There are many things I can say about the high quality of service I provide to my home seller and home buyer clients, but probably none would be as credible as testimonials from some of my recent clients themselves.

So please take a moment to read the following testimonials. I hope they indicate my experience and integrity, as well as make it clear how much I enjoy helping people with their real estate needs.

We selected our first real estate agent based solely on knowing him as a nice person, but soon learned that was the wrong approach.  After doing our homework and a number of interviews, we felt Don and his team approach would best suit our needs. And we were right! Don and Lisa not only “got the word out” on our house, but saved the day when things got rough. We had moved to another state and were completely dependent on their help. We had a series of things that required contracting, and overseeing work. Don and Lisa stepped up and took care of us, above and beyond the call of duty! Their professional knowledge, networking capabilities, dedication and integrity turned a long, stressful, “messy” process into a more managed, positive outcome. 

Because of his years of experience and high standards, we found that Don is highly respected within the real estate and business community of the Grand Rapids area. What that meant for us as a client was that he was committed to meeting our needs and could make good on that commitment. 

Anybody can come out smelling like a rose when the sale is quick and easy. But when things get complicated, believe us: you want the experience, integrity, creativity and knowledge of the Don DeKraker team! 

Thanks again!  Sheila and Bill 

Thank you for the great experience of working with you while you worked on selling our home.  We had been referred to you by two people, one former client and Lee Dykema, our builder.  Both were right when they said you would get our house "out there" by many means of advertising and on the internet with a tour of our home.  The tour was very nice if I must say so myself!  Both of you were very friendly, kind and considerate of us.  You suggested but never pushed in direction you felt we didn't want to go.  We were always given a days notice when our house would be shown.  We feel in today's market, our sale went fast, just over 3 months!  Thanks again to both of you.  We appreciate everything you have done for us.  You're a great team.                 PS:   We would be willing to accept any calls from folks looking for a special agent. 

Sincerely, John and Bev

Thank you for your kindness and support (and humor) while spending time with us while listing and selling our home.  It's sometimes stressful but you helped with your experience and calm personality.  We always felt everything was in "good hands"  When needing a realtor in the future, we will know who to call.  You will also be highly recommended.

Sincerely,  Pat and Rog

Thank you Don and Lisa for the great service we received both on the sale of our Grandville home and the purchase of our Byron Center home.  You put our needs and our best interests above all else.  We know it and we greatly appreciate it.  You may use our name as reference and we will gladly speak on your behalf to any who are looking for a real estate agent. 

Signed,  Troy and Danielle

Boy did you have to work hard for us!  It was a tough sale but you never gave up.  What you have done was beyond the call of duty and beyond what most agents would have been willing to do.  When we are ready to try home ownership again, we will be calling you.  No doubt!

Thanks again,  Jeremy and Sara
 

Thanks for helping us not sell our home...

3 years ago I transferred from Massachusetts to Michigan.  Lisa communicated first by email and she helped me research lenders and choose the right loan product for me.  She then trucked all over the Greater Grand Rapids area showing my fiance and me different neighborhoods so we could choose the area where we felt we wanted to live.  We then intensified our search looking at nearly every home in our price range located in the neighborhood of our choosing.  She assisted in the price negotiations as well as inspections and re-negotiations.  She did the work we expected of any real estate agent and she did it well.  Recently, I contacted Lisa again to request she assist us in the sale of our home.  She  and Don came out to our home to see the improvements made to the property and help us set an asking price.  I confided that we loved our home but that our payments had risen and we felt we could no longer afford it.  Lisa immediately went to work.  Not  researching an asking price for our home, but researching why our payments were  increased.  She learned that a document was not completed correctly that was to be filed with the city by the title company.  She arranged to meet me at the township office, oversee the correct filing of the form and formally request an appeal hearing to reimburse me for the over charge.  She then contacted my bank on my behalf to request an immediate change to my escrow with holding.  Now, how many real estate agents will work that hard to help a person not sell their house?  She and Don would have made several thousand dollars if we sold, but nothing if we stayed.  They chose to put our interests ahead of their own.  I'll tell you one thing they did earn, that is my trust, respect and loyalty.

Signed,

Hans Giplaye

I was very pleased with Don as my realtor.  He was professional and personable.  And, with Lisa on board, I felt I was getting two for the price of one.  Like a buy one get one free special.  The result was a sale on my home at just the right time.  So, I was very pleased with the Don and Lisa team.  I will gladly recommend them to any who ask.

Thanks again,

Betty Dome

We were recommended Don and Lisa by my son in law, Hans.  We were excited because we received an excellent offer on our home by a developer and needed to find a new place to live.  Lisa showed us many homes and we were just about to put in an offer, when we learned the city would not approve the developer's plan and our sale fell through.  Lisa and Don stepped in and listed our home.  In the course of our listing, tragedy struck our family in the form of a death, an injury and a prolonged illness.  The result was an inability to make our home payments and we had to face the prospect of foreclosure.  Lisa immediately went to work.  She first stalled the foreclosure proceedings, she then negotiated a short sale price, and managed to close the deal before the sheriff's sale even took place.   This quick action on her part will spare the damage to our credit that would have occurred by the foreclosure.  She then researched places for us to rent, and took us rental shopping even though that is not part of what a realtor does.  We intend to save our money and have Lisa help us find a house to buy sometime in the future.  Thanks to her knowledge of how to handle foreclosures, we have a chance to rebuild our lives.

Thank you!  Thank you!

John and Sara Gaye

Don and Lisa,

Thank you so much for all your time and hard work selling our house and helping us find the perfect new home for our family.  We have really enjoyed our first week there.  Lisa, I know you spent a lot of extra time and effort moving things through for us.  You are both amazing realtors!

Sarah and Adam Johnson

"Thank you" does not cover all your have and are doing for me.  God has blessed me in so many ways and I do thank God for the blessing of you!

Linda Ketchapaw

If we ever need a realtor in the future, we would certainly call on the DeKraker Team.  Lisa wa our regular "Girl Friday" and day of the week.  She was right here when we needed her, and even encouraged us when we thought we wanted to see a place a second, third and even fourth time.  If we had questions, she had answers, or she'd find the answer promptly.  We know both Don and Lisa are very busy. but they treated us like we were their only clients.  They were efficient, prompt, thorough and worked hard to serve our best interests. 

Jerry and Shirlene Schripsema

When we first contacted Lisa and Don about a home we wanted to see, we didn't realize they were vacationing in South Carolina for Spring Break.  Lisa heard the excitement in our voice and didn't hesitate to set up the showing.  She arranged it all from there.  She met with us the same day she got home from vacation to help up write the offer.  The home was one of those "short sale" properties.  Within the week, Don and Lisa listed our home.  While Lisa worked hard to negotiate the short sale, Don was working to sell our existing home.  We ran into a glitch when we received an offer on our home but the bank had still not approved the short sale purchase.  No worries though because Don and Lisa made certain the language in the purchase agreement was contingent to the short sale approval.  That saved us from being homeless because it took over a year for the bank to approve the sale.  Lisa kept us up to date thoughout the process.  When it looked like the deal would finally get approved, Don and Lisa listed our home for a 2nd time.  So, we actually had to sell our home twice, but Don and Lisa managed to do it and we never had to make a double mortgage payment.  We believe a less dedicated team would have given up.  But not the DeKraker Team.  We are now in our lake home that we bought at a fabulous price.  Thanks for sticking with it Don and Lisa!

Jim and Jackie Sweeney

Don and Lisa have a saying, "our smartest clients choose us first, but our most faithful clients chose us second".  We learned the truth of that.  We used Don three times in the past and called him again when it was time for us to downsize.  Don and Lisa were excellent.  They did all they said they would.  But, we were unhappy with the offers we were receiving.  A friend recommended we try a different Top Agent.  Boy, within 3 months we knew we made a mistake.  We cancelled our contract and re-listed with the DeKraker Team.  We didn't know we had a good thing until we tried someone else.  Now we are probably the DeKraker Team's only clients who can say we are both the smartest who chose them first and the most faithful because we tried someone else.  Don't make the same mistake.  Just be smart the first time.

Don and Sally Cook