a buyers handbook
TO STORY HOUSE REAL ESTATE
To our prospective client and friend, Thank you for the opportunity to discuss your home purchase with us. Our team’s mission is to CARE FOR you and your family, SERVE at the highest level possible, and GIVE to this community. Once you have reviewed this information and witnessed how successful our approach is for our clients, we trust that you will want to partner with us for the purchase of your home. Thank you for your consideration we truly look forward to serving you and your family very soon!
Sasha Tripp Owner, Story House Real Estate
OUR
mission
We aim to delight and surprise our clients, deliver exceptional service, and exceed their expectations at every step in the transaction. Our goal is to make the real estate process memorable and one that our clients want others to experience.
230
families helped in 2020
8
sales partners STORY HOUSE EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
we sell a house every
1.4 days
client satisfaction 5/5 average with over 200 reviews
THE TAYLOR JOBES
BRENTNEY KOZUCH
JOSH WHITE
MADISON YOUNG
story house FAMILY
KRISTIN SOROKTI
SASHA TRIPP
KELLEY TRIPP
JESSICA TRIVETTE
ERRIN SEARCY
ABBY SEARCY
AMELIA McCONNELL
ANN RODGERS
ZOYA CLAUS
Sasha and her team work together to ensure that every buyer has immediate access to an experienced sales agent when they need it. Your agent will be your main point of contact, but all members of the team will be familiar with the details of your home search and can access the files and information needed to help. We sell a home every two days and our experience and expertise in the current real estate market is unparalleled. Let us put over 50 years of combined experience to work for you.
VIRGIL VELASCO
THE
story house BUYER REPRESENTATIVES ERRIN SEARCY | ASSOCIATE BROKER, VP OF SALES, CRS, ABR, REALTOR® errin@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6358 Errin graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BS in Psychology and Education. She has been a REALTOR® in the area since 2005 and has deep roots in Charlottesville. Errin prides herself on great communication and the ability to navigate the complex and often emotional sales process with her clients. She is married to her husband Bryan, who is an educator and coach, they have two children, Charlie and Abby. In her spare time she loves to run, knit, cook, and spend time at all the wonderful local festivals, wineries, and restaurants that Charlottesville has to offer. The most tenured of our Sales Agents, Errin is aware of all available properties for sale (as well as several that are available off-market), her knowledge of Charlottesville real estate is unparalleled.
JOSH WHITE | SALES PARTNER, CRS, REALTOR® josh@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6311
Josh graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History from James Madison University and went on to get his Master’s in middle school social studies education at North Carolina State University. He was a teacher, coach, athletic director, and educational hiring consultant prior to making the switch to Real Estate. He began as the Transaction Coordinator on the team, consistently providing excellent service to our clients in every step of the process. He is married to Mallory, who is an architect at VMDO, and they have two beautiful girls, Libby and Maggie. He loves woodworking, home improvement, and reading a good book in his down time. He is very involved with The Point Church and is a foster parent. Josh is aware of all available properties for sale (as well as several that are available off-market), his knowledge of the Charlottesville real estate and investment properties is extensive.
KRISTIN SOROKTI | SALES PARTNER, REALTOR® kristin@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 566-1370
Kristin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Virginia Tech and pursued a long career as a wildlife and marine biologist. She then went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education and spent many years as an educator. Her time spent as the Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association is where she discovered a new passion for the real estate industry and building meaningful relationships in the community. She is married to Craig, a Charlottesville Firefighter, and has two children, Hailey and Miles. She loves sailing, traveling, gardening, yoga, running, and getting lost in a good book. Having been in Charlottesville for over 15 years, she is extremely familiar with the market and thrives on finding her clients their dream home!
BRENTNEY KOZUCH | SALES PARTNER, REALTOR® brentney@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6393
Brentney graduated from James Madison University with a B.S in Kinesiology concentrating in Sports Management and a minor in Business. After college, Brentney interned with the University of Virginia’s Athletic Department specializing in marketing and promotions. Brentney then decided to pursue a career in Real Estate! Her extensive knowledge of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties provides a strong foundation to evaluate market conditions to determine the right course of action for her buyers and investors. Brentney works with roughly 10-15 buyers at any given time and her knowledge of the Charlottesville Real Estate is exceptional. Brentney is married to her husband, Brian who works at the University of Virginia. You can find them both at all of the UVA Basketball and Football games cheering on the Hoos!!
JESSICA TRIVETTE | SALES PARTNER, REALTOR® jessica@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6399
Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. After graduation, she and her husband David moved to Blacksburg, Virginia to open and operate the first of six Jimmy John’s locations in the Commonwealth. With a desire to call Charlottesville home, she and her husband moved their four children to the area as they continued to expand their franchise. Settling into the area in 2013 gave Jessica the knowledge and the foresight on what it takes to raise a happy, healthy family in the heart of the University of Virginia culture. In her spare time, she enjoys making home improvements, exercising, studying health and nutrition, reading, and focusing on anything that stimulates her creativity. Having been a part of a local family business for many years, Jessica knows the importance of open communication and providing the best customer service possible.
did you know?
Our buyers agents are 100% dedicated to working with buyers.
THE
story house BUYER REPRESENTATIVES VIRGIL VELASCO | SALES PARTNER, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, REALTOR® virgil@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6553
Virgil was in the property management industry prior to joining Story House Real Estate. He received his BS in Interdisciplinary Studies at Florida International University and following his new-found love for Real Estate, he earned his sales license in Florida. When his girlfriend was approved for a PhD program at UVA, he came to Charlottesville to earn his license in Virginia as well and is well versed in the real estate needs of the UVA health community. Outside of work, you will always find him with his friends, family and dog Riley, or sipping a good whiskey while reading a great book. Virgil was born in Cuba and is completely fluent in Spanish and is able to meet all our bilingual needs. Growing up around music he loves to dance to a good Cuban salsa and eat great Cuban food.
ZOYA CLAUS | SALES PARTNER REALTOR® zoya@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 216-6303
Zoya began her career as a real estate paralegal after completing her Associates Degree and receiving her paralegal certificate from Blue Ridge Community College. After realizing her love for working closely with people during closings, she pursued her real estate license. Zoya was born and raised in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but soon after relocating for her husband’s job she fell in love with the Greater Charlottesville Area. When not working, she loves spending time with her husband and traveling to new places, trying new restaurants and shopping for cool antiques. Her favorite place she has traveled to so far has to be Aruba because of the beautiful beaches. Zoya is also a huge reader.
ABBY SEARCY | SALES PARTNER, REALTOR® abby@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 987-7873
A native of the Charlottesville area, Abby attends the University of Virginia and has a great love for all things local. Having grown up in a real estate family, Abby is exited to embark on her own path with the Story House team. Alongside her mother Errin, Abby is thrilled to be able to assist with showings, client interactions, and provide a high level of customer experience. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, writing, her involvement with The Point Church, and spending time with her cats Billy and Jill.
THE
entire team IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU
Our entire team is knowledgeable and experienced and has had training in many facets of the real estate sales process. We are all at your service to make the process as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
SASHA TRIPP | PRINCIPAL BROKER AND OWNER sasha@storyhouseRE.com | (434) 260-1435
Sasha Tripp is the owner and founder of Story House Real Estate and has been recognized in numerous local and national polls and accolades. She has been named by Inman Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in real estate, was selected by REALTOR® magazine as one of the Top 30 REALTORS Under 30 in the nation, was the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®, REALTOR® of the Year in 2018, Sales Associate of the Year in 2012, and Rookie of the Year in 2008. Her 10+ years of expertise and oversight of 200+ transactions a year provides her with relevant market knowledge and insight to overcome problems and surprises during the transaction and help our agents successfully from contract to closing. Sasha is also an international real estate speaker and trainer – her experience and knowledge that she gathers from the other best real estate agents in the industry provide the team with invaluable marketing expertise, fresh ideas, and places Story House on the leading edge of technology and strategy for our clients and partners.
KELLEY TRIPP
MADISON YOUNG
VIRGIL VELASCO
ANN RODGERS
TAYLOR JOBES
AMELIA McCONNELL
Director of Operations
Listing Partner
Executive Assistant
Transaction Coordinator
Transaction Coordinator
Director of Marketing and Design
OUR
team
is here to help. There is no detail or question that we cannot handle, and your peace of mind is our priority.
WE
give WHERE WE LIVE
Story House is committed to serving our community.
Something that we are passionate about is making sure that Charlottesville continues to be a wonderful place to live, work and play. Story House Real Estate is proud to support a local charity with every closing. We are so thankful for our amazing clients and the incredible opportunity to improve and support the community we call home. Additionally, every quarter our team takes a day to give back to our community through charities that are close to our hearts. We partner with our trusted service providers, our friends and family, and our clients to leave a life-changing impact on the community we call home. In addition, at the end of a real estate sale with our team, Story House makes a donation on behalf of each closed client to a charity of their choice.
Each of these 15 charities benefited from Story House Real Estate in 2020. They were either recipients of our “Give Where You Live” campaign or of our volunteer time.
story house POINTS OF DIFFERENCE BUYER EDUCATION AND CONSULTATION We have over 50 years of combined experience, and help nearly 250 families a year. This provides us with top-notch knowledge of the market, it’s intricacies, the likely obstacles, and how to solve them. Our 65 page home buyer guide is the culmination of all of that information nothing is overlooked and you are well-educated about the process, from beginning to end. We will also provide a full pricing analysis and negotiation strategy for your target home.
OUR CLIENT EXPERIENCE IS UNPARALLELED From gifts, to parties, to client events, to giveaways, to our family atmosphere, we consistently work to make sure we are making every client experience fun. At the end of every closing, we make a donation to a non-profit of the client’s choice something that is part of our mission and makes us unique. We are not just here for a transaction but for a friendship that we hope to continue for many years.
We have four major points of difference that are important as you decide who to hire to represent you.
WE KNOW ABOUT HOMES BEFORE THEY HIT THE MARKET With her sole focus on listings, Sasha always has an inventory of 20-30 upcoming listings, that Story House clients know about first. This exclusive and early access to an extensive database of listings may help you identify your dream home, and avoid competition. We are also heavily networked with the other agents in town, to get priority access to many of their listings. Finally, if we can identify the neighborhoods you like but haven’t been able to identify your dream home, we will do targeted marketing and mailing campaigns to seek out listings that will suit your needs.
THE TEAM APPROACH Our team approach means that you will always be able to see a new listing immediately, which is paramount in your ability to successfully secure the home of your choice during a hot market. Between that and our full-time, in-house transaction coordinator who tracks all purchases from start-to-finish, you always have someone at your service to help throughout the process. We also have a team of reputable attorneys, inspectors, lenders, and appraisers in town who offer service that meets our high standards and will round out your home buying experience.
ERRIN SEARCY
what our clients had to say:
“There are no words to describe the uniqueness of the caliber of customer service that Errin and Story House Real Estate provided for my family. We listed our house and bought a new house all at the same time and the attentiveness and thoughtfulness we received made it seem as if we were their only clients. From the emotional comfort of my children to a new house toast, no detail was overlooked. I will always be grateful to Story House and particularly to Errin Searcy, for seriously making our dream house a reality. Deepest of gratitude. Oh, and did I mention how much fun it was too? Lots of laughter. Lots.”
J O D I J A C K S O N | Past Client
JOSH WHITE
what our clients had to say:
“We loved working with Josh and Story House Real Estate! Josh was very patient and attentive throughout the whole process. He went out of his way to answer all of our questions and make sure we felt comfortable before making a decision. Jorge was stressed about finding the right home fast, and Josh was constantly reassuring and insightful.”
THE GIOVANINNIS | Past Clients
BRENTNEY KOZUCH
what our clients had to say:
“Our recent experience with purchasing a home was exceptional! Brentney was extremely knowledgeable and very professional. She was always prompt and available in all of our interactions. She was always very patient and kind. She provided solid advice on our purchase negotiations and she provided great recommendations for resources to help us, especially the closing attorney and the home inspector. Brentney was supportive every step of the way from our first meeting through the inspection and final walkthrough.”
T H E S AU N D E R S | Past Clients
KRISTIN SOROKTI
what our clients had to say:
“Kristin Sorokti was a shining star through the whole process. She was exceptionally knowledgeable of the area, very responsive, and thoroughly answered all of our questions. Her friendly and professional demeanor made our buying our home a smooth and positive experience.”
H I L L A RY D RY D E N | Past Client
JESSICA TRIVETTE
what our clients had to say: “At multiple phases of the process Jessica Trivette was on-site to meet with contractors when neither of us could make the trip. She also provided valuable information regarding resources that allowed us to make informed decisions about who we are going to have do work. Regardless of the time of day, we never felt we did not have access to her.”
T H E T E T R I C K S | Past Clients
OUTSIDE
of MLS
Here are some of the homes that we were able to attain for our clients that they did not have to compete for on the fair market.
7271 Narrowridge Road
6 Walters Way
155 Yellowstone Dr #2
108 Kent Terrace
1874 Verona Drive
107 Quince Lane
MULTIPLE OFFERS
&
successes
BIDDING WAR
584 Half Moon Court Sold for $1,250,000
332 Rock Island Sold for $140,000
2307 Avinity Court Sold for $363,000
319 Valley Rd Ext Sold for $570,000
78 Ponderosa Lane Sold for $235,000
1015 Cherry Avenue Sold for $243,000
134 Turtle Creek #5 Sold for $125,000 ,
212 Barnsdale Road Sold for $235,000 ,
373 Quarry Road Sold for $305,000
2195 Timber Meadows Sold for $359,900
Our experienced buyer agents are experts at negotiating multiple offers and bidding wars. Here are some of their successes.
1423 Cedars Ct #4 Sold for $105,500
42 Spring Court Sold for $128,000
238 Huntley Avenue Sold for $360,000
12 Evergreen Lane Sold for $192,000
822 Rock Creek Road Sold for $315,000
159 Woodlake Drive Sold for $181,000
3257 Buck Island Road Sold for $304,124
120 Oak Forest Lane Sold for $202,400
did we cover these things? SELECTING AN AGENT TO REPRESENT YOU
Story House Points of Difference Buyer Agency Representation Our Mission Statement Referral Based Business Survey at the End of the Process
BEGINNING YOUR HOME BUYING JOURNEY
Steps in the Process Where to Search SPECIFIC PURCHASE CIRCUMSTANCES
New Construction Off Market Listings
FINANCING A PURCHASE
Recommended Lenders Closing Costs and Cost to Purchase
WHAT NEXT?
Our Buyer Agency Agreement
thank you!
We hope that we have shared some points of difference that will help solidify your decision to select us to help you with your home purchase. We look forward to hearing from you and working together soon.
STORY HOUSE REAL ESTATE www.storyhousere.com 434.260.1435 • info@storyhouseRE.com 2110 Ivy Road Charlottesville, VA 22903