"We felt no pressure to buy...in fact, were encouraged to look at all of the options before we made decisions. We were confident when the time came, it was the best!

Jim and Peggy Hutchison

"We picked out what homes we wanted to look at, none were pushed at us. And of course, it didn't matter which realty co. was representing the home, as you are not associated with any of them! We liked that the most."

Miles and Rose Bateman.

Paul did a great job and worked hard for us. We actually miss the fun we had house hunting.

Patricia and Michael DeFosset.

I personally would recommend you and your staff to anyone relocating nation-wide, or to any corporation considering moving employees, no matter if it is a group like ours or individuals. You saved us time, money and made us look good to everyone, unbelievably at no cost to us.

Larry G. Martin.

...I've discussed our home buying experience with friends, and they're amazed at everything you did for us that their realtors didn't do.

Barry Vanderpool.

What a difference between this and our previous home buying experience. You know we came with chips on our shoulders and you completely disarmed us. This was the most comfortable and satisfying home finding experience we've ever had, bar none.

Barry and Joan Steinkoenig.

The role of "devil's advocate" is ever more necessary these days and your agent was perfect for the role. It was great to have such a positive attitude to work with and none of you ever gave up! Terrific.

Doug and Jeanne Phillips.

Paul appeared truly interested in our getting what we wanted....not just making a sale.

Paul and Vicky Kundrick.

Your agent was always looking out for me...she was incredible. I was most impressed when she actually told me NOT to buy a house I liked, and she was right! We did much better.

Linda Mortar.

In looking for country property, I was especially pleased with the amount of time you spent with me, the "team-work", and the combined knowledge about a very large area.

Susan Wallach.

(you gave....) objective, experience-related advice on the positive and negative aspects of a home in relation to the buyers needs and long term value and suitability. Your service and commitment to us were wonderful, and (after long searches) you were as committed, patient and enthusiastic as you were on day one. We truly appreciated your help.

Kathy Girardi and Mike Juenger,

now, (Mr. and Mrs. Mike Juenger).

Your service was better than I could ever have imagined. Coming from overseas and hearing horror stories, we didn't know what to expect. You made it a great experience and we know we got the best home possible!

Bob and Darla Sanders.

You worked for me, not the seller, you looked after my interests without compromising any of my confidence. I have recommended you to people and always tell them that I was very pleased with your service.

Carrie Oslager

You didn't try to sell me on any one specific house since none were under your listings.

Robert and Diane Conant

We were vary interested in resale prospects and felt we were well served with that measure.

Bob and Anita Davis.

The focus on my personal needs and requirements. the honest pluses and minuses of each property.

Tommy Smith.

(we liked) Voluntary information on housing localities, having someone to protect our interests, and adopting our children.

Lisa and Dan Mazzuca.

We were able to learn all the pluses and negatives of a property...there was no pressure to purchase one house over another. The atmosphere at Home Relocations was much friendlier than a basic traditional service.

Kimberly and Bill Letts.

You were able to show listings from all the different real estate agencies, and helped to negotiate the price.

Mary and Mike Artz.

We felt like were genuinely on our side and had our best interests, (not those of the seller) at heart.

Susan and Alexander Wilson.

We felt like we could be shown all of the market, not just one agent's share.

Roger and Joann Wyatt

Dear Merrill, Paul and ALL your staff:
We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance in our relocation to the area. Moving to a new area can sometimes be traumatic, but Home Buyer's Relocation Services is conscious and responsive to the needs of buyers, well beyond the home purchase itself. From the first contact, Home Buyer's was committed not only to helping us find a home, but to helping us establish roots in the community. From finding the best schools and extracurricular programs for our children, to providing orientation to local shopping and services, Home Buyer's was there. Home Buyer's helped us to locate temporary housing while we awaited the sale of our previous home.

Having shopped for a home on both sides of the river, we can tell you that Illinois beat Missouri hands down, in terms of the quality and quantity of homes in our price range. Illinois provides not only a shorter commute, but a smoother commute, in terms of traffic congestion, to my worksite in downtown St. Louis.

When it came to your efforts in finding a home for us, Home Buyer's took an approach that is unmatched by other realtors. It is our belief that the real difference is the representation you provide for the home buyer. In traditional real estate brokerages, the realtor represents the seller. In other "dual" representation is offered. We perceived dual representation to be a conflict of interest. But Home Buyer's Relocation is unique in that you represent the buyer exclusively.

We know that there were many of you working behind the scenes in support, but we would like to give a special thanks to Paul Ottwein for his knowledge of the area, the orientation provided, his tenacity in scouring the (MLS) listings and FSBO's (For Sale by Owners) in search of a home for us. Our thanks to all of you, for you have made our transition to the area easier.

We have already sent you other potential customers during our search for a home. Let this letter serve as a testimonial that we will continue to do so.

Sincerely,

Jim, Linda, Eric & Kyle Hoggatt
(Mercantile Bank)
P.S. We LOVE our new home.

Subject: Letter of Appreciation; 25 September, 1997

1. Olivia, the girls, and I are sincerely grateful for the absolutely superior service Nicki, Merrill, Mary and the members of the Buyers Relo staff have provided us in the purchase of our home. Without a doubt, this has been the best assistance we have ever received i the purchase of a home. Being in the military, we have faced many moves, and as a result, can safely attest that the assistance you provided is the best-no exceptions! Service above self is not a term exclusively used by the military, but an ideal fully fulfilled by all at Home Buyers Relocation Service.

2. Your friendly staff, absolute knowledge of what is in the buyer's interest, and a selfless attitude to get the job done right, efficiently, and with the least amount of distress to the customer, are clearly hallmarks of your most professional business. Working with Buyers Relocation Services was truly a pleasure.

3. Our purchasing worries were put at east from the first moment we began communicating with your staff. As you recall, we were living in Mexico City, Mexico when we first approached you for assistance. From the beginning, we were impressed with the way you responded to our needs. You went well beyond what was expected in providing us frequent, current and comprehensive lists of homes that perfectly fit our needs. You outdid yourselves in the additional, customized information you provided us on area attractions, shopping and schools. You eased our concerns in the selection of the right neighborhood and optimal schools for our three girls. To top things off, every home you showed us would have perfectly met our needs. It was very evident you took the time to listen to us, and made a great effort to anticipate our requirements. We were particularly impressed with Nickie's intuitive sense of our tastes and requirements. It was no wonder we ended up purchasing the very first home she showed us.

Additionally, I can honestly say that I saved more than $7,000 in the purchase of our home. I know for a fact that had we gone with "the competition" for assistance in the purchase of our home, we would have paid a significantly higher amount. Also, by negotiating 100% for us, the buyer, and being on "our side", you saved us an additional $ 2,000-3,000 in upgrades and repairs. Nicki followed up in all aspects of the sale, negotiated all additional items necessary to close the deal, and on more than a dozen occasions, helped us as a true friend would.

5. Finally, while I thank the Home Buyers Relocation Service team for the utmost professionalism, monetary savings, and all other services you provided us, we sincerely thank you from the heart, for your continuing friendship. The fraternity you have demonstrated will n ever be forgotten, and I wish all of the Buyers Relocation members continual success. We look forward to recommending your services at every and any opportunity.
Cynthia, Natalie, Victoria, Olivia and Jose L. Hernandez, Jr.
Wickes Lumber

Mr. Merrill Ottwein
Home Buyers Relocation 629 W. Highway 50
O'Fallon, IL

Dear Merrill:

Having moved many times with my company, I wanted to express my appreciation to you for the service you provided my family in our recent move to the Shiloh area. I have dealt with many Realtors over the years, and at no time have I been more comfortable with the advice, direction and genuine interest you took in h elping us find the home we purchased.

Your companies' strategy of representing the buyer only is a great service to families moving into an unfamiliar area, and anyone in need of honest advice and counsel about the local real estate market. Your assistance that we be aware of all the "negatives" as well as positive aspects of certain plroperties no doubt helped us m ake a better informed choice and probably saved us some money as well.

You can count on my enthusiastic recommendation of your company to anyone in search of a new home.

Timothy McCaw, Manager
Wickes Lumber Co.
Breeze, IL

Keith Ratay's 1999 move to St. Louis (Boeing....report to company)

This document contains information regarding my move from Meridian, MS to St. Louis (actually, Troy, IL). The information is provided with the hopes of acknowledging the people and businesses that have provided superior service.

Home Buyers Relocation Services: Wow, what a pleasure it was working with these people. My initial meeting was with Merrill Ottwein. I called and got an appointment with Merrill on short notice. He spent quite a bit of time explaining his service, the area I planned on living in, etc. By the end of our meeting, I had a list of prospective houses that fit my search criteria and a meeting set-up with his son Paul the following day. Paul Ottwein and I visited the homes I had selected and many I had not. Paul's knowledge of the area and relationships with the local realtors were invaluable to get us into other homes with little or no notice. This was especially important in my search since I preferred a new home. Many of these homes that were still under construction were not yet listed. Paul successfully got me in to see every home I was interested in. All my dealings with Home Buyers Relocation Services were positive and enjoyable. I highly recommend their service.