Response from Angelica Martinez on 1/3/2025

Dear Steven, I’m truly sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve faced since purchasing your home. Helping my clients achieve their real estate goals is something I take great pride in, and it saddens me to hear that your experience hasn’t met your expectations. I want to address some of the concerns you’ve shared to provide clarity. I arranged for you and your family to see several properties over the course of about a month and a half. While I worked diligently to find homes that matched your needs, it was challenging to fully align your wish list with your budget. When we found your home, and it checked all of your boxes, you felt like it was the best fit for you and your family and I was under the impression you loved it. I worked to successfully negotiate $18,500 in seller credits for you, which were applied toward your closing costs to alleviate nearly all of the upfront financial costs to you and so that you and your family could purchase a home. Without this credit, it is my understanding that your goals of becoming a homeowner would not have been obtainable. Regarding the carpets, When I requested that the seller replace the carpets or credit you the amount to do so and they did not agree, I arranged to get you a quote and personally provided you with a credit from my own commission to cover the costs of the removal and replacement of the carpet with brand new vinyl flooring in the amount of $2,300.00. I did this out of good faith because I myself have been a first time buyer and could relate and understand your position. I love to help all of my clients obtain their goals of homeownership, but especially my military families. The credits, closing costs, and all aspects of the financing were explained in detail by the lender both before you submitted your offer and once it was accepted, along with escrow fees disclosed prior to your decision to move forward with the purchase. When it came time to sign your loan documents, I explained that while you had the option to cancel, doing so could lead to potential legal complications due to contractual obligations with the seller. My goal was to ensure you were fully informed about the implications of each decision. This is my job as your realtor and if I did not explain these important details, I would be doing you a disservice. As for the home inspection, I provided the option for you to hire your own inspector or use one of my recommendations. The inspector you chose was not a relative of mine, and I recommended them based on their credentials and prior performance. I’m truly sorry that some issues arose after your purchase—unfortunately, even newer homes can present unforeseen maintenance challenges. We unfortunately did have an issue with the seller after closing and I want to sincerely apologize again for the challenges you faced when they did not move out of the property as mutually agreed. As soon as I became aware of the issue, I immediately contacted the seller’s agent to address the situation and insisted that the sellers vacate the property promptly. When the agent was uncooperative, I escalated the matter to their broker and strongly advocated for a per diem payment of $300/day for the inconvenience caused to you. Unfortunately, the seller, their agent, and broker did not agree to this request and since there was no prior agreement, they were not legally obligated to comply at the time. Despite my best efforts, the sellers remained in the property for four days after closing. I personally went to the property, entered while the sellers were still there, and asked them to leave immediately. I also explained your options, including contacting authorities to assist in having the sellers vacate or hiring legal counsel to seek compensation from the seller's for the extra four days they occupied the property. Upon the seller vacating the property I also personally hired and arranged for your condo to be professionally cleaned. While I understand this did not take away from the headache of the seller's moving out later than expected, I hoped it would help alleviate some stress as I can relate to how challenging a move with kids can be. I regret the inconvenience this situation caused you and your family. Please know I was fully committed to advocating for you during this difficult time, and I remain available to assist with any further questions or concerns you may have. I wish we could have spoken sooner to address these concerns directly. Please know that I genuinely care about the well-being of my clients, and I’m disheartened to hear about the difficulties you’ve encountered. I hope things improve for you and your family, and I wish you all the best moving forward. Sincerely, Angelica