Derek Leif

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Derek was amazing from beginning to end. I could not have made it through this without him! He was supportive ,knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to get my home sold. He truly cares about his clients and helping make people's dreams come true whether they are buying or selling a home. I have a recommend Derek to anyone who wants to work with a real estate agent that is honest hard-working and is there for you every step of the way!

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We had a great home buying experience with Derek. We were new to COS and didn't know a lot about the different neighborhoods or home specifics in the area. Derek had a lot of useful local knowledge and was very helpful in our home search. He gave us his honest opinion when we were touring homes and didn't think twice about climbing into any crawlspace to check out the quality of the structure. He helped us find a home that was in our budget and the size we were looking for. There were a few issues found during inspection that Derek quickly took action to have the seller resolve. We had a smooth closing and couldn't be happier with the entire process. Derek was quick to respond to any questions we had and kept us up-to-date on everything. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the area.

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Derek was wonderful to work with. His knowledge and willingness to share is exceptional. He has a way of explaining things that is easily understood. He also offered me several connections; lender, home owner insurance, construction worker. Always had my back and guided me in the right direction. When things got difficult he was there to support me, and get over every hurtle we encountered. Derek goes above and beyond for his clients, we even hiked thru 4 feet of snow once to see a property. His dedication and sense of humor I found most welcoming. Since closing he has continued to help; I truly appreciate and admire him not only as my agent but a wonderful person!

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Derek was an excellent communicator and provided transparency throughout the home selling process. He has local knowledge, expertise and knows what needs to be done in order to get buyers interested in a home. Of note, he is also extremely handy and willing to go the extra mile for his clients; he climbed on the roof and did a number of painting and handyman repairs himself that ultimately saved time and money in order to ensure closing dates were met. He was also available and would spend as much time as needed in order to talk through issues and provide unvarnished, objective assessments whenever needed. I would highly recommend working with Derek and the Johnson Team in Colorado Springs.

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Derek was wonderful to work with! He sent personalized recommendations every day, and tweaked them when I saw houses and noticed what I did or did not like about them. He always pointed out issues or things to consider as we looked at different houses. And when I found my new home, he walked me through the entire process from the offer to the house keys at signing. I wholeheartedly recommend Derek Leif if you are looking to buy in Colorado Springs or the surrounding towns!

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I highly recommend Derek Leif. He is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of home buying and selling, well connected, easy to work with, responsive, and professional. He represented us as both a buyer and seller. He especially shined in his role of selling our old home in the Briargate area, where he made sound recommendations for cost effective improvements and upgrades that significantly increased the selling price of our home at minimal cost to us. He has a great network of handymen, painters, roofers, plumbers, carpet installers, etc., that all performed high quality work for very reasonable prices. Derek was proactive throughout the buying and selling processes and stayed on top of every detail. I wholeheartedly recommend Derek to anybody looking to buy or sell a home.

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Derek was extremely patient with all of my questions and helped me navigate the necessary things that needed done for this property. He helped order the proper inspection and made sure those items were taken care of. He explained the paperwork thoroughly. He was also so friendly and professional.

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Derek impressed us the day we interviewed five realtors to assist us in selling my moms house because of his energy, because he was the one most willing to help us sell as-is, and because, since we lived out of town, he would not put this sale on the back burner. Our faith in him proved to be well deserved. The Saturday prior to listing, he enhanced the houses curb appeal by trimming trees with his chain saw and mowing the front yard on his own time. When we accepted a contract from a buyer who was working with one of his teammates, he informed us that he had to work as a transaction broker. In this role, he was extremely responsive in keeping us up to date with the inspection and financing deadlines. As the closing date drew near, there were some concerns about whether the buyer was going to close or not. Derek kept us informed and helped us create Plan B just in case. It proved to be necessary. The first buyer breached the contract and lost their earnest money. Derek mowed the front yard again and started showings the next day. He had already contacted people who had made offers previously and two of them made new offers. Two new buyers also made offers and this time things went through fine. He continued working with us and the buyers to honor the as-is requirement in the contract and we ended up getting an offer that exceeded the original by $3,500. We believe Dereks energy and time commitment helped us get a much better deal than we could have on our own. We believe that you could not find a better agent to represent you as you look to sell or buy a home.

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The purchase of our new home? On a whim, we called Derek one afternoon to show us a house. It was popular as other buyers were coming and going during our showing. Although the price was out of reach from what we thought we could afford, Derek assured us our old house could be sold for 80-90% of what the new house cost. We put a non-contingent offer on this unique and amazing property, and it was accepted. It was a leap of faith and trust in Derek. He did not disappoint. We were not ready - Emotionally, Financially, or Experientially. Derek stood by us. He was our steadfast agent during the buying of our new property. He found us a remarkable mortgage agent (Mike Harms of Bay Equity), negotiated favorable concessions after inspection, and gave confidence throughout the buying process. All in all ? we got a great deal. We live on the edge of paradise. It is truly a dream home. But then, we owned two homes and two mortgages, and if we didn?t sell the old home, financial consequences would be severe. Derek responded with amazing speed and professionalism. The sale of old customer? There were headwinds. Interest rates were at 30-year highs. The summer selling season was coming to an end. The economy was teetering. Real Estate news wasn?t great. A similar house up the street was offered for $35k less that what we were asking. But this is where Derek shined. He created a plan of action. He gave us a punch list of things we could do to help improve the marketability of the house. He helped us get these things done. He helped empty the old house. Derek arranged for staging ? a transformation that really made the house pop. Derek teased the house to fellow agents. By the time the listing hit the market, two weeks after we closed on Ruststone, there was a buzz and demand. Derek hosted two openhouses, Friday and Saturday. The traffic through the house was strong. Derek spoke to each prospective buyer. In the end, we took the best contract from a buyer who visited the house several times. The buyer presented a full-price offer with a short close window. Optimism abounded and we felt we could breathe again. The process from contract to closing was smooth because of Derek. The buyers were earnest and focused on safety issues during inspection. We wanted the buyers to be as ecstatic with their new house as we are with our new house. Derek gave us the direction and leadership the deal needed to close. Then, in a blink of an eye, one month after closing on the new house we signed the documents that closed the 29-year run of living in the old house. The equity was transferred from the old to the new. Now, for a small price, we live and love in a dream house, on a mountainside. Thank you, Derek, for making this happen. There is no way any other agent could have negotiated the transactions with the deft skill and empathy that you did. You improved our lives, and we are forever indebted to you.

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We viewed quite few homes, and Derek?s honest insight helped us find the perfect house for us. He knew what we were looking for and ensured us that he would find exactly what we wanted. Our closing process was not perfect due to some delays with the seller, but Derek handled everything throughout the entire process and ended up getting us more than we had planned for. If you are looking for a realtor that actually listens to your concerns and takes action to get you what you are looking for, Derek is the perfect fit for you. We would recommend Derek to anyone looking to purchase a home.