"Well, what can we say that has not already been said about Darlena? We have known Darlena for six years or more and in that time she has facilitated the buying or selling of six houses for us, so I guess she is doing OK! Buying and selling houses in Florida is a complicated business and you need someone who has the knowledge and experience to do it correctly. We have nothing but praise for the way Darlena conducts her business, always putting the client’s needs to the forefront, always available to answer the many questions that we asked – what more could we want. Thanks Darlena!" -Mike and Lucia Holmes "My husband and I went out to Sarasota August, 2008 with the intention of finding a property to purchase so we wanted to view as many properties as possible. We had been put in touch with Darlena through a contact in the UK and had spoken to her on the telephone beforehand as well as corresponding via email. Our first contact on the telephone put our mind at ease about buying a property abroad as Darlena was so approachable and helpful that we felt we were in the right hands. At the time we had not narrowed down our preferred type of property or location so our selection of properties to look at when we visited was extensive. Darlena and her team had obviously put in quite a bit of work organizing the viewings before we even met up so it was all systems go from the start. They were both so friendly and patient with us that we felt we could even ask to go back to the same property 3 times and go to see one as the sun was setting. Eventually we narrowed it down to a condo on the beach on Longboat Key and they were thorough in making sure that we knew about all the existing properties there for sale as well as the backgrounds to help us make a decision. Thankfully we made a decision and finally agreed a price with the vendor. We managed to sign all the papers before we left to return home 10 days later as Darlena and Kirsten worked through a holiday and the weekend. Darlena was fantastic in dealing with everything once we were home, and we knew that we could totally rely on them. She was also invaluable in providing contacts for all of the other services that we needed to be able to complete the purchase eg. attorneys, surveyors, air conditioning people, decorators, and in dealing with these people on our behalf when we couldn’t be there. She made the whole process of buying in Sarasota so simple for us and kept us up to date at every stage. We would definitely recommend her for the friendly, helpful, patient and dedicated service that they provide where nothing is too much trouble." - Maureen & George Watterson "We just wanted to say a very big thank you for all of the help and guidance that you gave us when we purchased our property in Sarasota . It was a very big decision for us and we are naturally cautious people with regards to investments. At no time did we feel under pressure to buy and you were extremely patient when we changed our minds on a few occasions! We are grateful for your honesty and integrity and would highly recommend your services. Finally we had some great fun and it was a pleasure doing business with you." -Chris & Karen Wright "Twelve months ago we were looking at various options to move our family over from Oxford in the United Kingdom to Florida and wanted to look at property in the Sarasota area. Darlena was recommended to us by a contact of ours in the UK.In all our dealings with Darlena she has proved to be professional, personable and trustworthy. She has shown genuine, sincere interest in our needs and plans.We have recently moved into our newly built home in Sarasota and started our exciting new life in Florida. Our move over from the UK went very smoothly, which was down to a huge team effort; Darlena proved to be a key member of that team. We would highly recommend her and would certainly use her services again." -Mel Summersbee "I would like to say a Great Big Thank You for the way you handled the sale of my house your Commitment Dedication and Professionalism is a credit to you and your Profession, It was indeed a fortunate day for me when you agreed to act for me,Whenever i am asked about the sale of the house by anybody i always tell them I Had One Of The Best In My Corner." -Jimmy Thomas "In 2003, after living in the same house for 24 years, we decided it was time to downsize. We interviewed several realtors and once we met Darlena, we knew she was the one we wanted to work with. Darlena did a wonderful job throughout the process and once we sold the house, we asked her to help us find our next residence. After hearing horror stories from our friends about their "closing," we can only say that ours was non-eventful. I am sure that is because Darlena paid attention to all the details and made sure everything was in proper order before we went to the closing. In 2009, when we decided to retire and move out of state, we immediately contacted Darlena and asked her to list our property. Once again, it was a positive experience. We would highly recommend Darlena, if youu are considering buying or selling property." -Art and Diane Frenz Being UK residents and looking for our first Floridian holiday home, we were so very glad that we had been put in touch with Darlena. She was very welcoming and friendly, but not in a false way and immediately made us feel at ease. From the start, Darlena was more than patient with us as we were very particular in what we were looking for. She showed us many options in a variety of areas to choose from. It could have been overwhelming, however Darlena made it very clear and easy and it was soon clear from an early stage that she understood our needs and requirements. Darlena explained everything to us in an understanding, but thorough manner. She provided background information to the neighbourhoods that we were looking to buy into, giving us the pros and cons. We totally trust her to put her clients needs at the foremost. Never once did she make us feel under pressure or rushed. At the end of our holiday search, we found our "perfect" holiday home in such a beautiful, peaceful and friendly neighbourhood with fabulous views overlooking a lake - totally priceless! As we had to fly back to the UK, Darlena had to handle all the paperwork and sorted out all the legal side of things on our behalf, which can be daunting when buying in the UK, let alone another country. She made the US side of things and transition as somooth as possible, explaining all the relevant terminology. Totally trustworthy. Three years on, Darlena is still a greaat source of information for us. We really appreciated all that she had done for us. Should we ever wish to sell our home here, we would certainly call on Darlena and her expertise and experience, as well as recommend her to others. Thanks Darlena - you were a star! -Ian, Sophia, and Ryan Manwaring
"We went out to Sarasota in September and met Darlena and bought a brand new build on the Isles of Palmer Ranch. The property was completed in March and in the meantime the Divosta sales team kept us updated weekly on progress with masses of photos.We completed by mail with the help of Darlena and her surveyor contacts and then had the whole place furnished through her interior designer contact. We just sat back and chose colours over the internet! We got our first glimpse of our new home in April and loved it so much we returned again within 4 weeks. We have just returned from our second trip and are already planning our september trip and again thanks to Darlena we are hoping to have a snow bird rental in Jan - March. The whole thing started with you and the fact that you put us in touch with the most wonderful realtor Darlena. So as I said a huge thank you to you for setting us along this route, it has truly changed our lives." -Terry and Zoe Dixon "Having taken the plunge to buy my first property abroad, I can honestly say that without the help and assistance of Darlena and her team, I guess my dream would have just remained a dream. From the moment of locating the property, all the way through to completing the sale, I ws give practical advice and was very much assisted by Darlena's hands on approach. In addition, if you need an attorney, a broker or indeed a local builder, Darlena is always there to make sure you have all the information to make the right decisions and with her experience you always get the impression that she is one step in front of everyone else. Make sure that Darlena and SandN Real Estate is your first point of call before you consider buying in the USA." -Robert Smailes
"On behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to you to know how delighted we are with the professionalism of Darlena Nelms in the way she has carried out her job. When we embarked on a mission to buy a property in Sarasota last year, being foreign nationals, we were obviously a little nervous in the way we would be treated and how the overall sales process would be handled. From the minute we met Darlena, it was apparent that she was extremely keen to put our minds at rest, allay any fears that we might have had, and ensure that we enjoyed the entire process whilst finding the right property. We found Darlena extremely knowledgeable on the property market as a whole as well as the local area. She was always keen to answer any questions we had throughout and explain many of the pitfalls of buying a property locally. Her experience was invaluable as we visited the many properties on our schedule and her preparation and planning was excellent in ensuring that our time in viewing the properties was well spent. Above all, she was patient, understanding and sensitive to our needs without putting us under any pressure whatsoever. We did in fact purchase a new property (which is due to be completed soon) and since that time, Darlena has always been on hand to provide information and offer advice whenever we needed it. In short, she has always been prepared to go that "extra mile" (and still is!). We would have no hesitation in using Darlena's services again should the need arise, nor would we have any hesitation in recommending her to others who are looking for guidance on buying a suitable property. -Ali & Jane McGowan
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