Our Experience Buying Our First Home

Can you tell us how you first met Kim and about your initial experiences?

My friend Claire recommended Kim Kehoe as a realtor for us, as she had bought and sold several houses with her. Claire said she trusted her opinions and "sensibilities about things" as well as her 'no nonsence approach'. We made an appointment with Kim--she came to our place and we basically interviewed her. She was easy to talk to, obviously knew the market and our area of choice (west-end/roncesvalles) very well, and I think we knew right away that we could work well with her. We concurred with Claire's evaluation!

Can you tell us how you first met Kim and about your initial experiences?

My husband Mel and I both met with Kim and felt she would be a good realtor for us right away. She was easy to talk to, knew the market and the area we were looking in, had great experience and can recommended...she had a nice, bright energy about her to boot.

What was it like when you first started looking at properties with Kim? What were you most interested and how did Kim help you narrow down your choices?

We let Kim know which properties we wanted to see and she arranged to meet us there to show them almost immediately. I liked that Kim works fast, and doesn't hold up the process in anyway. She was extremely accomodating and pretty much always ready to go! Even for the early calls :) Kim helped us see the market in terms of exactly what you get for your money---where. I think she guided us very subtley into helping us determine and find a good house fit for us.

What was it like when you first started looking at properties with Kim? What were you most interested and how did Kim help you narrow down your choices?

Kim was ready and available to show us properties right away. We emailed or called once we saw listings that she sent and she set something up right away. Kim never had us waiting to see anything--she was very much on the ball. Once we started looking Kim gave us a better idea of the aspects of houses in our area that particularly influence price. She told us about the history of the pricing in the area and helped us understand where, and what kind of house we could expect for our money.

Once you found a home that you were interested in, how did you proceed and what aid did Kim provide?

Kim was always ready to make arrangements for us to see a property promptly. She knew we were eager and wanted to see as much as we could relatively quickly. We started to know what we wanted quicker as we went along and Kim did too. I did notice that Kim was intent on listening to us, to decifer our desires rather than imposing her opinion. She would go through the history of solds, the positive and negative factors and try to coach us some. She would offer suggestions about how things could be fixed or renovated, ballparked figures so that we could know the truer cost of something.

Tell us about how your negotiations went once you found a home you wanted. What assistance did Kim give you throughout this process?

Advice and support.Obviously, there was a negotiation process and Kim did a good job of keeping us focused and in the moment. As there was only two bidders, it was difficult to know what to bid.

How did everything go once you closed the deal? Also, how have you been enjoying your new home?

We have an extraordinarily long closing date so we will not be in our home until sometime between Dec 1 and Feb 28. Kim has provided at least the level of service she provided before the purchase, after the purchase, which we are quite pleased with.