By Celeste McLaughlin
When it comes to real estate expertise and the knowledge and skills that come from years of closing successful real estate transactions, RE/MAX First In Real Estate (in Tampa Palms) Realtors Amani Warden, Kay Lehmer, Dave Devaney and Linda Thrasher-Donalson (who also is a licensed Real Estate Broker) are all among the New Tampa area’s premier real estate advisors.
Amani explains that, although the group isn’t technically a “team,” the four veteran licensed Realtors, “do support each other in marketing efforts,” she says. “We each work independently and have our own clients, but we are there for each other so that our clients can get four professional opinions for the price of one.”
They calculate that they have a combined 70 years of experience. All four realtors are long-time New Tampa residents, with Amani, Kay, and Dave living in Hunter’s Green and Linda in Tampa Palms. The four also have all earned awards from RE/MAX for being among the company’s agents with the highest volume of sales worldwide.
In fact, in 2013 (the awards for 2014 have not been presented yet, Dave earned the Hall of Fame Award, achieved by fewer than 22 percent of all RE/MAX agents. Kay and Linda both earned the Executive Club Award, which is achieved by fewer than 19 percent of all RE/MAX agents. And Amani earned the Platinum Club Award, which is awarded to less than six percent of the RE/MAX agents worldwide!
Amani says she started in the real estate business in Connecticut nearly 20 years ago, and that she has been in the business in New Tampa since 2002. Kay started in real estate working for a builder in Hunter’s Green, then moved to Cory Lake Isles with another builder and got her general real estate license in 1998.
Kay and Amani worked together inside Hunter’s Green at a boutique real estate office, First In Real Estate. “When the market started turning (in 2008), our entire office joined the RE/MAX family,” Kay explains. “RE/MAX is a worldwide company and has many assets to help their agents. We get referrals through our network and also get national exposure through the advertising that they do. It is a great company to work for.”
RE/MAX, which says its agents sell, on average, double the real estate of professionals at other companies, has 89,000 agents worldwide, nearly 5,000 in Florida, and 405 in Tampa. Amani, Kay, Linda and Dave all are based at the office in the Shoppes at the Pointe plaza (next to Ciccio’s Cali).
Linda has been a licensed Realtor since 1986 and has been a Broker since 2009. Early in her career, she says she worked for builders, and started in general real estate in 1995. She also has been an investor in residential and commercial real estate since 1987, and says she married into a “real estate family” in 2001. Her husband has been in title insurance for 35 years, and her sister, stepdaughter, sisters-in-law, and others in her family work in related fields. Linda’s son is her assistant.
The long-time group used to include Eleanor Oliver, who retired and moved out of the area, so Dave was approached to join the three women. They thought he would be a great fit, since he is one of their office’s top producers. Dave regularly works in South Tampa and brings a wealth of information for people (especially those in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel) who may want to move to that area. He is a USF graduate who has been with RE/MAX for 18 years, and has been in real estate for more than 30 years.
The group’s respect for each other is readily apparent. “If I were selling my house,” says Dave, “I’d hire Amani to help me. She’s a good negotiator, and I’d want someone like her in my corner to represent me.”
He says being part of the group of four has been a positive thing for him and his clients. “It’s good to share our experience,” he says, “and have someone to bounce ideas off of. Especially when a property is unique, having more than one professional opinion is an advantage.”
Linda agrees. “We are a well-rounded team, and all of us have a lot of experience,” she says. “There’s not one of us who is new in the field.”
She notes that their different backgrounds – and the fact that they are comfortable with real estate transactions throughout the Tampa Bay area – are all assets to their clients. “We are all willing to go beyond New Tampa, and we enjoy doing it.” For example, Linda also regularly lists and sells homes along the Pinellas County beaches.
The four assure clients that they are truly a one-stop residential real estate shop. If people who live in New Tampa are interested in moving to South Tampa or buying a home at the beach, they can help with that transition. “We make it all happen for them out of this office,” says Dave, “from selling their home here to buying one there.”
The office also is affiliated with a warranty company, a real estate attorney, an in-house lender and title company, along with a new construction department, property management and rental department. This streamlines all of the services buyers and sellers need into one location.
“The market is starting an upswing and houses are starting to move again,” says Kay. “New construction has taken off and there are many new neighborhoods opening. There are some new lender programs that are starting that are helping first time buyers and the interest rates are still pretty good now for anyone looking to make the move.”
In fact, Kay says the number of single family homes that have sold in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel neighborhoods during the first six weeks of this year are higher when compared with the same time period last year. For example, in Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Grand Hampton and Cory Lake Isles, 28 homes have sold since January 1, 2015, compared with 19 during the same period last year. In Wesley Chapel (zip code 33543), 69 homes have closed so far this year, compared with 33 last year, although Kay explains that many of these Wesley Chapel homes are new construction in communities like the new Estancia at Wiregrass (see pg. 12 of this issue).
How About New Homes?
“If you’re considering buying a new construction home, you still need your own Realtor,” says Dave. “When you go into a model home, you’re dealing with a Realtor who represents the seller. It surprises me to see the number of people who go to closings without any representation.”
“People think if you go into a new construction home without a Realtor you will save money, but it’s just not true,” Amani adds. “Builders have a separate ‘pot’ of money to pay Realtors, and they actually prefer to deal with clients who have representation, because the whole process is much smoother.”
She notes that a Realtor can help you understand the many pitfalls of the process. They say that most people don’t realize the mistakes they made when they bought until they go to sell their home years later.
“We’re going to help you understand the return on investment on your upgrades,” says Amani. “For example, there are currently six levels of granite you can choose from. If you go all the way to the highest level, and spend quadruple what basic granite costs, you’re not going to make that money back when you go to sell your home. I want my clients to have their dream homes, but it’s my job to make sure they’re informed so they’re not surprised later. I tell them to think of that splurge on an upgrade like a toy — something for them to enjoy that’s not necessarily an investment.”
A Focus on Relationships
Amani says that the real estate business is all about relationships. “It can be emotional,” she says. “When people buy a home, these are really important milestones for them. Often they’re getting married, or their families are growing, or they’re becoming empty nesters. Sometimes they’re divorcing, or have experienced a death in the family. It’s such an honor, and makes this job really rewarding, to be involved with people during any of these experiences.”
Bill Watson and his wife Lori live in K-Bar Ranch, in a home Amani recently helped them purchase. They were ready to downsize, so they looked to Amani to help them sell the home in Arbor Greene that they had purchased with her help when they originally relocated to New Tampa from Ohio in 2008.
“Amani is just wonderful,” says Bill, who says he has referred his friends and two daughters to Amani. He explains that his youngest daughter Sara spent two years and made more than 20 offers while trying to purchase a home in this area. She kept losing out to cash buyers. But, Amani stepped in and spoke with the sellers about a home she was interested in to tell them Sara’s story. She convinced them to sell to Sara instead of a cash investor, and Sara was finally able to close the deal and own her own home.
“She was tireless in helping our daughter,” Bill says. “Amani worked just as hard for a $125,000 home as she did for a $400,000 home. She literally changed our daughter’s life because Sara was so disillusioned and started feeling like she might never get a house. But, Amani fought for her and now she’s in a great home.”
Amani explains, “Selling real estate goes way beyond selling houses. I consider it a privilege to be involved in one of the most important decisions in people’s lives. I don’t take it lightly.”
She and her colleagues say that when they know what a family’s needs are, they have the expertise to help them make the best decision, depending upon what’s going on in the market.
They say once they understand what a client is trying to accomplish, they can give him or her advice on how to meet their goals. Sometimes, that decision is to rent instead of buy, or maybe they need to consider a short sale, or maybe now just isn’t the right time to sell. For expert advice on your individual circumstances, contact Amani, Kay, Dave or Linda. And be sure to see their ad on page 30 of this issue.
RE/MAX First In Real Estate is located at 17010 Palm Pointe Dr., in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms. To learn more about these unique Realtors, call Amani (731-7673), Linda (310-5120), Kay (416-3099), or Dave (310-5120).
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