How to Buy a House at the Perfect Time -

How to Buy a House at the Perfect Time

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We met Winnie and Willis through a referral, and I am SO SO glad we did! They’re awesome to work with, hardworking,... responsive, super knowledgeable, not pushy at all. My partner and I are first time home buyers and were looking for a SFH in Oakland in June 2021 (crazy right) and got our home a month after. First, Winnie and Willis walked us through the process, recommended an awesome lender to us (we closed in less than 21 days!), and told us a lot about the different neighborhoods in Oakland. We spent a few Sundays together looking at houses, and boy did we really spend hours upon hours looking. I myself felt tired after, but Willis always maintained great energy and professionalism. Winnie and Willis always followed up through text and answered all the questions we had. They have construction experience, and it was so valuable to have them point out issues, repair estimates, and suggest renovation ideas. We end up putting 2 offers on a house, and throughout the process, they asked the right questions to gauge how much we wanted the house to make sure we were making the right decisions. We just closed, and we’re still talking to them about the renovations we want to do because they just have so much knowledge and experience. If you’re looking for an agent, look no further.read more

Nikita Ojha

2021-05-21T16:00:36+0000

We got lucky when we got in touch with the Equity West team through Zillow. It was such a great pleasure working with... Willis & Winnie. They helped us buy our very first home. From encouraging us to submit our first offer to helping us navigate the process of closure post offer acceptance, Willis was constantly by our side. We were complete newbies to the home buying process but Willis helped us navigate it smoothly by explaining everything to us and patiently answering our questions (and we had a lot of questions!). But he was always approachable. He would even answer our texts/calls at midnight if need be. We were personally impressed by his work ethic, honesty and integrity - he would never push us to offer more than the fair price for the house even in the crazy market that it is right now. Their background in construction and experience with the Bay Area housing market was very insightful. Even after we got the keys, Willis has been checking in with us periodically to see how things are going, putting us in touch with contractors and as always answering our questions. According to them, their job is not done until we settle down in our new home! Willis and Winnie make a fantastic team. We would strongly recommend contacting them for all your real estate needs!read more

Stephanie Talento

2021-05-04T22:42:21+0000

We were so glad a friend of ours recommended Winnie and Willis to us! They made the whole process smooth and stress... free. They have a lot of knowledge about buying a house and helped us every step of the way. We can't thank them enough for finding us our forever home!read more

John Nguyen

2021-03-26T03:40:24+0000

Willis and Winnie really went above and beyond to assist me with my home buying process. Willis would answer my... questions or return my phone call at any time of the day. We were able to close on our dream house in less than 21 days, much faster than I expected. I would 100% recommend Willis and Winnie to any buyer looking to buy a house in this hot market.read more

Ana Jaworski

2021-03-22T04:51:53+0000

Willis and Winnie are awesome! They went above and beyond to help me find my first home. They were always available and... made time to see any place I wanted to look at. On top of that they were knowledgeable and very safety conscious. I would recommend them to anyone looking in the area!read more

Mai Duong

2021-01-11T00:41:30+0000

My fiance and I cannot expressed how grateful we were to have found Winnie and Willis who were referred to us by a... friend. This was our first time going through the home buying process amidst a global pandemic, and we had no idea what we were doing or where to even begin. However, Winnie and Willis were incredibly patient with us and walked us through every step of the process. I really appreciate how they took the time to get to know us and understand what was important to us when it came to our first home while making sure to provide us as much information and caveats as possible from their years of experience in one of the most challenging markets for buyers. I also greatly appreciate how they kept us open-minded about other options or locations that we had not thought about. They were impressively quick to arrange as many home tours as possible around our schedules during COVID and ensured that we all followed the latest health and safety guidelines. Without all of their hard work, dedication, and persistence, we would not have been able to find our first home so quickly. I wanted to note that their guidance goes beyond the home search process. With their guidance and help, we were able to find a trusted lender who would ensure a smooth closing process as well as trusted contractors who would be able to help us with both small and large projects that we had in mind. They even continued to provide us recommendations in preparation for living in our new home. I can't emphasize enough their dedication to helping us throughout this entire process, which we are incredibly thankful for. We would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat and hope to work with them again in the future.read more

Steve Lee

2020-12-08T11:14:12+0000

Full-service buyer's agents and much, much more. As a first-time home buyer, I admittedly don't have much of a... baseline against which to compare, but the experience and hand-holding assistance of Winnie and Willis (and two-year-old Willow) helped guide our family through the challenge of finding and landing a home, as well as the multiple tasks (and expenses) needed to repair and improve the purchased property to its final state. We actually came to Winnie and Willis after a Summer 2020 hunt with another Bay Area "top producer" whose client-facing process appeared to be accompanying us to listings we found ourselves on Zillow, with promise of advanced offer strategy when we got to that point. The Equity West experience was vastly different, with their experience as home builders/developers valuable in helping talk through the possibilities, costs, and timelines needed to modify a potential property to our needs. Winnie and Willis remained on speed dial throughout, and engaged for hour-long discussions regarding decisions on home choices and white-knuckle negotiations when our financing was threatened by an unexpected appraisal which landed while we were travelling out of state. And Willow kept our 18-month-old son engaged with Goldfish and sliced grapes; a true family effort in client engagement. We remain engaged with Winnie and Willis beyond escrow, as homeowners in need of connections with trusted contractors for pest control, plumbing, and more. Shortly after we got keys to the house, Willis drove up to our new property at dawn to personally tear down a fence to facilitate a fumigation as we were in a job-related pinch. Hopefully, we'll remain far away from the real estate market for at least a decade, but Equity West will be our first call when we decide to jump back in. If we haven't annoyed the heck out of them by then.read more

Robert Ng

2020-10-16T20:30:06+0000

It was a pleasure working with Winnie and Willis in buying our first home. They are a hardworking, organized,... knowledgeable husband/wife power duo who are dedicated to their clients. They both have over 20 years of experience combined and it shows. Even during covid19, they made the home buying process easier than expected. They were patient with us in answering questions, showing us many houses, and giving honest feedback and input. What more can you ask for? I would definitely recommend tapping into their expertise if you are ready to buy your first or forever home!read more

Kimberly Fung

2020-04-24T18:04:34+0000

My fiancé and I have known Willis and Winnie for a long time now. There were no doubts that they would be our agents... when we were ready to buy our first house together. We knew they are not only hardworking agents but also truly passionate about what they do and helping their clients find their dream home. We contacted them around October 2019 to let them know we want to start looking for our future home since our wedding was less than a year away. I was a little worried initially because of our timeline and we did not know where to begin. It felt like we were all over the place. But luckily, we had Winnie and Willis to guide us from the start. They started showing us houses almost every weekend in various Bay Area cities (Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, Castro Valley, and Union City). This gave us a better sense of what neighborhood we want to live in while staying within our budget. In addition, Willis and Winnie helped us focus on our needs and priorities in our first home. We cannot thank them enough for how patient they were with us because we finally found our “home” after more than 6 months of searching. Willis and Winnie never gave up on us even when there were times we felt discouraged ourselves. They never pressured us to buy a house just because they want to close a deal as fast as possible. In fact, when we were about to close on a deal during COVID-19, they checked in with us to make sure we still feel comfortable buying a house at this time. They even try to help us negotiate for a better price since my fiancé unexpectedly got laid off due to the outbreak. We know we can trust Willis and Winnie because they are always honest and transparent with us. When we found houses that were attractive and popular, they never hesitate to tell us that it may not be the right starter home for our current needs. We wanted a house where we can simultaneously rent out while we live there to help cover some cost. They are extremely knowledgeable about building ADUs (additional dwelling units) and the rental market in different neighborhoods. Willis and Winnie also provided a lot of valuable insights and recommendations on how to remodel our home. They are very experienced with home renovation so they are able to provide good estimates of the cost, which we find helpful in keeping us within our budget. I would highly recommend using Equity West if you are looking to buy or sell your home. Willis and Winnie are super hardworking, detailed, organized, and thorough. They would answer all our questions promptly whether it is late in the night or early in the morning. On our big signing day when the shelter-in-place order was going on, Willis even offered to come out to our apartment so he can show support and witness the moment we become homeowners. We truly feel blessed to have them as our agents and we cannot thank them enough for all their help, patience, and support in making our first home possible. We look forward to working with Willis and Winnie when we buy our second home in the future. And did I mention that Willis and Winnie have the most adorable baby ever? Baby Willow made our house hunting process even more enjoyable. She has inspected our new home and gave her stamp of approval! 😉 You can’t go wrong with Willis and Winnie because they are the “Will-Win” Team. They’re gonna make you feel like a winner when you buy your dream home.read more

Cuong Le

2019-11-23T03:01:04+0000

Winnie and Willis were very helpful in helping my wife and I find our 3rd investment property. Thank you Winnie and... Willis!read more

Norman Tat

2019-05-03T17:47:59+0000

I have known Winnie and Willis for years. My family and I were looking for a home and we always wanted to live in San... Francisco. We didn’t think it was possible because of the competitive nature of the market so we thought about settling for Daly City, Oakland, or San Leandro. We were all over the place. Winnie and Willis was able to keep us focused on our goal and didn't quit until we found a house that was right for us. They showed us some neighborhoods in SF with potential for growth and came up with creative financial solutions and ideas to work through our current situation. With some negotiating, they were able to land us our dream home in San Francisco within striking distance of our budget. After a few years we contacted Willis and thought about selling to cash out. During that night, Willis actually convinced us to hang tight because he knew the market was only going to get better and since then, we have gained another 40% in equity! Winnie and Willis have earned their spot as our Realtors for life!read more

Jenny Muliawan

2018-12-13T01:39:36+0000

It was an absolute pleasure working with Winnie and Willis! We were first time homebuyers – and had so many questions... (and skepticism) – and Winnie and Willis kept it real with us the whole time. They are also absolutely organized – keeping us, our mortgage broker, and the selling agent, to a timeline so we knew exactly what was needed, and when, and what was coming up. They bring such a wealth of knowledge to the homebuying process – from understanding market trends to the nuts and bolts of what is possible to reconfigure (ourselves), to negotiate, and to show us what can be reimagined. They brought up many different points we needed to think about – what are the absolute must haves vs nice to haves, what contingencies should we feel [un]comfortable/uncomfortable waiving in this crazy market in our situation, and what other developments are happening in the neighborhood that would affect us as homeowners now and in the future. Aside from their extensive knowledge as realtors, they also brought an entirely different perspective drawn from their other ventures including a construction company and rental/leasing company (the latter extremely important to us as we purchased knowing we wanted to lease out). They were able to offer valuable insight when talking about "buying the dream" versus "building the dream" which was not something that had crossed our minds. We learned that there is so much more to each home than what we could see on the surface. I would recommend the both of them to all my family and friends looking to purchase – it was a great experience buying knowing the both of them had our backs and were trying to achieve our home buying dreams with us!read more

Wendy Gladwin

2018-10-31T23:19:22+0000

Willis was very patient with me while looking for a 1031 exchange property in Oakland. He spent time sitting down with... me to find out my likes and dislikes and showed me houses on my list and suggested others. Winnie was very patient too waiting for Willis to finish up with me and take her to feed her growing baby bump! Willis and Winnie helped close the deal on both sides of my 1031 exchange within 3 days of eachother! Highly recommend them for both residential and commercial property!read more

Jennifer Woo

2018-05-22T14:59:48+0000

Willis and Winnie were great in our process of finding a home. They were flexible, patient (dealing with the wants of... multiple people), and super informative of the area we were looking in. And their abilities to remember the details of each home we looked at was amazing and so helpful when making a decision. What made them stand out even more was their willingness to take care of us till the end even post escrow and us settling in. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking. They really take care of you.read more

Curtis Satake

2018-04-16T22:19:04+0000

Winnie & Willis were a pleasure to work with and were able to help us out from open houses, escrow and even after... closing! I would highly recommend them for anyone!read more

Isidore Tam

2018-02-25T00:06:14+0000

Norman Tat

2018-02-24T22:33:26+0000

Winnie and Willis has been the most knowledgeable, personable, and helpful agent ever! They are always looking out for... the best interest of me. Willis took time to research the neighborhoods I was interested in and Winnie thoroughly went over the contract to I felt very comfortable with it. Together, they’re outstanding when it comes to negotiating offers!! Without them I don't think I would have the lovely home I do today!!!!! Thank you guys for all that you have done!!!!read more

Next Reviews

Winnie and Willis - Equity West Real Estate

5.0

Based on 40 Reviews

Kelvin S.

2025-10-02 12:05:33

I'm not one for long reviews, so I will keep it short. This past April would be the second home my wife & I have bought with Winnie & Willis. The first was...

Mark

2024-06-20 12:56:36

We had the great pleasure of working with Winnie and Willis. They not only helped us find our home but also helped ensure that all items were completed...

Jennifer N.

2022-12-21 19:26:54

Winnie and Willis are an amazing team who fulfilled their promise to us: we would get a house in under 5 bids by working with them. We came to them as...

Jessica Y.

2022-12-17 12:39:33

Winnie and Willis were the absolute best to work with! I was in the market to buy my first house for over 3 years and couldn't find an agent that I felt...

Aaron P.

2022-12-04 17:57:29

I want to take this time to recognize Winnie and Willis for all the hard work that went into helping find a condo for my son and i to call home. I would say...

Matthew L.

2022-11-19 15:40:54

I honestly can't say enough good things about Equity West, Willis and Winnie, and their whole team! As my wife and I were first time homebuyers, I was...

Chris L.

2022-05-20 11:10:28

TLDR: Willis and Winnie are a dream team. Full end-to-end service with deep knowledge of the market, negotiation tactics, and home renovation. Let them...

Kymberly T.

2021-12-20 14:24:19

As far as buyers' agents go, I cannot more highly recommend Winnie and Willis. The moment I knew that they were different was when they talked me and my...

Annie C.

2021-08-10 17:12:28

We met Winnie and Willis through a referral, and I am SO SO glad we did! They're awesome to work with, hardworking, responsive, super knowledgeable, not...

Stephanie R.

2021-05-07 08:47:54

We were so glad a friend of ours recommended Winnie and Willis to us! They made the whole process smooth and stress free. They have a lot of knowledge about...

Danny H.

2021-02-27 11:09:59

All-star dynamic duo at Equity West! Winnie and Willis (W&W) are an amazing husband and wife real estate team. From initial conversation and questions to...

Mai D.

2021-01-10 16:22:45

My fiance and I cannot expressed how grateful we were to have found Winnie and Willis who were referred to us by a friend. This was our first time going...

bj d.

2021-01-04 14:32:54

Deciding to sell my condo in 2020 and then landing in COVID was a huge challenge, but Winnie and Willis patiently and confidently took me through the...

Steve L.

2020-12-08 03:03:51

Full-service buyer's agents and much, much more. As a first-time home buyer, I admittedly don't have much of a baseline against which to compare, but the...

Nadine S.

2020-10-16 13:25:37

It was a pleasure working with Winnie and Willis in buying our first home. They are a hardworking, organized, knowledgeable husband/wife power duo who are...

Antonio W.

2020-08-04 07:40:19

Best agents ever! They are very knowledgeable and patient with no sales pressure. They were with me every step along the way and walked every open house...

Linda N.

2020-06-29 19:49:35

After you graduate college - what are the first 3 things you think about? For most, it's the following: 1. Get a job 2. Get married 3. Get a house The...

Kimberly F.

2020-04-24 10:06:18

My fiancé and I have known Willis and Winnie for a long time now. There were no doubts that they would be our agents when we were ready to buy our first...

Lydia L.

2020-01-24 15:41:08

As newlyweds my husband and I had been thinking about buying a home together but had also been intimidated by the Bay Area market. Winnie and Willis really...

How to Buy a House at the Perfect Time

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