Reviews
So I was surfing the internet and thought I'd check in to see what was going on in San Carlos and found Shi inK's review for Remax/First Choice. Clearly she has some kind of axe to grind with them. She says all kinds of slander but DOES NOT SAY WHAT YOU SUPPOSE THEY DID. I'm always wary of criticisms like that, and how on earth can there be an intelligent response from the business owner when there are no specific allegations? All I can do is try to set the record straight by writing my own review.
Tom and Diane Barroll, owners and principals of Remax/First Choice, could not be more sincere and honest in their dealings.
We are real estate investors/professionals who actually owned a real estate agency in Southern California for several years, so we know what we are doing. Our family owned a home by the water in San Carlos for about 40 years. During that time we had a series of property/rental managers, and boy do we have some stories. Over the years, it was extremely difficult to find a property manager who was honest and competent. There were a few who were one or the other, but we never found a property manager who was both. I'm not going to name names.
Remax/First Choice became property/rental managers for our home over 10 years ago after we became disillusioned with another property manager who wasn't getting things done. We had heard good things about Remax/First Choice, we had met and talked to Tom and Diane at some social functions in town, we had liked them, so why not?
We could not have been happier with them. We received timely postings of rental income and expenses, were kept informed of maintenance issues, addressed those maintenance issues for us, and handled the severe damage from Hurricane Jimena (three feet of mud in the house) on our own while we were out of cell coverage for a while. week on a houseboat on Lake Powell and cleaned it all up before we knew it had happened, had referrals of people to hire, etc. They are well connected. The list of positives goes on and on.
Since Remax/First Choice opened, their level of professionalism challenged the status quo in the area, which is why they have such a large percentage of the market. That professionalism has forced others in the area to up their game, so things are much better overall than they used to be, but none of the others match what you get with Remax/First Choice.
We live primarily in Southern California and with increasing responsibilities here, we found that we were not coming to San Carlos enough to justify keeping our home there. We made the decision to put the house on the market in 2018 and there was no question who we were going to list it with. Tom and Diane gave a price recommendation, which we followed, but we still expected the house to languish on the market for the standard year or so that it takes most houses to sell there. Tom and Diane got a buyer within a month for close to our asking price.
They handled all the details, produced all the proper documentation, complied with all the requirements and laws, the correct amount of money showed up in our account when it was supposed to, etc. The transaction could not have been smoother or more honest.
So I don't know what the problem is with anonymous poster Shi inK because she didn't describe a single thing that would give rise to a credible accusation that Tom and Diane are "liars and cheaters". I think her review of the Doubletree showing the picture with the Bud Light box in bed says a lot about her (who does that?). It's much better to trust someone who puts their real name behind their review and provides details of their experiences.
My wife and I have enjoyed working with Diane and Tom Barroll at their San Carlos ReMax office in San Carlos, Mexico for over 8 years. By this unsolicited letter, we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone interested in buying or selling real estate in Mexico. And specifically to anyone looking to rent or buy property located near the wonderful beaches of San Carlos; their honesty, experience and knowledge of real estate issues is unrivaled.
Also as rental managers, we have observed that your employees' attention to detail and your office accounting system is excellent to anything else we have dealt with to date. In conclusion, I would not do any real estate business without your supervision and oversight.
We are two RE/MAX users in San Carlos.
When we wanted to sell our 1st House, Tom & Diane found us Buyers at Asking Price, no mean feat.
A couple of years passed, we reminisced about the great times in SC and decided to return. Once again, we contacted Tom and Diane to help find the right place for us.
Throughout this process, RE/MAX and its associates were completely on top of everything. Calls or messages to them were routinely returned within hours, regardless of the time they were made. Discussions about the market and pricing were always open and honest. The Mexican closing was handled very professionally.
An extremely satisfied customer
Thank you so much for your help in selling our house. It was hard work. The market was down. The American and Canadian buyers were mostly gone. The Mexicans were buying, but not in our range.
We were discouraged, but you two never gave up and kept trying, with all the tools in the box. Virtual tours via the Internet, open houses, home tours and seminars on investing in Mexico are ongoing. You kept up our spirit and, through it all, we became good friends.
We especially appreciated his professionalism at the closing. With his long experience dealing with bank trusts, taxes and labor laws, everything went very smoothly. Money in the bank on time - done! No problems!
We were highly recommended and are happy to recommend it to everyone!
In fact, it is a pleasure to recommend Diane and Tom Barroll for any and all of your property management challenges.
They have managed our property in the Bahia Delfin condominium complex for some years with the utmost professionalism and honesty. Although they are from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, they are very knowledgeable about dealing with real estate in San Carlos or better yet Mexico. It is different than in the United States and you need someone who is bilingual and understands both sides.
We recently listed our condo for sale and to date the dealings have been transparent and very professional. I am confident that they will sell our condo and leave both buyer and seller happy.
I am very pleased with the service provided by RE/MAX. Georgina and Diane are very professional and dedicated to the highest levels of customer satisfaction. I would not hesitate to recommend their services to anyone buying or selling property in the San Carlos area.
After more than 2 years elsewhere, Diane and RE/MAX sold our property in 3 months. We especially liked the no-nonsense, experienced and honest business we received. We have no reservations in recommending them.
I wanted to thank you for the excellent service you provided. My family and I had a great time in San Carlos, we hope to come back soon 🙂
I met Diane through a series of Arizona-Sonora real estate conferences and then the Arizona Mexico Commission. I find Diane to be very knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate, especially helping foreign investors work through the real estate transaction in Mexico. She is a person of integrity and a leader in her community and the industry. She actively promotes education and professionalism in the real estate industry in Mexico.
Knowledgeable and dedicated team of professionals!
I have had business dealings with Tom and Diane for the past 10 years and have nothing but positive things to say about the way they handle their business. They have sold me numerous homes in San Carlos, all with excellent results and no worries. Very professional and always willing to answer my questions or give me options. This is the ONLY real estate company I would recommend or use in Mexico.
Frank
Good afternoon Georgina,
I would like to send you a cordial greeting hoping you are VERY well and at the same time I take this opportunity to mention that I had a GREAT experience with the services of Remax through your person in my process of buying and selling my property located in San Carlos new Guaymas, your attention and follow up were very timely and with MUCH kindness in your treatment to my person and even with much patience you answered my questions or doubts which inspired me confidence in you and your company until closing the deal of sale by signing the deeds before the notary. It is important to comment on the above because it is very pleasing for me to meet people who with dedication, professionalism and honesty do their job, I know that many people will say that it is expected of a great company like Remax, but unfortunately it is difficult to find people with your good attributes to help with professionalism and human quality to their customers. Due to the above, I really congratulate her and I encourage her to continue doing her job as she did with me, I believe that this attitude will make that in the future I will request her services again or that I will recommend her widely to people who need to make a real estate sale and purchase and consequently will cause the growth of Remax.
Thank you in advance for your support, I remain at your disposal for any questions, hoping to deal with you again in the future.
Greetings!
Working with Diane Barroll was an absolute pleasure. She was very knowledgeable about the Mexican real estate market, demonstrated great ethics and integrity in all her interactions with me, and worked diligently to promote and market my properties. I would not hesitate to work with Diane again to meet my real estate needs.
We recently finalized the sale of our home in San Carlos through Diane Barroll at Remax. Although we loved our ten years in San Carlos, we found it was time to move on and simplify our lives. We will miss many of the wonderful friends we have made there and wish them all the best. Diane Barroll was at the top of the list, through a friendship based first on her honesty and integrity and then strengthened by her knowledge and competence in all areas of our real estate sales. We have bought and sold many real estate properties over the years and found this transaction well executed in light of the complexities of Mexican Real Estate Law.
The bottom line is that we highly recommend Diane and Tom Barroll along with their team of professionals for any of your real estate needs, whether buying, selling or property management. We were treated well at all times and left knowing that we will have them as friends for life.
The individual who posted his defamatory comments about Diane and Tom loses all credibility to his accusations when he is not even willing to identify himself. Shame on him. The lack of details also demonstrates a lack of credibility. If this same individual had made these defamatory claims in an American newspaper, he would have to be prepared to back up his claim in the court system.
Best wishes to both Diane and Tom!
The Armstrong family has lived in San Carlos for over thirty years. When our mother Betty recently passed away, we decided to sell her home. We live in the United States and need a San Carlos real estate agent we can trust and a professional with experience in the San Carlos market.
Diane and Tom Barroll and Sheila Olson of RE/MAX First Choice Realty were highly recommended to our family by local friends in San Carlos. RE/MAX First Choice Realty TEAM did a professional appraisal of our property. They staged the house so it was ready to show to prospective buyers. Their professional support helped us sell the house quickly at a good price. RE/MAX First Choice Realty handled all aspects of the selling process in Mexico and all the details related to the paperwork.
Diane and Tom Barroll and Sheila Olson of RE/MAX First Choice Realty and their entire team are great. They will help you find a wonderful home or sell an existing property. They are very professional and fun. We appreciate their expertise and appreciate their guidance throughout the process by phone and email.
If you live outside of Mexico and want exceptional real estate support in San Carlos, RE/MAX First Choice Realty will exceed your expectations.
This is a fabulous real estate, leasing and management company - best service I have ever had - courteous, professional and friendly - I recommend without reservation - the best in san carlos!!!!
Of course, I would be pleased to be a reference for First Choice's integrity and professionalism. When we built our house we transferred a large amount of money to their accounts to pay the builder as the work progressed. In retrospect, anyone with less integrity could have used this as an opportunity for personal gain. Our account was handled professionally and all records were transparent and forward looking. We continue to use First Choice to care for our home in San Carlos and Luisa and the rest of the staff are pleasant and easy to work with. I don't believe there are any concerns with integrity or professionalism. If other agencies are willing to do your job for less, I believe you get what you pay for and the service they would receive might be less than what First Choice would provide for similar work. We look forward to a continued relationship with Tom, Diane and the rest of the staff at First Choice Property Management.
Diane and Tom Barrow are the best realtors in San Carlos. I would highly recommend them. We sold our condo and they helped us from start to finish without even being there for the final paperwork. Diane made everything go smoothly without any problems. We would only recommend them in San Carlos. They are the best. If you are looking for someone you can trust, I would highly recommend them.
Ken and Judy Haubrich
I really appreciated doing real estate business with you and Tom, excellent, reliable and responsible people. This is especially important when you consider that our business was done in a foreign country with people we never met. We also look forward to meeting you someday.
Please feel free to use me as a reference.
When my husband and I came to San Carlos, we found what we had been looking for; beautiful beaches, a beautiful marina, a clean and friendly town with enough activity to participate in and a four hour drive from the border at Nogales. Finding the right fit for a tiny house was the next challenge. That's where we were fortunate to connect with RE/MAX First Choice Realty and the competent and friendly team of real estate professionals.
The issues of a trust and other required work were done professionally and explained to our satisfaction and our ongoing friendship with the staff was always helpful.
Selling the house is a bittersweet event, as we have many happy memories of our time there. We again asked Diane Barroll of RE/MAX First Choice Realty to represent us at this important event. Diane guided us through the required documentation and, although much of this was done by email, we were able to complete the necessary legal requirements without any problems. It was very reassuring to have the competence and efficiency of the RE/MAX First Choice Realty staff.
Because of our confidence and personal experience in both buying and selling our property, we highly recommend RE/MAX First Choice Realty.
Diane and Tom helped us buy our house in San Carlos 10 years ago and everything went perfectly. It was easier to buy it in Canada than to buy a house IN Canada, Diane's knowledge of the business and her connections to local resources are invaluable! They recently helped us again when we (unfortunately) sold our house. Diane was patient and helpful, and they hire the BEST photographer in town. Tom helped us find people to do projects in preparation for the listing. The house sold at asking price within two months and Diane again was invaluable in helping us navigate the process (although, to be honest, she did all the work!) I can't recommend these two enough!
Excellent service
When we decided to buy property in San Carlos, Diane and Tom Barroll of First Choice Property Management made it all possible.
Because of their knowledge of the Mexican system, every detail of the purchase was taken care of and then, as a bonus, they became our property managers.
Their professionalism and attention to detail has made our home ownership experience in San Carlos completely effortless. They provide all the services and more. They have become a vital part of our comfort and security.
Tom and Diane not only met but exceeded our expectations! From viewing the homes, through the negotiation and legal process, we were confident in our decision because of their knowledge and professionalism. Their high level of integrity was evident from the beginning. Their wealth of information about Mexican culture, legalities and the San Carlos community was a great benefit. Their tireless response to our questions and their incredible thoughtfulness with the delivery of flowers and Christmas lights put them on a higher level. We highly recommend Barrolls to anyone looking to move to San Carlos. They are pillars in the community and we are proud to call them our friends. Thank you so much Tom and Diane!