lawyer. Overall, I was very surprised with how smoothly the buying process went. I am very grateful and would enthusiastically recommend Sharon's services. If you are looking for a house in the western suburbs, Sharon Gonwa is the woman you want in your corner. Dienne Anum, home buyer

		"I found Sharon Gonwa while surfing the internet for information about houses in the Chicagoland area. My husband and I had just had our first child and we needed a bigger home with a big lot for our big dog. At first I was a little wary of using a realtor who worked on her own -- I thought maybe we wouldn't get the same exposure or professional treatment as we might receive with a bigger company. But Sharon seemed so nice and so professional, and she was so responsive to my questions, I thought we'd give her a try. Boy, am I glad I did! I did a little research and I found out that Sharon employs her daughter, Pamela, who not only has clients of her own but who backs Sharon up when necessary, so there's always someone available to help. I also found out that Sharon won numerous awards at the large real estate brokerage firms where she worked over the years. She sold millions of dollars of real estate before going out on her own. So I apparently had the very best of the best working with me! I quickly learned one of the best parts of working with Sharon -- her internet savvy. Sharon let me do my own searching on-line through her connection to MLS, and replied quickly to my (frequent) emails asking for more information about different listings. Since I have a young baby at home, it was very helpful to me to look for homes on the internet rather than poring over the newspapers. Sharon's flexibility allowed me to virtually "tour" tons of houses, and helped me refine my needs, without taking a step out of the house. Her flexibility extended into the actual home-viewing process, too. The first time we went looking at houses together, Sharon was so organized -- she had everything printed out for me and arranged in a logical order. Even when I needed to take a break to feed the baby, she was happy to stand outside in the shade and wait for me to feed my son. Sharon was always flexible about when she could meet me, and was often available on short notice. She worked with my husband and me for over 5 months, and we saw about 50 houses together. She was unfailingly patient with us as we determined through the search process what our needs really were. Sharon is very honest. Sometimes I would see a house I thought would be right for me -- but Sharon was always on top of the little things (and sometimes big things) that I might have missed. One time she found a bowed-out area of a basement wall, which the sellers had hidden very well behind a bunch of boards. I know we probably would have found the problem during the inspection, but it was great that Sharon could notice something important like that and save us the heartache of going through the purchase process for a home that just wasn't right for us. When we saw the house that we did ultimately buy, Sharon was as excited as we were. Even so, Sharon drove a very hard bargain with our sellers, and got us a price that we recently found out was $4000 UNDER the estimated value of the house. She gave us excellent technical advice about how the different contracts and conditions would work. She went over each element very carefully with us to make sure we understood what we were signing. I felt there were no surprises with Sharon. She is incredibly knowledgeable and thorough. We were so happy with the buying process with Sharon, we decided to list our house with her too. We quickly found out that not only is Sharon a joy to work with, she gets RESULTS. Sharon listed our house just after Thanksgiving last year, and sold it before the first week of the new year was up. Even through the holidays she was dedicated and helpful. We got a great price for our home and were able to negotiate the terms to our satisfaction. Sharon followed up on every little detail of the purchase and selling process, and made sure my husband and I were totally prepared, in advance, every step of the way. She made it so easy and pleasant, I have recommended her to everyone I know. Hire this woman! She's amazing!" Erin O'Neil Doppke, Home Seller and Home Buyer

		"We had never moved before and really didn't know where to start. We called RE/MAX Partners and Sharon Gonwa came out to see us. We had read that you should always check out at least three real estate people before choosing one. When we sat down with Sharon we immediately had all the confidence in the world in her. We knew she was right for us. We signed with her that very first day. She jumped right in and did all the right things to get the house on the market - and sold! Her advice was perfect. We followed it to the letter and our house was sold in six weeks - and the market wasn't that strong. Sharon held our hands and kept reassuring us to keep smiling - and keep packing. She was just wonderful. Mr. & Mrs. Otto May, Home Seller

		"Sharon went beyond the call of duty to help us find the right home, then worked with the seller to close in less than a month, for our relocation from out of state. On short notice, Sharon dedicated herself to helping us find the right home. 65 houses later, we found it. She then helped us work through a challenging closing process. Sharon was diligent, patient, and helpful in her pursuit of the right home for us. Once we found it, her coordinating and negotiating skills were invaluable in bringing it to closure. She made it possible for us to close from out-of-state in less than a month. We know who we'll call when we're ready to sell." Mr. & Mrs. Houghton, Home Buyer and Home Seller

		We can't thank you enough for all your hard work helping us sell our two houses and find the perfect new one. Your professionalism, patience, and understanding helped make a difficult time for us a lot easier. You gave us excellent referrals for our home inspection, legal, and financial assistance, as well as doing the job of others who weren't so professional. Even after our closing, when your job was done, you went to the old house at night to check for items we misplaced! You go the extra mile and we will never forget or recommend anyone else! With many thanks, The Russler's. Home Sellers and Home Buyer

		"I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for the friendly and professional manner in which you serviced the recent sale of the home in Berwyn. I have purchased and sold numerous properties over the years and was particularly impressed with how you gave attention to EVERY detail of the process from initial listing to final closing. Since I live in Denver and the property sold was in Illinois, coordination and communication could have been a problem. However, your twice a week fax update with phone calls to discuss progress kept me well informed. I also appreciate the way you coordinated and attended the inspections and set up the necessary legal support for closing. Many of your services were "above and beyond" the traditional support expected from a realtor. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly you advertised the property and began showing it to both potential buyers as well as other realtors. The result was that we received a purchase contract agreement in 7 days at a fair price to all parties when current market conditions show that properties are contracted in an average of 60-70 days. Please feel free to have any potential clients contact me as a reference. Once again, thank you for making this a "hassle free" process. Mr. Fred Briggs, President & CEO of Communications Products and Services (303) 922-4519. Home Seller and Home Buyer

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