Without the help of Anna Losett of Keller-Williams, our move from Beaufort, South Carolina to Philadelphia, a city we did not know, would have been impossible. Our contact with her began in late January before our house was even on the market. We talked at length on the phone about our price range and the type of life experience we were imagining. Initially, we knew only about condominiums and townhouses. A resident of Philadelphia for over 20 years, Anna set us straight from the get-go on those neighborhoods in which we could afford a home and feel safe as retirees. She also recommended that we consider cooperatives, because these required cash and might be less appealing to many buyers (less competition). She sent us both condo/co-op and townhouse options for several months, including a condo in Chinatown. Using WhatsApp for the first time, she visited that condo, making it possible for us to view it from afar and discuss the quality of the spaces with her, and then dismiss it as a possibility (great location, beautiful interior, but too small). After our house was on the market in mid-April (it sold in 24 hours), Anna made a video for us of the rooftop garden of a Center City co-op. Because we had had no previous experience with co-ops, nor had Anna, she also gathered information for us from the co-op management. When we arrived in Philadelphia, my husband and I visited several neighborhoods, including the locale of the co-op. We nixed the townhouse locations, but as we drove by the co-op, we knew we had found our home. We were accepted into the co-op less than a month after the closing on our house, and only two weeks after first arriving in Philadelphia. Anna's inquisitiveness about co-ops and her gentle nudging in that direction, made this transition seamless and utterly anxiety free. read more