Jason Cooper
Rogers Park
Around October 2009, my wife and I were two months into the arduous process of buying our first home. Our situation was representative of most: we were dealing with a fast-talking, obnoxious realtor, and attending showings that had 'strings attached' (to say the least). We faced an arcane web of short sales, foreclosures, and tough choices in a process we were unfamiliar with. When our dismal objective to become homeowners seemed to be beyond reprieve, we found the Dream Town website. It altered the course and steered us to Daniel Cruz. In a short time, I'm certain Daniel realized what he had gotten himself into: We were picky, uneducated buyers with a below average price limit and a long time horizon from prospect to purchase. We were prepared to make offers that were certain to be rejected or weed through homes that were insufficient. We knew that these factors extended our timeline beyond the tolerance of the average realtor. However, Daniel continued to work with us for several months, never losing his pleasant demeanor. Then in May, after six months of looking, two busted deals, and over two dozen showings, we purchased our first home. We love our new place and we owe it to Daniel. His patience with ambivalent, penny-pinching home buyers was coordinated by his eclectic ability as a realtor. He was conscious of our attitude at all times. Daniel was always willing to accommodate our schedules on short notice. In fact, he even used a video camera on some occasions when only one of us could make it to a showing or inspection. We never missed a beat! Other times (and at varying hours), he drove halfway across town, to have us sign paper work or take us to showings. It would take more than 'frills' to accomplish our goal though, and Daniel seemed to know it. He had an amazing knowledge of the home buying process including FHA loans, short sales, and negotiation tactics, which are so foreign to most. Beyond his own knowledge, he has a network of attorneys, brokers, and insurance professionals that he, as well as buyers, can rely on. This network was crucial to our home buying process. On the seldom occasions when Daniel could not answer a question, his team was ready with a quick and accurate response. But the answers Daniel and his team offered weren't nearly as beneficial as the results they offered. When we encountered unique problems Daniel was always ready to craft a unique solution. For example, we took several months finding our home, so naturally when we did find it, we got carried away with excitement and wanted to close quickly. Daniel and his team went the extra mile when they didn't have to. They executed a two week contract-to-close; something unheard of when coordinating developers, attorneys, lenders, and title insurance companies toward one goal. Beyond Daniels keen abilities, Dreamtown was also an extremely polished and professional organization to work with. The Dreamtown website had more homes to search and searching them was more intuitive than most sites. Without the Dreamtown website (supplemented by Daniel's expertise), I doubt we would have had the opportunities that the full market had to offer. Their focus on buyers needs bridged the gap between us and the opportune -but fortuitous- market. It was a seamless transition from renter to homeowner with the help of Daniel and Dreamtown. In the end, even without the website and professional network, I would adamantly recommend Daniel, not only to first time homebuyers, but to any homebuyers. Daniels ubiquitous knowledge as a realtor is incumbent upon his intrinsic work ethic. He was a great appointment, and has become an even better friend.
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