FIRM FOUNDATIONS REALTY Carlinville, Illinois Buyers Sellers Redesign

"Brenda Allen not only showed me a home that I traveled three and a half hours by train to see; she also spent an entire afternoon --- or over three hours --- driving me around to help familiarize me with the surrounding communities. She picked me up at the train station, and after our time together, dropped me off at the local motel. She then returned the following morning, picked me up, and drove me back to the train station. To say that she went above and beyond for both me as a potential buyer, and also for the seller, is an understatement. She far exceeded any reasonable expectation. Brenda promptly responded to all of my inquiries, including providing additional photos I requested. Throughout my visit to Girard and Carlinville, she was extremely generous with her time and insights, and a great pleasure to interact with. Brenda is extremely knowledgeable, kind, compassionate and thoughtful, and is of an extremely high caliber, not just as a realtor, but most of all, as a human being. It was a privilege to meet her. I highly recommend Brenda Allen, and cannot thank her enough. ~ Lynn Brewer, 2021"

"When I decided to sell my house I had to make a choice of what real estate agency did I want. I talked to several people and although they were very nice it wasn't a compatible fit for me. When I contacted Brenda, she came to my house and we walked through. She pointed out a few things to me, I told her my feelings about what I thought the house would sell for, she laughed and said how about this amount. So, after picking myself up, I agreed to the amount she suggested. She listed it, she got a call, a prospective buyer saw it that night, made an offer and it was sold. Brenda is my kind of agent. She knows what she is talking about but doesn't push you to do anything you might be uncomfortable with. All in all no one could have done a better job. You won't be sorry if you list with her agency." ~ Deb, Virden, Il. 2021

"At the beginning of the pandemic my family and I put our house on the market; we were looking to downsize and had already moved into a rental. Our home was a very unique piece of property. It was a 5 bedroom home built over 100 years ago. The house contained original woodwork throughout. We had bad luck with our first realtor and quickly got out of our contract with them. I contacted Brenda at Firm Foundations and she came out right away and took pictures and got a look at our property. Brenda and Rob took beautiful pictures of our home and we wrote up a narrative to go with the house; since it was so unique. Brenda called or texted at least every few weeks during the time our house was on the market, she let us know each time it was to be shown. Brenda and Rob got our house in many local news papers and fliers. Brenda is an honest upfront person, she never cut any corners with us and always kept us in the loop. Brenda has a genuine care for her clients, she knows the local area, and went out of her way to find comparable houses. Our home finally sold in July of 2021 for what we were asking!! Brenda is helpful and patient. Brenda knows the Macoupin County area and if familiar with the housing market of the area. Brenda was a joy to work with, she is a great realtor and I recommend her to anyone looking to sell or buy a home in this area. Thank you Brenda!"

~ Sarah, Virden, Il. 2021

"When we began our search for a new home, even WE didn't know what we were looking for. We crossed paths with Brenda Allen by way of Zillow and she proved to be a wealth of information in answering our questions about locations we were unfamiliar with. She was dependable, on time and never said no to our requests for viewings, even when they were on short notice (to say nothing of the sacrifice of many a weekend spent showing us everything we wanted to see). Once we settled on a property, she worked equally hard answering our countless questions, communicating promptly with the sellers and their realtor and guiding us through the daunting paperwork with clear instructions. Throughout the entire process, she was always an easy phone call away and made sure we had everything we needed to proceed with the transaction. We appreciated her knowledge and efficiency and are so grateful to her diligence and hard work in helping us find our way home." - Tamra C., Carlinville, IL 2021 ( Tamra and her husband moved to Carlinville from out of state. They knew no one. I truly looked out for their best interest and considered this a blessing. )

My experience with Brenda Allen and Firm Foundations was absolutely fantastic. Due to moves for work over the years, we've dealt with a number of Realtors. Brenda definitely set a new bar to judge them by! She was attentive, kept the process moving forward without being annoying. At all times, I felt she was honest and acting for our best interests - something far too rare in that profession. She bent over backward to take care of things, and made the process easy. I wish all of my past (and future) real estate transactions could be so easy. ~ Joe and Lucie Vest 2018

We would like to recommend Brenda Allen, who made buying our first home an unbelievably stress-free experience. Because of her knowledge of the local market, as well as the property itself, she gave us confidence that we had found the right house. Brenda's professionalism made reviewing and submitting all of the necessary paperwork a simple and easily understandable process. When our inspections found serious issues that needed to be addressed, Brenda coordinated with contractors and the seller to ensure we were still able to close in a timely manner. Finally, thanks to Brenda's oversight of the property's renovation, we have a truly beautiful home that our family will enjoy for years to come. -Graham and Nicole 2018

"We made a decision to sell our home and so we decided to call Brenda, who had been the one to sell Jacob our home to begin with. From the moment I called and talked to her, everything went quickly and smoothly. She went through the paperwork and informed us about the process of selling our house. She was honest and professional and she kept us informed and updated throughout the whole process. If we ever had a question she was always a text or message away and was quick to respond. We were able to sell our home within a couple of months! I can't recommend Brenda highly enough as a realtor! Thank you for all that you have done for us! ~ Jacob and Sarah Green" 2018

After Brenda sold my property near Carlinville in record time, I naturally called her when I was ready to relocate and down-size. I have her some ideas as to what I was looking for, and my price range and she went to work.We looked at homes in Macoupin, Christian and Sangamon counties before settling on one in Springfield.The sellers throwing up some road blocks regarding roof damage, but Brenda did not back down from him and we settled the issue satisfactorily. She was knowledgeable in all 3 counties and did another outstanding job for me. Thanks Brenda. ~Donna G. 2016

Brenda listed my home this year, 2016, and we closed smoothly when it sold. I liked that she was always quick to answer my questions. Brenda, you gave me information I needed to make an informed decision throughout our relationship. You never pressured me into doing anything. It was important to me that you recognized that I relied on my faith in God to guide my decisions and you respected that! ~Theresa Rice ~ 2016

Brenda helped me buy a house when I moved to Macoupin County a few years ago -- she was both the seller's and buyer's agent. She was welcoming, helpful, and above all professional and business like, and I felt very fortunate to have her involved in our transition. When it was time for me to sell, I knew without a doubt, she was the agent to represent me. Brenda is innovative, knowledgeable, reasonable, and compassionate. She handled my interests with the utmost integrity; and I knew I could always count on her to be there for me. ~Kelly Chaney 2016

Early in 2015, we decided to move closer to our sons and their families and it was time to choose a Realtor®. Being a Christian couple we prayed about our decision.The Good Lord brought Brenda Campbell to mind so we approached her to represent us.Not only did she agree to be our Realtor® but we also developed a sweet friendship with her. She was efficient, straightforward, ethical and diligent in her efforts to find a Buyer for our home. Her suggestions were very helpful and her knowledge quite impressive. Even when she lost her husband, Brenda saw to it that we were represented by a colleague and stayed connected with us through her. When our house sold, she spent hours back and forth with us, very late at night, sorting out all the details for the sale. (This was due to the Buyer's request, because of leaving on vacation.) We felt she truly went above and beyond the call of duty for us - As well as our sister, God Bless her, she was Brenda’s connection to us because she had a computer, so they worked back and forth for many hours. We would gladly recommend Brenda Campbell to anyone looking for a Realtor®. ~Myron and Sally Ann Kates ~ 2015

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We, Kamal Chopra and Asha Chopra sold our residential property in the month of October 2015. Our real estate agent was Brenda S. Campbell. She is very professional and represented us during the process. Ms. Campbell is very efficient and knows her field very well. We were very satisfied with the services she provided us and we plan to use her services in future too. We extend our wishes to her to excel in her real estate field. 2015

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Brenda was recommended to us when we were looking for a home in Carlinville, IL ten years ago. Our search for a new home with her was so satisfactory that we decided to utilize her skills to sell our home in Carlinville so we could purchase one in Taylorville, IL. As past experience predicted, she worked very hard to help us sell our home plus find one to our liking during the fall of 2014.
Besides being a hard worker, we found her to be knowledgeable and brimming with quality advice and ideas. In addition she possesses a sense of fair play, which we found re-assuring. ~ Terry and Kim Rainey 2014

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Well for one thing,she sure is a hard worker. I have had other Realtor's - they gave me a good service,and either sold or help me buy, but they never went out like Brenda. Brenda, is real thorough in what she does. Doesn't leave any stone unturned . I didn't know how much paper work went into into this job until she came to the house and sit down and went over everything we should know about went on. She backed up everything, and gave us a copy. I can sit here all day and give you why we picked her to be our Realtor, but we wouldn't have enough time. We are very pleased in having her to work for us. ~ John and Lillian Barnwell 2014

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I had an excellent experience working with Brenda Campbell. She was very professional and always had my best interest in mind when negotiating for me and making sure that everything involving the purchase of my new home was handled properly. I would definitely recommend her to others that need a great realtor! ~ Gerrie Hembrough 2014

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"The thought of buying a house always terrified me thinking of the headaches and horror stories I had heard about. After dealing with Brenda I would go through it again any day. She made everything simple and easy. She was always in our corner and willing to bat for us. She made sure things got done in a timely fashion, and was always there with anything and everything that we needed. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone. I know if I purchase again she will be getting my call. Thanks for everything Brenda!" Jordan ~ 2014

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"Saint". "Angel". "God send". "Rock". These few words hardly describe Brenda. She showed us our 'dream home' on November 29, 2013. Little did any of us know - This was going to be a very long journey! We hit so many pot holes in the road, train wrecks on every path we took...but Brenda pushed hard at first and then fought with all her being to get us 'THAT HOUSE'! After many tears, hundreds of emails, texts, phone calls and a zillion pieces of paper! We did it! Thanks to Brenda we made it! Without her dedication and professionalism we would have given up! She gave us the courage and the strength to trudge forward and never give up! Not only is she a very dedicated professional realtor/broker. She is an amazing person that I am glad to call my FRIEND!!

P.S. in case you are wondering we FINALLY closed on our house on APRIL 22, 2014! Yes 5 months but WE did it!     Michelle ~ May 2014

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Thank you for all your hard work on the selling of my house. I appreciate all your work and patience to see this sale completed. You worked so hard with the buyers to help them get the loan and all the things that needed to get done before the sell could go through.
Thank you for finding just the right buyers to live there. Thank you again for all your diligence and keeping me in touch about all the procedures that had to be done before the sell could go through. I am sure anyone wanting to buy or sell will find a very efficient, trustworthy realtor in you. Anyone should feel very confident in you as their realtor. God Bless, Linda Yates ~ May 2014

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" If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop in and we will show you what we have done so far. By the way, you make real estate agents look respectable and worthy of being involved."

(And then later I got this message) "A couple of months have passed since we purchased a home in Carlinville. Reviewing the event and remembering those that made this a pleasurable and rewarding transaction, channeled us first to the folks at Firm Foundations. The staff preformed and coordinated numerous pre-buy tasks as well as extended much needed guidance towards establishing our residence. Brenda and her professional staff are extremely knowledgeable and experienced. Thanks again,"

Stephen Raines ~ March 2014

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"Brenda Campbell is a hard-working and dedicated real estate agent who is committed to her clients and their best interest. It has been a privilege to work with her as she has been pivotal in the sale of our property. Even working with her long distance, I always trusted I was in good hands. She is honest, straight-forward, and goes above and beyond to get the job done well. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell their home." ~ Theresa Bettmann ~ June 2013

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"Brenda did a fabulous job as our realtor! She goes to great lengths to make sure you know all details about a house, and happy to answer any questions you may have. She is very upfront and honest with all details, and spent a great deal of time making sure we understood the process. Couldn't ask for a better realtor!"
~ Tony and Marcia Traylor ~ June 2013

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"We signed with Brenda on Oct. 4, between the 4th and the 12th she had shown our house to 10 prospective buyers. On the 12th we had a great offer on our house and property. In the meantime, Brenda was taking us to several homes in the area we wanted to relocate. By November 15th, she had helped us find our new home, and kept the time lines running smoothly for all inspections, etc. that needed to be done. We closed on both houses that day! We wouldn't hesitate to call Brenda if we wanted to sell. I would recommend her to anyone in the Carlinville area that wanted to sell." ~ Jim and Donna Scott ~ November 2012

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"I just wanted to say... thank you for all that you have done. You went above and beyond your job and helped my family buy a home. You are not only a good Realtor® you are an all around good person. Thank you! " ~ Daniel ~ 2011

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"My husband and I had an older home that we wanted to sell. Brenda gave us guidance and helpful ideas on ways to improve our home to help us sell it. It impressed my husband and I on how Firm Foundations was able to sell our home in such a difficult market. Brenda provided us with such unbelievable support and kept in touch constantly so that we knew what was going on. We have worked with other Realtor’s in the past, ending in a bad experience. They would never give us feedback on what client’s were saying or give us advice or guidance. I would encourage anyone that wants to sell their home to contact Firm Foundations. Thank you for sticking with us and for the extra mile you went for us. " Brian and Kim -2010

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"My home was on the market for over year. It was good home, but in need of many repairs. It was difficult for me to oversee these repairs as I lived 2 hours away and had a demanding schedule. I have known Brenda for years. I called her and she at once put my home as a priority to sell. She suggested a redesign and I consented. After a few thousand dollars of repairs, my home sold for more than I purchased it. Brenda oversaw all the repairs and management of my money. I did little and she did the rest. She personally made curtains and decorated the house to give it the lived in look. I will always remember the time Brenda and I trimmed bushes at my house together in order to make the home presentable. Brenda was more than my Realtor. She became a good friend, who was obviously interested in my well being more than making money off of the sale of house. I am forever grateful to God and Brenda for the sale of my home." John Airsman ~ 2010

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"When I searched online for a property in the Carlinville area your office popped right up. I was really impressed with what your sight had to say about not taking advantage of outsiders coming in. You certainly went the extra mile for me when I did fly in from New York. You were so helpful and hospitable picking me up, showing me the properties and then taking me to supper. I got to see you first hand at work while you talked with someone in the restaurant. You are so genuine. God has truly blessed you and your business and your subdivision - Campbell's Crossing, what a story! Thanks again for all of your help". Victoria ~ 2009

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"I have bought property before but was not impressed with Realtors. I was never represented like you took care of me. You left nothing undone and I believe you really did look out for my best interest. I think lots of times people just think they are being represented when the agent that has the house listed is looking out only for that seller. I know, I had it happen to me. Thanks and I will refer people to you." Dwaine ~

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"My experiences with Brenda and Firm Foundations Realty have been great. I received personal attention as well as extra attention when needed. Transactions were handled with the utmost professionalism. I have now sold several properties through Firm Foundations and would not hesitate to list or purchase again. I recommend Firm Foundations to friends and family all of the time. Buying and selling can be stressful and Brenda and team were able to assist in keeping complications and stresses at a minimum by explaining each step and being proactive." ~ Kathy J. VanBebber

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"Brenda, I am happy to provide a testimony for you. My experience with Firm Foundations Realty and Brenda Campbell was very positive. As a newcomer to the Carlinville community, Brenda provided me with the information I needed to make an informed decision. She answered all of my questions and referred me to reputable professionals, such as appraisers, home inspectors, and bankers to help me complete my transaction. I sincerely appreciated Brenda's straightforward, honest approach. The guidance she provided me was truly a blessing!"

~ Kelly Chaney

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"I came in from out of the area to find a new home for our family and a agent from another office was showing me property. They would not show me anything but their own personal listings. When I asked to see something else, they would downgrade the property. I needed someone who will show me anything I want to see and you did that. You took lots of time with me. Thanks," ~ Cathy 2009

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"Prior to Brenda (F i r m Foundations) I had been involved with 3 real estate transactions, each time using a different Realtor. I never saw any reason to give repeat business. Brenda has been my Realtor for my 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th real estate transactions over the past 7 years. I don't see that changing anytime soon"! Ruth

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"Thanks!... for putting the happy on my face!" says the front of a card I receive from one of my clients, with this personally added inside: "Thank you for all you have done. God Bless you!" Kay

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"Firm Foundations Realty saved me! FFR owner, Brenda S. Campbell came into my life by word of mouth. I had my house with another office for 2 years. Nothing was happening - then I heard of FFR. I called Brenda and she came right to the house and told me what to do to sell my property. She kept me informed everytime she showed the property. In three months she had an offer. I am so pleased with her performance that I cannot say enough good things about her and the company. Thank you Brenda, you saved me!" Kay Lott ( Carlinville, Illinois) ~2008

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"Brenda,Thank you for all you have done for us.You have been a real blessing to all of us and we really appreciate all of the hard work you have done. You made this transition from Illinois to Texas go so smoothly and we could not have asked for a more qualified and committed Realtor/friend to work with. God bless you as you continue to serve Him faithfully." John Sullivan 2008

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"I worked with Brenda Campbell at Firm Foundations Realty when I purchased my home in Chatham, IL. It was a great experience to work with Brenda. Not only was she very willing to show me whatever houses I wanted to look at, but she also was proactive with bringing me information on houses that she found that she thought I would be interested in. I would definitely recommend working with Brenda at Firm Foundations Realty. It was a great experience." Terri L. Phelps ( Chatham, Illinois) ~2007

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"Brenda was very helpful to us during every phase of our relocation. We moved to the area from another state and had only a few weeks to find a house, obtain a mortgage, complete the paperwork, and move in. Unlike the other Realtors we interviewed, Brenda understood the time pressures that come with a relocation and devoted extra time to making sure every step in the process was handled properly, quickly, and efficiently."

Mark and Elizabeth Zobel

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"Brenda - Lynn and I just wanted to thank you again for all of your help in getting our house sold. You worked hard and were very informative. We can't tell you how much we appreciated your HONESTY. That means a lot. Knowing that we could depend on you and that you would not mislead us was a plus. You were up front and open with us and you told us exactly what you thought and you gave us ideas on what we could do or not do. We were very impressed with how often you kept in touch with us, whether you just showed the house or not. Hearing the feedback after you showed the house was very appreciated. We will definitely recommend Firm Foundations Realty to others. Thank You again and God Bless."

Lynn & Karen Etter ~2006

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"We used Brenda's services Redesign Your Home to Sell and were very impressed with the results we got. My house had been on the market for over a year with another office and had no interest. Brenda came in and made some suggestions and we choose to do the labor ourselves. The house was back on the market with a totally new look and we sold it in two months and go top dollar. We were glad we used this service. It really made a difference. My wife, Tonya and I found Brenda easy to talk to and seen a genuineness about her that we had not seen in real estate offices before. We would recommend her for any real estate service you have need of." Larry and Tonya Gibbs (Carlinville)

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"Brenda, You have done so much in helping to purchase our home. Your kindness
and caring means a lot. I know this was a stressful and complicated sale, but I truly appreciate all that you did. Thank you." Heidi ~ 2006

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"My husband and I along with our son and daughter in law purchased a home for resale. After remodeling the property, we listed it with Brenda. Within a few days we had a signed contract and received top dollar for the home. We were very pleased with the transaction and the quick closing". Kelli Chasteen ~2005

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"Recently, my husband and I decided to sell our home. We checked references to find a Realtor to fit our needs. We wanted someone that would be aggressive to sell, not pushy, and honest. We chose Brenda Campbell. I know for a lot of people this can be a stressful time, but Brenda helped to ease our stress with her knowledge and past experience. She was always available to answer our questions and made us feel as though she truly cared that we sold our house. Would we recommend her to a friend? Yes...we would and have several times."~Karson and Becky Pepper ~2004

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We called Brenda to show us a house she had listed in Springfield. She was prepared to show us others as well which was a good thing because the house we called to see just didn't fit our needs. She got us pre-approved for financing and took care of all the details. We found a home we liked after several days of looking around and she took care of every detail in inspections being done and responded so quickly to any need we had. We truly are grateful she took care of us. She is a great communicator and very efficient in what she does.
Winn and Lisa ~ 2003

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"Brenda Campbell handled our complete transaction very well with no problems. We ask to see our house for the second time and again no problem. It was wonderful to be able to select a Christian Realtor which gave us confidence that the entire transaction pertaining to the purchase of our new home was exactly as she had presented them to us. We recommend Brenda Campbell of Firm Foundation Reality for your next selling or buying procedure and we are assured you, too, will have the same satisfaction that we received." Jerry and Bonnie Lane ~ 2002

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"Brenda actually came prepared to list our house! After interviewing a few other Agents who came with nothing in their hands and wanted
to know what we wanted for our house, it was a pleasure talking with an Agent who actually came prepared to show US what its present market value was. She was professional in all she did for us. Very pleased with her ethics." Mrs. V ~ 2001

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" We met Brenda at an Open House in Springfield. She was so kind and helpful that we asked her to show us more houses. She kept in touch with us and let us know what was coming on the market. When looking at homes she helped us keep track of what we were looking at. The process was overwhelming trying to remember details but she kept us informed. When we found the house we wanted to make our home, she was quick to get the contract together and negotiate for us. We were very thankful that she was helping us." Travis and Rebecca ~ 2000

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