YouInParkCity Testimonial - S.O., Dallas TX

The following is provided as a testimonial regarding my experience working with the YouInParkCity Group in Park City, Utah.

In the spring of 2011, my wife and I were searching for a second home, primarily in Colorado. (Notably, we are from Texas and the majority of Texans have second homes in Colorado and therefore our search began there). After two potential sales in Colorado fell through—one for land and the other for an existing home—we focused our efforts outside of Colorado and on Utah. Our refocus on Utah was driven by several consistent factors that kept coming up while we were searching in Colorado: first, we were frequently told by friends, including fellow Texans who apparently are starting to venture beyond Colorado, that we should look at Park City because of the accessibility of the town and the quality of skiing; second, the abundance of summer activities including golf (important to me); third, the quality of the food and shopping in and around Park City; fourth; the convenience of having a major city so close to a second home; fifth, the overall value of Park City relative to other resort towns.

My first contact with the YouInParkCity.com group came via the internet, as I simply googled ”Park City” and “Real Estate” and after  reviewing the quality of several firms’ websites, I chose to contact someone  at YouInParkCity. I chose several potential properties and dialed the main number. Rob Harris answered the phone. Roughly six months later we closed on a property. What transpired during this sixth month period is the basis for this testimonial.

Despite have only met over the phone, with little background on my wife or me and without having signed a contract with YouInParkCity, Rob answered every call I made immediately or, on the rare occasion when he wasn’t immediately available, he would always email or call back within a matter of minutes. Admittedly, the properties I initially chose ran the gamut of locations—golf course properties, near town, outside of town, and on the mountain. Despite my lack of knowledge and a solid Idea as to location, Rob listened intently during each of our conversations in an effort to better understand what I really was looking for. To be fair we really didn’t know what we wanted. Nonetheless our conversations evolved—thanks to Rob—into a more focused search for style and from there location, as it was clear that we had a certain taste and, absent a real sense of location, this seemed to be the best starting point.

After several weeks (literally) of numerous calls, my wife and I flew out to Park City and, given the aforementioned lack of knowledge, we essentially looked at all but a handful of locations, again with a focus on style. We left our initial foray into Park City with a tremendous number of options but not the right home. At this point, Rob mentioned the idea of building and, despite the reduced potential commission on the sale of land versus an existing home, Rob always kept this as an option, as he sensed we really were after a very specific style.

The next several months were a series of quick weekend trips and numerous phone conversations. Rob’s patience was unwavering and at times he seemed indefatigable, as our focus was constantly shifting and admittedly inconsistent. Every time we got close to making an offer some detail or last minute issue would invariably force us to refocus our search. At no time did Rob appear impatient or frustrated. I truly got the sense that he wanted to help us make the best decision, realizing that this decision might not be an immediate one and may in fact involve building rather than buying a home. Finally, we narrowed the search to a home and a piece of land. Before making an offer on each, Rob spent extensive time researching comparables and truly gave us a plethora of information from which to make our decision. Ultimately, we made an offer on both—one oral (as a means of determining interest in selling) and the other written. In the end, neither materialized and by mid July we decided to postpone our search until the spring of 2012. Rather than being frustrated, Rob was fully supportive of the decision and, in fact, counseled us (selflessly) in this direction.

Resigned to a renewed search next year, Rob and I still maintained fairly constant phone contact, primarily to keep tabs on the ephemeral real estate market, not only on Park City but seemingly everywhere. Almost out of nowhere, we received a call from Rob saying he thought he found the perfect home, both stylistically and locale. We flew back into Park City and, despite loving the home, we began the arduous part of the process, ensuring that immediate value was there and also trying to assure that future value was analyzed.

In the end, we bought the house and couldn’t be happier. It is worth noting that several times during the negotiation it appeared that the deal wasn’t going to happen. Not once did Rob seem frustrated of dismissive. He kept calm and was ultimately guided by the fact that it was our decision and his role was merely to give us his informed opinion. Even after the sale, Rob continues to help us with local recommendations for all the things that go into maintaining a second home in a ski area—snow removal, cleaning, minor repairs, furnishings, ski equipment, etc.

Why have I chosen to write this letter? As lifelong professionals in the service industry my wife and I are consistently dismayed by the lack of service, selflessness, and attention that the market seems to offer. Throughout our lives we have made several major purchases—homes, art, cars etc. – and we have never received the effort and professionalism that Rob and YouInParkCity delivered for us during the purchase of this home. If you are looking for knowledge of the Park City real estate market, honesty and integrity then Rob Harris and the YouInParkCity group is the first call you should make.

S.O.
Attorney, Dallas, Texas