Testimonials

Five Stars!

I have been involved in many real estate transactions over the past 40 years. I have worked with some excellent realtors but none who came close to Annette. First, she is a wonderful human being who is dedicated to the best interests of her clients. She has passed up a number of commissions by talking me out of properties that were not a good match for my needs. She is wise in her understanding of real estate as well of human beings. She thoroughly understands the local market. No one works harder than Annette to cover the many details inherent in the purchase of real estate. She knows her stuff and follows up on every question. A consummate professional, her reputation in this small island community is legendary. I am using far too many words to say that she cares deeply about her clients and has the knowledge and skills necessary to solve problems and negotiate complex transactions. And last, but certainly not least, she is truly fun to work with. Probably no surprise that I give Annette my highest recommendation.
Thomas Alkoff

Knowledgeable & Professional

We have known Annette since 2001 when she helped us purchase our first Home by Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, WA. Since then we have purchased and sold another Home and purchased a Commercial Bldg. on Orcas Island. During all this time, she has been a knowledgeable and professional Real Estate Sales Person. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for Real Estate in the San Juan Islands.

Sincerely;
Mike & Cheryl O'Donnell

I think of her as my partner.

I am happy to have the opportunity to evaluate Annette Schaffer

After four transactions I don't think of Annette as my broker. I think of her as my partner.

Annette found my home here on San Juan Island.
She sold my sister's house on another island, not easy.
She had some listings in foreclosure which seemed like a good investment. I bought two of them as investment properties. She had the numbers, relationship with the bankers involved and patience to help me see it through.

She knows the properties, the seller's circumstances, brokers on the other side and property history and value. And what I want.

She knows how to do all the transaction parts I don't know or don't want to do. Details. She is a master of preventative maintenance, especially during negotiations.

I am currently in the process of writing instructions for my families benefit. Under real estate it's - "Call Annette."

Sincerely,
Carol A. Smith

Skillful and friendly

Enthusiastic, passionate, energetic, knowledgeable, highly credentialed, skillful, welcoming, tenacious, focused, friendly, fun - just a few adjectives that describe Annette. We were moored at Friday Harbor last July and, on a whim, we decided to look at houses on the island. Luckily, Annette was the realtor in the office that Sunday afternoon and she worked tirelessly with us for the next 5 days to try and find us a home. We found one and made an offer before returning to Arizona. That deal fell through, but when we returned 2 weeks later, Annette had more houses for us to tour. We found the perfect island home for us and closed a month later. This wouldn't have happened without Annette. She is the most knowledgeable and personable realtor we have ever worked with.

Highly recommend Annette

Annette Schaffer served as my agent for 5 homes at Roche Harbor. This was during the real estate crash and Annette never wavered from her commitment to do everything she could to market and sell the homes. Her enthusiasm never waned and she showed the homes multiple times and her hard work paid off as she was able to sell all of them!
I would not hesitate to recommend Annette to handle any real estate needs on any of the San Juan Islands.

Thanks Annette,
Sincerely,
Tad Fairbank, Owner Fairbank Construction Company

Great experience!

Annette Schaffer is the definition of a professional. We have had many real estate interactions with Annette Schaffer representing us as sellers and buyers. Not only is she skilled but also very personable. Annette takes the time to know what her clients actually want in purchasing or selling real estate. She always makes herself available to meet the needs of clients. She is quite knowledgeable about all aspects of real estate. Annette has great relationships with competing agents and this is an added advantage when negotiating. She is reliable and responsive no matter how much we have thrown at her during our decision making process. We would give her more than the five stars allotted if possible. We recommend her to anyone who wants a great experienced agent who is totally committed to the work she does on behalf of her clients.

Outstanding agent

We have had a number of real estate transaction with Annette Schaffer and found her knowledge in this field to be outstanding. On the buy side we were only shown properties where we specifically indicated that we had interest both in location and in monetary value. Once a potential property was located she had a wealth of knowledge on financing and local contractor, surveyors and estimators sources for property build and or modifications. On the property sell side we were able to list and sell our properties very close to the listed price and in a timely period. For an out of state property sale, she put us in touch with an agent in that local that moved that property in a timely professional fashion too.

A real joy to work with.

When listing a waterfront penthouse condo that I had owned for years, I chose Annette to be my agent. She turned out to be the perfect choice. Annette is an outstanding agent and a wonderful person. Professional and sensitive to me as a seller. She provided consistent communication and in a difficult market for all. She was sensitive to my goal to sell and kept me up on local market conditions. She provided professional photography and ad copy for the various publications and internet sites. Equally... a huge plus is Annette as a person, truly a unique individual, detailed and service oriented... a real joy to work with.
Robert G.

She was the perfect buyers agent.

My husband and I were looking for a vacation home in the San Juan Islands. We were undecided about which island, we had spent time on Orcas but only one day on San Juan. So we decided we would travel to both islands and decide which we would call home. We contacted Annette via email from a referral from an agent on Orcas, several months prior to our scheduled trip to the island to look at property. From the beginning she was a real treasure. She listened to us! She sent us informantion on the island along with everything we would need if we found that perfect home. Information on taxes, utilities, ferry service, schools, a blank purchase contract, and a brochure on real estate terms.
We utlimatley found a house on San Jaun Island. I think one of the main reasons we decided on San Juan Island was becasue of Annette. When we arrived on the island she showed us around, pointing out the hospital, airport, markets, as well as beaches and parks. We loved the island and everyone we met. When Annette showed us property she really listened to what we wanted in a home. She understood our price range and didn't try to show us propety we could not afford. When we found the right property she was the perfect buyers agent. She handled the negotions like the professional she is. I have no doubt we got the house we wanted at a fair price because of her. I hope you have the same experience

Annette Schaffer is the consummate real estate agent.

She is skillful, knowledgable and energetic in her approach. Her positive attitude to selling my house has been a welcome relief. She is approachable, sensitive to my individual needs. For me one of the best parts is I can trust she will get back to me every time I call with a question. This is important to me. I highly recommend Annette.

Very effective

We engaged Annette as our buyer's agent for the purchase of land for the construction of our retirement home on San Juan Island. It was a terrific experience in all aspects from the beginning through final purchase -- and we hope beyond. She provided a well-ordered, comprehensive tour of prospective properties, along with complete informative dossiers on each property. Between properties she also managed a dramatic impromptu, roadside whale viewing. Her expert real estate eye along with deep knowledge of the island proved invaluable in appraising the various candidates. She was also very perceptive of what we were looking for and what might best fit our needs and aspirations. Once we had selected a property to purchase Annette very effectively and "hitchlessly" guided us though the purchasing process, while providing along the way information and connections useful to building and settling on the island. Significantly, she negotiated a price substantially below the selling price and our best expectations. We very much appreciate her professionalism and having made this rare event for us a jolly adventure!
--Carl Shepherd & Mark Hand