She also really helped us stick to the monthly budget we could afford, without pushing us to "get the house." We put multiple offers in, and kept getting outbid with cash offers and, then, when we wanted to quit, she guided us back to a house we really loved but passed up prior. We now own it! On top of that, she is committed to the Bay Area and has a strong social justice ethic. Choose her! - A.C.

Sandy was encouraging, professional and fun to work with during our decades (kidding) long search. She was able to react to a quickly changing market, staying in front of trends and opportunities. We are so grateful for her knowledge, guidance and connections and most importantly, integrity. As a result, we were able to qualify for and use the CalHFA loan which opened and closed in light-speed. And just as the market shifted, again, Sandy pivoted quickly and negotiated our forever home. We are a little sad to not spend every weekend with her, but excited to have gained a good friend. - J.B.

"We highly recommend Sandy Cruz for her excellent work in helping us secure our dream home. She went the extra mile to help us view all our options, despite the property being further away from her usual area. There were also unique requirements on the seller's end. Sandy diligently navigated the required paperwork and renegotiations to reach an agreement under asking that satisfied all parties. Sandy always took the time to paint a clear picture of our options and next steps; we never felt rushed or pressured. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, Sandy!"

-Paul P.

Looking at properties on and off in Oakland as the interest rates were going up and up, I couldn’t bring myself to take the leap, until I decided to just go for it. I then started going to open houses without an agent—just wanted to see in person what was out there. Though I already knew some realtors/agents, I didn’t want to settle for the first one that was available. I needed to feel them out. Almost all the listing agents holding the open houses were too eager to present themselves to me, and I wasn’t really impressed with that, as if they expected to be picked right then and there. I needed to jive with the right agent.

Then I went to Sandy’s open house. The property didn’t speak to me, but we got to talking about the current market and some ways to potentially lower payments and even tap into programs available out there. She was sincerely nice and the conversation flowed—she wasn’t selling me anything, and I liked that! I said I liked her right there. A little over two months later, she was handing me keys to my new place!

During the entire process, she was giving me advice and expert guidance, while also letting me drive on key decisions. She set me up with a listing portal with my target areas and price range, she even started an Excel file to keep track of properties that I liked, with comments and next steps. That was very helpful. She walked me through things to look for in the disclosures, and answered my questions and concerns timely and very politely, even at times I may have sounded on the edge—and oh boy, we encountered so many setbacks, frustrations, and surprises. Sandy helped me navigate through all them while we trudged forward.

Without getting into too many details, I can say that Sandy showed a lot of patience, compassion, tenacity, courtesy, and problem-solving expertise. She connected me with the right people and made sure to follow-up and follow-through on everything. Time was always of the essence and she was always prompt with updates and next steps. At the end of the day, I felt I had choices and felt confident I was making the right decisions.

* Can we get you better financing? Here’s an option, you have choices!

* Mmm, this wasn’t in the disclosures. Let’s give them benefit of doubt

* Oh wait, this financing fell through? Have no fear, I may know someone who can help, ASAP! We’ll rush these!

* You’re traveling coz you actually have a life? No worries, I got you covered, I’m on top of the key dates!

* Oooh, their systems are down, but they’re doing the best they can…so let’s try this instead.

Those are just a few to show how Sandy was quick to find solutions, while treating everyone with respect and compassion—which are really important when dealing with large and important transactions/decisions.

I really look forward to working with Sandy again, when that need arises. I highly recommend, and will definitely refer to friends and family!

Mark. M

"Sandy worked diligently to find us a variety of options in several cities in the Bay Area and we got to explore the neighborhoods and properties together and helped us narrow down what we were really looking for. We really felt like Sandy prioritized the needs of our family and genuinely cared to find us the perfect home. Sandy is very communicative, flexible, positive, and thorough. We really appreciated the level of passion and dedication Sandy has to uplifting her community. We highly recommend working with her and will continue to call on her when we're ready to move on from our starter home in the future!”

– Veronica L.

"A dream come true" is the overall theme of our Bay Area house purchase. My wife and I thank the people that helped us along the road. Most notably, we thank our Bay Area realtor, Sandy Cruz, for such exceptional service and for going above and beyond to ensure utmost satisfaction and making the dream a reality.

My wife and I lived in Los Angeles, CA for 9 years and during that time we have always wanted to own a home in the Bay Area. She is originally from the Bay Area and has always wanted to go back. As a native Angeleno I have been longing for a permanent break from my home city. My trips in the past to the Bay Area have always been pleasant (Coincidentally our new house purchase is in Pleasant Hill which I feel was an omen in itself). Long story short, we found a perfect opportunity to not only sell our place in Los Angeles during a sellers market but to also finalize the Bay Area move so that our son will be well situated before he starts school.

The process was not without its hardships. Buying and Selling a home simultaneously caters an intensity to be reckoned with. In addition, my wife and I did not have the luxury to travel to the Bay Area to actively look at homes via open houses. This is where Sandy comes in to ease the transition and our minds. We told her what we wanted and she gave us a plethora of choices that aligned with our needs and then some. The home choices we picked, Sandy answered all our questions flawlessly and to the ones we did not think to ask. Her communication was one of the major strongpoints because if we had questions or concerns she would reply with a detailed answer almost instantly (text, email and sometimes both). The one thing my wife and I were amazed about was her virtual video showing the house which we currently own. Sandy covered every square inch of the place while narrating all the way through. I was impressed with the camerawork. At first I thought she hired a team to film the virtual interview but it was all her.

The next step was actually to go to the location to see if my wife and I wanted to buy the property. Sandy was so accommodating to pick me up from the airport and take me to the location. Everything was as it appeared to be in the virtual video. No surprises whatsoever. In fact, A few gems were added such as details about the surrounding area and family type recreational activities to engage in. I have learned so much I felt I lived here already. Afterwards Sandy took me back to the airport and as I boarded the airplane and landed at the Burbank Airport; I immediately called my wife and said, let's greenlight this house purchase.

A savvy and skilled negotiator is another strong quality of Sandy's. She got us the house below local comps so quickly which really impressed us. During Escrow, Sandy negotiated with the listing agent to split termite costs with her. That saved us a pretty penny and we smoothly moved forward in the escrow process. I can go on further but I will stop here and state that my wife and I are truly blessed to have her as our realtor. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home in the Bay Area. She is that awesome. Especially to people who are coming from longer distances who are not too savvy about the area. Sandy's got you covered. Thank you, Sandy! Salud!

- Benny B.

Sandy is phenomenal and I couldn’t recommend her more highly. As first time home buyers, she took time to educate us and walk us through every step of a complicated process. She was thorough and ensured that we were moving forward with a sound investment. It never felt like she was just trying to make a sale, instead it felt like she wanted to equip us with all the info to make the best decision for ourselves. She’s truly a partner and advocate, and everything you would want when buying a house!

-Maia A.

We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Sandy was always very honest and upfront with us, which really helped us understand the unique market, what we might expect and how we might adjust our expectations. She helped us pivot a couple of times in ways that were comfortable for us and really did her due diligence in figuring out what we liked. In the end she found us an EXCELLENT home and we're so excited. We got in, made a decision and made an offer that got accepted on our first try! What a dream in the Bay Area, CA. We cannot sing Sandy's praises enough and will be recommending her to everyone we know!

M.L.

We were faced with the challenge of trying to reallocate our aging parents across the country as quickly as possible and Sandy was responsive and thoughtful. She took extra time to understand what my parents were looking for. She was relentless in her search for something that would meet their needs, which can be tough in this hot Bay Area market. She was very transparent and honest and we could not be happier with our experience. I highly recommend Sandy if you want someone with a lot of local knowledge who will put your needs first.”

– Molly S.

She helped us navigate Oakland's Below Market Rate program as first time homeowners, and ensured that we could navigate the many requirements and felt supported the whole way through. We highly recommend Sandy for her diligence, responsiveness, and persistence in getting the job done.

L.P.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Sandy during my home buying process. As a first time home buyer Sandy not only offered me a lot of education, she patiently answered all my questions (even when I repeated them) and empathized with the emotional ups and downs. I never felt dumb, out of my depth, or unimportant as a client. In our initial interview I asked Sandy about the motivations and goals for her business to make sure that our values were aligned, and was impressed by her thoughtfulness and transparency. Sandy always went the extra mile--jumping over a ditch to get to a key box, contacting listing agents, and researching first time home buyer financing opportunities. I truly felt that Sandy was my partner in the process, and she was a huge support!

Rachel. F

Sandy was an incredible resource for me throughout the buying process. I was completely new to this process, and had so many questions, which Sandy always patiently and thoroughly answered. She walked me through the mountain of standard HOA documents and pointed out which ones are most important and key details to look out for, which really helped me understand what I might be getting into when buying a condo. Sandy was always super quick to respond, and made me feel like I was her only client (which I know was definitely not the case!). I appreciated how she always communicated my many questions to the seller. Sandy was very honest with her feedback about properties we saw, and I could tell she had my best interests in mind. The closing and document signing process went very smooth as well. Overall I had a great experience with Sandy!

Tara. C