Testimonials

There are no agents like Irene. She is more like a Special Forces Agent. Her energy and attention to detail is amazing. She didn’t know me for more than a month and read into who I was and found my house right away. I’ve now had the pleasure of knowing her for years and have to say I am still impressed daily.

We have never encountered an agent who cares as much as Irene. She listens, she hears, she guides, and she puts her all into what she does.

For my wife and I, Irene was a breath of fresh air. To the point common sense, with a clear understanding of what needs to be done.  Whether a buyer or a seller, you will not be disappointed.

My husband and I have never dealt with any Real Estate Agent as grand as Irene, they should take lessons from her. She goes over and above to provide a great service. She is one of a kind.

Irene is thoroughly professional in every respect. She is scrupulously honest, energetic, candid and completely trustworthy. She works in the best interest of her client and brings a keen sense of reality coupled with good humor and wit. It was an authentic pleasure to work with her and her sense of responsibility and penchant for thoroughness made for smooth and precise transactions. We recommend her without hesitation or reservation.

How it Came to Be

I’ve said before that I didn’t know what a normal path to owning this house would look like. Reflecting on that more, I began to consider what a normal home purchase would look like, which – fine you’re ahead of me – caused me to consider the normal home. And that’s where it all began to make sense. What is a normal home?

A normal home is frame construction, asphalt shingles. A normal home is not too big and not too small. A normal home is in a neighborhood of similar homes – several of which have sold in the last few months in order to provide good comps. A normal home has one kitchen and is easily and irrefutably characterizable as single family. A normal home (in short) will fit nicely into the criteria that makes a normal bank feel safe about lending money against it. Let’s see…The Upham Cottage is frame construction and has asphalt shingles. Other than that, none of the normal characteristics.

This lack of normalcy seemed to stump a lot of potential buyers over the years – and the house was for sale for years. Whether they didn’t want the upkeep, couldn’t find a bank to work with them, or were intimidated by the Frankenstein plumbing apparition in the crawlspace, I don’t know. What I do know is that we were fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time with the right team of people.

Far and away the most important decision that allowed us to come to live in the Upham Cottage was made several years ago when we began to work with Irene Arriola of Saltwater Property Group.  Continue reading

Irene’s knowledge of the market and the homes available in my price range was an invaluable asset. I found the home that I’ve always wanted and Irene was an integral part of the negotiating process. I’m now a very happy camper. Unfortunately I probably won’t need Irene’s realty services again but we’ll always be friends. Thank you Dahlin!

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It’s rare to find “five-stars”,  but Irene Arriola is exceptional.  In July 2011,  we purchased a house in St. Augustine.  Irene’s knowledge, expertise, and exquisite attention to detail made the entire transaction seem like a peaceful walk in the park on a gentle day.   Irene is an honest, open broker of a fair deal.  She is the consummate professional, straight-forward, with finely honed skills that she adeptly uses to creatively solve problems.  Irene is also effective because she devotes the time and energy to her clients that is both necessary and sufficient for the job;  but,  she will not waste your time (or hers).   Should you have questions about the community, Irene is a literal storehouse of accurate, thorough, and complete information,  which she generously shares. In sum, if there were ever to be a real estate based utopia, we suspect that it could not be conceived, organized,  and sustained without benefit of Irene Arriola’s considerable talent, judgment, and wit.

Irene is the Moon Goddess of real estate and all things financial.

Irene was a godsend for both, a recent home purchase and also the sale of my last home. She really knows real estate in St. Augustine!