Napa Valley Neighborhoods
A Napa Valley Real Estate Resource

Daniel M. Jonas, GRI
Broker Associate
Realtor^®

I will provide you useful information early on that will help you effectively and efficiently conduct your Real Estate process.  When we first meet, my clients all get information pertinent to their requirements.  I just need a few minutes on the phone or through email prior to that meeting to have the information ready.  The information might include a Comparative Market Analysis, current listings, or other information or advice that will help focus your individual process.  If appropriate, a binder is provided to give my clients a consistent place to keep the information, make notes, and to make it easier to add or subtract information as the process evolves.

Priorities

I like to schedule an initial meeting to get acquainted and determine your real estate requirements.  If you are a Real Estate Buyer we will spend some time talking about your desires and the community.  Some Real Estate Buyers are very familiar with various neighborhoods and others are completely new to town.   I find that it is very important to understand your perceptions regarding the community and your goals as we focus the property search.

If you are Selling Real Estate then I want to understand your perceptions of the market, your financial goals in the transaction, and help you program the responsibilities and expectations during and beyond the sale.

In either situation, you will benefit from becoming familiar with my Napa Valley Neighborhoods statistical report and the utilization of some of the special tools and services I've developed for my clients.

What Differentiates Us?

Like any profession there are a handful of really good real estate agents you can use who differentiate themselves through experience, depth of knowledge and good work.  They exemplify themselves in that they utilize these qualities to provide you the necessary understanding to make excellent decisions as your real estate transaction or marketing progresses. .

Some agents will emphasis the size of the firm and market share.  While I may be biased (working with a small firm), in our market, I'm not sure it makes any difference.  Once a property is listed, every agent with any interest in working has the knowledge of and access to the listing.  In fact, working with a large firm will make it more likely that you will have to make a decision about dual agency.  When your transaction is handled as a dual agency you have to have absolute confidence in the integrity of your representation.

You should work with someone who is responsive to your needs.  You should feel comfortable with the answers and explanations you receive right from the start.  If everything is always perfect, get suspicious.  Not one of us has the ability to answer all questions without doing some research.  This is particularly true regarding issues surrounding zoning, use, and legality of additions or structures.  If you are getting answers without that research, chances are the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or just plain wrong.  Too many agents tell you what they think, rather than what they know.  Some don't even know what they don't know.

My entire working career has been in real estate.  This experience goes far beyond the process of selling properties.  When we work together, you are getting someone who understands much more than the process of transactions. I have acquired, designed, built and sold real estate.  I have spent years working both the applicant and decision maker sides of real estate projects.  I know the nuances, and I know when, and more importantly, what and who to ask to get the correct answers.

A recent example of this relates to a property being marketed as able to support a certain number of homes.  I had a client inquire about the property and we went to view it.  While there, I noticed that there were configuration issues with developing the property that seemed in conflict with the number of homes the listing agent indicated were possible.  A call to the listing agent revealed that they had asked at the planning department regarding the number of lots allowed under the general plan.  The answer was the number they were marketing.  Unfortunately, the listing agent did not ask the correct questions, because under the zoning code and relevant development standards, the property would support one less home than the general plan allowed.  The listing agent did not understand the process well enough to know to ask these additional questions.

You want to be working with an agent who gets it.  I've talked clients out of proceeding with transactions where the information coming back was not acceptable.  While it was often a difficult decision for them, I don't know of a single one who regretted the decision.

Take the time to think about who you want to have helping you.

Watching Out For You

I look for properties each day for my clients.  In a fast moving market you need someone who spends part of each day reviewing existing and new listings, contacting other agents, or out-reaching in search of the appropriate properties.  I can communicate property information to clients by phone, email, fax, or regular mail, depending upon their time requirements and/or capabilities.  My Listings are actively marketed through the Multiple Listing Service, Distinctive Properties, and Newspaper Ads.

Service does not stop with a Listing Agreement or Purchase Contract.  You will have the help that you require to make thoughtful decisions as the Purchase or Sale of your Real Estate progresses.  I will help arrange all inspections and be present during the inspections.  I want first hand knowledge of the inspection results and I want to be able to follow-up with questions on the spot regarding any issue  I will meet the appraiser if one is required, and provide comparable sale information to help with that process.  We will have detailed discussions about the results of any inspections prior to the release of inspection contingencies.

Best of all, I'm around after the sale too.  I encourage all my clients to call me prior to performing any post purchase maintenance or alterations.  I have extensive experience in construction and will provide whatever advice I can to make sure that you specify the work correctly, that you can manage the work, hire the right people, and get the job completed.  I have saved my clients money after the sale with this help.

Having somewhere to turn after the sale is a big bonus to my clients, but frankly, it is self serving too.  Someday you may want to sell the home that you are in and I want to be the only name you think of to complete that process.  And, the last thing I want to do when that occurs, is to have to tell you about the things we will have to disclose or fix because work was performed incorrectly. 

If you are ready to start shopping for a home, or already are, you should have already contacted a mortgage broker or banker.  If you do not already have a relationship with a mortgage broker, I can arrange that for you.  You will find my primary recommendations on the Mortgage Links page.   These professionals will provide you with straight answers regarding your mortgage requirements.

My philosophy is simple, and has guided my work for many years....I provide every client with the care and service that I would expect if I were entrusting them to help me with the biggest purchase or sale of my life.  I enjoy my work, and with rare exceptions, I enjoy my clients.  I've lived in Napa my entire life and have great respect for the relationship between business integrity and continued success.