Our Rave Reviews

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

These are reviews that some of our happy clients posted on Yelp about Preferred Realty and Loan.

We take our customer satisfaction seriously and we always try to keep it fun.

Preferred Realty and Loan agents Sky Minor and Rachel Mintz

Reviews from Yelp.com

REVIEW FROM JONATHAN R.
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- Jonathan R.
- Music in the Digital age.... Just ask me!
- Los Angeles, CA
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7/15/2008First to Review
I've never encountered another real estate agent with more concern for getting the best house for ME, at exactly the right time with a killer interest rate on my mortgage. Sky's been infinitely patient and aided me in searching for exactly what i want in a house as well as advising me on the exact moment to by. It's a true no pressure approach and the man understands the housing/loan market better than anyone I've ever encountered. I can tell some of the other agent's I worked with before I found Sky are only interested in a quick commission pushing you to make offers on houses that don't even make sense... Or not putting in any legwork at all! Seriously, i didn't make an offer on anything for the first five months I was shopping with Sky and it was at his urging because he felt the market was still dropping! Now I'm looking at buying an AMAZING house for cheaper than I ever Imagined....

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
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REVIEW FROM TYLER P.
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- Tyler P.
- Los Angeles, CA
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7/21/2011
No one likes long Yelp reviews right?

I'll make it simple: if you're even THINKING about buying a house (especially on the East Side), give Sky a call. Just do it... thank me later.

If you have more time to read specifics, however...

Pros (in order of importance):

-Sky likes a good bargain (being active in real estate himself)... and that translates very well with investment savvy clients like myself. This is incredibly important. A lot of agents (95% of them) won't go the extra mile and take the risk and submit an offer for a dangerously low price because it means less commission for them, and it could cost them the deal. They'd rather just make excuses as to why the house is "worth" the ask price and not make an effort. Not so with Sky... he'll go to bat for you and has a talent for throwing around ball park numbers with the seller's agent to find out where the absolute floor is, ie where you're almost spitting in the seller's face. Sounds crude, but that's all potentially future money you'll be paying out of YOUR paycheck, right? We ended up taking 15% off the ask price after several negotiations, which is pretty good.

-Seems like the guy genuinely enjoys his job, and that he's done pretty well in real estate himself (owns multiple units), so there is a readily apparent feeling of "doing it for fun" that goes a long way towards not making you feel pressured to do anything you don't feel like doing because he's likely not THAT dependent on the commission. He's also genuinely fun to be around and has a redeeming sense of humor, not like other stuffy agents.

-A "knock your door down" professional across all levels. Half the time, my wife and I were done for the day, but he always had more suggestions to go look at. Even though we ultimately bought one of the first houses we saw, there were a few that we saw in the later stages that that very well could have been veritable backups had our primary fallen through. That means a lot to a buyer, to have options.

-Supremely more tech savvy than any other agent (which is important... up to the minute automatic updates on market moves and new listings in your exact desired market, and lightning fast with emails).

-Knows the market unbelievably well (I mean, laughably well... ie pointing out new trends in housing, and several houses that were done by same developer that look 100% alike, even though 10+ miles apart)

-Last but not least, free lunch 8)

Cons:

-None. Absolutely none.

I would advise you call him soon, though, because his weekends are starting to fill up.
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REVIEW FROM MICHELLE C.
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- michelle c.
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- Los Angeles, CA
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12/1/2009
Driving around looking at open houses, I came across one of Sky's listings. As soon as he heard I would be going the FHA route, he was straight-up and said why that house wasn't for me. We got to chatting and it seemed like we had a similar mindset, plus he liked my tokidoki bag...which meant he had decent taste :) I wanted a multi-family property and my previous realtor had told me it would be near impossible to find in the areas I wanted (Eagle Rock/Highland Park). I don't think "impossible" exists in Sky's vocabulary.

So...5 offers later, about 20 houses walked-through and a 30 day escrow that turned into almost 60 (thanks to my lender going out of business mid-stream and Wells Fargo losing my file for a couple days), I have the multi-unit property I wanted, have my first renter and am moving into my unit this weekend...all before my first mortgage payment is due.

Sky found the property for me less than 3 days after it hit the market. We made an offer immediately and, thankfully, it was accepted. He's really up on technology...makes it easy to keep track of files when they're digital and texting/email is so much more efficient than faxes and voicemail. And in this market, a couple of hours lag could be costly as to whether you get that offer in or not.

If not for Sky, the process would have literally made me INSANE. He stepped up while my first lender disappeared (while I was out of the country, no less) and found another one with an amazing interest rate. He rolled with the punches when I melted down because of all the FHA hoops we had to jump through.

This is serious grown-up stuff, but Sky isn't stuffy and uptight. He's the right balance between professional and chill.

In the end, he got me exactly what I wanted and I'm still kind of stunned that I am an actual homeowner now!
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REVIEW FROM NATASHA S.
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- Natasha S.
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- Los Angeles, CA
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1/10/2010
I second everything Michelle C. says. Couldn't have said it better myself...from the great use of technology to not knowing the word impossible. Sky is no stuffy real estate agent, but he is a man that knows his stuff and that's what you want when you delve into this crazy house buying business. My husband and I knew we wanted to buy in the Highland Park/Eagle Rock area, and it was really refreshing to have an agent who knew the area so well and genuinely loves that part of LA like we do! Bottom line is we felt heard throughout the process, we were guided well, and we got the house. Couldn't have asked for anything more in an agent. Thanks Sky & Rachel!!!
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REVIEW FROM YOUNGMI O.
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- Youngmi O.
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- Glendale, CA
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3/8/2010
I found Sky through yelp and contacted him b/c we were contemplating listing our residential property and wanted to get some numbers on what we could realistically expect from the current market. Sky responded quickly and was extremely courteous and professional. Unfortunately, we decided not to sell right now but when we do, we'll be sure to contact Sky for assistance. I'd recommend him to others in the area. Thanks Sky!
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Bruce M.

La Cañada Flintridge, CA

6/5/2011

highly recommended!!!!

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Bijou S.

Beverly Hills, CA

5/6/2011

When we begun the housing search we'd tried a friend's real estate agent and to say I was less than impressed is to severely understate the issue. So I got on line and did what I do best - research! I found Sky and Rachel through Yelp, they sounded like the kind of people I'd want to work with and sent over an email right away. I got a quick email back and we were in business!

Throughout the entire 9 month process Sky and Rachel were always available, very knowledgeable, super tech savvy, which I appreciate to no end (can you imagine receiving multi-page faxes every single time you put in an offer?) ick, fun, friendly, and they made the entire process as pain free as it could get given that we had some.......let's call them challenges.......with the seller.

Fast forward to last week when we got the call that it.was.done. I felt like a ninja should have appeared a la Mortal Kombat and said "House Acquired!". Fun times. Thanks to Sky and Rachel, we'll be in our very first home before BBQ season, and that ladies and gents is why Sky and Rachel are the BEST.

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chanokko r.

Los Angeles, CA

11/6/2010

I found Sky online when I was looking for a house in Highland Park. He seemed to be pretty active in the area that I wanted to be in so I called him up. He was very nice and answered questions for almost 30 minutes. He told me what I needed to to do to buy my own house, which I had read online but it was easier to understand when someone is personally explaining it. I had already gotten pre-approved for a mortgage so we went looking for houses the next weekend and we saw 12 in one day, which really gave me a good idea of what was on the market and how much variation there is between houses. Sky does not waste time in showing people houses! We wrote two offers but both of them were beat out by all-cash buyers, which Sky said is common in this down real estate market. The next time we went out we saw nine more houses. I put an offer in on two more and one of them got accepted. Going into escrow was an intimidating thing because I did not expect the huge amount of paperwork that has to be filled out. Sky told me in plain English what everything meant and explained the significance of all of the papers. We got the house inspected and we found some problems. I was worried about it but Sky told me what steps would be taken to correct the problems, and what we would ask the seller to credit us for. We ended up getting more money back from the seller for the closing costs than it cost to repair, so I was really happy about that. Sky is very tech savvy and he was always quick to get back to me, which I really liked. All in all I was pleased with how Sky got me my house.

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Andrew P.

Los Angeles, CA

8/8/2010

As first-time homebuyers, other agents were completely uninterested in talking to us until we had pre-approval on a loan. Sky talked to us right away and got us connected with a lender. He and Rachel showed us dozens of homes in the neighborhoods in which we wanted to buy (Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and Echo Park) and wrote even more offers.

Sky is knowledgeable, patient, and very concerned with making sure you get what you want.

Four months ago I thought there was no way we could afford a house we would like in LA. Today we're living in our own home in Mt. Washington with a mortgage no more than we paid in rent - and it's all thanks to Sky Minor.

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audrey j.

Mission Hills, CA

7/8/2010

If you're a first time home buyer, I completely recommend Rachel and Sky. Right from the very beginning, they have been client advocates by making my satisfaction and happiness their ultimate goal. Knowing nothing about the world of home buying, they have to dumb down the process for me but was never condescending, but in fact, always understanding and most helpful and patient. They work quickly and efficiently, and I love that they're tech savvy, which makes communication a gazillion times better. We hit some bumps here and there, but they were always packing with an array of solutions! I even got to close escrow a week before the estimated date! Rachel and Sky are freakin awesome! Yay!

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John G.

Los Angeles, CA

3/8/2010

On the strength of his website and other Yelp reviews, I called Sky to ask what he thought of an interest rate I'd been quoted for a refinance, thinking he might be able to give a better quote. Instead, he said he thought the rate was fair and that there was usually not a lot of difference among them. His honesty and his willingness to talk about a few related real estate issues when it was clear I couldn't do anything for him were really refreshing. A super guy.

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Brian S.

Denver, CO

Updated - 12/13/2009

I'm a repeat customer. This is the 2nd Mortgage that Sky has helped me get. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to refinance or buy a new home. I'm self employed and have always had trouble when it comes to getting a home loan. The think I like about Sky is that he gets things done and always has time to answer your questions. He's also a kick-ass drummer.

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5/14/2009
This is the 2nd Mortgage that Sky has helped me get. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking… Read more »

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jeannie g.

Los Angeles, CA

12/10/2009

Thank you to Sky Minor and his staff for their limitless efforts in getting me my home.

Sky and his staff worked above and beyond to get me the home of my dreams. I always felt comfortable and confident to express my concerns without ever feeling pressure from Sky or his staff, and they were always available for any and all questions and concerns and made me aware of what was going on during Escrow, I always knew they were working hard to get me my home. They never gave up and always showed patience and understanding with an upbeat attitude.

I'm so thankful to Sky and his staff during this house hunting and escrow process, and I look forward to turning this house into a home for my family.

Thank you Sky, Rachel and Cesar!!!

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Bastien B.

Burbank, CA

9/3/2009

It was really a pleasure to work with Sky in finding-buying my new home. He has the ability, in today's complex real estate market, to make any complicated situation simple. He really went the extra mile in helping me finding the perfect house and all his advises were extremely valuable.

It's sometimes difficult to find a Real Estate that you can really trust, and Sky's realistic and judicious advices made the purchase of my house totally easy and smooth with only good surprises!

I definitely thank him for making my dream come true in such a professional and friendly way.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Scott M.

Los Angeles, CA

Updated - 7/26/2009

UPDATE: So I kind of stopped looking for a house to buy after last summer because every area seemed to be dropping so fast it didn't make sense to try and buy a house that would be worth $20,000 less next month. I winced when I told Sky that after he had driven me around three times (and paid for coffee twice!). The realtor that I had known a couple of years before was more competitive and not as easy going and she would have flipped out and I thought that Sky would do the same but suprisingly, he didn't get upset at all which really impressed me. He was totally cool about it and agreed with my logic. That is what all Realtors need to be like! Well, he kept sending me what he thought were good deals and I saw the prices begin to go up a bit in May of this year, so I took that to mean that it was time to resume my search. I called Sky and within a day, we were back in his Prius seeing 15 houses in 4 hours. I found a really cool area of Mount Washington and a house on Division street that we wrote an offer on and we're waiting to hear back. I can't say enough good things about Sky Minor as a Realtor, because he is very patient, extremely knowledgeable and doesn't pressure you into writing offers on houses that aren't right for you. I would call him first if you're looking to buy a house and right now seems like the bottom of the real estate market in LA because prices are going back up.

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Stacey B.

Los Angeles, CA

10/23/2011

This is a late review because I didn't have a yelp account. I bought my house in January.
Sky is fantastic. He made me feel like I was his only client.
He was attentive, informative and helpful. He showed me everything from fixer-uppers to the top of my budget.

His people (inspectors, mortgage people etc) were just as professional and helpful as he was.
I recommended him to a friend who was looking at she ended up buying with Sky too!
We bought very different houses with very different budgets.

Sky was even helpful after the deal was closed. This is my first house. Previously, I owned an apartment in NYC but they are worlds apart.
Sky has been great with recommendations that have nothing to do with buying a home and everything to do with owning one.

I'd recommend him to anyone.

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Brian M.

Playa Del Rey, CA

Updated - 10/13/2011

Mr. East Side proved that he can swiftly apply his skills over a broad range, selling my west-side condo in less than two weeks. And yes, he sold it that quickly in THIS market (summer 2011). In fact, he even found competing offers and made the process as lucrative as possible for me, while charging a fair realtor's fee.

All paperwork was completed electronically, which means I sold the place and didn't even have to leave the warm glow of my computer, except to visit a notary, only once. Sky is efficient, organized, and has a straightforward attitude that makes him easy to work with and more trustworthy than any other realtor I have encountered.

After working with him on home purchase, two refis, this sale, and he has earned the opportunity to be the first person I call anytime I think of buying or selling real estate.

Sky's Sexy East Side Listing: Glassell Park Immaculate Remodeled 3+2.

2011-12-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here is my beautiful new listing in up and coming Glassell Park. This neighborhood is right across the river from Silver Lake and very centrally located on the East side of LA. Glassell Park is less than 10 minutes to Downtown LA, Eagle Rock, Glendale, Pasadena and Echo Park. Many folks who want Silver Lake but don't want to spend $750k for a 2 bedroom are moving in. Glassell Park has a great recreation center up the street with a heated saltwater pool that costs $2 with a library card. This property is also walking distance to the Verdugo Bar, a hip place that serves craft beers and goes gangbusters with their outdoor beer garden during Oktoberfest.

This is a totally rehabbed 1243 square foot three bedroom two full bathroom tradtional home with a big deck. The house was completely gutted, ripped down to the studs and immaculately remodeled. Listing price is $379,187. The kitchen is among the best I've seen all year. Now I'll let the pictures do some talking.

From the street the property looks large and imposing. It's more of a compound than a house.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Bathroom 1

Epic Kitchen!

Dining Room

Master Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Living Room

Deck and French Doors into Dining Room

Three outdoor parking spaces in addition to garage

To see inside contact Sky Minor at 310-709-8283. Stay classy, LA.

"Sky's the Limit" Real Estate Blog

Our Rave Reviews

Reviews from Yelp.com

REVIEW FROM JONATHAN R.

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REVIEW FROM TYLER P.

REVIEW FROM MICHELLE C.

REVIEW FROM NATASHA S.

REVIEW FROM YOUNGMI O.

1 PREVIOUS REVIEW: SHOW ALL »

20 Filtered Reviews for Preferred Realty and Loan

Sky's Sexy East Side Listing: Glassell Park Immaculate Remodeled 3+2.