Finding the Perfect Location for Relocating to Sacramento

“I'm planning to retire soon and my daughter wanted to move to that area. I know [the Sacramento area] is a better environment for my grandkids and everybody...even myself.” —Neftali Bonilla

When their daughter started looking for houses in Sacramento, all it took for Neftali and Arely Bonilla to decide that they wanted to move too, was to join her for a few showings. 

“We were planning to move in the future, but maybe not that quick, within maybe five years,” said Neftali. “But due to the way the market was, it made it easier to make the decision quicker. [Also] because of my grandkid’s future—it’s a better future here for them.”

The Bonillas had lived in San Jose for 30 years, but the decision to relocate was an easy one. Now what they needed was the help of a local expert to help them find the right neighborhood for their new home to enjoy retirement in.

And they knew just who to call.

A Nice, Quiet Neighborhood 

After witnessing first hand their daughter’s homebuying experience with Smith & Burgoon Realty Group—and then getting to know Brandon Smith while attending some of her showings—the Bonillas had no doubt that Brandon and his team would be the ones to help them find their new home in Sacramento. 

Their wish list was short: they preferred a newer build with more space than their current home (and bigger closets!), in a nice, quiet neighborhood. The first two items were easy, but narrowing down the location and finding a home that fit the bill was more challenging. 

“They were really relying on us to be local experts and give them a good understanding of the area,” said Brandon. “It’s a little overwhelming how spread out [Sacramento] is. But because Kevin and I have lived here for so long and know the area so well, we were able to really help them find several areas to keep an eye on.”

The Bonillas originally thought they wanted to buy in Roseville, but after touring different neighborhoods including everything from Granite Bay and Rocklin to Loomis to Roseville, they fell in love with Rocklin.

“[Brandon] is very known in the area and very knowledgeable. He guided us in the right direction and asked us the right questions. He showed us the different areas before even looking for a home. He had the right experience for us.”

— Neftali Bonilla

Patience and Professionalism

The Bonillas looked for what felt like a long time, making offers on multiple homes. The entire process from deciding to move, to selling their home, to buying a new one took about six months.

Brandon’s patience and professionalism is ultimately what helped them persevere. 

“Brandon was very easy to work with,” said Neftali. “He was very patient with us, never complained or pushed us into a home that wasn’t the right one.” 

Neftali explained that Brandon would point out things about the home the Bonilla’s didn’t spot at first, which also helped lead them in the right direction. But most importantly, they never felt rushed. “[Brandon] did an excellent, excellent job,” said Neftali. 

One of the reasons the Bonilla’s search took as long as it did was that inventory in their desired neighborhood was low, which meant asking prices were higher than normal. The lack of available houses also meant the Bonillas considered purchasing a new build.

After making seven offers that didn’t work out, the Bonillas finally found the one. 

The home was only six months old, which meant that all of the builder warranties were still in place. And because the sellers were moving for work, the transaction was relatively easy and straightforward. 

That’s not to say there wasn’t competition for the home (it had four other offers). Brandon’s professionalism and communication with the seller is what positioned the Bonillas as serious buyers, and ultimately made all the difference in making this house their new home. 

“I put together an offer that was very clean and aggressive for them,” said Brandon. “I really think that when you submit an offer, if you can portray a level of professionalism with it to the other agent, they're going to advocate for your offer a little bit more because they can tell that it's going to be easier to work with you.”

Getting Top Dollar

Brandon had also helped the Bonillas sell their home in San Jose.

They had five offers that were all well above list price and without contingencies, which meant healthy competition for their home and the opportunity to choose the ideal offer. It also meant getting top dollar. 

“We got to a place where the buyers were continuously improving their offers,” said Brandon. “I was getting ready to send documents out for them to sign and got another counteroffer from one of the other agents who had raised their price up. I ended up getting each of the offers to come up two or three times.” 

We Couldn’t Be Happier

“We're very happy with what we have,” said Neftali. “I know we made the right choice, with the right support that we had from Brandon. We couldn't ask for a better home than we have right now.”

For Brandon it was about providing the Bonillas with enough expert real estate information and expert local information to help them make a choice that they were really happy with.

“I just want to thank Brandon, and even Kevin,” said Neftali. “They helped my daughter buy her house as well. And we’re very happy with the way they treated us, and the way they helped us. We are very happy.” 

The team at Smith & Burgoon is always available to provide the insights and answers you need to make your real estate dream a reality, too.

If you're planning or buying a home in the Sacramento area but have questions like Neftali and Arely Bonilla, we’d love to meet you!