Liberty Bell to The Alamo: Kristen Kotowski, Rockstar Realtor
Buying a house is serious business, an extensive investment, and certainly shouldn't be taken lightly, which is why you need a Rockstar Realtor working hard for you.
We were so lucky to connect with, and hire, Kristen Kotowski, of South Texas Realty. A lot of the things we experienced during this move, were very similar to what Kristen has personally experienced, and successfully guided other families through. When you are picking your professional team, people who understand what problems you may face, and have successfully found solutions in the past, are the BEST to work with.
Problem 1: Uncle Sam Says
Moving is hard enough - finding the house, finalizing paperwork, packing up, closing out of your current house, getting into the new house, getting your stuff and unpacking it, getting rid of all those boxes, doing more paperwork, there is just so much. Now, try doing it all in the 10 days the military gives you. Oh, and you are going to be moving halfway across the country, or further. If you have gone through a PCS move before, you know what I'm talking about, which is why having a realtor who not only grew up in the military, but also married someone who served, is imperative to making it all as smooth as possible.
Kristen knew we didn't have time to mess around, we needed to find the right house, and get closed, fast. She put in the legwork learning ordinances, comparing locations, researching communities to make sure we ONLY looked at real possibilities. And she did this all through email and phone, because we lived in a completely different time zone. In fact, she took the time to drive us to each home during our 2 days in San Antonio, and after we had to go back to PA, conducted virtual tours of the homes.
Problem 2: Our Growing Family
Being newly married, we plan on growing our family. So we need the space, and for our new home to be safe. Plus, having a bonus daughter, meant this also needed to be a place Buttercup would happily call home.
Kristen immediately eliminated areas that would not provided phenomenal school districts, nor be the best place to raise kids. As a toddler mom herself, Kristen knows that having a great and safe community means less worry for mom and dad. And, as her and her veteran husband continue to grow their family, she was able to talk with us, and provide recommendations, on things we would want in the future, like parks, emergency services, clubs, etc.
Problem 3: Ducks and Dogs
While it may not be abnormal for some, not everyone, or everywhere, wants you to move your pets into their community, or even has the space for that. Our dogs need space to run, and the ducks need to forage, so anything less than 0.75 acres with bans on animals needed to be eliminated.
Kristen vetted each listing that met our house checklist, to make sure we also had the land, and the animals would be allowed. A pet lover herself, caring for rescue animals of all kinds (she has fostered, and adopted, chickens, dogs, and horses) Kristen understood the importance of our animals to our continued happiness in our new home. She checked ordinances with every development, town, and county to make sure each fluffbutt would be allowed, and made sure we only looked at those houses. Again, efficiency is important.
When you pick your realtor, don't just hire whoever pops up first on your search. Make sure they are a licensed professional, ready to guide you through the entire homebuying process, no matter what challenges come up. If you are looking for a starter home with your growing family, or your forever home, Kristen will make sure you have every need met. She specializes in rural communities for families raising livestock and pets, around the San Antonio, TX area. If you are house hunting in Bexar, Bandera, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, Atacosa, or Medina Counties, reach out to Kristen to find how she can help you find your perfect home.
Tell her Ron and Michelle sent you, you may just get a special gift!
You can reach Kristen by calling her at (210)887-0184, or email kristenkotowski@yahoo.com.
Kristen - I am so excited to help you capture the precious moments of your growing family, and add to your beautiful home with heirloom artwork.
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