Note: Reviews may include other agents on their team
What clients say about this agent....
Zuser20160129173449213
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThank God for these two! SeriouslyaEUR| Best realtors in LAaEUR| I say this because I was working with another realtor prior to meeting themaEUR| ??Jay and Gil are incredible! I'm beyond grateful for them! They made purchasing my first home SIMPLE and painless. ??????I own a business and have little to no timeaEUR| Let me tell you- buying a home with these two will make it easy. Yessss- it was easy!!! Especially with Docusign etc ? They are extremely thorough! Whether it be text reminders- incredibly detailed emails- not some macro. They also provided me with a wonderful mortgage broker- Lindy! They actually care about their clients ??In a nutshell- I decided to go to a few open houses with my mother and just see what was out there - without representation. (As mentioned prior I wasnt too happy with my original realtor) I saw the house and thought it was perfectaEUR| I wanted to make sure that this was the home for me- He let me come back 3 times to look at it. He also showed me one other property I was interested in before I made my decision. AND I decided to go with the West Hollywood / Melrose house!!! I LOVE IT!!! I was a first time homebuyer in an incredible neighborhood- during the pandemic. I'm so blessed and couldnt have done it without them. Jay was my realtor and Gil represented the Seller. It was meant to be! I'm telling you- I cannot say enough good things about the two- especially Jay because he helped me. He is extremely knowledgeable, funny, and to quote him- aEURoethe best looking realtor in townaEUR? haha Jay- youre welcome ?? You two are a power couple ? If/when I look for my second home- you can be sure I will be working with them - you should too ??Happy house hunting everyone ??
Brian S.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay and Gil are two of the best in the business. I met them on a whim looking at another house in the area and brought them into a house I wanted to put an offer on. Jay was exceptional at being patient in the process with an extremely difficult seller and I can honestly say had my personal interest as his true north. Can't thank Jay enough for his patients & resourcefulness in the process. Highly recommended.
Julienfitzgerald1985
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay and Gil have done it again! We gave them quite a challenge! Sell our place in record time, make us the triple-digit-profit promised, win a 10 person bidding war with a contingent-financed offer, and then re-negotiate after inspections to get us 100K off the final price. We are mind blown! Not only did they do it all... they made it easy, and got us more than we asked! Their marketing is top notch! They thrive under stress and make it a point to take on the stress of all of it for you. They are excellent at communication (day and night)! They never seemed bothered by complex and simple questions. They are truly invested. They fight for you. It is very clear they are the best!
Blacklodgefilm
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDWorking with Jay and Gil to list and sell my 5 bedroom home was an incredibly positive experience. They were very efficient, communicated thoroughly throughout the process, and were essential in closing escrow. I have worked with a number of realtors in the past but Jay and Gil are definitely some of the best in the business. I would highly recommend working with them for anyone seriously considering real estate options in the Los Angeles area.
Danielgpiano
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI recently sold my condo in Santa Monica with the help of Jay Martinez and Gilbert Dirige at Compass Realty.Jay and Gilbert developed a superb marketing strategy to make sure everything would go smoothly for the launch. Effectively using their social media, networking and marketing skills, I was encouraged we would see a speedy sale. Then, Covid 19 hit, and lockdown followed. Jay and Gilbert revised their strategy to encourage interested brokers and clients to review the compelling visuals they posted on a website designed just for my condo.They persisted and made sure I was updated daily refusing to give in to what many were saying was the worst time to sell a home. They just wouldnt give up, and that determination paid off with an offer. All details from inspection to escrow close was handled expertly while still in lockdown. Jay and Gill delivery enthusiasm, integrity, and hard work for all their clients. Ive used them before, and I would use them again and can recommend them without reservation to anyone who needs to sell a property. They definitely stand out from the crowded real estate community and have worked hard to achieve the success they enjoy now.
Melinaleyco
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay and Gil truly helped make our dreams come true after being our agents on both the selling and buying side. They gathered multiple offers for us for our condo in Toluca Lake, and we were in escrow very quickly (we got a cash offer after the very first public open house and within 4 hours of it!). During escrow, they were able to work through some unique challenges that arose, and we were impressed by how calm and professional they remained throughout - this helped us remain calm and sane as well! We really needed all of this to happen successfully in order to buy our first home.On the buying side, we were so impressed by their dedication to showing us listings every week and sometimes, several days in a given week. Once we found our dream home, they were able to stop the seller from waiting for other offers after a large price reduction and taking our offer within 24 hours. Just as impressive, they were also able to negotiate a substantial 40K for repairs even after this large list price reduction. And finally, when we were on the verge of backing out mainly due to inexperience of buying a home and getting cold feet, Jay and Gil did the impossible, which was to talk us out of it by presenting compelling facts and appealing to our emotions toward our dream home - and boy are we forever grateful for this!
Staceyapatterson
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI cannot compliment Jay Martinez enough, as our purchasing agent! Not only did we never meet in person (long cute story) but Jay never hesitated to trust in me, which allowed me to trust in him. Jay went beyond..."above and beyond" to find and represent us on our new 2nd home purchase, which we are in love with. Jay is the consummate professional whose is passionate, polished, bright, strategic and dedicated....he is such a pleasure to work with. Not only is he the nicest agent but he is an extremely charming man.I have found "my agent for life" and I am honored to also call him a dear friend!-Stacey Patterson
Gerald K.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI used this team to purchase a home in Palm Springs recently. Not only did they bring the talent, brains, negotiating skills, divisive decision making abilities, but also kicka$$ communication between the sellers agents and myself.
Tang5168
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDMy first purchasing of a property at LA is finally closed. Looking back, I am deeply appreciated with the help from Mr. Gilbert Dirige of Jay Martinez and The JM Team. Here is my story. I was from another state and knew nobody at LA. I started searching at Zillow on my own as the starting point. By chance I found a property that I was interested in and Mr. Gilbert Dirige represented as sale agent. I sent email to him. He quickly called back and left the message. By listening to his voice and tone he speaks, I felt some kind of trust as his message sounded very clear and calm with steady rhythms. I decided to go with him and made a phone call to him. Not surprisingly, he knew that property well and provided through introduction to that property to me. Further he asked me questions about whats my need and whats my budget etc. The good starting impression made me decide to choose him as my buying agent.I discussed this property with my family. I was surprised with the different opinion from the family member. I had to cancel the planned trip to LA and decided to look at more other choices. I informed the cancelation to Gilbert (He prefers to be called his first name) with a sense of guilty feeling. He seemed to be fully understood with his past experiences. He then patiently texted me aEURoeCan I provide any help to you for any other potential properties?aEUR? Of course, I said yes as I did need an agent to help me anyway. The following process is just as usual as you had a local agent. He provided the update list for the potential buy based on the update of the market, his understanding on my need and budget, his unique insight on the potential growth of the property. Back and forth, we eventually worked out the show list and I bought the airplane ticket for a weekend on site visitation. The next is the experience on show days. I cannot say enough how lucky I chose Gilbert as my buying agent. He appeared very professional from what he dressed and what he drove at the first moment we met in the front door of my hotel. He was very punctual and even gave me an early alert prior to his arrival so that I had to make myself ready on time. Clearly, he was very polite, respectful, and also with a sense of humor that made the journey interesting and delighted. For each property we visited, he gave his frank opinion based on his many years professional experiences and based on whats my need after listening to my opinion. He helped to lock down the top three choices for me and my family to think over after first days visit. With his professional experiences, I can tell he almost knew whats the best choice for me at the very beginning. But he never simply said aEURoetrust meaEUR? and aEURoethis is itaEUR? as he understood the anxiety that customer, especially like a customer from other state, could have. Thats the reason he patiently showed me all the properties on the list and the property I added overnight for second days showing. No doubt, the properties on the second showing were least favorable. But the important thing is I earned the confidence by knowing that I got whats the best at that time. After knocking down whats on the top list, he again provided excellent consultation regarding the offering price based on my specific situation. His opinion is honest, 100% based on my best interest. With his advice, we sealed the deal quickly in couple of days!The benefit for choosing him as buying agent didnt stop here. He understood what I need further regarding the property. He recommended good insurance agent, home inspector, and even the contractor that can help fix some small issues in the home. Understandably, the whole process was not easy for anybody, especially for me as an anxious buyer from outside of the California. I have to say my anxiety could pike up here and there in the process. The good thing was it only lasted for very short time. The reason was Gilbert seemed able to feel your anxiety and quickly made the appropriate responses to answer my questions, doubtfulness just in point as soon as possible. Then I was anxiety free! Put all together, I strongly recommend Mr. Gilbert Dirige for everyone, especially for those people like me from outside of the California, who wants to own a property in LA. He is absolutely reliable and trustworthy. Hank Tang
Isabelle D.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThese guys were amazing! I've bought and sold homes in different states in the US and Jay and Gilbert blew me away. I spoke to a few realtors over the several months prior to listing my triplex and the big difference was that The JM Team were the only realtors that came up with a strategic and clear launch plan that I was confident would lead to success AND put it in action right away ( not weeks, but days!). They were a true solution to my worries about how to prepare the home (they have a powerful contact list of contractors from maids to painters to roofers to you name it) to get my number! On top of that, they presented me with the most thorough value analysis I have seen calculating precisely our strategic launch price point. These guys do their homework, jump in action, prepared my home beautifully, and create a winning listing launch. Multiple offers almost 100K over asking, in just 1.5 weeks, incredible!
Schwa404
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI've worked with the team, in whole or part, on a few transactions now and have found them to be excellent. Proactive, conscientious, knowledgeable, accessible and helpful.
Judithalpertnewman
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThis is the first time I sold a houseaEUR"ever! I met Jay Martinez through my daughters acquaintance with him. My decision to select him as my representative in the sale of the house was based on trust, experience, and past performance. It was very important to me that Jay; aEURoe of the JM TeamaEUR? recognized my needs as a novice seller. He was willing to thoroughly assist me in this complicated and consequential enterprise. He guided me, patiently and respectfully, step by step, to understand the issues involved in the required documents. His personal deliveries to my home, at my convenience were especially welcome. I came to count on Jay as aEURoe a man of his wordaEUR?, when, as an example; he guaranteed to get back to me with answers to my frequent questions and concerns. He did just that without fail, always with a prompt and informed reply. He is consistently professional as he carries out all aspects of his job. I believe we achieved a mutually respectful and satisfying outcome with the recent sale of this beautiful house at 1801 Nichols Canyon Road, Los Angeles. When asked by family and friends if I would refer the JM Team at John Aaroe, West Hollywood, I always tell them aEURoeYesaEUR? indeed, Jay Martinez and Gilbert Direge, the JM Team, is my #1 Go to Team
Pradeepb222
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay and Gilbert are the best!!We have sold several houses over the last 40-45 years and rarely have we come across a team as pleasant, skilled and professional as Jay and Gilbert. They were forthright and responsive from the first time we met...giving clear insight into market conditions so that we could come up with a fair price. And we loved the timeline they provided right from the start.The marketing was everything we hoped for... from staging to photography to getting the information out into the media. Open houses and follow up showings were carried out smoothly.Offers were presented immediately and counters and counter-counters were discussed with valuable input all the way till we closed the deal.Jay and Gilbert ..Thank you for a job well done!!
HomeSellerJoy
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDMy neighbor recommended Jay Martinez for my home sales. Jay is the best agent I have ever worked with! He and his JM Team partner Gilbert Dirige came to my home and gave me a comprehensive market analysis and offered a great sales strategy. In addition, they helped staging my backyard by adding their nice patio furnitures and creating the charming ambience with tasteful touches and enhancement. During the open houses, private showings to buyers, negotiations for the offer and inspections, Jay was the most detailed oriented, competent and reliable. He took care of every matter at each step with extraordinary supports and actions. He closed the sales of my home over the asking price. I highly recommend Jay and his team!! 5+ stars!!
Chris90046
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI'd been contemplating putting my house on the market for 2 years...A couple words to describe Gilbert and Jay: patient, persistent, understanding, firm negotiators, aggressive, professional. Jay helped me strategize the sale of my home over these 2 years and gave me time to get fully ready to sell, and be sure I was making the right decision. The JM Team advised me on the minimum things that needed to be done to my home to make sure we launched superbly on the market. Once the home was painted, slightly re-staged, and landscaping ready, Gilbert and Jay executed a flawless launch on the market. The forward thinking marketing these guys do pre-market and at launch is fantastic! Jay negotiated a record high offer. On Day 2 we were at $86,000 over asking or $150/SqFt over comparables. We ended up with a sale at a whopping $900 per SqFt. It doesnt stop there either; The JM Team made kept the escrow process very smooth and protected my interests all the way through closing day. They maintained firmness during the next negotiating stage of inspections and request for repairs by buyer. And even though there may have been room to award credits, The JM Team convinced the buyer to withdraw his request for credits and my net remained untouched. This team will protect your equity once they secure an offer like no other will. I highly recommend the JM Team to sell your home!!
Drrobwellness
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay and Gil sold a house in my neighborhood for a great price so I asked them to sell my home. A couple of weeks later I met with Jay and his partner Gil who are both extremely professional and very knowledgeable. I was amazed at how easy they made the whole process. . They are true experts of the West Hollywood market!
Doctorcarolkelly
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay Martinez and the JM team were consistently attentive and available to respond to my questions and concerns. They were excellent at surmounting all obstacles that came in the way such as physical inspections, delayed loan approval, delayed property appraisal, and more. Mr Martinez was always optimistic and said "Don't worry I have never had an escrow that fell through". I had other residents of our condo association tell me that they were so pleased with the way Jay and his team held open houses. He always made sure that the building was secure during showings of my condo unlike other other real estate agents showing other condos in the building in the past. . As far as negotiations are concerned Mr. Martinez is a deal maker not a deal breaker. Go ahead!!! I dare you!!. Sign a listing and go to Europe and expect that your property will be sold after multiple setbacks--all handled admirably by a great negotiator. Jay Martinez and the JM team have really taken the pain and stress away from the ordeal of selling a property. I know a lot of agents but he is the one!!! Will definitely refer friends to Jay Martinez and the JM team in the future.
Plance5
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI have worked with many real estate agents through the years, and many of them were very good, but Jay Martinez was probably the best of all. I always felt that he put my interests above his own, he was always available within minutes of when I needed to talk to him, he gave excellent, wise advice, and was skilled negotiator. I have nothing but good things to say about him.
Booker369
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI'm speechless! When I first met Jay and Amanda, we sat and they told me that they had connections and they could sell my house fast with no issues. In my head I was like "no way!". Boy way I wrong! Not only did they sell it fast but I got offers before I even did an open house! Just amazing!J. Booker
Ray J.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDDuncan Corey, Jay Martinez, and the JM Team recently assisted me with a new home purchase. They were incredibly helpful in guiding me through the process and relentless in finding a place that met everything on my wish list. Most importantly, they were consummate professionals and very kind to work with. I would recommend Duncan, Jay, and their entire team without reservation to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home.
Rayad J.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDDuncan Cory, Jay Martinez, and the JM Team recently assisted me with a new home purchase. They were incredibly helpful in guiding me through the process and relentless in finding a place that met everything on my wish list. Most importantly, they were consummate professionals and very kind to work with. I would recommend Duncan, Jay, and their entire team without reservation to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home.
Gorillafinance
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay, Duncan and the whole team were amazing. They met me all over the city at all hours to show me properties and help me through my first home purchase. My budget was probably much lower than the deals they are used to being involved with but they made me feel like a number one priority the whole time. Jay is super professional, on top of every detail, attentive, and was an absolute pleasure to work with. I recommend him to everyone. Even people who aren't planning on buying or selling anytime soon. Keep this guy in mind!
Adamtai007
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDGilbert and Jay are amazing to work with! They sold my first condo in West Hollywood at an astonishing 10% above market after multiple offers and is still the highest price/sq ft sold for a unit in that building since 2007. They are experts in strategizing and presenting your home to get its highest market price. They provided me all the information I need to properly make the right decision at the right time. What's even better is they found a great deal on my next condo which I am now reaping the rewards building equity on my new home which will prepare me to get my next dream home in the Hollywood Hills. They are my realtors and I definitely recommend them to anyone who are looking to sell or buy their home in the West Hollywood area. You will never have a harder working team on your side.
Adam P.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDGilbert and Jay are amazing to work with! They sold my first condo in West Hollywood at an astonishing 10% above market after multiple offers and is still the highest price/sq ft sold for a unit in that building since 2007. They are experts in strategizing and presenting your home to get its highest market price. They provided me all the information I need to properly make the right decision at the right time. What's even better is they found a great deal on my next condo which I am now reaping the rewards building equity on my new home which will prepare me to get my next dream home in the Hollywood Hills. They are my realtors and I definitely recommend them to anyone who are looking to sell or buy their home in the West Hollywood area. They are the hardest working team that I know.
User1666183
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDAs it is for most people, we took the process of selling our home extremely seriously. But its always a little nerve-wracking to go into this process because the average person never knows nearly enough to feel confident going into this process...it can feel overwhelming especially in an unpredictable market. So we interviewed several agents before deciding who we wanted to work with. We had thought we made my decision until we met Jay and Gilbert at another open house. Immediately, it was clear they had a great energy and were extremely knowledgable. But what was most impressive was they clearly seemed like they wanted to help, but without being pushy. It really seemed like they had great experience not only about our neighborhood and surrounding areas, but about the whole process in general.When we sat down with them and reviewed our goals and plans, as much as we really liked what they were saying, we were slightly skeptical about the amount they thought they could sell our house for since it was significantly greater than the other realtors were suggesting. They patiently and clearly explained their sales process which was extremely thorough and described a very specific and tactical marketing and sales plan unlike any other plan I had heard. During this discussion they said they intended to get multiple early offers prior to the public open house. They also said that although the listing price they recommended was pretty high to begin with, they anticipated that we would close higher than the listing price. This all sounded pretty ambitious to me, but again they exuded such confidence that I was completely enrolled in their plan.Through the weeks of the process, they were extremely organized and communicative, providing calendars and schedules and ensured that we could go about our daily routines without being inconvenienced during the open houses and walk-throughs. The factor that is most striking to us is that literally everything they said that would happen, did happen. We had multiple offers ABOVE our asking price BEFORE the public open house. Jay and Gilbert managed the negotiation process so expertly and we ended up closing the sale of our home 5% over our listing price and 40% higher than we bought it for 5 years ago. This perfectly executed tactical plan could only have been achieved by professionals who have truly mastered their work. We am currently working with Jay and Gilbert on the purchase of our new home and we would highly recommend them to anyone interested in selling our buying their home.Update: April 29, 2015After the very successful sale of our home, Jay Martinez & The JM Team helped us find our new dream home. Very consistent to the experience we had in the sale process, they were extremely patient and went to great extent to understand what we were looking for. When we finally found a home to make an offer on, Jay was extremely tactical and professional during the negotiation process and enabled us to become the winning bidder on the property we wanted, and they handled each stage of the usually grueling escrow process with great attention which mad the experience much easier and less stressful than I have experienced in the past. We are excited to be moving into our new dream home next week.
Ebenkostbar
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDAs a first time buyer you get really nervous through the entire home buying experience. Jay and his team made me feel comfortable and walked me through the entire process. The best part is I got an amazing place and for a great deal!
Eben K.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDAs a first time homebuyer you get nervous at every turn but Jay and his team walked me through and made me feel comfortable the entire time. The best part is I get an amazing place and for a great deal! I couldn't be happier!
Clyde W.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI currently live in England and after a vacation in LA I decided that I wanted to buy an investment property in the West Hollywood area. I found Jay on Facebook and sent him a message to which he promptly responded with all the information I needed. A couple of weeks later I met with Jay and his partner Gil who are both extremely professional and very knowledgeable. Within another couple of weeks I had made a purchase which was negotiated 10% below asking price. I was amazed at how easy they made the whole process. Subsequently I turned to Jay and Gil to find a tenant for me, which they did with their usual speed and efficiency. I have recently decided to purchase another investment property and have once again turned to Jay and Gil for their help. They are true experts of the West Hollywood market!
Clydewaterhouse
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDI currently live in England and after a vacation in LA I decided that I wanted to buy an investment property in the West Hollywood area. I found Jay on Facebook and sent him a message to which he promptly responded with all the information I needed. A couple of weeks later I met with Jay and his partner Gil who are both extremely professional and very knowledgeable. Within another couple of weeks I had made a purchase which was negotiated 10% below asking price. I was amazed at how easy they made the whole process. Subsequently I turned to Jay and Gil to find a tenant for me, which they did with their usual speed and efficiency. I have recently decided to purchase another investment property and have once again turned to Jay and Gil for their help. They are true experts of the West Hollywood market!
Cariya
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThe JM Team was just wonderful from beginning to end! If you ever need any true real estate expertise and a real powerhouse in your corner - Jay and Gilles are your guys! They have been there for us from beginning to end, responsive to a degree that went way beyond any call of duty (we were buying when we living overseas and we received responses to our questions at 2 am in the morning their time!). They are professional, courteous and just amazing to work with! A true pleasure with all the knowledge, local insights, support and assistance one can wish for. I couldn't think of anything they could have done better! I highly recommend their services and am confident that it would be hard to find anyone better! Thank you, guys!
AJay
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDJay Martinez & his team, came to us with a detailed proposal and roadmap to selling our townhome quickly and for an excellent price point. Once executed, their plan was executed and within days we had multiple offers all over asking price. With quick negotiation between buyer and seller, we had a price locked in and a sale imminent. Escrow was quick and closing a breeze mostly thanks to the electronic "docusign" site that accelerated the process and streamlined the transaction. Two thumbs up!
Johnny Y.
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThey are professional agents and reliable. I am a Hong Kong Chinese and it was the first time of buying a property in LA/USA. I bought a right and satisfy unit in LA with Jay and Gilbert's work.
User67000
Review for Member: Gilles (Jay) Martinez
ZillowVERIFIEDThere are two words that come to mind when thinking of our home buying experience with Jay Martinez and his team..."happy" and "trustworthy".First off, I come from a family of of Real Estate Agents/Investors...so one would think when the time came to buying a home I'd have someone in mind, right? Not so much...see although my family is great and successful in their Real Estate careers, I did not use them...why you ask? Two reasons, 1. they are not familiar with the Los Angeles area and 2. it's ALWAYS best not to mix business with family, I think especially when it comes to Real Estate...there is far too much information that is exchanged during the process of buying a home, finances, credit, etc. I love my family and they are beyond trustworthy...however, we felt it was best to find an agent that we both did not know...we wanted to keep it mutual.In the beginning of our home shopping journey Basilio and I were 7 years into our dating relationship...we knew we were going to get married (eventually) but also knew the reality that if we bought a home, then there would be no BIG wedding...lets be honest...with this economy...it was one or the other...so we decided that buying a home was a far more better investment then spending tons of money on a wedding.Like most new home buyers...we went to the internet and searched online at the areas that best fit our needs (commute to work, budget, schools, neighborhood etc.). We drove around after work and on weekends...nothing peaked our interest until we found a home on Trulia...we drove by, loved the area and just sat in our car thinking "now what do we do?" lol...we still didn't have an agent...so we called my Dad, (Real Estate Investor) and he said, "Well call the number on the sign!" LOL.So we called, it was the Sunday of Labor Day weekend 2011...the phone rang and I thought "no one is going to answer, it's Labor Day weekend"...but sure enough Jay answered! We exchanged info and that Tuesday set a meeting in his office and the process started!Although I had some knowledge of Real Estate...you don't really know what goes on until you experience it! So many questions, so many steps, so many things to check off the list before you can even think about your dream home...Jay and Duncan were beyond helpful and patient! In our first meeting we placed an offer on the house we called about...however it was a short sell...they explain to us that with short sells it takes longer to find out from the bank if your offer was accepted and in this particular case, this house had several offers, higher then ours...we were a little bummed...but of course, our sprits were up because Jay and Duncan had complied a LIST of homes in and around the area we were looking for...homes that we did not even know were on the market...as they were not listed on Trulia and other websites. (This is why Agents are key in home searching).Long story short...we found a home within a couple weeks! It was the first time it was on the market in 50 years...it had no upgrades...but we loved it. It needed major work, but we saw the potential in the house. It was overpriced for what it was worth...I was so excited I was willing to pay that price! My boyfriend not so much :)....Jay and Duncan pulled the comps in the neighborhood and together we submitted an offer that we felt was reasonable...the sellers countered back with a different number, we went back with another offer...however this time, Jay recommended that we write a letter to the owner as to why we fell in love with her home,etc...a couple days later we got a call that our offer was accepted and we were in escrow!We were thrilled! The closing process was smooth...again, you have a list that needs to be checked off before you can even call your 'almost' house your home...Jay and Duncan guided us every step of the way...answering all questions we had and finding us the best and trustworthy inspectors out there...on Nov. 9th, 2011 we closed escrow and got our keys!We wanted to wait to start remodeling until after the holidays, so in January of 2012 we started with the bathroom...February 2012 we were engaged, and on May 4th 2012 we moved in and were married on the same day in our living room in front of our fireplace with 40 of our close family and friends and had a beautiful out door reception.Today we couldn't be happier...and we owe a huge part to Jay and Duncan...they found us a house we now call home.We recommend them 110%!!