Rick Hughes, PA, Broker-Associate

 My husband and I had been doing volunteer work in Nicaragua for eight months and had come back to Atlanta to sell our condo and planned to return. Meanwhile, unrest started in Nicaragua and escalated to the point that we knew we couldn’t go back safely. So on June 5th, we were to close on our condo in Atlanta and we would be homeless. We were vacationing on Longboat Key and I started looking at homes in the Sarasota area. My agent in Atlanta reached out to get an agent for us from your company and it was Rick that contacted us, what a double blessing that was. We are not moneyed people but have high-end taste, poor Rick. I sent him some places we had found online and in about three hours we looked at eight, we know quickly if we are interested! The next day we went to see the one we ended up purchasing in Venice. He helped us with the negotiations on the price. He shined particularly bright in helping us to take occupancy before the closing by suggesting that we offer the seller a $10,000 nonrefundable deposit to go into the escrow account that we would forfeit if we backed out. It worked and we spent our first night on June 7th in the house and closed June 28th. The owner didn’t even ask for rent, unbelievable. For Rick, it wasn’t just about making the money.  He is smart, witty and takes the time to educate you when you don’t know something. My husband and I are both 71 years old and he treated us like we were related.  We thank you for giving us this opportunity to sing his praises.

I have known Rick for several years and have known his attention to detail. When I listed my home with him I took a chance since he had been working somewhere else prior to that. My experience with Rick was unbelievably fantastic. He actually came on his own time and cleaned the front of the bldg. to make it more appealing. Rick's due diligence showed me his knowledge and expertise because I received two offers within 24 hours. Since then, he sold the neighbor's condo as well within two days. He then found me my new home and absolutely love it. There are plenty of realtors in Sarasota but if you really want one that knows what they are doing and do the job beyond expectations, then call Rick. This is not a sales job, this is the reality of the situation. I wanted the house sold and it was DONE.

Without Rick’s expertise, insight and patience we might still be looking, instead of settling in.  Worse yet, we might have made poor decisions or a hasty purchase along the way.We started working with Rick in February of 2017, with limited time available due to our employment and our remote location in Chicago.  With Rick’s guidance we quickly narrowed our search to new construction in Lakewood Ranch.  Within a couple of months we had placed a deposit on a 3 bedroom single family home in Harmony Reserve and put our Chicago house on the market. Rick was indispensable in advising us regarding our options and serving as a sounding board about negotiating strategies most likely to succeed.  We appreciated and took advantage of his wealth of knowledge and unlimited willingness to help.I would unhesitatingly recommend Rick to friends and colleagues who are interested in learning about the area and the local housing market.  We now value Rick as a friend.