Home Advantage Realty

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Prior to signing Jill as our realtor, I had been doing our home search and contacting the listing realtor to view the homes that piqued my interest. Met Jill for a showing of one of her agent's listing and almost instantly I knew that she was the one for us! Less than a month later we closed on our new home. Jill knew the exact fit for our family even when I didn't. Our family will definitely use her again in the future AND refer my friends to her! She made us feel like family---not just another client.

I just bought my first house and I came in to it very skeptical about the whole buyer's agent system. I thought that I could accomplish all the same things myself with some research and time on the internet. Completely wrong, in this case. We were referred to Jill with a strong recommendation by my wife's officemate who is something of an amateur real estate pro. Jill was very responsive, helpful, knowledgeable, immediate email responses night and day and even when she was traveling, etc. Just extremely professional and helpful in all the ways you want. And at the end, she gave us some tips on just how hard to press on the counter-offer that really paid off for us in negotiations. But the huge thing here was that she managed to know a little bit more about what we wanted even than we did. After our first round of looking, we found a house we basically wanted - we talked about it and decided it was right for us. Jill kind of politely nodded and listened and suggested maybe we could keep looking. After one more round of looking, a different house came on the market that was better in every possible way, and with a lower asking price. Every single thing we had told Jill we were looking for, but were prepared to compromise on for the first house we liked - it was present in the new one. She knew the market and the area well enough to be able to confidently indicate that we didn't have to compromise or wait very long, and she was dead on. Fast forward to today, we love our freakin' house and every time we go by that other one - with the front entry garage, the sloped lot, and the angry snarling pit bull next door - we feel great about our choice and very glad to have worked with Jill.

we From the very beginning Jill's professionalism captured my attention. She came prepared, on time and focused on my needs to sell my moms home. She had good ideas to share and suggestions that paid off. She kept me informed and educated on the process of selling a home. Even on her vacation she stayed connected to all the details. Her work was much appreciated and I would highly recommend her to my friends (oh yes I have already done that) !

From start to finish, this was the best experience buying a home we have ever had. Jill showed us properties in our target area and price range, gave us detailed information about each neighborhood, and took the time to make sure we would be comfortable in the area. She handled all of the details of our offer, which I am sure was made a tad more difficult since we live out of state. After we no longer needed the home for our personal use, Jill helped us find a top quality tenant. I cannot imagine ever using any other real estate company in South Carolina than Home Advantage Realty.

Jill's name was provided to us from a friend we have known for many years. The friend used her as a buyer's agent to help locate and ultimately purchase his home in Shandon. My husband and I laughed at the time because we thought if Jill could sustain our friend's long house hunt.....that she would think working with us was a piece of cake! Little did we know that our own house hunt would develop into an almost two year QUEST. We chose to place our house on the market in the spring of 2010. At the time we interviewed agents I was 5-months pregnant and our goal was to sell our 1400-sq foot house and purchase a larger 2800+ sq ft home. Since it had been a "buyer's market" for quite some time, we were worried that we would have trouble selling our home. When we interviewed Jill she was very open and honest about our property and what we could realistically expect moving forward. She assured us that if we priced our house appropriately it would sell, especially since it had charm and character. She shared comparable properties with us that recently sold so that we could establish a price that we were all comfortable with. She assured us that she would help us find a property that we would love and that she would try her best to ensure that the closings were very near each other for moving purposes. I loved that no house was too small for Jill. Our little "starter" home wasn't going to make her a huge commission, but she was happy to list it and represent us anyway. After we listed our home, it sold in less than a week! My husband and I were very excited but also anxious because we had not found our next home yet. Jill was there all the while reassuring us and taking us on excursions to see more houses. Things were seemingly good. Unfortunately during the buyer's inspection period, significant termite damage ($10k) was found under our property and had not been repaired according to code. We discovered some shady dealings with the person I bought the house from and the person who issued the clear termite letter. Unfortunately that was almost 8 years later when the statue of limitations on the enforcement period had expired. We attempted to negotiate with the buyer but to no avail. Since I was approaching my third trimester, we decided to remove our property from the market and list it again after the baby was born. During that unlisted period we made the necessary repairs to the crawl space while continuing to build equity in our home. When the buyer did not want to budge on the negotiated price after the termite discovery Jill did not try to convince us to sell anyway. She was supportive of our decision and actually wanted to know as much about my conversations with LLR (licensing board for contractors) and the Department of Pesticide Regulation (Clemson Extension-they regulate the termite treatment companies) as I was willing to share. She saw my experience as a learning experience for herself and her future clients. In the Spring of 2011 we placed our house on the market again and again it quickly sold. It took right at a week the second time. I really can not tell you how much of a relief that was since keeping a house with an infant pristinely clean is a tall order. It was nice not to have to straighten up every single day for months on end to impress potential buyers. This time around everything went very smoothly with our home inspections and the closing. Everything was in order and my time at the closing attorney's office was minimal. My husband and I learned a lot about ourselves during our home search. We did not find a house to move into before we sold our home but that was no fault of Jill's. Every time I called her she was available to show us houses. She even showed us houses that she told us afterward she knew we wouldn't like (but she knew we needed to see them in person to eliminate them from our list). I guess after spending that much time with us she got a good idea of what we were looking for too! On the couple of times that she was not available, she made arrangements for her assistant to meet us. I really don't know where she finds the time to be available for everyone but she is always responsive via email, texting, or personal phone calls. I am happy to report that we are closing on a house in two days! I didn't keep count but my husband did....over a two-year period Jill showed us almost 70 homes. We never felt pressured to make a decision and if she ever grew tired of showing us house after house...she never let us know about it. That is dedication and perseverance, my friends. Jill is the buyer's agent but also the seller's agent for this home. I would not trust many realtors with this task but Jill of course has been extremely professional and helpful throughout the entire process. After our last experience with termite damage she was understanding of our desire and need to be present for all aspects of the home inspection process (my husband literally followed the home inspector around and went everywhere that he did). As a practice, Jill is always present for the inspections too. She was not resentful of the fact that our earnest desire to become educated about the home meant she would spend an entire day on inspections with us. She has been more patient than I could have hoped for and has become a friend during our home buying experience. She has served as a sound board to our many questions and ideas and has shared personal references with us. I strongly encourage you to use Jill Moylan as your agent....she is the best in Columbia!!!

Many properties in our neighborhood at the time we decided to list had been sitting on the market for months. We had heard wonderful things about Jill, and they were true: she got our house sold within a week of listing it, and at a price better than that recommended by other reputable realtors! She was immediately responsive when contacted, gave us excellent advice for effective, non-costly updates to our home to prepare it for sale, and was always efficient, smart, and honest. She guided us through what could have been a terribly stressful process with grace, professionalism, and unfailing good humor. We recommend her wholeheartedly--she is terrific!

It was a quick process for us, but everything went smoothly and Jill worked hard for us.

A job transfer in August 2008 brought me to Columbia. A new colleague suggested I contact Jill Moylan to begin the search for a house to buy. From the first contact, Jill was supremely responsive, professional, and helpful. She took the time to find out in detail what we wanted and set us up with a web-based search engine tailored to our needs and price range so we could begin sifting through available properties before we even hit town. She took us to dozens of houses and learned from each one what we liked and didn't like, refining the search all the way. When our vehicle broke down on one trip, she got us into her favorite local garage for immediate repairs and recommended a nearby hotel where we could walk to dinner. She never pressured us to go above our price range and was honest in her evaluation of a property's value, even if it meant steering us away from something that initially seemed attractive. It took a few months to find just the right thing, but we did. At the closing, her paperwork was organized and accurate (if only the seller's agent had been as good!) and afterwards we returned to the house to find a bucket of ice, champage, and glasses to celebrate. I cannot imagine any realtor being more supportive and thoughtful in what can be a stressful and complex process. I would absolutely use Jill again and would recommend her to anyone house-hunting in Columbia.