ZillowVERIFIEDSeveral months ago my wife and I began to explore the possibility of selling our Alta Heights home in Napa in considering an out of state move. We have several well qualified friends in the real estate business and struggled with deciding who to use if we were to sell. We decided that the sale was an important business decision and we began to research other realtors based solely on their reviews, reputation and presentation. Gisele Lampe from Caldwell Banker of the Valleys name seemed to repeatedly rise to the top of the list in those categories and we contacted her to set up a meeting. During that first meeting it was apparent that Gisele already had done research on our home, the Alta Heights area, comps and property records. We hadnt yet retained her as our realtor but she quickly identified a couple of errors which occurred at the city planning level in which our permitted home improvements were never signed off, although they had been completed. Throughout the process she demonstrated that she takes a proactive stance in representing her clients. We also noticed that during the tour of our home, she was keenly observant and utilized her years of design skills to evaluate our property, make suggestions, point out potential weaknesses. One of those suggestions was to conduct a pest inspection. While I knew it would be necessary if we were to go on the market, we had a pest inspection a few years prior and received a clean report so it didnt seem necessary if we were not set on selling. Gisele was tactful and confident in her approach and recommended a different pest inspector than the one who had cleared us before, assuring us that her recommendation was a very thorough and experienced professional. The pest inspection revealed damage which came at a significant cost to repair but was necessary whether we went on the market or not. We had taken a lot of pride in our home and both the news and cost were hard to take. The damage also required that we install a new bathroom which added to an already escalating cost. Gisele was supportive and reassuring and in her very special and intuitive way, she helped us to remain focused on our primary goals and to act accordingly. While the repairs were being made, Gisele introduced us to her whole team, including her husband Jerry, her associate Jamie Hurley and professional office assistant, Laura Brasil. We found each member of her team to be professional, friendly, dependable and realistic in their approach. They all helped us to navigate the repairs while we were away on vacation, meeting with the fumigation company, contractors and arranging to open and close the house in our absence. Gisele set a couple of parallel strategies for marketing our home and even encouraged us to wait or walk away from the sale if we were not comfortable. We never felt as though her primary motivation were her own self interests. My wife and I chose a strategy that most represented our own approach and we signed with Gisele. We felt her insights were logical, well thought out and considered our longer-term goals. Gisele and her teams efforts resulted in a very quick sale of our home, at a good and fair price, which all occurred during a time that interest rates were surging and others told us we were making a mistake because we had missed the positive market opportunities which were prevalent a few months prior. Gisele and her team were all sincere, authentic and professional. Gisele is a superb communicator, she is kind, compassionate, creative, direct and naturally intuitive. We also admired Gisele and her team for advocating on our behalf and operating with the upmost integrity, taking steps to make sure our interests were protected, while working cooperatively with the buyers agent and doing her best to ensure the buyer was satisfied. We are so pleased with Gisele and her team. We recommend her to others without reservation.
