We’ve always believed in the power of building a community.
For us, “community” has come in multiple forms: Our church. Our neighborhood. Our business. Our family. Our friends.
In so many places, we’ve built countless relationships that have helped to shape us into the people we are today.
And, in some cases, our worlds collide. Occasionally, the people we’ve valued for so long as friends eventually become our clients.
That was the case with Pat and Regina. We first met them years ago through a trusted networking group, and we quickly hit it off.
It was an honor to finally guide them on their homebuying journey, and Pat was kind enough to share his experience as a homebuyer working with us for the first time.
Here are his thoughts and observations:
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I’d always wondered how Julie and Ted made things work as a real estate team and couple.
Sure, we’d been long-time friends before we started working together, and I had a vague idea of how they generally divided work responsibilities, but I’d never seen them in action before.
And as my wife, Regina, and I stepped into the ultra-competitive buying landscape of 2025, they proved themselves an impressive one-two punch of deep industry knowledge, tech-driven operations, and outstanding customer service.
Working On Tight Deadlines
I’ll be honest: We weren’t always easy to work with. We approached Julie and Ted in early April of 2025, with a goal to be fully moved out of our apartment by the end of May.
The timing wasn’t in anyone’s favor, but Julie and Ted were willing to take on the challenge. “If you’re motivated enough,” they said, “it’s possible to make it happen.”
After the initial paperwork was in place, they sat us down for a lovely evening of homemade pizza, laughter with their kids, and an exploration of the impressive Compass software. Julie took detailed notes on what we wanted in a home, then carved out strict boundaries based on our criteria.
As the system began generating results on a daily basis, Regina and I marked our favorites and commented on features we loved or hated—which Julie and Ted quickly responded to.
And when it came time to start touring, Julie and Ted were incredibly accommodating. Weekends, weekdays—whenever worked for us, they made it happen (even if we brought along our fussy two-year-old).
Those tours only deepened my appreciation for both of them as professionals.
Ted, I learned, has benefited from years of flipping homes, giving him a realistic idea of pricing for repairs, replacements, and renovations. He has a quick but thorough eye for spotting potential issues, and a knack for explaining them in layman terms.
Julie is much the same. She takes a calm, educational approach to homes. She allowed us the freedom to explore uninterrupted, then asked for our thoughts before calling out any concerns she had—all of which were explored in an honest but diplomatic manner.
Keeping Us In Good Hands
At every step of the journey, Julie and Ted advocated for us.
For example, at the beginning of our journey, we were dead-set on finding a home with a big yard and plenty of off-street parking. But after looking at a couple dozen homes, we somehow fell in love with one on a quiet side street with a small yard and a tiny parking pad partially blocked by a telephone pole.
When we told Julie and Ted we wanted to put an offer in, they congratulated us—but they also referred to our initial conversations to ensure we were certain about our choice and that we weren’t making a rushed decision by making too many concessions.
While we loved the house and wanted to proceed, we appreciated their attention to detail.
Soon after, we learned Julie is an ace negotiator. After cutting countless deals, Julie knew where to give and take during negotiations—especially around our preferences as future homeowners.
While we were satisfied with the initial round of negotiations, there were a few items we would have loved to add after our inspection. With that, Julie helped us knock even more money off our closing costs while also securing a few extra last-minute repairs!
And speaking of inspections… Julie and Ted have built a wide network of personable, professional individuals. Everyone we met in their sphere of influence mirrored many of the same qualities we appreciate in Julie and Ted as our friends: honesty, integrity, and communication.
No matter who they referred us to, we were always in good hands.
Always There
Through everything, perhaps the moment we appreciated most of all was near the finish line. We had a preliminary agreement in place, and we were nearing our final home inspection.
I was excited, but Regina was suddenly unsure. We were moving quickly, and deciding on this home also meant rejecting dozens of other opportunities all over Pittsburgh.
It was 6:30 PM, and she was beginning to rethink everything. “Maybe we should call Julie,” we said. Regina rang her up, and Julie quickly answered. Regina listed every single concern she had, and Julie listened to all of them.
Once Regina finished, Julie responded line by line, offering unbiased advice to each concern, concluding: “This is a big decision. The most important thing is that you feel happy and confident with it.”
She then recommended we take another look at the house and take a walk through the neighborhood to get a feel for the community.
It was exactly the right advice.
The next day, we drove to the house and walked along the sidewalks in every direction, and we were blown away by how friendly and talkative everyone was. It gave us the final bit of confidence we needed to double-down on our decision.
And we’ve loved this home ever since.
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If you’re ready to start your own homebuying journey, contact us! We’ll help you find the perfect home for your goals and budget. Or take a look at our blog, where we cover everything from buying and selling to remodeling and renovations.