What Our Clients Are Saying About Us

Thank you so much for doing such a great job in selling the house. We are grateful to you, Tim and your team. It is nice to be free of the house, being so far away and we hope the the owner is happy there.

You may remember the observation I made about halfway through the first day we spent looking at houses together, which was that I was beginning to see that you have a very hard job. That was one year and dozens of houses ago. In a conversation we were having recently about this process, Natalie added some nuance. She said the real estate agent's job is less about getting to the sale, and more about keeping it from falling apart. Natalie and I want to thank you for your patience, endless hours of hard work, and attention to detail, all those details. Whatever you're making on this transaction, it isn't enough. We're looking forward to being your neighbors.

An Excellent Experience. It was a pleasure to have Laurel with us as we searched for our first home. She is open and honest and we could tell she actually cared about us. She was never pushy and always gave an open assessment of each home. Also, her schedule was flexible, and she always had plenty of patience! Overall, an excellent experience all around!

Laurel was extremely professional throughout the entire process of marketing and closing the house. Nutshell’s marketing strategy was highly effective, given the significant number of offers received in just the first week of marketing, particularly in the soft housing market that we are currently in. I would definitely use Laurel and Nutshell if I were to sell a house in the Hudson Valley area again and would certainly recommend them to anyone looking to sell a home in the area.

Exceeded my expectations! Due to fallout from the current economic climate, I found myself in a situation where it was absolutely necessary to liquidate and sell my beloved home. I choose Laurel since I knew she had the experience and connections to make the sale happen and in a timely way. I am delighted on how well things turned out.

Laurel was a pleasure to work with. Throughout our home search process, she was quick to respond to any questions we had or to set up appointments to view houses. She was always prepared with information on the home we were viewing and willing to make numerous phone calls to obtain additional information. She was also patient and never pressured us as we searched for a home. She offered us great advice and guidance as we navigated the home purchasing process for the first time and she provided us with excellent referrals for other real estate professionals with which we had to work.

I first met Laurel when my husband and I were looking for a new home. We loved working with Laurel, and recommend her to our friends for a few reasons. Laurel was easily available. Whether it was by phone, email, or texting, we were always able to get our questions answered. As well, she knew what we were looking for, and did a great job showing us homes we would be interested in. Finally, Laurel emailed us all the MLS listings in our price range. Each week, we were aware of the new houses on the market. Jon, myself, and our two daughters are very happy with our new home and look forward to working with Laurel again.

"... you stood by us during the whole process." Yes, it has been a little over a year since we closed on our house. We wanted to let you know that we are so happy that you helped us find our new home. We let you know the approximate cost we wanted to spend and could afford, and you helped us find a home within our budget. You had information to increase our knowledge about the process, and you stood by us during the whole process, from seeing the home to dealing with the bank, all the way through to the closing. At any turn, I could call you, and you were there to answer any questions I had. Thanks for helping our family achieve our goal of becoming homeowners. It truly is our dream come true. --Jim, Betty, Kate, James & Heather Noon

She has proven herself worthy of our trust. Anna Barcone in 2002 was Anna Jackson, a new realtor who eagerly searched for and found my first home. Since 2005, when my husband and I decided we wanted a bigger home with more land for our horses, Anna has worked patiently with us, recommending homes and sending us a satellite map of every property that interested us so we could evaluate land to determine whether or not it would work. We have found ourselves to be in an unusual predicament; needing a home with clear, level acreage in Ulster County that also has a nice house has been difficult for us to find. We are not talking about weeks or even months of searching, but years. Not once did Anna suggest we settle for something we weren't more than happy with. Since she sold us our first home, she has found homes for many of my colleagues. All of them found Anna to be professional, hard-working, and successful at finding them great homes. We were friends with Anna long before we had a business relationship with her, and many folks might feel that's a recipe for disaster. However, we never doubted her expertise for a moment and we value her opinions. She has proven herself worthy of our trust. She tirelessly searches the Ulster County MLS, and even looks at the For Sale By Owner web pages to make sure something there wouldn't work. Anna has never pushed us into making decisions we didn't feel comfortable with, and she patiently waits, like us, for the home of our dreams.

“We were able to enjoy piece of mind” Our experience selling our house with Nutshell Realty could not have gone more smoothly. Our agents, Laurel Sweeney and Tom Goss gave us great advice on preparing our home for sale and were very attentive to our concerns along the way. Relocating out of state before our house sold, we were able to enjoy peace of mind that we were leaving our house in very capable hands. Working from afar with Laurel and Tom was a breeze and we could not be happier with the result - a quick sale and a very positive experience.

Helped us Through a Very Challenging Sale I am writing to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your hardwork in the sale of my home. You & Ben went above & beyond the call of duty in every facet. From the beautiful pictures that Ben took of my home to the countless tedious tasks that it took to complete the sale made it all possible. Working with you and your staff, I always felt that I was your first priority. You all have been more than gracious with your time & your professionalism helped us through a very challenging sale.

Whether buying your first, or second home, Gail Short will hands down be the most trustworthy, friendly, and motivated realtor around. Thank you for making our first home purchase a great, memorable experience.

Focused and Devoted Laurel Sweeny was very professional and a big help selling my property in a tough market. From our first encounter to after closing, Laurel stayed focused and devoted to taking care of even the smallest details. Thank you Laurel for your hard work and efforts!

Her high energy, creativity, strong follow-up skills and delightful personality. Laurel is an extremely resourceful team and consensus builder. She has successfully demonstrated that attribute in her multi-faceted career and as a volunteer in many community organizations. Her high energy, creativity, strong follow-up skills and delightful personality make her exceptional person to deal with both professionally and personally. I have total confidence in Laurel's ability to deliver in any situation.

Laurel made buying our first home easier than we could have imagined. She had the ability to understand exactly what we were looking for, and took us straight to the perfect property on our first meeting! I can't thank her enough for her insight, knowledge and skill. Our home exceeds our wildest dreams

Laurel Sweeney helped us buy the weekend home of our dreams in our favorite place in the Hudson Valley. She quickly identified our likes and dislikes and with her extensive knowledge of the area took us to many properties all of which met our specifications. During the buying process, Laurel's good judgment and experience were invaluable. She kept our interests at the forefront of her mind and gave us plenty of good advice. Throughout Laurel was professional but friendly and a pleasure to work with.

Ben Shor did a terrific job marketing my property and seeing the sale through to conclusion. I was very pleased with the marketing he did, including the photography, the virtual tour, and the online marketing. Ben helped negotiate a quick sale at a good price, and then he worked tirelessly keeping the sale alive, as the transaction had many bumps along the way. Ben maintained a good working relationship with the buyer’s agent, my lawyer, and my tenant. I wholeheartedly recommend Ben Shor to anyone interested in selling their property.

She has made our experience joyful. My husband and I had a dream of building a house in the Catskills and we were extremely fortunate to find Gail Short. Not only did she find us the perfect piece of property, but poured her heart and soul into making sure that we closed. We had a lot of delays because of the seller and she made sure that everything fell into place. She has made our experience a joyful one and we can't wait to celebrate with her over a bottle of wine on our new deck!

I'm from the area and own a home but I knew I wanted a change. I couldn't decide what would be best...a condo, a single family, an income producing multi family and especially difficult - what town or area. To make a very long story short, Gail has worked with me for over 2 years to find the new home I wanted and helped to sell my old home as well. Gail showed incredible patience and perseverance in my pursuit of a new house and sale of my old house and I so appreciated that she was always looking out for my interests. She has certainly gone above and beyond what I thought was the role of a realtor. I would recommend her for any and all of your real estate needs.

While my husband and I were looking for our first house, we spoke to many real estate agents. We even went to look at some houses with other agents but, they became pushy and didn't understand why were not jumping at the great opportunity. However, after I called Prudential Nutshell Realty, my husband and I decided to drop our current realtor in order to work solely with Prudential. All of the realtors at this office were wonderful. When you call they are polite and quick to respond with answers. Anna was great, she was always prepared and flexible with the times she could work. When it came to closing on our house, she made sure that everything was ready to go in order to have a successful closing.

I have never experienced such a smooth buying process and closing. After discussing with Tom Edwards the types of houses in which I was interested and my price range, he put together a portfolio of five houses to show me. Each one fit my specifications in its own way. Tom did not waste my time or his by showing me possibilities or long shots. The house I decided on could not have been a more perfect fit to my vision. Nutshell Realty made the entire process effortless. House buying by nature is a very stressful life event. Nutshell worked with the seller's realtor, my attorney, financier and inspector on all the details. I have never experienced such a smooth buying process and closing.

I was very pleased with the level of service provided by Tom Goss. His professionalism and solid knowledge of the local area were a tremendous help in finding the best property in our price range. Tom is dependable, and very easy to work with. I highly recommend him.

Ben understood our needs and didn't waste our time showing us houses that were not suited to us. He was available to us on short notice and went out of his way to give us information on houses and helped us secure information about mortgages and taxes. He is a great resource for anyone buying a house.

Laurel Sweeney was patient and supportive. As a city girl, on my own, looking for a country house was a bit indimidating. Laurel Sweeney was patient and supportive, and I found the perfect house. I love my log cabin and my five acres, I love the area, and I love Laurel and Nutshell.

We would like to express our deepest thanks for all of your effort in helping to find a home for our son and his family. It was a long haul but we made it through thick and thin. Your effort in the search was greatly appreciated by all. We visited many homes in trying to find the perfect place and were able to finally locate it. Despite the problems that did arise you stuck with us through the whole process in communicating with the other realtor, in obtaining information when we thought we were at a standstill. They are now moved in and almost settled in and still working on emptying those boxes. The kids love the place and are getting to know the other kids in the neighborhood. Once again thank you, we will keep you in mind for any future home needs that might arise in the future.

Ben Shor single-handedly kept me sane during the roller-coaster homebuying process. He was ultra-professional and extremely forthright in communicating the pros and cons of various properties. He went above and beyond the call of duty, acting as a point man to keep the process chugging along and physically checking the property to make sure the tenants vacated on time and the property was clean. He also made my life easier by referring me to an excellent real estate attorney and home inspector.

My Husband and I would like to thank Laurel Sweeney and the Team at Nutshell Realty for making the purchase of our first home an enjoyable experience. Laurel has been with us for a few years... since we first moved up from Brooklyn. Given our narrow criteria for a suitable home, she stuck with us, forwarding listings and showing houses until we landed on a perfect fit. If Laurel happened to be unavailable, other members of the Nutshell staff were happy to step in. This team approach is what makes Nutshell Realty stand out from other agencies. They are modern, forward thinking individuals with the kindness and compassion needed to guide potential home owners to their goal.

**Repeat Customer** Laurel was a tremendous resource in helping us find our home. Laurel and her team stuck with us through an exhaustive search process and countless home tours over many months. Resourceful, sophisticated, and organized, Laurel brings a business like approach to the home buying process yet somehow always remains bright, friendly, and supportive through what, in the end, is a very personal exercise for any family. We recommend Laurel and her team without reservation.

Thank you for your help and continued support with the recent sale of my brother’s house on Rock Haven Road. In these hard economic times, at the very bottom of the housing market, you successfully brought us through a labyrinth of prospective buyers and completed a complicated negotiation for the desired closing price. As a seller and an industry outsider, I appreciated all your explanations and insights into the real estate business. It takes a lot of experience to evaluated the changing currents in the market. I know you did a lot of research and advertising for this sale, and it really paid off. Thanks again for all your work. With best wishes for the Holiday Season.

We are completely satisfied customers! Anna Barcone made buying our first home a success! We were a little nervous when we first got started, but Anna's knowledge and affability put us right at ease. Anna made us feel like a priority, and she continued to find and show us houses that fulfilled our needs. We found a home that we love in a really reasonable time frame, and Anna was right there to offer advice and get us through the tough moments that purchasing a home can sometimes present. We would recommend Anna to anyone who is looking to buy a home right now. We are completely satisfied customers!

We wanted to thank you for helping us find our new home on Ashokan Road. Your extensive knowledge of the area and tireless efforts showing us the type of homes that you thought would meet our needs was much appreciated. Thanks to your help, we found a wonderful home that we are very excited about living in for many years to come. Your overall professionalism in conjunction with the support of your expert staff, helped make our purchase very smooth and trouble free. It is clear that your personal touch, warmth, and sense of humor made the house hunt a more enjoyable experience. We would gladly recommend you and your office to anyone seeking a home in the area of Ulster County.

We chose Prudential Nutshell Realty, more specifically Laurel Sweeney, as our selling agent when we decided to sell our house. My wife and I weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into since the market was experiencing such a historic downturn and we chose the winter to list the house. We just knew we had to try since our family had grown and we needed a bigger house. Laurel met with us and showed us unmatched friendliness and professionalism. Laurel and her team made the sale of our house as smooth as possible from the first meeting before we actually listed the house, right up to and after the closing, always there to answer any questions and guide us through this tricky market. Using her extensive resources and contacts, she had our house sold in an amazingly short period of time. While using Laurel and her team to sell our house, we felt confident and secure enough to have Laurel assist us in buying our new house. Her experience was invaluable and key to the smooth transition we made selling one house and purchasing another simultaneously. Thank you to Laurel and Team Ulster.

Thanks a Million. When my job as a navy recruiter made it necessary for me to relocate from Virginia to the Kingston, NY area I knew I needed a Realtor who would be doing a lot of my let work for me. I walked into Prudential Nutshell Realty and met June for the first time. She was so reassuring. I knew I would be taken care of. Over the course of the next few months we became really good friends and with her help found a wonderful home. If you find yourself in need of a REALTOR to help you sell your home or to purchase a home, just ask for June and you won't be sorry.

I would like to take a moment to praise your office and specifically our listing agent, Gail Short. As you know we have never sold a home before and, in fact, have lived in the same home for 22 years. Gail offered professional and objective advice regarding ways to improve our home, ways to brighten and lighten it and how to attract a qualified buyer. She was painfully blunt at times but I was able to handle it without too much bruising! When it came to negotiating with our buyers, Gail offered great negotiating suggestions and possibilities for counter offers I had not thought of. This whole process has gone more smoothly than I ever imagined and I lend much of that credit to Gail. You've got a real diamond on your staff! PS And, of course, thanks for selling our house in 73 days!

Anna was knowledgeable, helpful, and patient with us. Working with Anna Barcone was a great experience. We were first time home buyers that were nervous about taking the next step, but Anna wasknowledgeable, helpful, and patient with us which made the process that much better. We highly recommend her to anyone buying a house.

Guidance, advice, honesty. Gary and I thank you again for your efforts. Gary and I feel confident Michelle has guided us to the correct Realtor. Today's Kingston home tour was informative, amusing and eye opening. As we move forward toward our goal of purchasing our Kingston home your guidance, advice, honesty and the occasional blow to the head would be most appreciated.

I did not realize how much work selling a home could be. Now that my family is finally settled in our new home, I just wanted to compliment you and your staff on the excellent, high quality, professional care I received. I did not realize how much work selling a home could be. I am so thankful to you for all your support. The details for setting up the sale, contact with the buyers, realtors, lawyers, corresponding with banks, etc. and carrying on my own day-to-day work and family schedule would have been overwhelming for me to handle on my own. I relied on your expertise in these areas and was very satisfied. I could not have done it without you. Not only did you organize the sale of my home, at the same time you helped me find a new home. Your step-by-step advice made the transition for my family as smooth as could be expected during a stressful yet exciting time. Your office staff was also very knowledgeable and helpful. Someone always returned my call quickly with answers to my questions. My house was listed previously with other realty companies, and I did not receive the high quality care I received from Prudential Nutshell. I cannot thank you enough for being there for me every step of the way. We couldn't be happier with the end result of our sale and purchase.

I was lucky to have Jennifer Redmond as my realtor for my 11-month search for my first home. I cannot imagine anyone working so arduously, or going out on such limbs, as Jennifer did on my behalf. The first two houses I tried to buy turned out to have underlying issues which may not have come to light without her diligence, and I am so grateful that she put in those extra hours, which saved me time, money and grief in the long run. Always ready to think creatively, dig a little deeper, or do some research, Jenn is the agent I would recommend in a heartbeat to any close friend. Fortunately the third time was the charm, and I couldn't be happier in my cozy new home!

She listened carefully, was candid and complete with information. Laurel Sweeney has been a big help, both before and after the purchase of our house in Stone Ridge. She listened carefully, was candid and complete with information about the houses we saw, and has continued to help us with quality referrals after the sale. We recommend Laurel and Nutshell Realty.

You were great at understanding our needs. Thank you so much, Laurel. We love our house. You were great at understanding our needs and working through the details of what was a difficult situation. I am happy to recommend you, plus you were fun to work with!

I have had the pleasure of working with Ben on numerous outings, looking for a home to purchase for about 2 years. I have found him to be consistently pleasant, and he knows exactly the type of home I'm looking for. He presents creative ideas on ways to improve whatever house we've looked at. He's very, very accommodating to meet me whenever I've asked him, even with very short notice. He's always very friendly and always has a smile, and he's an easy person to get to know. Besides being a joy to work with, Ben is very informative on what needs to be done to purchase a home. He follows up with answers to my questions almost immediately or within a couple hours. He's a great person and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Ben as a real estate agent.

Many thanks to Gail Short! We all know how difficult and frustrating it can be to obtain a mortgage and buy a new house. Gail led me through each step of the process and gave me several helpful pointers along the way. Her cheerfulness and patience made the whole experience quite enjoyable. As an added bonus, she seemed to know everyone involved, including my new neighbors! It's very helpful to get the scoop on the neighborhood when you buy a new home! I highly recommend Gail to anyone in need of a good realtor!

Laurel Sweeney gets the job done. Having moved out of the area, we needed someone we could trust, who could work with us long distance, deal with any issues as they arose, and keep us focused as well. Laurel did all these things with sensitivity and intelligence, and creative problem-solving when required. She is good-humored and diligent, and she understands the uniqueness of every property. She was always optimistic, and never stopped selling our house until it was sold, which happened much faster than we had imagined it might. We would recommend Laurel unhesitatingly, and in fact, already have.

Her expertise in understanding what we were looking for. Working with Laurel Sweeney at Nutshell Realty has been a great experience. Laurel's personality combined with her expertise in understanding what we were looking for, were essential factors which enabled us to ultimately find the right house. Despite the obstacles we and Laurel faced, due to the fact that we were living overseas and looking to buy a house here in America, her perseverance and positive attitude made our house-hunting a success. We would highly recommend working with Laurel. She is a dedicated realtor and works very hard for her clients.

Tom, we would like to thank you for helping us find our dream home in the Catskills. You are a true professional and guided us through every step of the way with patience and understanding. What started out as a business relationship has grown into a friendship and we cherish that. We would highly recommend you and your associates at Prudential Nutshell Realty for all those seeking their dream home. We can't thank you enough!

Now that the sale of our home has been completed, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the hard work that you have done to see this sale to completion. Despite moments of stress due to buyer financing issues, I got to witness your patience and tact, which definitely allowed things to go smoothly, and was greatly appreciated. Your consummate, honed, professional skill set and knowledgeable manner kept you on top of the endeavor and kept us calm every step of the way. THANK YOU!!!

Laurel Sweeney is a walking dynamo. She is realistic, focused and determined. We originally used another realtor when we first put our home on the market and after that retainer expired we immediately signed up with Laurel. Laurel and her team mobilized by immediately setting up a virtual tour on the Nutshell website, blasting the details of our home onto various sales tools and we had more potential buyers in the first month with Laurel than we had during the length of the retainer with the other realtor. Needless to say, we are very pleased that we sold our home through Nutshell and we can’t say enough good things about Laurel.

In a very difficult market, Laurel's professionalism and knowledge of the market was always evident. She was able to quickly negotatate a sale of my property even though the market for this type of home was extremely slow. She gave good guidance throughout the process and I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking to sell property in Ulster County.

My experience working with you Laurel was absolutely an incredible one. You were very patient with me, since I was extremely picky in what I was looking for, and it was such a long process. You never got frustrated with me when I asked you to look at more and more houses. You made it painless for us even though I was fighting and kicking the whole way. You got to know exactly what I was looking for and knew I was not going to settle for less. I know I was at times hard to work with, yet you never showed it. You are great at what you do, and Roger and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for finding us the home of our dreams. Bless you!

We live out of town and had to sell my mother-in-law’s home after her passing. Because of our location, we were completely unfamiliar with the housing market in Ulster County. June listened to us, asked us questions we did not think of and together we were able to decide on a sound and fair asking price. We had an offer within one week of placing the house on the market and closed 2 1/2 months later. June stayed in consistent contact with us and stepped up to the plate to assist in things we could not do because of our out-of-town location, including a last minute issue with the oil company the evening before the closing. We felt at ease and had much confidence in handing the house over to June. The entire process went far smoothly than we could have ever imagined. We would gladly recommend June in a heartbeat to handle your real estate matter.

Laurel and her colleagues at Prudential Nutshell have been consistently sophisticated, knowledgeable, and responsive. With the sale of our home, Laurel was careful to craft a sales strategy that matched our specific needs, and she was diligent and successful in meeting our timing and pricing objectives. Very much a part of the local community, Laurel and her team related well to potential buyers and their agents while advancing our interests as sellers. We enjoyed an entirely pleasant sales process and ultimately a very successful transaction for all parties involved, due in large part to Laurel's professionalism and care.

A can do attitude and a smile that never quits At the advice of a highly respected and successful New York City real estate agent, who is a business colleague, I approached Laurel about her interest in selling my home in High Falls. As part of the interview process I looked for the basics in making my selection of a listing broker. Of importance to me was an informed agent, a strong supportive team, community connections, intelligence, patience, professionalism, strong sales history, knowledge of technological sales tools, realistic appraisal of property's value, dedication, love of craft, and strong constitution. It was a tough decision as the list of brokers was extensive. After a dynamic PowerPoint presentation on her team's capabilities, I was near signing the contract with Nutshell. However, the factor that pushed me to make the commitment, a decision I have never regretted, was a personal connection that she was able to establish with me. As the home sales landscape continued to flatten during our working together, Laurel was steadfast in her support and encouragement. At every turning point she provided assistance without reservation along with professional resources that were both responsive and knowledgeable. With a can do attitude and a smile that never quits, she provided a steady course to a sale that was seemingly effortless. With team member Tom Edwards' insight and Ben Shors' offer-inducing website for the property, it doesn't surprise me that we succeeded not only in finding a buyer for the property, but a couple who promise to be excellent stewards for years to come.

“We couldn’t have done it without June” June’s belief is that “no programs or tools, however effective, can replace the individual agent who takes the time to listen and truly guide their customer through the home selling and buying process.” June did all of this and more! Our son, Josh, had made an appointment with June for us since we live in Pennsylvania. Josh had explained to June what he thought we were looking for prior to our visit, so June had 10 houses lined up for us to see on a Saturday starting at 1 pm. Amazingly enough we saw all 10 houses and considered the pros and cons of each by 6 pm! But none of the 10 houses was exactly what we were looking for. Now that June had a much better idea of what we wanted, she offered to show us a few more houses on Sunday if we could extend our trip. Fortunately we had 3 hours to look at more houses before we had to head back to PA. June had done her homework and fixed up her GPS to expedite our trip, and we found THE house! We couldn’t have done it without June’s expertise. She then helped us through the whole mortgage process. As our chosen closing date got closer, when we were about to give up all hope of the mortgage going through, June kept encouraging us and kept us in a positive frame of mind. June became a good friend in the process of helping us find and buy our house. We’ll keep in touch with June as we travel back and forth from PA to NY. Our son and grandson are living in the house to take care of it for us. They both love it too! Jack & Helen Foreman

Our experience selling our house with Nutshell Realty could not have gone more smoothly. Our agents, Laurel Sweeney and Tom Goss gave us great advice on preparing our home for sale and were very attentive to our concerns along the way. Relocating out of state before our house sold, we were able to enjoy peace of mind that we were leaving our house in very capable hands. Working from afar with Laurel and Tom was a breeze and we could not be happier with the result - a quick sale and a very positive experience.

Laurel represented me in the sale of my house, and she exhibited true professionalism. She is honest, thorough, understanding, and she showed a thorough understanding of the home selling process, which can be difficult and stressful! I recommend her with the utmost of confidence.

Gail Short has all the attributes of a great realtor- smart, personable, a good listener, and a good negotiator. But she also makes riding around in a car to look at houses fun and enjoyable.