As careful consumers, Jill & Amir began researching the home-buying process long before they would be actively on the market. During our initial consultations with them, we helped them make sure that they were on track to eventually make a purchase while also making sure that we understood their motivations for doing so; thus, when they called us a few months later (and a few months before they had originally been planning on starting their search) to say that they had stumbled on a property that they really liked and that they wanted us to help them purchase, we were able to show them how not only was that home not really the best match for what they were looking for, but also how buying something sooner than they had originally planned didn’t really mesh with their long-term goals.

They agreed, and decided to stick with their original timetable; as a result, working with Ethical Homes, they eventually found a property that they were much happier with and that ended up being a much better value for them.

Jill & Amir say:

As first-time homebuyers, we were looking for a real estate agent who was trustworthy, patient, would help us make an informed and balanced decision, and would be our advocate in the negotiation process. We found all of those qualities in Sweth. He was kind enough to meet with us and advise us about the process months before we started our formal house-search. When we later chose him as our real estate agent, both he and [his assistant Kyle] were always available to show us more properties. We never felt pressured into buying and, in fact, on at least one occasion he helped us avoid making a mistake by letting overzealousness cloud our rational judgment. There was a property that we liked during our first day of searching, and Sweth encouraged us to take our time before making an offer. When we returned to the property just a few days later, we found that we were much less excited about it than we originally were. One of Sweth’s greatest strengths is that he will provide you with all the information that you must know and every bit of information that you probably should know. He is honest, experienced, and knows his field thoroughly, and you can always expect straightforward answers to your questions. Finally, when it came to closing Sweth was remarkably helpful. Since we had only a short time between closing and settlement, he was very efficient in moving documents around. He explained to us what we were signing and advised us about negotiation strategies. He even gave us good recommendations for painters and other service providers. In sum, we highly recommend Sweth to anyone looking for a home.

(At Ethical Homes, we’re proud of the great word-of-mouth reputation that we’ve built, and always love to have our past clients refer us to their friends and family; Jill & Amir’s raves about us after their purchase were especially enthusiastic, and we’re happy to report that just three months after Jill & Amir’s purchase, they’ve already led four other buyers to start working with us.)

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We worked closely with Melissa to make sure that we understood her needs completely before she arrived in-country, and were thus able to help her focus her time once she arrived on the properties that were most appropriate for her; during her search, we also gave her the information she needed to quickly evaluate those properties, and once she identified the one that she wanted–a sunny, open condo in the heart of the thriving Penn Quarter–we helped her negotiate a price for it that was nearly $60k below the seller’s initial asking price.

Melissa says:

With Ethical Homes’ help, I managed to select a condo that met all my needs in just one week’s time. Sweth’s dedication to helping me find a place that met my criteria (which, at times, weren’t all that clear, even to me) was never in question. When I wanted more information or had obscure questions, Sweth provided the answers. The real pleasure in the experience was feeling like Sweth was out to get me exactly what would make me happiest, rather than telling me what would be best for me and would be twisting my arm to go with his option. I’m confident in my decision making; Sweth gave me the information I needed so I could make a sound choice. Sweth is detail-oriented and perceptive. He uses these traits to his advantage, and provides the perfect amount of info–he’ll skim over topics if you clearly aren’t interested, but he’ll also research particular issues and get you all the info you need.

She goes on to comment on how much she appreciated the systematic approach that we bring to the process, including how we sent her reminders to do things like change her utilities and forward her mail:

This attention to detail made the process so much easier. The effort put into each step wasn’t just tied to finalizing the transaction.

And she gives one last comment about her new purchase:

P.S. I love my apartment! High ceilings are the best!

Update 2/19/09: Melissa B. was so happy to use our services for her original purchase that when the time came for her to look into refinancing, she contacted us, and we were able to help her reduce her mortgage payments by nearly $350/mo!

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They were coming to the U.S. for nine months of training at the State Department before their next post abroad, and were hoping to purchase a home that would be convenient for them while they were in training but that they could rent out once they went to their next post. Finding a mortgage was going to be difficult, though: Lorena was a Colombian citizen with no credit history in the U.S., Greg had been abroad for so long that he had almost no recent credit history, and both of their incomes would be dropping while they were in training and going back up again once they got to their next post, so the other lenders that Greg & Lorena had spoken with didn’t think that they would be able to make a purchase. Ethical Homes worked with Greg & Lorena before they even got to the U.S. to help them understand their options and the homes that would best fit their needs, and to find a terrific mortgage that gave them a great rate despite their unusual situation. And once they got into town, one of our expert buyer agents was able to find them a home just a block from the State Department facility where they would be in training–after just one day of searching!

Greg & Lorena say:

A friend at the Embassy referred us to Ethical Homes, and we began working with Sweth when we were still several months away from moving back to the United States. With a couple of interviews, he had arranged for an internet search of properties that might interest us, as well as providing a number of very creative financing options for us. This advance planning allowed us to make the best use of our time after we returned. In fact, it only took us one day to find the property we now live in! During the period when we were purchasing the home, Ethical Homes continued to work with us to make sure we understood all of our options, dealing with both the seller and the financing aspects of the purchase. Because of our extended time outside the country, and our plans to leave again this summer, I know that our questions about financing required a lot of creativity. Ethical Homes found a great solution that works extremely well for us, and Sweth stayed on top of our lender to make sure that closing went seamlessly. The most outstanding parts of our experience with Ethical Homes were without a doubt the responsiveness and flexibility we got at every step of the way. From taking quite a lot of time with us at the beginning of the process, when we were not even in the country, to running numbers time and time again to make sure we understood what different changes would mean to us both immediately and down the line, Ethical Homes made us comfortable with our decisions both on the property we picked and on how we financed it. I’d recommend their services strongly.

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Ethical Homes helped them to understand the home buying process, plan out their purchase, and make sure that they were getting the best value for their dollar.

First, we identified another property for them in the same development that was a better fit for their needs, and negotiated a price $10k lower than the developer’s agent had said the developer would even consider. Then we found them a loan program that saved them $200/mo over the loan they were initially considering, while locking in their rate for a longer period; we even kept saving them money at the settlement table, where we found three errors in the settlement documents that would have cost them an extra $2700 in closing costs”mdash;and since they had found the home they wanted to purchase on their own, they were also able to take advantage of our Discovery Discount program, saving them another $2400 at the settlement table!

Alex & Julia say:

Throughout the buying process, Sweth would clearly and simply explain all of the very detailed technical information we would have to understand to proceed with the entire transaction. We were so happy to know that he was wholly invested in making sure we understood these items as well as he did—his explanations of these highly complex aspects of buying a home should be written down in a training manual for all real estate agents to repeat to their clients so every home buyer could be a truly educated one. Sweth would happily offer his professional opinion if we asked for it, but never imposed it upon us in order to expedite a decision. From hearing other persons’ experiences with real estate agents, this is apparently a very rare and almost extinct professional trait. The lines of communication were always wide open with Sweth answering our calls and emails promptly. Conversations with him are pleasant, reassuring and productive. We knew everything that was happening during the whole process and how each item was progressing thanks to Sweth’s unfailing communication. It felt as if we were his only client. We were especially thrilled that he was able to extremely quickly dismantle all the many options found in our mortgage and present them to us in a clear and understandable fashion so that we could all talk openly about which direction to go and which numbers to accept. When eighths of a percent mean thousands of dollars, it was wonderful to know that Sweth went above and beyond his normal role and to make sure we were getting the best deal. He simply did not let us down. When we told friends and family of our experience with Sweth, they were amazed to hear that such a geniunely positive experience could be had with a real estate agent (they mostly tell of horror stories with their agents). We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We’ll do it all again next time with Sweth, when we sell.

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After discussing Mona’s long-term goals for the home she was hoping to purchase, we showed her why the loan program that her original lender had picked for her didn’t make the most sense for her situation, worked with her to find a lender who had loan programs that more closely matched her needs, and helped her understand all of the options that the new lender offered.

And during Mona’s search, which lasted for nearly 8 months, we actually helped her to find and attempt to purchase two different homes that met her needs, only to have those deals fall apart after flaws with the properties and unethical actions on the part of the selling agents were discovered. Through it all, we made sure that Mona’s interests were fully protected and that she was able to back out of those contracts without having to resort to lawsuits, and then helped her find the third property that she eventually did end up purchasing.

Mona says:

I worked with Sweth Chandramouli of Ethical Homes for more than 8 months to find the right house. I had a limited budget, locality restrictions, and a very definite list of wishes. From day one, Sweth was confident that we would find what I was looking for. I was so appreciative that he never wavered from this confidence, even when mine faltered several times in the 7 months of looking. Sweth is whip-smart, with an amazing attention to detail. I felt lucky to have found a Realtor who was knowledgeable about the housing market, financing pros and cons, and just about everything else. He asked the right questions and never made me feel less when I didn’t. Sweth is trust-worthy and principled and I would be happy to talk to anyone on the fence about hiring him.

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