Closed March 13, 2009

"This a quick note to say thank you so much Lanita in guarding, advising and being with us through our journey of purchasing our first house. My husband and I had just migrated from Australia and we had no idea how the system works here in USA. But you made the impossible possible. You were there whenever we needed you and was more than willing to clarify the jargon we did not understand. And most importantly that infectious smile and positive attitude of yours made the journey easier and exciting. We dont know how we could have done it without you, Lanita not only are you knowledgeable with the real estate market, your are the best person we have come across on both personal and professional level.. Your humility and honest beats us. We were priviledged to have you walk with us in this memorable journey. Keep up the good job, my husband and I would not hesitate to recommend you to anyone looking at buying a house. You were our best advocate and can never find the right words to say THANK YOU!!!!! GOD BLESS."

- Pam & George Nyamunduru, Naperville, IL

Closed February 13, 2009

"Whether LaNita or any other realtor is responsible for sales in the millions or billions of dollars or not, that in itself doesn’t impress me.

LaNita will work just as hard for you regardless of the price tag. Her work ethic and integrity shine through.

LaNita is focused as can be. LaNita never once answered an unsolicited call during any of the time we were working together, be it going to a house, viewing the house, or writing up an offer. If on the rare occasion I asked a question she didn’t have an answer to, she might call for clarification on it from the other agent. That would be the only time she was on the phone in my presence.

You don’t wonder if she’s on your side, you know it.

Due to economic circumstances, my price range changed somewhat during the course of the house hunting process, and LaNita completely understood it.

Since I don’t buy houses for any other reason than to live in, my experience with realtors is limited to 3 buys and two sells. That said, LaNita is the only one for me.

Had LaNita been selling homes at the time I put mine up for sale, I definitely would have signed up with her. Fortunately for you, she does now.

If and when I put my current home up for sale, I won’t consider anyone else.
"

- John Sankis, Plainfield, IL

Closed January 22, 2009

"Although it took me well over a year to decide on a house, Lanita stuck with me and was very helpful in finding what I was looking for. Being a first-time home buyer with a limited budget and limited buying power, the process was getting very discouraging without her.

She was willing to do whatever it took to find the perfect house for me and then make the deal go through.

She provided contacts to quality people for inspections, service providers and lenders.

I know I would not be living in my own house today if Lanita was not my agent."

- Cecelia Vollmer, Joliet, IL

Closed January 16, 2009

"Let me start by saying LaNita thank you so very much for helping us find a dream home. This whole experience has been surreal. We dreamed of finding a new 3000 sq. ft; 4 bedroom home with an office and a Jacuzzi tub but didn’t think it was possible in our low $200,000 price range. But thanks to you we found it! I want to also personally thank you for sending me listings for almost 2 years! Any other realtor would have written me off and said I wasn’t serious. I appreciate you taking me seriously early on and being such a good listener and for putting me in touch with Melissa Guerra. She is a fantastic mortgage broker and a real asset to your team. You guys are the best and my wife and I feel lucky to have known and worked with you."

- Jake & Nicole Normant, Monee, IL

Closed December 31, 2008

"I have just closed on my home and have to take a minute to thank LaNita and Melissa Guerra of American Fidelity for all their hard work in getting this done. It was no small task! I had very strict criteria for the home and a deadline to close by and they were able to help me find a home that fit all the criteria. LaNita looked at a couple of other places for me and had to do some extra leg work and calls to see if they would work. They kept in touch with the latest updates on my search as well as financing information.
These two ladies, together, made my dream a reality and Ididn't think it would happen many times. LaNita's philosophy is if it can happen, she will make it happen. She is not in the business of selling homes, she's in the business to make dreams come true. I would and will recommend this "team" to anyonee I know looking for a home!
Thank you LaNita and Melissa for not giving up on me and my dream!
Ever gratefully yours,"

- Lenore Wheeler, Joliet, IL

Closed September 25, 2008

"Easy and fun to work with. Genuine.

We first met LaNita approximately two years prior to putting our home on the market. We were undecided about moving and were just looking. During this time LaNita was extremely helpful and patient, but most importantly she was not pushy, provided us the information we asked for quickly and applied no pressure to our decision. Working with her is comfortable and stress free. She must have showed us 20 homes over these two years, tracked down information about the project in downtown Plainfield as well as details on the train schedule and the potential for increased train traffic. She is punctual and responsive; returning e-mails at all hours and always arriving earlier than us to view homes. It always felt like LaNita genuinely wanted us to get into a great home; yet never once attempted to influence or steer our decision process.

Professional and Smart.

LaNita understands the financial and market implications of this area. Her advice on asking price, sell price and bottom line turned out to be right on despite my efforts to challenge her at every possible point. I do not trust people easily, but I must say LaNita has earned my trust and respect in this regard. She set us up with an extremely competent lender (Melissa Guerra of American Fidelity Mortgage, North Aurora) who ended up saving us thousands of dollars with a lower interest rate by responding quickly to the government's decision to bail out mortgage lenders. When interest rates dropped temporarily, she acted independently and quickly to lock it at the lowest point.

Honest.

One thing we noticed in this process is that it would be very easy for two real estate agents to play two clients against each other and work the best deal for themselves. LaNita is not this type of agent. She is not going to play games and upset a deal over silly negotiating antics. Nor will she put the deal at risk by playing games as closing nears and bickering over small items. We never once felt like LaNita was working for anyone else but us and never once did she put the deal at risk.

She delivers.

1.) LaNita brought us our buyer in four weeks. Her advice on preparing the home was not only effective, but did not require us to remodel or fix every last thing. Her requests were realistic.2.) We had no glitches and the closing went perfectly. No last minute changes and the buyers financing was solid.3.) She helped us to save tens of thousands of dollars over the life of our mortgage while meeting all of our desires in the house we purchased. LaNita is high-energy, likes to get to know you and has good connections. She becomes your friend. If you want to sell your house fast, save thousands of dollars and make a new friend I can say from my experience that LaNita's approach worked perfectly for us."

- Steve & Toni Strepek, Plainfield, IL

Closed August 25, 2008

"We had the priviledge of working with LaNita on our search for a home when my husband's company transferred us to Illinois. She worked patiently with us for several months sending us hundreds of listings while we were trying to sell our current home. We were impressed with her knowledge of the market, insight and wise counsel. Since we weren't physically in the area, much of our communication was by email or phone. Seriously, I would email a question to LaNita and it was almost like she was sitting at her computer waiting, because not 10 minutes later, I would have a reply. We always felt that we were a top priority for her because of her follow-through and we found out first hand that she is genuinely dedicated to her clients. If we listed all the ways we were impressed with her this would turn into a novel instead of a testimonial. Long story short, we'd work with LaNita again in a heartbeat. Thanks again, LaNita!!"

- Larry & Dolly Briggs, Relocation to Morris, IL

Closed August 20, 2008

"It was a fluke that we found LaNita on-line. My fiance and I were looking for our first home together and we went on-line to try and find a realtor. For some reason I picked Lanita and I am so thankful I did. She is not your typical "realtor". She goes the extra mile and takes that extra step to make sure
you are happy. LaNita actually helps you out with closing "bothers" that any other realtor wouldn't. She definitely doesn't sit on the sidelines and wait for something to happen. She is proactive! She treats you like a friend and doesn't want you to make a mistake you are going to regret later. LaNita is very open and honest about everything and that's what I loved about her! If she saw a potential problem, she would bring it to your attention and ask you, "is this something you can live with? If so, great, if not, then we can keep looking". LaNita would never try to push you into a bad situation. LaNita made our first time home buying experience a great one! I would recommend LaNita to everyone I know!

Thanks again LaNita!"

- Shannon Thompson & Craig Skala, Joliet, IL

Closed June 26, 2008

"You have to go through a lot of emotions and speculations when buying a 1st home. As any other 1st time home buyer I have gone through this and I should say LaNita Cates as our agent was excellent and took good care of us with no surprises whatsoever at closing. She is backed with a excellent team that made things easy for us. She is very energetic, and patiently went through all the properties we were interested in. She was committed to us right till the end and she always had time for us whenever we required. She was open in expressing her views about a property and comparing each aspect of it with other properties we have gone over. It also helped us when she pointed out negatives of a particular house. Overall it was a great experience and we are happy with our new home."

- Madhuri Teegavarapu & Pavan Kumar, Aurora, IL

Closed May 9, 2008

"LaNita has been such a wonderful realtor that I wouldn't even call her that, but a friend. LaNita would never let me get into a situation she knew was not right, and was always honest and open in every situation. After my closing I had some issues with my house, I called her and she was more than willing to make sure everything was handled, but more than that, she made sure I was satisfied every step of the way. Thanks LaNita, you're the best!"

- Julie Wallin, Aurora, IL

Closed April 17, 2008

"LaNita braved the coldest days of last winter to help me find a home when I was unexpectedly told that my landlord was going to sell my rental. She was patient while I changed my search from pre-owned townhomes to single families. It was all worth the mega search, (we saw a lot of properties), because she guided me in my final offer when I probably would have paid more to close the deal--that's money saved for fixing up my new space! I would recommend her to friends; she's energetic and a straight shooter."

- Michele Tomeo, PhD, Happy homeowner in Plainfield

Closed April 10, 2008

"LaNita, I want to thank you again for taking my son under your wing & getting his first home. Since I live out of state I felt comfortable with you working with him and so did he. You worked with my son for a long time til he found the right house that was affordable for him. We worked hard this week fixing up his new home. The experience was great for him being a first time buyer. I will recommand you everyone.

Thanks again for your care, understanding, & patience during the whole time. It was great meeting you at the closing. Everything went smoothly."

- Justin's Mom, Justin Beer, Joliet, IL

Closed June 26, 2008

"You have to go through a lot of emotions and speculations when buying a 1st home. As any other 1st time home buyer I have gone through this and I should say LaNita Cates as our agent was excellent and took good care of us with no surprises whatsoever at closing. She is backed with a excellent team that made things easy for us. She is very energetic, and patiently went through all the properties we were interested in. She was committed to us right till the end and she always had time for us whenever we required. She was open in expressing her views about a property and comparing each aspect of it with other properties we have gone over. It also helped us when she pointed out negatives of a particular house. Overall it was a great experience and we are happy with our new home."

- Madhuri Teegavarapu & Pavan Kumar, Aurora, IL

Closed April 7, 2008

"Thank you for your help with our purchase. Working in the real estate business myself, I know how frustrating many transactions can be. With your professional attitude and dedication to your clients, we could not have asked for a more pleasant experience.

If every realtor was just a little like yourself, there would be a lot more closing that move along as smooth as ours did.

Again, thank you,"

- Tracy & Scott Pavlat, Lockport, IL

Closed April 4, 2008

"LaNita Cates is the best real estate agent ever. She spent a lot of time at the home I was purchasing just to make sure everything was going smoothly. We had so many problems getting the sellers to set everything up, but Lanita had everything under control. The seller told her that the water and gas was on of course, LaNita goes to the home to check no gas or water. She even call City of Joliet for the water department to come out. Once the water was on LaNita goes there to cut the water on Guess what? A waterfall pouring into the kitchen. We had to get a plumber to fix a couple of pipes due to the water being off during the winter months. She even had her husband trying to figure out the plumbing problem. She is intelligent, dedicated, detailed and very smart. She explained every step to me like I was going to be a Realtor myself. If I were you I would definitely pick her as my Realtor."

- Jerome Stone & Jacqueline Robinson, Joliet, IL

Closed March 3, 2008

"LaNita, thank you for all your help in our house hunting. We were a pain:) We are settled at last and we want to thank you for the gift card. We will put it to good use. We miss our days going house hunting with you! Thank you again, you made house hunting fun and we miss us getting together. We have given your name out to people that are thinking of moving. We are so glad we met you! God bless!"

- The Hensleys, Joliet, IL

Closed January 15, 2008

"I would like for anyone who is reading this to walk away with the knowledge that if you choose LaNita to help you with your real estate needs, you will indeed be receiving the very best that any agent has to offer.

My first introduction to LaNita was when she assisted my children with their purchase. I worked for the lawyer that my children used, and was in constant contact with LaNita who proved to be one of the top agents our office had dealt with. Her dedication to her clients proved unfailing.

When my family found themselves in the position of having to relocate my mother-in-law from Florida to Illinois , LaNita was the first person I thought to call. She graciously took my mother-in-law to see homes in the Illinois area and offered to assist with locating a realtor in Bonita Springs , Florida to sell her current residence.

LaNita not only searched for the Florida realtor for us, she went as far as to interview them and give us her opinion on which she thought might benefit us the most. LaNita’s lead found us working with a Florida agent who was able to have us under contract after two weeks on the market and closed after two short months in a real estate market viewed as the worst in years.

Without a doubt I would recommend LaNita to anyone who is looking for a real estate agent who is honest, energetic and truly cares about her clients. I look forward to working with LaNita on our upcoming purchase, and I hope that you will give LaNita a chance to help you as well. I am sure that you will not be disappointed."

- Tracy Pavlat, Justice, IL

Rental January 1, 2008

"I just thought I would write a few lines and bring to you some attention about one of your agents, LaNita Cates.

She has been helping me find a rental home and I might say was not an easy task. With personal financial issues and a few other things that got it our way she has found me a wonderful rental property in the exact location I wanted. She had gone beyond her point of duty to help me without a hesitation or question. I have had 2 back surgeries and unable to lift of get around that well and she even offered to help me pack! With agents like that in your office and on your team you should be proud of the things she has done for her clients. This is what will bring me back when I'm ready to buy a home and probably other return clients as well. She is a wonderful asset to your team and Remax. She personally cares about the people she is dealing with."

- Marie Guare, Plainfield, IL

Closed December 13, 2007

"LaNita, We are very thankful for everything you have helped us with. I don't think we could have found a better Realtor. Thanks a lot for helping us make our dream come true. In advance, we want to wish you and your family a happy Holiday full of health and happiness."

- Concha & Robert, Montgomery, IL

Closed November 28, 2007

"Never could I have imagined that finding that perfect place could be so easy; with LaNita it was. She is not only good at what she does, she is a good person. Friendly, professional, dedicated, understanding, talented, great listener and 100% invested in finding just what you are looking for. And did I mention dedicated. I felt as if she was only working with me. LaNita had no problem answering my questions and searching for my new home late into the night. On the phone, on the computer, or in person, any time of the day I needed help she was there.

Even now, several weeks since closing on my house, I have gone to LaNita several times with questions, and every time she has provided me with the assistance and guidance of a professional and a friend. I feel blessed to have had LaNita as a realtor and even more blessed to have LaNita as a friend. Going to anyone else for real estate could only be the 2nd best choice you'll have ever made.

Thank you LaNita."

- Brian Castle, Aurora, IL