Premier Properties Marin | Testimonials

I have been working Garrett Burdick for some time now. My experience has been that he is very knowledgeable in real estate, specifically in the foreclosure and pre-foreclosure process. Working with him has been a pleasure and he has proven time and again to be the man who can deliver. My experience in real estate, and in particular, transactional funding, exposes me to all kinds of people and investors, all of them not being equal. Garrett has shown me time and time again that he is a man of integrity, and his passion in helping people out of a tough spot with their homes

- Joel H.

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Garrett is great to work with. He walked us through the entire process of the short-sale of our house. He handled all communication with our lender and the entire process took less than half the time of what I expected. I felt really comfortable with him and knew that he understood that this was a scary process for me and his trustworthiness and patience in explaining every step to me really helped me put my mind at ease. He was also flexible and addressed my concerns whenever they arose. I would not even have known where to start, if I had to go through this without his help. In the end I was able to walk away with my house sold and my mortgages taken care of. Thank you, Garrett for all your help!.

- Marcus B.

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Garrett is the real deal! Choosing to work with Garrett was the best decision I could have made and I am very grateful to him for the very positive outcome of my home’s short sale. He guided me through every step of the process and clearly explained what was happening at each juncture. Believe me, you want him on your side. He totally delivered results! He was honest, professional, thorough and informative. Aside from being great businessman and top-notch negotiator, he’s just an all-around, pleasant, nice guy. He offered me hope, peace of mind, and best of all some much-needed closure. I highly recommend working with Garrett. He was a godsend.

- Ted S.

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Garrett entered my life when I had lost all hope. After a severe accident that took my son and husband from me, and I also-ended up with a severe brain injury. I found my family gone and there was absolutely no possible way I could keep my home. The stress of mounting bills daily, the increasing daily stress was truly more than I could bear. Garrett met with me and I knew right away he was the person I wanted to work with. Thank you seems like such a small word for such a huge vote of gratitude... I truly would never have been able to get through the last few months without this wonderful man. He is smart, sensitive, and extremely professional. I would not hesitate to recommend Garrett, he will not let you down. God Bless You!

- Linda G.

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My husband John and I sold our house in Tiburon to Rapport Investment Group. Brian and Garrett were very fair and easy to work with. The sale went smoothly and we are now enjoying our new home.

- The Jolley’s

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My sister and I want to thank you for all of your patience and determination you exerted in helping us get our father’s reverse mortgage paid off in a short sale. Before contacting you I was resigned to the fact that my father’s estate would take a big loss but thanks to your help we came out ahead. Thanks again.

Ellen Gillen and Gayla Probert, Novato, CA 8-21-2013

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I met Brian and his partner Garrett in 2012 when my home was being foreclosed on and it turned out that it was very fortunate I did. Those were pretty desperate times, seeing as I was dealing with the stress of a difficult divorce, raising my children on my own and losing most all my assets. The property that bothered me the most was losing my beautiful family home where I had lived for 10 years. Due to the divorce and the fact that I was a stay at home mother, I was no longer able to make the mortgage payments and it became apparent that the bank was going to take my home in a foreclosure sale. It really disturbed, not to mention embarrassed me, that my home, where I raised my children, was going to be simply auctioned off to “the highest bidder”.

Although my home was on the market for sale as a “short sale” for quite some time I received no viable offers and time was running out. One day my real estate agent told me he was contacted by a company called “Rapport Real Estate” who helped home owners in situations such as mine. Soon thereafter I met Brian Pensack and he explained how his company worked.

He and his partner were experts in helping home owners sell their homes that were in default, avoiding foreclosure and therefore being released of any liability with the lenders. They told me in detail about the process that would take place if I chose to work with them. This process involved not only them knowing the intricacies of real estate law, but having the ability to successfully negotiate all aspects of these complicated real estate deals with many different entities in the banking and lending business. I did indeed choose to work with them and thanks to Premier, I was able to sell my home as a short sale, I was able to avoid a foreclosure, satisfy my obligation to the lender and satisfy my obligations to the lender. I was totally released from any further liability in regard to the debt connected to my family home – what a great feeling!!!! I have Brian and Garrett to thank for that.

EB – San Anselmo, CA 7-7-13

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Selling a house in a short sale is daunting and emotional. Having professional, competent and patient assistance is exactly what I needed and Rapport Real Estate was the right organization. Brian, Steve and Garrett took on the banks and navigated their way through my bankruptcy plan. Anyone faced with foreclosure needs to meet with this group. I am sohappy that I took the plunge and called them for help. Please thank Steve and Garrett from the bottom of my heart. And thank you again for being so patient with my ups and downs.

Laurie J., Berkeley, CA 6-13-13

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“When I think about how long I put off helping myself, all I can do is smile. Working with Rapport Real Estate has been the single best move I’ve initiated this year. It was painless, quick and the sense of relief I feel now is measurable. So happy to have that Investment-gone-bad gorilla off my back. Garrett and Brian were steadfast, patient and kind; keeping the process moving forward. Good people!”

Teri C. – June 8th, 2013

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I very much appreciate your involvement and timely communication through the short sale process to keep us in the picture. Your involvement and communication helped us to manage the transition and be patient to see the process to its end. Furthermore, I am grateful for your follow-through with the bank representatives and negotiators even after you were no longer the buying party to facilitate the sale with another investor.

Best regards, A.S., 3-13-2013

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“Brian did a wonderful job of navigating past a long series of potential roadblocks in this challenging short sale. I can confidently say that without Brian’s patience, persistence and follow through, this sale would have not made it to the finish line.”

Craig Burnett, 2-1-2013
Alain Pinel Realtors

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I would like to submit a review of my experience with Rapport Real Estate. Prior to my home going into foreclosure, I received a very helpful, informative letter from owners, Brian Pensack and Garrett Burdick. I spent 2 years trying to keep my home by working with the lender and applying six times for HAMP 1 and 2 without any offer of assistance.

After discussing my situation, they said they would be interested in buying my house as a traditional short sale and the advantages of this approach. They explained the possibilities and answered all my questions. Their patience, experience and professionalism made a stressful situation more manageable for me. I found them to show a genuine interest in supporting me and guiding me through the process.

It was a pleasure to work with them and I’d highly recommend their services to anyone seeking assistance when they are faced with losing their home and researching all the choices to consider. Brian and Garrett were always honest, reliable and responsive. If I rated this experience, they would merit a “ 10+”.

Sincerely, Barbara K. Allen, Santa Rosa, CA 10-3-2012

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Brian and Garrett entered my life when I had lost all hope. After a severe accident that took my son and husband from me , and I also-ended up with a severe brain injury. I found my family gone and there was absolutely no possible way I could keep my home.?The stress of mounting bills daily, the increasing daily stress was truly more than I could bear.?Brian and Garrett met with me and I knew right away they were the people i wanted to work with and for me to make sure my credit and sanity stayed in tack.?Thank you seems like such a small word for such a huge vote of gratitude…?I truly would never have been able to get through the last few months without these two wonderful men. They are smart , sensitive, and extremely professional.. I would not hesitate to recommend Brian and Garrett, they will not let you down. God Bless You !!!!!!!

Linda, Petaluma, CA 10-2-12

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Brian and Garrett, I want to thank you for helping our friend sell his house and move on from the terribly emotional situation that he found himself in. I wish you both the best of luck with the property. I also want to thank you for your business ethic, as many would not have exhibited the class the two of you did. Thanks again for all your help and much continued success!

Debbie and Tom M, San Rafael, CA 8-20-12

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Thank you so much for saving me in so many ways!! Being a single mom, I have always worked hard to provide the best environment for my daughter. Buying a home in Marin County was what I thought a great accomplishment for us, only to find myself facing a foreclosure. I felt so discouraged and overwhelmed with the options and hardships ahead. I attempted to get help from a well-known real estate firm and their assigned short sale “experts”, only to find myself at another round table meeting. I was under the microscope all over again and signed what seemed like another 100-page document. They made me feel totally at fault for being in this situation and said that considering the foreclosure sale date coming up very soon, they would do their best but I should prepare for a foreclosure. Even knowing that this could be a possibility, I still wanted to feel hopeful about my outcome rather than ashamed

The very next day, I received another letter in the mail from Brian & Garrett at Rapport Real Estate. I had seen it before in my mail box but kind of thought “This sounds too good to be true” and put it away.

I decided to check out their website, I found it simple to understand and very friendly. After reading the testimonials I thought “Maybe there is some hope after all and these people seem to have found a way to have a positive experience out of this misery”. I made the call. Upon my initial conversation and meeting with Brian Pensack, I knew I made the right choice. They helped and guided me with their knowledge and resources on how to cancel my contract with the “other real estate guys”. What a relief that was! Every step was simple and clearly explained, I never once felt embarrassed or at fault. All my fears and burden went away. I had total confidence during the whole process and they managed to negotiate a successful short sale with my debt cleared. I am now so thankful and optimistic about moving on.

I would recommend Brian & Garrett without hesitation. They truly have the customer’s best interest at heart from the moment you meet them until the job is done! Thank you again for everything!

Anne, Novato, CA August 10, 2012

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Brian and Garrett are the real deal! Choosing to work with Rapport Real Estate was the best decision I could have made and I am very grateful to them for the very positive outcome of my home’s short sale.

They guided me through every step of the process and clearly explained what was happening at each juncture. Believe me, you want them on your side. They totally delivered results!

They were honest, professional, thorough and informative. Aside from being great businessmen and top-notch negotiators, they’re just all-around, pleasant, nice guys. I always knew where I stood and could rely on them day or night for solid advice and friendly support. They offered me hope, peace of mind, and best of all some much-needed closure. I highly recommend working with Rapport Real Estate. They were a godsend.

Ted Smith – Los Angeles, CA 7-9-2012

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Brian & Garrett were a delight to work with! They took over all communications with the bank, (which had previously become a huge time hassle factor) and freed us up to move and start our new life.. We were able to avoid a foreclosure, and they were always attentive to our needs in the process. My husband and I would recommend them happily to anyone struggling with mortgage difficulties.

Beryl Ryan – Santa Rosa, CA 6-29-2012

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I meet Brian and Garrett through a friend when I was looking for options to get out of my home with the least amount of drama and inconvenience to my family. I had heard many stories about how long a short sale takes and the nightmares that go along with the long drawn out process. It is hard enough to lose your home and move forward while keeping your family protected from this process.

I choose to work with Brian and Garrett in the hopes that what they were telling me might possible be true. I had my doubts because of all the stories I had heard and what they were telling me seemed to be a little too easy.

Brian and Garrett laid out the plan and told me what to expect and how to go about getting the short sale started. Brian worked with me on every phone call and explained to me exactly what I needed to do. I found this reassuring and it made the process easy for me.

To my surprise the plan worked just as they had told me it would from start to finish without any disruption to me or my family. They were gracious, kind, straight forward and made the whole process work for me and my busy schedule. They even took into account when I was able to move to make everything work out the best they could for me.

I would highly recommend Brian and Garrett if you are looking for resolve or just need to get out of your current situation. The respect they show coupled with the efficiency in which they handle the process will endear you to these two great business men. If you have and questions or concerns I am more than willing to speak with you about my personal experience.

Valerie Specht, San Rafael, CA May 23, 2012

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Dear Brian and Garrett, We are so grateful to you!!! You saved our credit, prevented foreclosure of our home, and got us through the short sale process. During this economic nightmare, we tried everything to save our home—we contacted the lender, applied for a loan modification, applied through the State and Federal government programs and made endless calls. Nothing, I mean nothing worked. We were facing foreclosure! Then, we received a letter from you about your services and called you. You explained your program, set up an appointment and met with us. Suddenly, we started feeling hopeful. In the end, everything that you stated in your letter and said about what you can do for the home owner—you did it!!! You took the entire burden of negotiating the short sale of our home with our lender, the buyer and realtors. Our home closed and we avoided the cost and humiliation of foreclosure. Thank you, thank you, thank you,

Mary B., Santa Rosa, CA 5-10-2012

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Brian and Garrett, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to be involved in a transaction with you two. As a lender, I am generally fearful of any potential pitfalls. However, you guys put “your skin in the game,” and that has value beyond simple assurances. I hope to conduct more business in the future!

Thanks, SP. Incline Village, NV 4-19-2012

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Dear Brian and Garrett, I can’t thank you enough for your help and support when I recently faced the foreclosure of my dream house because I was deeply underwater. It was an extremely stressful time in my life and you made the entire process as painless, easy, and smooth as I could have ever imagined possible. You were sensitive to what I was going through and explained all the ramifications. You handled the negotiations with the bank, walked me through the seemingly endless paperwork, and helped to minimize the inconveniences associated with a short sale. Now that it’s behind me, I feel great relief, freedom, and gratitude and am now ready to move on with my life! You have great integrity and I would highly recommend you to anyone facing this type of situation.

All the best, EW, Larkspur, CA 3-21-2012

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I was already living in Hawaii when I received Garrett and Brian’s letter, offering me help with my home. Fortunately, the renters thought I would be interested so they forwarded me the letter. After my initial consultation with Brian, I knew that I was in good hands, as not only did he truly understand the technical issues surrounding distressed homes, short sales, and bank negotiations, but just as importantly, I sensed he would be a good communicator and an excellent liaison for me to deal with this huge problem which I was 2000 miles away from. From the beginning, I was told every step of the way what to expect and how they were going to deal with the expected issues.

As we approached the end of the negotiations, Garrett and Brian informed me that due to the amount of repair work that was necessary on the house, and given the bank’s valuation of the property, that they would have to begin looking for an end buyer. What truly impressed me was that they painted the entire house and began the rehab process, spending their own money, not asking me for a cent.

The house was sold, and I was out from under this huge problem, I don’t know how to express my thanks to Garrett and Brian of Rapport.

Charlene G., Oakland, CA/Honolulu, HI | October, 2011

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You can only be sure of three things in life, death, taxes, and Marin County real estate will always appreciate. I think my dad told me about the first two when I was a kid. I added the third via my relocation specialist in 2004.

Well I bought my $1.6 million homestead in Marin in 2004. Five years later the recession hit, home prices crashed. My job was gone with the recession, but I still had the house, but now a second mortgage to boot.

I hadn’t the first clue as to what to do. I tried the usual route, you know, tough it out, rent the place, wait for the market to come back. I did all that, but after two years of toughing it out, I was out of time. So I hit the phone in search of a solution. Any solution.

That solution was a short sale. It was the only one the bank would approve. But no one seemed to have the first idea of how to proceed. At the bank, I spoke to a different person each time often getting conflicting information. Some even told me to just stop paying. In the end they seemed far more interested in documentation than a solution to my problem. That’s when I met Brian Pensack and Garrett Burdick. Here were two guys who were laying out for me a very specific course of action. A step-by-step process of what they would do, what they could not or would not do, and most important to me, they made no guarantees. I can say with all honesty, it was the best call I could have made.

As I write this, I have just heard from both Brian and my real estate agent Yoko. Both called to give me the good news that we had just closed on my former home. The house was sold, my debt was negotiated away in total, and the problem that has haunted my sleeping and waking world for almost three years was finally, totally, and completely resolved.

Here’s what they did: Brian walked me through the entire process as it was going on. He explained all the complications, the invariable hick-ups, and answered all my questions. Brian did everything he said he would do. He was completely honest with me throughout the entire process – never making a guarantee that he could not deliver. Brian and Yoko did all the heavy lifting. I never had to negotiate a thing. And he always kept me informed. Today though, it’s all blessedly over and I could not be more pleased with the result. Thank you Brian, Thank you Garrett and Thank you Yoko. Thank you very much.

Mark Antonitis, Kentfield, CA | September, 2011

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Dear Brian and Garrett,? I can’t begin to thank you enough for the help you provided when our home was facing foreclosure. With less than a week to go before the auction you took over all dealings with our lender, and over the next months successfully negotiated not only the sale of our home, but got the lender to accept the money from the sale as the full amount for the loan, saving us from nearly 2 million dollars owing on the loan. You were diligent, and professional, yet you both stayed personable, and dealt with us on a much more personal level. You understood our position, and knew exactly what to do to help us through this difficult financial and emotional time. The moment I reached for the phone and called the number you gave me in the letter you mailed to me was the moment that we began to move forward, and the pressure began to ease. I would not hesitate to recommend you most highly to anyone facing the same situation, knowing that you would be able to help someone else keep their life on track, and helping them move forward. Thank you again for everything you did, and I hope you help many more people in the future.?Respectfully,

~ John Lawson., Santa Rosa, CA | July, 2011

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Thank you for the smooth transition of selling my home and getting me out from the threat of foreclosure of my house. If I hadn’t received your letter to offer in helping me to stop the bank from foreclosure I don’t know what I would have done. I had paid out so much money to lawyers that didn’t do anything but offer false promises and con artists that pilfered my savings. But from your letter I finally met some honest people that have helped me to have a better future without taking another dime from me. When God sent you to me everything turned from wrong to right. I had no big signs posted in front of my house and you moved so swiftly that you found a buyer and I don’t have to go through four years of bad credit on my record. You actually gave me my life back again. Again, I say thank you and may God continually bless you both.

~ Dianne Franklin-Jackson., Oakland, CA | April, 2011

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For the better part of a year, my wife and I stumbled through the maze of paperwork, faxes, FedEx’s and phone conversations involved in attempting to get some sort of mortgage assistance from our bank, and when that failed, from the government through various HUD programs. We were mostly sent spinning in lengthy circles due to misdirection, misinformation and even outright deception disguised as assistance, and in the end were left right back where we started; stuck in an upside down mortgage with significantly reduced household income.

In contrast to that experience was our interaction with Garrett and Brian, who, within their promised deadline, managed a successful short sale of our home in a manner that cleared us of all of the mortgage debt that we carried on the house.

Because of our experience prior to meeting Garrett and Brian, we were skeptical that real help could be available to us, so we had many, many questions for them before we would agree to go ahead with the short sale. They were patient and talked us through our doubts and fears. Every step of the way, they explained what our current status was and laid out the next steps. All we had to do was sign and return the clearly labeled paperwork (“sign here”, “notarize here”) each time they sent us a packet or PDF.

Garrett and Brian always seemed to be looking out for our best interest and more than once, found ways to save us even more money than expected. Our only regret now in the whole process was that we hesitated and didn’t start the short sale sooner. My wife and I highly recommend Garrett and Brian to anyone looking for help with an upside down mortgage.

~ Megan and Dave C., Berkeley, CA | April, 2011

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Garrett agreed to help us even though we had just about given up and were about to let our home in Reno go into foreclosure. Bank of America is notorious for being difficult to work with but Garrett and his team persevered and succeeded in completing the short sale with full deficiency release from both the first and second loans. We appreciate his hard work and even more so, his desire to help us through this tough situation.

Many times, we told him that we were ok with the home going into foreclosure as he encountered difficulties with either the unresponsiveness of the bank, or by Buyers walking away. However, Garrett decided to pursue the short sale until the end and finally procured a cash Buyer and approval from the bank.

In addition to Garrett’s kindness and tenacity, he at times used his own resources to keep the deal afloat which is above and beyond the call of duty. We appreciate everything that he’s done for us and I would recommend his services to anyone.

~ Rick G., Reno | January, 2011

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“Garrett and Brian of Rapport Real Estate were great to work with. They walked us through then entire process of the short-sale of our house. They handled all communication with our lender and the entire process took less than half the time of what I expected.

I felt really comfortable with them and knew that they understood that this was a scary process for me and their trustworthiness and patience in explaining every step to me really helped me put my mind at ease. They were also flexible and addressed my concerns whenever they arose. I would not even have known where to start, if I had to go through this without their help.

In the end I was able to walk away with my house sold and my mortgages taken care of. Thank you, Brian and Garrett for all your help!”

~ Markus B., Napa, CA | September, 2010

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“I have been working Brian Pensack and Garrett Burdick, for some time now. My experience has been that they are very knowledgeable in real estate, specifically in the foreclosure and pre-foreclosure process. Working with them has been a pleasure and they have proven time and again to be the team who can deliver.

My experience in real estate, and in particular, transactional funding, exposes me to all kinds of people and investors, all of them not being equal. Brian and Garrett have shown me time and time again that they are men of integrity, and their passion in helping people out of a tough spot with their homes.”

~ Joel Hofman, Tempo Funding, LLC