TESTIMONIALS

"Dan pays attention to details and seeks to serve his clients to the level beyond our expectations"


We would like to recommend our Realtor, Dan Linge, very highly to anyone who is looking to buy a home in southern California. We have sold and purchased 5 homes in the past ten years in four different states. Dan is certainly one of the very best Realtors we have met. His strengths are reflected in several key areas: 
 
Dan is warm and kind by nature and is passionate about his job. We believe that these are the fundamental keys for his success in the service industry. As his clients, we feel he puts our needs and interests first. He listens, feels, tries, and adjusts, until our actual desires and requirements which we don't always describe concisely are truly understood throughout the showing of the properties. He helped us to narrow down our focus to the specifics. He truly helped us to solve our problems, making a complex relocation as simple and as easy for us as possible. Such help has gone above and beyond what a normal Realtor would do.
 
The house we ended up buying is one that Dan had seen in the past, but had been pulled off the market. He made arrangements to show us the house. Due to the long waiting period in closing the escrow in New York where we lived, he negotiated with the owner to wait two months until we sold the New York house, also negotiating with the owner to rent the house to us before closing the escrow in California, which has saved us to move twice and a lot of headaches associated with it. He pays attention to details and seeks to serve his clients to the level beyond our expectations.
 
The first time we met, he insisted I take his Thomas Bros map book back to New York so we could study the local area in detail. After our offer was accepted, he took a bundle of photographs of the house inside and out. Instead of emailing them to us, he took the time to print them and mailed them to us so we could look at them without going to the computer. He even arranged steam cleaning of the carpets after we mentioned that the carpets did not look clean enough.
 
As we were house hunting, we were impressed when local people greeted him. He possesses extremely good local knowledge that has helped us from the house hunting, school boundaries and ratings, to after purchase information such as shopping, sports, utilities, mechanics, doctors, dentists, etc. His insight on individual houses, their owners willingness, and selling price has provided us very valuable information in our negotiation and decision making process.
 
Professionally, Dan is the only Realtor we have known to have a University Business degree in the Real Estate business. He handles communication and stressful situations with high professional esteem yet with the personal warmth and helpfulness. He works closely and effectively with his colleague, Tina, and his office assistant. The team definitely compliments each other. Tina, a sharp, fast-actioned, former school employee, offers from her female perspectives on the quality of houses, layouts, locations for convenience, etc. She has been so helpful when Dan needed her coverage in getting things accomplished when actions from both ends are needed. 
 

I have met good Realtors before, I made referrals many times, but this is the first I have written a rather lengthy recommendation letter to put on Dan's web site. Dan deserves the accolades and our whole hearted recommendations!

 
Fan Li, Xun Li
 
Happy owners of our house

 

 "We're blessed to have our Dream Home, Tina and Dan helped make that happen"


When my wife and I decided to purchase our first home, we wanted to be as prepared as possible. We read everything we could get our hands on, even the horror stories ranging from unqualified agents to botched financing.

We felt somewhat prepared when it came time to choose a realtor. My wife contacted a few realtors via the internet, we conducted phone interviews to narrow the field. When we met with Tina & Dan we knew right away they were perfect for us.

Our conversation with the both of them was relaxed, no pressure and very focused. They asked a lot of questions to get a feel for what we were looking for and as you can imagine we had a ton of questions for them as well.

Within a day or two, they were sending us emails with a variety of homes to consider.  If we saw something interesting, either Tina, Dan or both were available to show us the property the very next day and in some cases the same day.

We never felt rushed to decide, they were always listening to what we had to say regarding our likes or dislikes about a particular property, so each subsequent group of listings were closer to what we were looking for.

Tina & Dan at our request, helped us find a great finance person, Brian McDonnell at IFC Finance. When we finally found the perfect property, they were swift to get the paperwork going, they kept us in the loop throughout the whole process thoroughly explaining each phase and available to answer questions day or night.

Even our escrow agent Matilda Rough at M/M Escrow was top notch. We couldn’t have asked for a smoother first time buying experience. If you want your home buying experience to be the equivalent of a limo ride, Dan Linge & Tina Dino are the team to choose.

Dan & Tina are the best the realtors association has to offer. We wouldn’t consider enlisting the services of any other realtor. They’re our realtor for life, and we feel we’ve made life long friends as well. We’re blessed to have our dream home, Tina & Dan helped make it happen.     

Heldy and Keith Ighner
 
"Their expertise kept us confident and netted us a buyer in less than 30 days"
 
Having interviewed many real estate agents prior to the market downturn, in the hopes of  “moving-up”, we quickly realized the timing wasn’t right.  We put plans on hold, but had been so impressed with Tina and Dan’s energy, expertise and candor that we held onto their information, just in case.  Just in case happened 6 months later.  With a need to move quickly for a new job, a third baby on the way and my husband and I facing the reality that this market was not going to be very forgiving, we picked up the phone.

Tina and Dan jumped in as soon as we gave them a call, they walked through our unit again, and spent time pointing out what needed to be fixed to move it in this market, yet deterred us from doing too much work for little return.  We received a very candid assessment as to how long a sale might take and our likelihood of taking some loss.  Once they were on board things moved very quickly, touch ups were done, and their staging advice enabled me, as a busy mom of two, to prioritize, pack, move out furniture and leave the worrying about finding a buyer to the experts.

Their professionalism was outstanding from interview to close and we were relieved on more than one occasion to find that their interest in making this quick and painless for us was as professional as it was personal.   They deftly handled all the quirks and extra paperwork associated with being realtors on a relocation package.  We quickly realized that they did a lot of work to ensure the highest possible sale price in the quickest time.  This was no easy feat given the parameters set by my husband’s new employer. 

To our delight, the 3 things that had drawn us in as clients were exactly what made us so happy.  Their expertise kept us confident and netted us a buyer in less than 30 days.  Their energy level and personable nature meant that between pregnant (hormonal) woman and very detail oriented husband that all of our concerns were handled quickly.  Their communication abilities and candor served the buyer, the relocation team and us in too many ways to mention. 

In the end, we couldn’t be happier.  Our unit sold in a seemingly impossible market, for a fair price, and quickly.  With all the upheaval and changes going on in our life, a move that could have been a disaster from beginning to end, was smoother than my greatest expectations.

Terri and Adam Nichols
 
  

 

“Dan is a professional negotiator”


“Dan represented us in buying our home in Carlsbad and he was very professional in negotiating with the owner’s agent to get us the price we wanted. But we learned more about Dan through his work on a home we didn’t buy. That home was in escrow and we were the backup offer. Dan spent so much time with the owners, the owner’s agent, the buyer’s agent and his firm’s legal team looking at every angle to get that house for us. When it became clear after all of Dan’s effort that the buyer could not be dissuaded from his transaction, Dan extracted us from the offer and went to work looking for the next option for us. The result is the nice home we are in now.


Dan showed us a lot more follow up effort and personal concern for us than we expected from a real estate agent and we were very pleased to have worked with him.”


Geoff and Julie Smith
 
 
 "Tina is extremely organized, assertive and very client oriented"
 
To Whom it May Concern:
 
"I live out-of-state and I contacted your company to arrange viewing a great number of homes in just two days.  I had a limited amount of time to spend in Carlsbad and I required an agent with the energy and fortitude to accomplish this goal.
 
The office manager set me up with Tina Dino.  We spoke over the phone and I explained to her what I wanted and what my unique set of expectations entailed.
 
Lucky is NOT an adequate word to describe my relationship with Tina.  Tina is an exceptional listener with an ability to retain details.  She is extremely organized, assertive, and very client oriented.  She answers questions honestly and points out pros and cons without prompting.
 
Tina showed me over 40 homes in two days - a marathon feat of immense proportion.  I am a very high energy person and Tina matched me in every way.  On the third day I made an offer and the deal was completed shortly thereafter.
 
Tina proved invaluable during the closing period.  I was unable to be in California and Tina handled the inspections and remained in touch with me throughout the process.  She stayed on top of the paperwork and has continued to put my interests in the forefront even after the house closed.
 
I recommend Tina to any client without hesitation or reservation.  I know that you will not be disappointed and that her performance will exceed any of your expectations."
 
Sincerely,
 
Carole Burke
 
"We will be eternally grateful to them"
 
 Dear Mrs. Telmosse:
 
Tina and Dan closed on our condo in La Costa and we do not have enough wonderful words to describe the outstanding job they did for us.  We live in Tucson and they spent hours for us making sure the inside renovation of the condo was done to ours and their high level of satisfaction.
 
We will be eternally grateful to them for the time spent with us consulting, advising, etc. to return to the condo to its former level of being beautiful.  We spent approximately 2 weeks in Carlsbad working with them, and they managed the renovation for us the rest of the month to 6 weeks it took to be completed.  We have moved several times and never have we had Realtors who gave us so much expert advice, and generosity of their time.
 
AND they sold our condo within a month; AND we now have 2 wonderful friends in Encinitas.  We can recommend these two very top quality Realtors without reservation to any clients you may have; they will have an enjoyable, and rewarding working relationship."
 
Sincerely,
 
Ed and Mary Ann Goad
 
“Danny is TRULY the Real Estate Man!”

“He will give you undivided personal attention that makes you feel as though you were dealing with family. Truly a pleasure to work with. He works tirelessly and we are very grateful to have him referred to us. The outstanding service never stopped, whether it was before, during or after buying the house. We love him!!!”

 

Marina, Flo and Kira Randolph

 

“She did a superior job!”

 

Dear Ms. Telmosse, Branch Manager

 

“I wanted to let you know how lucky I was to be matched up with Tina Dino by the USAA relocation department for the sale of my house in Carlsbad. You may be aware of the difficulties I had with my first agent and the lack of progress in selling my home after 90+ days on the market.

 

My anxiety level was rising rapidly since I was scheduled to leave San Diego on Saturday to start looking for a new home in St. Louis. I requested a new agent and met Tina on Thursday. My first impression of Tina was that she was a breath of fresh air! I was confident of her abilities and sure that my home would sell. While our face-to-face time was very limited, I was comfortable leaving with her representing me.

 

Within 2 days of my departure, Tina called and told me I had a great offer on my house. I believe with her knowledge of the area and her networking skills, that is what sold my house. Tina guided me, long distance, keeping in touch with me daily, answering all of my questions. She was very understanding of my transient status and the difficulties of selling one house and buying another in a different city. All in all, she was awesome! I don’t think the process would have been this smooth with any other agent.

 

I made the request of my USAA Relocation Coordinator that any moves to the Carlsbad/Encinitas area be assigned to Tina. She did a superior job!”

 

Carla Tolbert 

"You were here to protect us" 
 
 Dear Dan:
 
"Your devotion to the selling of our home, coupled with your marketing aptitude, made our home selling experience exceptional.  When we first met you, you said "that you were here to protect us" and your words never failed.  The virtual tour you created for our home brought tears to my eyes.  You made our home look welcoming and warm, and your dedication to open houses was commendable.  Communication is very important to the selling process.  You were always available to speak with us.  Your constant e-mails an phone calls made us feel as if we were the only home that your were selling.
 
In a market dubbed a "buyer's market" you achieved our goal price in just four months.  Thank you for your veracity and consideration throughout this arduous process. 
 
As we hear of friends and family who wish to place their homes on the market we are dedicated to sharing our experience and insisting on you as their selling agent."
 
Cordially,
 
Mr. and Mrs. David DeThomas 
 
“Tina handled all details with great skill”
 

 Dear Tina,

 
“Since we had to relocate before selling, we needed a realtor we could trust, one who would represent us in all the details. We made the right decision when we chose you to sell our home. We meet so many people in business with a motto, a promise, or a mission statement, and frankly, it usually comes down to us nothing more than blah, blah, blah. But after our first meeting with you, we recognized something different. Professional and confident, you were neither arrogant nor pretentious. Without a doubt, we can say you stand by your motto. We tell everyone “no one works harder for you”.

 

You handled all the details with great skill – home inspections, necessary repairs, tenting for termites, and of course, the ongoing communication with the buyer’s agent. Not being in absolute control was challenging for us, we admit, but your knowledge and patience in handling these things made it easier for us. You knew what was going on, you kept us informed and you were always gracious when we called, never too busy. These qualities were of great importance to us since we were not around to see what was happening on a daily basis. We greatly admire your professionalism, as well as your down-to-earth style. 
 
Tina, we are raving fans.  Thank you for representing us so well."
 
Sincerely,

Tammy and Bear Carpenter


“Tina made it so that I could sleep at night”

 

Dear Ms. Telmosse, Branch Manager,

 

“This letter is sent to you to express my enthusiasm for the wonderful support we received from Tina Dino when she handled the sale of our home in Encinitas.

 

From answering our questions at our initial visit through the final closing, she was always there for us in more ways than I can think to mention. Not only did she have most of the answers for us, what she didn’t know immediately, she always got the answers back to us in a very timely manner. We never had to chase her down. Tina did what she said she would do in all areas of our transaction.

 

My husband said it best, “Tina made it so I could sleep at night.” When she had to deliver bad news, such as the largest termite repair she had ever had, she did so and then promised to help find the lowest bid and people to get the work done quickly. She went the extra mile and the some, over and over again. I just can’t say enough about her professional demeanor and her sense of humor which came just at the times we needed it most. She was able to calm me down more times than I could count.

 

Tina also handled the sale of my mother’s 30 year old mobile home. My mother can be very difficult to deal with and Tina won her over easily and again proved she is more than willing to do anything to make a deal work and keep her clients happy. Believe me, if she can do this with my mother, she can do anything! She truly is a wonder woman! I hope you will consider her for training other Realtors. She is one of a kind!”

 

Sincerely,

 

Joan and Doug Wesson

 

“We appreciated your accessibility”

 

Tina,

 

“As we have mentioned, we sincerely enjoyed our home buying experience with you. The ultimate measure of this process is the end result. We purchased our dream home and you were a big part of it. We appreciated the advice and recommendations you provided on neighborhoods and locations, based on the desires/goals we provided during our initial meeting. We appreciated your accessibility via the phone, late night e-mails, or at your office. Finally, your gentle nudge and recommended strategy for constructing an offer our house ended up being the absolute right move. We purchased a home in great condition, in an awesome neighborhood, and for what we feel was a very, very good price given other less desirable properties on the market.

 

Thanks for your help.”

 

Janelle and Jason Wilson

 

“We found our home the FIRST day”

 

“When purchasing a new home, Dan is excellent at finding what you want is with you  every step of the way.  We found our home the first day that we went out looking and our offer was accepted the following day.

 

I know we will have Dan as our agent for the selling of our home and the purchase of our next home. Thanks Dan for doing a terrific job.”

 

Kirsten Kindel & Patrick King

 

“You went well out of your way”

 

“Dan, thanks for your professional help in handling all aspects of the sale of my Fallbrook home. You went well out of your way (even clearing some brush work at the side of the house yourself) and found a buyer, then were able to negotiate a great selling price for me and handling all aspects of escrow and closing. I certainly encourage any seller to use your services.

 

By the way, Dan is now the listing agent for some investment properties that I own in La Jolla. He’s the ONLY person I would turn to.”

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Baker

 

“Dan is a true professional”

 

“Our experience with Dan was absolutely tremendous as a military family moving to the San Diego area. We first met Dan over the phone from our home in Virginia. We could tell he was a special person the minute we talked to him on the phone – he had this especially engaging personality that we soon came to learn was no gimmick or sales tactic – it was his natural affinity for people. He showed us consistently noteworthy willingness to meet our need and requests, and his tireless work ethic left no stone unturned until the mission was accomplished!

 

As we made our way cross country, Dan maintained continuous communications with us throughout our journey; he was truly helpful throughout all stages of the buying process and he provided superb assistance with many of the home buying steps – inspections, closings, and the like. Dan is a true professional and someone who has earned our deepest respect and trust.

 

We always felt in great hands with Dan and we would actively seek his services and advice in any future real estate endeavor. Dan is a bona-fide success and a A+ Realtor. More importantly, Dan is an A+ person!”

 

Lisa and Tim Winand 



"You do it without pressure and make it seem like it is fun"

 
Dan, how are you ?   I wanted to take a moment out of my incredibly busy schedule and let you know something that I made a point to myself to impart to you. I realized a while back  in my fifty nine years of being alive that the first thing that is important in your life is your family and your loved ones .... without them a human being can never be satisfied and at ease with his life, and I know this in my heart of hearts. The second most important thing is that all people close to me, including myself, be healthy. No matter how successful you are there is no substitute for good health and energy. This is not something you can buy. Thirdly, and this is about you, Dan, is the security of your wealth.... this security is provided by good investments starting with the corner piece of our great United States of America financial system,  our Home. It is said that "Home is Where the Heart Is" and I believe that in every sense of the word. When I was first introduced to you by a referral friend I felt like I had know you already for years, and this was in the first few minutes !  From that moment on the whole process of doing business with you has been as if I was dealing with a good friend or even a close family member. You have always been on time for appointments, which means a lot to me, and you have always followed up on every detail that you said you would.  You are always respectful and polite and I really feel that you are sincere in attempting at making a very arduous process.{.i.e. buying a home} as seamless as possible. I have been known to dread the idea of a real estate agent because in many instances past,  once an agent gets your listing, they seem to fall asleep at the wheel and wait for the action to come to them... the job is not an easy one, and I know you need to be consistently diligent to have success. And you are. You do it without pressure and make it seem like it is fun. I just want to thank you for all that you have done for me and my Home Buying Experience. I will use you in the future and I will also be sure that your name is mentioned every time that I speak with someone that is looking to do a real estate transaction of any sort.   Thank you again, you are the best real estate broker that I have ever done business with.  

Sincerely,
Larry Demarah