Testimonials

I met Ross at an open house he was hosting during an exploratory trip to Seattle. I had looked at quite a few houses that trip and was not ready to buy, but just wanted to get an idea of what the market was like. I was impressed by Ross's knowledge, candor, and lack of hard sell tactics, and knew at that point that I wanted to work with him when we were ready to move. I'm so glad I kept his card. Ross quickly learned what my wife and I liked and valued in houses, and found us appropriate listings. We wanted to see every house that seemed like a possible fit, and he was always happy to show us. He kept us feeling positive but was also realistic about the market, and cautioned us against settling for a house that didn't meet our needs. Most of the homes that fit our taste and budget were older, and many of them were in need of remodeling or more serious work. Ross's knowledge of remodeling and the underlying systems of houses -- foundation, electrical, plumbing, etc. -- was invaluable and gave us the confidence we needed to buy a house that wasn't already entirely fixed up. When we found the right house, it was during a fast-moving seller's market where most listings had multiple offers. Ross knows how to craft a strong offer and helped us put together a mortgage/escrow team that got our offer accepted and closed. We ended up with a nicer house and better location than we thought possible, and I am confident that it is Ross's skills that gave us the edge to make it happen. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone who wants to buy real estate in Seattle!

We really appreciate the hard work you put into getting us this home- you definitely went the extra mile (especially helping me schedule my hardwood floor contractors!) We are very pleased with our purchase. We will definitely be referring our friends to you when they look for a home.

Ross was great. He really went the extra mile for me and provided invaluable advice throughout the sales process.

Ross really is as good as it gets in Seattle's crazy real estate market. He helped us buy our home in Seattle 3.5 years ago, after a somewhat picky, several month long search. We loved our home, and continued to rely on Ross for his home renovating and resale expertise as well as his extensive list of local contacts to help do some projects around the house. When it came time to sell our home, despite several agent referrals from friends, we had no doubt we would ask Ross to help us again. In just a few short weeks, he was able to help us get the house on the market to take advantage of the spring selling season. He had a thorough list of ideas/easy fixes to get our home in top shape for showings, as well as a list of readily available contacts to do some painting and maintenance. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the market, he is also personable and compassionate, realizing how emotional selling a home can be and able to talk us through any concerns without ever pushing any agenda on us. When we put the house on the market, even this crazy market, we were still stunned and thrilled with the results. Our home received multiple offers well over what we expected and we know it was because of Ross's knowledge and assistance in getting our home to shine. Though we know he must be very busy, Ross always makes us feel as if we are his most important clients and has been readily available by phone or in person to answer questions, calm worries, or relay information. He excels at making the steps toward closing go as smoothly as possible for all parties and eliminating our stress as much as possible. We really can't recommend Ross enough, and we're looking forward to having Ross on our side once again as we purchase our next home!

Ross was great to work with. As first time homebuyers he expertly explained and taught us tons about the process, houses, and even provided some great tips for home improvement ideas. We feel truly lucky to have such an informative, thorough, and level-headed agent to work with throughout the process. Because of Ross, our homebuying process was way easier than we expected it to be. Thanks, Ross!

Ross is a wonderful, kind, and caring agent that really made our first home buying experience a great one. I really don't think my wife and I would have gotten the house we were after if it weren't for his experience and professionalism. Can't speak highly enough of him. Ross does an excellent job of guiding you through the process, making sure you understand everything, and finding the right house for you. He's the only agent we'll work with in the future for sure!

We love Ross! Excellent job!

Thank you for your hard work and attentiveness. We’ll continue to refer family and friends! Ross made us feel like we were the only clients he was working with!

Ross was extraordinary to work with! He definitely went the extra mile to make sure we were comfortable with the sale of our house. It all went smoothly and sold very quick. We would not hesitate to recommend his services. He took the stress out of a stressful situation and we'll be forever grateful! Thank you Ross!

Ross was our buyer agent as we looked for a beach home in the San Juans and Whidbey Island. When we found a place that we were interested in Ross was very prompt to research the property, provide background information, set up viewing times, research comparable properties, and find geotech engineers as needed. Even though we have been homeowners for over 30 years we were novices to the current purchasing process. Ross’s wealth of knowledge and attention to detail gave us full confidence as he led us through each step of the process making us feel more at ease, in fact, he made the whole process enjoyable. He was very thorough and prompt in his communication with us and with his team. We appreciated him sharing his vision on the potential of the property based on his own experience of home and property renovations. Knowledge, experience, integrity, hard work, and creativity are all strong characteristics of Ross. Ross is professional, personable, and makes a good impression when working with other agents/seller. We found that to make a crucial difference. We appreciated how Ross introduced himself and us to the neighbors. We were able to ask the neighbors about the property and found them to be a great source of valuable information. Ross is an excellent negotiator and knows when to push and when to back off. Ross’s knowledge of the market and negotiating skills allowed us to purchase our beach home at a significant savings. Ross’s great relationship with his capable team provided a smooth transition each step of the way, from inspections (he was present for all of our house/property inspections) to securing needed loans. He recommended an excellent mortgage broker who worked in concert with him to help us through the necessary steps in a timely manner. We were out of town during most of the process and with Ross’s help we were able to handle the majority of the paperwork on- line. This on-line access was very helpful to us. Ross treated us attentively as though we were his only clients and yet we knew we were one of many! If we are ever in the market to sell or purchase another place, there is no doubt in our minds that Ross would be the person we would call. We would not want to be represented by anyone else. It was truly a pleasure to work with Ross!

Living in Idaho, and selling a home in Seattle, with absolutely no free time, seemed to be a near impossible task. How could we get the house ready to sell, after 4 years of renters? When would we find time to move our things into storage? The yard is a mess, when are we possibly going to be there to clean up and make it presentable? How will we afford to do all this? One meeting with Ross and it all became clear and easy. Ross immediately laid out the plan for us. He would have the folks he works with come in and re finish the hardwoods, paint the inside of the house, fix and repair everything that needed fixing. He could arrange to have the yard cleaned up and new plants, etc., would make it look like new. If I arrange for a storage unit, Ross could even get the yard workers to move all of our stuff into storage and dispose of anything that was no longer usable. How could we afford all this? Ross set those fears to rest and guaranteed a price range we could afford. Not only would he arrange to have all the work needed to maximize the sell ability of our house, get us moved out and have the house staged for showing, but also would arrange for us to settle these expenses with the funds generated by the sale and closing of the house!! This all sounded great!! We set the date to list the house and we returned to Idaho to continue our life. 1 week before that date, while in Seattle on business, this being my first trip back since our original meeting with Ross, I had no idea where we were in the process. Much to my chagrin, Ross had followed through on every piece of the plan he set forth in our first meeting. He even showed up to help me move the final pieces of furniture out of the house for his guys to move to the storage shed I had arranged. As we did this, the stagers showed up and by the end of the day the house looked amazing and was ready to list. Best of all, after 5 days on the market, our house was sold for about $80,000 over the price we listed it for. Ross's prep work, professional approach and knowledge of the Seattle market, yielded a sale well above our expected selling price. With a few electronic signatures, the whole deal closed about 1 month after the day our renters moved out. We are already in contract and about to close on our dream home here in Sun Valley ID. I would recommend anyone selling, or buying a home, in the Seattle area, take advantage of this amazing resource!! Thank you Ross for making this process a pleasure!!

When I first contacted Lake & Co., it was because I wanted to get some advice from an agent, not necessarily to hire, but because I was having some issue with the agent I was working with at that time from another company. Ross Hartwich answered my call, and little did I know how lucky I was that he was available to chat with me that day. A few days later we met up, we talked about the problem I was having while he showed me a house per my request, and he gave me the best advice and support he could, even though he had no obligation to provide me any support at that time since we were not in a working relationship. After a few weeks, because of the encouragement I received from him, I was able to stand for my rights and resolve the problem I had with my former agent and his company, and received a full refund for the earnest money that I had lost due to a shortcoming by my former agent. At that point, contacted Ross again, and asked him to be my agent to find a home. I was on a time limit and really wanted to find a house before the end of summer, and after looking at a few houses with him I decided on making an offer on one of them with full support from Ross, who was so swift and responsible and right there for me every day that we were able to close the deal in a really short time, in about a couple of weeks. Because I reside on Whidby Island, Ross always made himself flexible to meet my ferry schedule and short availability; he kept in touch and constantly made sure everything was running smoothly, that nothing was falling through the cracks. He attending the home inspection and water/sewage pipe inspection even when I couldn’t be there. The transaction went well and even after I had signed the papers, Ross did not just disappear—he followed through to make sure the house was in good shape, offering to take the trash out when I was not here, adding padlocks to our gates to make sure our dogs don’t escape, he bought a water hose for the garden and watered our plants during the hot summer days; he even covered for the cost of getting a full inspection report rather than just being satisfied with brief pre-inspection notes so that I have all the information I need for managing the minor repairs and recommendations from the inspector. After the deal was closed, and when school started for us on the island, I got extremely busy and my availability to be in Seattle became less than expected, but even then Ross was always there for me, following up on things, giving me recommendations, making sure I was happy with the house and asking if there was anything else he could do. I didn’t have anything much to ask, as he had already done more than I would have imagined or expected from an agent. Ross is a sincere man; he works hard to help his clients not just because it’s his “job,” but also because he IS a nice mane with a caring heart. He knows what customer satisfaction means and what it takes to make that happen, and he will even go beyond that. I knew I c[ould] count on him and that I was in good hands. Last but not least, I want to express my very belated and biggest THANK YOU to Ross Hartwich, who transformed my stressful home-buying experience this summer into a wonderful, satisfying experience. It would not have been this easy if it wasn’t with his help. I wholeheartedly recommend Ross to anyone who is buying a house. He is a 5-star broker! I will be happy to share my experience with any potential Lake & Co. client in the future.

Thanks so much for all of your hard work. The late night calls, questions, and support didn't go unnoticed. We will be recommending you all over the place. Mario and I are over the moon about the new house and we know without you we might not be there now. We love you! Thanks again.

Thank you for making the process of selling my home relatively easy. I watched my neighbor sell his home and he didn't get nearly the support from his agent that I received from you. Even my architect friend was impressed by your professionalism and knowledge. Thanks so much.

I was referred to Rachel as my real estate agent from my brother, who is an agent in Phoenix, AZ. Overall I found Rachel to be incredibly helpful and genuine. She worked with me and my fiancé over a period of several months to find the right house. She also was incredibly flexible given my hectic schedule working in the US Army. She kept us informed on all matters regarding our house closing--which was rather stressful for me because I was deployed to Thailand. I would definitely use Rachel as my selling agent and refer others as well.

We really enjoyed having you on our team. After looking at houses with another realtor for over 6 months - we were pretty much not hopeful - but you made the whole process so great! You did everything that we needed you to do in a timely fashion and did it well. Your communication and availability were the things we can't compliment you enough on - whenever we had questions you were there. So thank you again! You are doing everything right and anyone would be lucky to have you working for them! :)

My family and I are in compete agreement - we would work with Rachel again in a heartbeat if we could. We were very sad to leave our much beloved home and neighbors, and Rachel was extremely sensitive to how difficult the decision was for us. She truly listened to our needs and showed up on Team Us over and over again, even long after we moved into what we now realize is the home that was meant for us all along. We were selling a house that we bought as a fixer upper but hadn't been able to complete all of the renovations we intended. Rachel's vision helped us see past our to-do lists and transformed our house into a real stunner when it came time to put it on the market. This vision also helped us see that our house really was meant for a different family, which made the tough choice to move a little easier. We were selling at a period when all the real estate new stories were discussing a cool down of the Seattle market, and we were a little concerned about how long the property would take to sell. But with Rachel's expertise, we prepared the home in exactly the right way and listed at exactly the right time to get us several offers with escalation clauses. The offer review meeting was a whirlwind, and Rachel was completely invested in our future every moment. She answered our questions in ways we could understand and helped us choose the offer that would make us happy. We found the best new owners for the house we loved, and new neighbors for friends we loved as well. When it came time to buy, Rachel was our fiercest ally and defender of the goals we came to her with on our first meeting. I am the kind of girl who falls in love with nearly every house. I saw the good in everything. Rachel was ever optimistic and pragmatic, though, pointing out problems I was keen to overlook because I just wanted to buy a house. I walked away from so many viewings with a heavy heart, wondering how long it would be until I got to call someplace home again. But Rachel often said "You can do better," and I knew she was right, even if it made me sad at the time. We walked away from one house after we couldn't come to an agreement with the seller after the inspection revealed issues that could have been very expensive to fix. Going through the process of an offer, an inspection, and a rescinding of the offer with Rachel made me appreciate her expertise so much. I knew she wanted us to be in the exact right place, even if it took awhile to find it. We finally did find our house, and we knew it from almost the moment we stepped through the door. With the work we had done before to put together our previous offer, Rachel was able to spring into action at lightning speed. Our offer was accepted the same day the house was listed, and Rachel was so excited to share with us the news. It's been a year since Rachel helped take us make this huge change in our lives, and I couldn't be happier. I have recommended her to all of my friends. I adored working with Rachel and if I ever have an opportunity to work with her again, I will jump at it. She is absolutely professional, but even moreso, she is utterly human. She sees your vision of the future and does everything she can do land you exactly where you're meant to. Rachel is the kind of agent who knows she's not just buying and selling homes; she's helping people live their very best lives. She takes her job seriously, and I can't thank her enough for it. PS, my daughter (9) says Rachel is "a great lady." So there's another vote of confidence.

We recently purchased our first home and Ross Hartwich was our broker. My husband, Tomas, works at Google in Fremont and I stay home with our 18 month old son. When we started the house search we were very overwhelmed. Especially after hearing hearing horror stories from friends about bidding wards starting on houses. Tomas wanted to be able to walk or bike to work, so the areas we could live in were a little limited. After meeting Ross, he sent me new properties to look at every day. We had a Queen Anne night, Wallingford night, etc. It really helped being able to see several houses in one neighborhood so that we could get a good feel for [it]. Prior to making an offer on our house in Phinney Ridge, Ross came over and let us spend some time so we could envision our life in the new house. Ross is dedicated, extremely responsive, and got us a great deal on a house.

Thank you so much for guiding us through this difficult market with wisdom and patience. You went above and beyond.

Appreciate all the help with the home buying process! We had some big fears going into this process and you made those go away. Totally will be sending our friends to you as they get ready to buy, too.

Many thanks Ross for making yourself as available as possible, researching our options [at the Seattle Department of Planning and Land Use], and helping us see it through!

Thank you for all your help! You went above and beyond for us.

Ross is one of the best realtors that I know. He is personable and engaging and professional and goes out of his way to understand my needs. I never get that salesman vibe and always enjoy working with him.

One day while getting in the car with Ross, (Ross is awesome and picks his clients up to tour homes) I noticed he had a bunch of tools in the back of his car. He was apologetic for the noise they were making. It wasn't bothering us at all and we later learned he was dropping them off with a former client who found a home and needed tools. This is one small example of the awesomeness of Ross. We are first time home buyers who barely scraped enough to buy a home in the madness of the Seattle market, and we needed a lot of guidance and strategy to help us navigate not only the first time home buying process, but the illogical nature an over saturated low inventory market. Ross had helped fellow friends and colleges which made the decision easier but after interviewing a few other realtors, we knew he was the one. Ross is the realtor you want on your side. Not only does he brings years of experience in the Seattle market, as a bonus he used to remodel homes in the Seattle area so he knows a lot of the pitfalls we needed to consider. Oil heat? Galvanized pipes? Years left on a roof? Foundation type? Electrical? Siding? Flooring? Heating? All things he can recognize and point out as a consideration for purchase. We could also give him a list of homes on a Monday and we were out looking at them on Tuesday. He also spent a few weekends taking us on tours and it didn't matter how far apart they were. He is also VERY patient. We had a lot of questions and no matter the time of day or frequency, his response was always prompt and well thought out. As a great realtor should, Ross helps to guide the purchase rather then inject his opinion. He looks at the whole picture and asks questions to help us understand how the different aspects of the home and purchase fit into our needs and budget. However he had no issues saying a house was solid or needed a lot of work to be comfortable. Ross is also committed to the sale. Based on our fist few offers, all losing to bids 10-30% over asking, or homes with multiple per-inspections/offers, we were becoming a bit discouraged on the entire process. Due to the constraints of our budget and down payment, we knew we needed to be creative and re - strategize on approach. When we finally stumbled into a house we had a chance at buying, knowing the competitive nature of this market, Ross jumped into action. He spent a Saturday with us scheduling (and un-scheduling) pre-inspections, communicating with the listing agent, guiding us on our offer, earnest money, contingencies, escalation, and making sure we had all the offer documents in place. When it looked like we were going be out bid, he continued to work with us until the later evening on Sunday, re-negotiating with the listing agent and sellers, gave us some solid advice, and our offer was accepted on Monday afternoon, even beating out a higher offer. Even after mutual acceptance he came to our workplace to pick up our earnest money check and hand delivered critical documents to the sellers escrow agent to make sure the process moved smoothly. I can't recommend Ross enough. We could have "tried" to save a few dollars by going through a service like Redfin but I can tell you we would have never had a chance in this market where a skilled and knowledgeable agent is required. Now I'm very excited to be on the receiving end of Ross's tool library for our new home needs.

We are very happy with our whole home buying experience! Thank you so much! You were a huge part of making this process so easy for us.

Excellent job, Ross! Really appreciate your help-- above and beyond the call of duty!

Ross made selling our townhome so easy for us. He was able to coordinate an army of subcontractors (paint, carpet, landscape, general repairs, staging, photography, and probably others) in very short window of time to get the house ready for the market. He was very responsive to all of our questions and comments and always carried a warm smile. Ross was also flexible with times meeting times to fit it into our busy schedules. We would certainly work with Ross again and will pass on our highest recommendations to our own friends and family.

Ross is a wonderful person. He listens to our needs, concerns, and requirements. We are the first time home buyer. Ross help out during the entire process and educate us a lot. He always pt our needs above everything and he does not settle with a "so so" house. He find us a house that fits all of our requirements. He let us control the whole process from making an offer to closing the house. Thank you!

My husband Ben and I recently completed the home buying process (for the first time) with Ross as our guide and broker, and we were quite satisfied with the service he provided us. His knowledge of the local real estate market, friendly personality and untiring willingness to work with us on our terms made him an invaluable asset during our house hunting experience. Ross's professional understanding of the real estate market in Seattle, along with his considerable experience living here made us feel at east with his suggestions and opinions provided whenever we requested them. Being first-time homebuyers, we were sometimes confused by unfamiliar terminology and the general bafflement that is buying a piece of property, and Ross was always glad to translate for us in plain English. There really wasn't ever a question that we asked him about the various properties we looked at and researched that he wasn't able to answer in a way that made sense to us. When we were just starting to look at listings and were sniffing out a broker to work with, we were impressed with Ross's friendly, non-aggressive personality. He didn't seem so much a salesman as simply a concerned friend who wanted to help us make the best and most informed decision possible about hour home. My husband and I use public transit, walk, or ride our bikes to and from work most of the time, which sometimes made it a challenge for us to get to open houses or viewings during the work week. However, Ross was always more than willing to pick us both up from work as well as transport us either back to the office or home after a real estate outing. We greatly appreciated his going to extra mile in this way (literally) to make the home hunting processes easier to fit into our busy day-to-day lives. His flexibility and understanding of our needs as customers truly set him apart from the competition. My husband and I had a great home buying experience with Ross.

Thank you again for all you helped us accomplish with our house sale!

We have nothing but positive things to say about Ross. Our home search in Seattle was mostly remote, as we were living out of state. From the very beginning Ross was considerate and cognizant of our time constraints and he was diligent to follow up with any question or concern that we raised. We began looking at home with another company, but they weren't able to find new construction, non-listed homes very easily. On our own we found a home that we were curious about and contacted the listing agent. That agent referred us to Ross who then was able to show us one that hadn't been listed. We had a very tight schedule as we were ending out week long search that afternoon and flying back to the previous state we lived in. The first home we saw with Ross, we put an offer in and it was accepted. Ross recognized that we were potentially "settling" on the home. He was concerned it didn't have everything we were looking for and he wanted to be certain it was the right fit for us. Ross took us to City Hall to find answers we had about property lines and additions. He worked closely to counsel us and we agreed that the home just wasn't right. while we thought this could impact our client/agent relationship, it turned around to really help build our relationship and solidify our true needs in a home. We continued to fly back to Seattle every week for a few days at a time and Ross would graciously assist with our pick up and drop offs at the airport. He even had us keep one of our cars at his home for a period of time before closing. Once we determined the next home for purchase, Ross made sure our offer was solid and it was accepted, blow list price! In this market that is not a common occurrence. Since we were still out of state, Ross coordinated to meet with the builder and all the other services that were needed. Once closing and possession took place, we saw a few items from the blue tape walk through that hadn't been completed. Ross worked with the builder to begin completion the following week. In addition to his kind personality, he also makes the process less anxiety filled because he is calm and well intended. Working on a major home purchase out of state is stressful. Ross worked towards making sure we were always updated with progress. Without pause we would highly recommend Ross, especially for relocation. His generosity and follow through shine again and again.

I am writing to provide my strongest endorsement of Ross Hartwich as a realtor. Ross excelled in all phases of the real estate process - from deep knowledge, which aided in the house hunt, to exceptional customer service and responsiveness, which was critical during the closing process, to his follow through in getting us fully settled in our new home. Bottom line - Ross was a dream broker who greatly exceeded all expectations. Ross has detailed knowledge of home renovation, which proved extremely useful in the house hunting process. The homes I looked at ranged from 20-100 years old, and their needs regarding updating and maintenance also fell along a wide spectrum. Without a background in this area myself, I really had little knowledge about the time, costs, and other challenges (e.g. permits) that go along with renovating or updating a house. For these scenarios and for houses that were already updated by the previous owner, Ross was able to give us sound advice regarding what we would be getting ourselves into. He provided candid feedback when asked, but never provided an unsolicited view regarding the aesthetics or other matters of personal taste in a house. In other words, he put the customer first, and drew on his background to help them make the best decision that was right for their needs. Ultimately, this helped us make our choice of home with greater confidence than we otherwise would have had. Once we found our house, Ross also proved to be an exceptional negotiator and excelled during the contract and closing process, where his responsiveness was second to none. Ross' counsel on our entering offer and negotiating strategy proved spot on: we got the house we wanted on our first try; we paid slightly less than we were expecting; and because Ross was able to move so fast and conduct personal outreach with the seller's agent, we avoided a bidding war. Throughout the contract and closing process, Ross was always reachable and was incredibly responsive. Even better, he often didn't wait for us to call. Instead, he anticipated questions and took the initiative to reach out, and walk us through our questions or the next steps in the process. He took a complicated process, made it simpler and easier, thereby taking the worry out of it for us. Ross understands that his role as an agent doesn't stop once the contract is accepted. Instead, he went the extra mile to ensure that we got moved in and settled as seamlessly as possible. For example, Ross used his network of vendors to help us arrange painting, carpeting, and moving services immediately following closing, but prior to us moving in. This ensured the moving process was both efficient and smooth. And, best of all, the house already felt like ours once we moved in. In addition, Ross did a number of small things that just made the move a little better; for example, he brought us over dinner the night of our move knowing that we wouldn't have all of our kitchen items unpacked. For big things or small, Ross is incredibly thoughtful. In sum, there is not any aspect of my experience with Ross where I was disappointed. I hope we stay in our home for a long time. But if we ever move, I will certainly use Ross again to sell my house. In the interim, I am already recommending him to as many people as I can.