SPARA REALTY

Our experience with John Hanson is one I would not want to repeat. In a word, it was horrible from start to finish. John is arrogant, manipulative, vulgar and ethically challenged. He charges fees for services he does not perform, he attempts to manipulate closing dates and appraisers, he swears at his clients when he gets frustrated (I have the "F" bomb on my answering machine tape if anyone cares to hear it - I also have an email from John to my attorney that contains a few colorful "F" words as well). John Hanson bargained away our home warranty without our knowledge or consent. He ended up having to purchase one for us after he was caught. I finally discharged him and hired an attorney to close the property. John would contact my attorney for frivolous reasons out of spite in an attempt to increase my fees. The seller's realtor, Coldwell Banker, was horrified at his conduct and gave me a statement to use against him if I ever needed one. Agents like John Hanson are the reason there is a mortgage crisis today. There are too many cozy relationships in his world, that's for sure, and you'll end up paying more for your home if you let him lead the way. If you don't, you can be sure you will be treated rudely at best. My advice is to stay away, forget about the 50% rebate and find someone that is competent and cares about your well-being. Money isn't everything.

This was the best real estate transaction we've ever been involved in. Purchasing a new to-be-built home from a builder is not as easy as it looks. After you've invested the time and emotional energy in the site, house, and concept it's helpful to have someone looking out for your best interests. It's easy to fall prey to the excitement and lose track of details that would be unilaterally advantageous to the builder. Aimee's experience was invaluable to keep both us and the builder on the straight and narrow. Plus, the really good part is that since she is a "discount" broker, she splits the 2.7% commission a buyer's representative would normally take home with you. That put over $5K back in our pocket. The arrangement really makes sense and shines a not so favorable light on traditional "buyers brokers" who feel the need to pocket the entire amount. She was also a great resource at the closing where the builder is doing 5 a day and you're just "the next one".

John is the best Realtor that we ever dealt with. He's hard working and very patient. Besides being a great real estate agent, he gives back 50% of his commission to the buyer. One time he drove all the way to Minneapolis to show us a $40,000 fixer upper that we wanted to see. Most of the properties we've wanted to see were under $100,000. He doesn't mind. He seems to work just as hard on a $40,000 property as he does on a $200,000 property. He gives us his opinion on what he thinks about the properties he shows us. We've placed bids on a few, and he'll even let us know if he thinks we're bidding too high. He's a really great guy.