Donna Chen & Michael Frink
Where were you living prior to Charlottesville, and how did you begin your house hunting process?
We were in living in Austin, Texas. We began the house hunting process in Charlottesville by reading some local neighborhood guides about the area.
What made you choose Charlottesville?
We came to Charlottesville primarily for a job opportunity with UVA. When we visited, we fell in love with the natural beauty of the area.
How did you discover the neighborhood (where you eventually ended up buying), and what do you love about it?
Part of the reason we chose Charlotteville was to avoid the long commutes you end up with in larger metropolitan areas. But we also wanted to be in a good public school district for our preschooler to attend elementary in a few years. The Barracks/Rugby Hills area seem to offer the best combination for satisfying both requirements: short commute to UVA and a great elementary school.
What was your experience like working with the Sasha Farmer Team?
We were referred to the Sasha Farmer Team by a colleague in my department at UVA. The team has been exceptional since the first time we contacted them. Working with the Sasha Farmer Team is the complete package and doesn’t just start and stop with the signing of the closing papers. Though we were not first time buyers, I felt that the additional resources offered by the Sasha Farmer Team (referrals to service people, movers, reminders to switch utilities, reminders for Virginia-specific requirements as we approached closing) really helped us as newcomers to the area.
What was your journey like buying/selling your home?
Because we were fairly specific about location, we had a long house-hunting journey. We started working with Errin Searcy in March (while we still lived in Austin) and didn’t end up finding our house until October. We were thankful for Errin’s patience with us as we saw probably a couple dozen (or more!) houses.
What was the most stressful part of the real estate process?
Charlottesville has a fairly tight real estate market. House-hunting remotely proved to be a rather frustrating experience with multiple offers going in on a property that we weren’t able to even see in person. We decided to rent short term in Charlottesville first, and house-hunting while living in Charlottesville was a much easier process.
What was the best part of your real estate process?
Settling into our home! It has come with some challenges (as all older homes do), but we are happy to once again be making some place our home.
