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Denise Laugesen REALTOR® (650) 465-5742 deniselaugesenteam@gmail.com

Cortney Laugesen REALTOR® 650-678-5084 cortneylaug@gmail.com

million dollar listing

December 6, 2022

What Our Clients Say About Us!

Customer satisfaction is the primary goal of our real estate business. To that end, we are passionate about meeting and surpassing our client’s expectations. We are very fortunate to have formed excellent partnerships with many of our clients. And we’ve formed more than just working relationships with them; we have formed true friendships. Here’s what they’re saying about us.:

 

“Denise is a fantastic realtor who has helped me to purchase and sell 4 different properties in Hillsborough and Burlingame. She did a phenomenal job on all 4 of those transactions and went far beyond the scope of her realtor responsibilities. When I locked myself out of my home at 2:00 am, Denise answered my call on the first ring and brought me a key to get in (at 2:00 am!!!). When there was a sudden leak in my irrigation system while I was out of town, Denise handled it right away. She and her daughter, Cortney, actually dug a hole in the ground to find where it was coming from and had it fixed right away. Denise also has a lot of networking power and knows how to quickly find buyers. She is also a shrewd negotiator and gets the best possible sales price. She also has expert attention to all of the contractual details of a sales/purchase contract. She’s also very responsive and when I make a request of her, all I have to do is text her one time, and it’s very quickly done. Denise is also one of the nicest people I’ve ever known, so it’s a pleasure doing business with her. I can’t recommend her enough for your real estate needs. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– KB Burlingame

 

“Had a wonderful experience selling our home with Denise Laugesen and her team at Keller Williams. We were referred to Denise, and right off the bat, we were impressed with her review of our home and proposal on her approach to the prep, marketing and sale of our home. Denise was very familiar with our specific market and had excellent comparables to help us understand and align on our goals for the sale. Denise also listened and worked hard to meet our specific needs when it came to supporting on the prep for the sale. We were also very happy with the robust communication we had during the entire process. She was always reachable and supportive for any needs that arose over the course of the process. We also had a great experience with her team, who were also very professional and supportive. Denise also has a great group of contractors she uses for the sale prep work. In the end the process went smoothly, quickly and our result was great! We would have no hesitation in recommending Denise and her team.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Felice Stahl

 

“Thank you very much to Denise Laugesen and her strong team at Keller Williams. 26 years ago Denise, now our “go to” real estate professional, helped me when I bought the house she just helped us sell – now so many years later. She, her partner Cortney, and their team, including the prepping subcontractors and stagers, are seasoned professionals who know the market and how to work with it to maximize success. Once we said “go” to Denise, they took off and, finessed pivoting in the rapidly changing market of early 2022 to create success for us. Denise and Cortney know what it takes in a changing market to succeed. With seasoned knowledge, experience, planning, persistence, professionalism, regular communication throughout, and a strong support team, all worked together to achieve a win for us. We strongly recommend Denise and her team.!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– KH

 

“Stacy LaRosa is the ultimate professional, a mover and a shaker. Stacy assisted in listing and selling my home in San Mateo. From the moment she stepped foot into the home, she knew what needed to be done to prepare and make it ready to market and sell.
Stacy followed through from vendor coordination to staging to the sale of the home. She obtained an offer over asking with a 14-day close of escrow, ALL CASH.

At times, things were not going according to plan but she handled it with ease, making sure that I was always informed and kept in the loop.

The Laugesen Team is amazing and clearly knows how to market and sell the property.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Liz Horn

 

“Believe me – call them first. Denise and her team are excellent. As a mom of three young kids, I needed quite a bit of help getting the house ready to sell. Denise and Cortney came to view the home on a Saturday, and we had and we made a master plan while sitting at our dining room table. Their advice for what to fix or change was spot on. They coordinated with all the contractors. I am essentially color blind so I relied on them to choose everything from the paint colors to the yard plants. The house looked amazing! After two short months, we were on the market. Since Denise and Cortney have lived in the area their whole lives, they have an extensive network of agents to work with and excellent insight into the housing market in that area. Our San Mateo Park house was on the market and sold in a week for over asking. The Laugesen Team has high-quality partners and the results are clear as the pictures and photos are excellent, the home staging was excellent. If you are selling your home – call the Laugesen Team to get top sales prices and the best experience.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Susan Weiver

 

“Selling a house and buying another concurrently in the Bay Area can always be tricky. When you decide to do that at the height of a global pandemic, you sign up for a wild ride. We were on this ride for several months this year, and could not have had a better guide and companion than Denise. From day one she was highly driven to stage our house and market it broadly to maximum effect. As we entered a contingent contract on our purchase, she helped us navigate between multiple potential buyers, while carefully managing the timelines of both transactions toward successful sequential closings. Throughout this process, she handled all the necessary steps, while also giving us daily updates that kept us well-informed and grounded. There was never any doubt that she was 100% in our corner, willing to do whatever it took to make things happen for us. She has stood by us from beginning to end, and remains with us now, as a valued adviser and friend long after both deals are done. Thank you Denise and the entire Laugesen Team!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Eldad Persky

 

Is there a 6th star? I would give it!

When we decided to buy our next home in Hillsborough, we asked around and it seemed that all roads led to Denise & Cortney. Denise helped us as sellers and buyers, and her understanding of the local market is unrivaled. She marketed our house broad and wide, and got us multiple bids quickly and efficiently.

In the purchase of our new home, she was respectful of our time, our budget and our needs and brought us on and off-market leads that were exactly what we had profiled. she was able to find us our perfect home and guide us through the purchase to a quick close. Little did we know that that was just the beginning of our relationship with Denise! We have stayed in touch and she has been our mentor for all things Hillsborough, and has continuously helped us through difficult remodeling work through her expansive network and relationships.

My husband and I appreciate everything Denise has done for us, and we cannot imagine having done it without her!! We will never work with another agent in the Bay Area and have referred several friends and family to her, all of which were super-happy with her as well!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Ayelet Steinitz

 

“I can’t say enough good things about Cortney Laugesen. With her guidance, my husband and I were able to buy the very first house we offered for. She is extremely well-connected and has been able to give excellent recommendations for local businesses to do work at our new home. If you’re looking to buy a home in San Mateo, call Cortney — she’s the best!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Katherin Goodman

 

“I cannot speak highly enough of Denise, Stacy, and their whole team. Her professionalism, knowledge, honesty, integrity, and strong work ethic were very much appreciated and respected. She is meticulous, honest, great with people and has a wealth of knowledge of the industry and the area.

She turned our somewhat tired little North Shoreview house into a showstopper that anyone would be happy to live in (including me once it was done 😉). Her design sense and eye for what buyers want, truly helped to transform our property. All the while sticking to the agreed-upon budget. Her ideas and Rolodex of contacts and contractors helped us sell our house for much more than expected. She took charge and took care of everything, which made an already stressful time, that much easier on us. We would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell their home!!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Valerie Zahn

 

“Fate smiled upon us when we happened to meet Denise and Stacy randomly at an open house. We could tell from a quick chat that they were vastly knowledgeable and friendly. As first-time home buyers, we had a million questions and constantly changed aspects of the search. They were more than accommodating, got their whole team involved, and were priceless resources in the end. There aren’t enough good things we could say about them and their team. We never felt neglected; they were on top of EVERY DETAIL (I seriously don’t know how they were able to keep track of everything), they tactfully offered up their opinions which we were thankful we could rely on (what’s good for resale, what’s trendy, etc), they connected us with contractors that have been wonderful to work with so far (also way cheaper than other bids we received). The whole experience was great and we will continue to rely on them for future home sales/purchases. Can’t recommend them enough.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Caleb

 

“Denise and team are very skilled in understanding what interests buyers, and how to market properties and drive to closure at a price that is aligned with the local market. No fluff, gets to the point, stays focused, and is always professional.

They handled everything, even the coordination of contractor services that were timely, fairly priced, and done with high quality.

Highest recommendations for the Laugesen Team!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

– Tom Monaghan

 

 

 

 

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING your Bay Area property, it is important you hire a real estate team of professionals with an extensive portfolio of home sales, a significant list of happy clients and a history of excellence.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT-FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Broker’s Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

By cortney
November 28, 2022

WAYS TO GET A BETTER INTEREST RATE!

I should’ve bought a house last year when interest rates were low.
Maybe that’s true, but you can’t go back now! Don’t let the should’ves, could’ves, would’ves stand in the way of achieving your dream of homeownership! We can’t predict what will happen in the real estate market over the next few months, but I can tell you this. Owning your home helps to create your overall wealth!
Here are 3 ways to get a better interest rate and save money on your next mortgage:
1. Look into a temporary rate buydown
A temporary interest rate buydown is not a long-term solution but is a way to temporarily lower your interest rate for the first few years of the loan. This financing tool allows you to reduce the cost of your mortgage payment in exchange for an up-front cash deposit. Talk with your lender to learn more and see if a temporary rate buydown is a good option for you!
2. Improve your credit score
Your credit score plays a huge role in qualifying for a mortgage and can also help you get a better interest rate. Lenders typically view a high credit score as an indicator that you’ll be a strong and safe borrower. Improving your credit can help you to get a lower interest rate, as your lender will feel more confident that you’ll be responsible with new credit. Start by disputing errors if necessary, making payments on time, and paying down your credit balances to boost your credit.
3. Make a larger down payment
The more money you put down on a home, the better your chances are of getting a lower interest rate on your mortgage. Making a sizable down payment will give you a lower loan-to-value ratio (LTV), and lenders will see you as less risky of a borrower since you have more stake in the property.
One of the first steps in the home-buying process is to work with a mortgage lender to get your finances in order. If you need a lender in SEATTLE, send me a message, and I’d be happy to connect you with a couple of my preferred lenders!

 

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING your Bay Area property, it is important you hire a real estate team of professionals with an extensive portfolio of home sales, a significant list of happy clients and a history of excellence.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT-FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Broker’s Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

By cortney
November 23, 2022

ARE OPEN HOUSES WORTH IT?

Before Covid-19, open houses seemed to be a Sunday staple activity for would-be homebuyers. However, as the pandemic put a halt to almost all in-person activities, the number of open houses dwindled—sellers didn’t want strangers in their homes, and buyers didn’t want to be in the company of too many people.

Although just 4 percent of buyers purchase their homes through open houses, 41 percent still visit open houses as their first step in the home-buying process. To overcome this hurdle, REALTORS® began providing virtual open houses for their clients. And due to the lack of inventory during these past two years, it surprisingly became more commonplace for buyers to purchase a home sight unseen.

As of July 2022, the number of existing homes sold fell for the fifth consecutive month.  This slowdown has impacted the number of days a home has been on the market forcing price reductions, which has resulted in an increase in available inventory in some real estate markets. Additionally, 44 percent of agents have reported that with this increase, they have observed a downturn in bidding wars. Hence, buyers who had been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a shift for more favorable market conditions are now beginning to return to the home buying process, and REALTORS® realized the need to conduct open houses on a more regular basis.

Making the Most of Open Houses

Buyers

With busy schedules and day-to-day juggling activities, attending open houses may be more suitable for a buyer’s lifestyle as they begin the homebuying process. The flexibility it offers to view homes at their own pace is often a desirable option. Open houses are great tools for homebuyers to obtain as much information about a home in a more relaxed, stress-free environment.

Sellers

The benefits of having an open house will increase the overall foot traffic into your home and create more visibility. The more exposure your home receives, the more likely you’ll receive multiple offers, possibly driving the sales price higher.

To make the most of an open house remember:  

  1. Buyers should come prepared with questions to ask their realtors essential information about the home and take notes for later review to help in decision-making.

  2. Staging and elevating the home’s curb appeal is critical to creating a lasting positive first impression which has been shown to increase the sale price by an average of 7 percent.

 

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING your Bay Area property, it is important you hire a real estate team of professionals with an extensive portfolio of home sales, a significant list of happy clients and a history of excellence.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT-FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Broker’s Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

By cortney
November 20, 2022

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS WHILE LISTING YOUR HOME FOR SALE.

Decorating your home for the holidays is only one of the many joys of the season. Decorating can make any home feel joyful, whether it’s with a cornucopia and pumpkins for Thanksgiving, a Douglas fir with lights for Christmas, or a menorah for Hanukkah. When choosing your holiday décor, you might want to remain objective while you’re preparing to sell your home around the holidays. Make use of these decorating recommendations while keeping in mind the selling of your home.

Limit clutter

While some people use the holidays as an opportunity to decorate every nook and cranny of their home, it’s best to keep things to a minimum. A significant focus of staging is to remove clutter to make your home appear as spacious as possible. Select a few pieces of festive flair to bring the holiday spirit into your home, and leave the rest in storage this year. If you need help choosing decorations, you should avoid anything with names or photos. Personalized items can make it difficult for homebuyers to see themselves living in your home.

Don’t block natural light

You should highlight how much natural light your home receives while selling it, so make sure to avoid placing any decorations in front of windows or doors. If you’re limited in the amount of space you have, you can place an item in these areas but be mindful of how it is positioned to maintain the flow of light throughout the room.

Coordinate colors

Certain colors instantly come to mind when you think of the holidays. You may choose a fall color palette when decorating for Thanksgiving and the classic red and green in December. However, it is important to keep your home as visually appealing as possible, so avoid decorations that clash with the current color scheme of your rooms.

Use decorations to accentuate features

Start with some of the best features if you need help deciding where to place decorations when selling your home. This could include a fall-inspired garland for your mantel or mistletoe hanging from an arched doorway. However, you should make sure decorations don’t hide any feature you love. For example, don’t hang seasonal decorations in a window with a spectacular view of your backyard.

Avoid large decorations

Try to limit your decorating to pieces that positively highlight the size and charm of the room. For example, a lush tree can be the ultimate sign that Christmas is on its way. However, if your home is for sale, you may want to go with a smaller tree. While large trees bring a festive feel to your home, they can also make rooms appear small and cramped.

Decorate the exterior

If part of your holiday decorating includes the outside of your home, don’t be afraid to keep up that tradition. Exterior decorating can boost your home’s curb appeal. However, exterior decorating has its limitations, and you should avoid large decorations that take attention away from the aesthetic of your home. You can decorate with a wreath and a few pumpkins for Thanksgiving and replace them with a few strands of white lights and a ribbon on your mailbox for the December holidays.

By creating a cheery feel on the inside and outside of your house, potential buyers will be able to envision having their own celebrations in your home.

 

 

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING your Bay Area property, it is important you hire a real estate team of professionals with an extensive portfolio of home sales, a significant list of happy clients and a history of excellence.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT-FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Broker’s Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

 

By cortney
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