I bought my house from a ReMax Center broker and I was pleased with the service. The office is…read moreclean and inviting, the receptionist was friendly, and they comply with all of Illinois real estate laws (surprisingly uncommon among some real estate places...) For the record, I'm a licensed Illinois real estate broker, so I know what I'm talking about with that. And no, I do not (nor have I ever) work for ReMax or have any financial connection with them. I strongly recommend ReMax center if you're buying in Gurnee, Grayslake, Libertyville, or the surrounding areas. I actually bought out in Wonder Lake -- way far away from Grayslake -- and my broker was amply willing to drive me out there to look at places.

I just want to warn any prospective customers that Andrew L Carlin is a snake. He intentionally…read morebrought a contract to me which I was accepting but he neglected to tell anyone including my realtor that the buyers he brought me already had a contract on another piece of property. I was being played by him while they were waiting on an inspection of the home they already had a contract on. Once they got the inspection I was dumped. I wonder how the Illinois Attorney Generals office appreciate hearing about this idiot. Beware of this guy.

Living at 23247 W North Lakewood Lane was one of the worst rental experiences that my husband and I…read morehave ever had. The landlord, Luigui Corral, was consistently unresponsive, dismissive, and unwilling to take responsibility for even basic maintenance on HIS house, leaving us to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions for three years. Here are just some (not all) of the major issues that we faced: 1. SAFETY HAZARDS IGNORED: There were metal rods sticking out of the concrete in the backyard (from a previous garage demolition) that were left exposed for the entire time we lived there, despite us providing photos and repeated requests for them to be removed. Not only was this dangerous for us, but it was a major hazard for our dog. Nothing was ever done to fix this. 2. HOUSE FALLING APART: The siding around the whole house was falling off with visible holes leading into the house. Again, this was reported early on and never repaired. The gutters were also full of debris, which resulted in water draining improperly and the backyard flooding whenever it rained. Again, nothing was ever done to fix this issue. 3. NONFUNCTIONAL A/C & FURNACE: The AC and furnace were constant issues throughout the entire three years. The furnace continuously short-cycled. Sometimes, it would even stop working all together in the winter. We reported these issues multiple times, and were met with delays, empty promises, and occasional temporary fixes that never addressed the core problem. One winter, Luigui dropped off a space heater instead of addressing the major issue, which was that the furnace NEEDED to be replaced! We also had to ask many times for a return vent to be installed so that the AC could properly move throughout the rest of the house during the warmer months. Still, the temperature was never consistent or comfortable at any point while we lived there. 4. LEAKING WASHER/DRYER NIGHTMARE: The combined washer/dryer that came with the rental was leaking and never worked properly. Despite us arranging repairs, the landlord refused to replace it, stating that a washer/dryer was simply a "convenience" for us and not his responsibility. After months of useless service appointments and scheduling chaos (including FIVE reschedules for one part), we ended up buying our own machine, out of pocket, and were only given a minimal rent deduction of $60 per month. 5. NOT A FENCED-IN BACKYARD: This property was advertised as a "fenced-in backyard", however, the fence surrounding the house was consistently hanging on by a thread. At one point, the fence did fall, and he refused to fix it, stating that the fence didn't belong to him. Most of the fence was being held up by wooden slabs leftover from construction. Also, the gate that was near the front of the house rotted and broke, and we had to remove it ourselves. This was disappointing, because we wanted to utilize the backyard to play with our dog. However, we never really got to do that due to the quality of the fence and the gate falling apart. 6. APPLIANCES & REPAIRS PAID BY TENANTS: We paid for most of the appliance repairs ourselves, including the fridge, A/C, furnace, dishwasher, oven, and even electrical fixes after the landlord's contractor made dangerous mistakes. One time, the tankless water heater clogged because it hadn't been serviced since 2018. We informed Luigui about this, and let him know that it was preventing us from having hot water. He claimed the water heater was our responsibility, leaving us without hot water for days. He finally agreed to have someone come drain it, but only after we offered to pay for half of it ourselves. Even though appliances were strategically put as a "tenant responsibility" in our lease, we would have NEVER signed it if we realized that we were responsible for all of the appliances in a house that we didn't even own. 7. NO CO2 DETECTORS OR FIRE DETECTORS: The house never had CO2 detectors installed! Luigui only purchased them AFTER we were concerned about a CO2 leak and had the fire department come out and check the house. They also let us know while we were there that the fire detectors were dead/expired and doing nothing to protect us from a potential fire. 8. COMMUNICATION FAILURE: Every repair request was met with excuses, long wait times, or outright neglect. Getting anything approved took days, weeks, or months. We never felt like we could reach out to him, because he always responded to us like we were a burden. It was such a relief to move out in June and block his number from our phones for good! Despite everything, we paid rent every month on time. In return, we lived in a property with broken appliances, structural hazards, electrical risks, poor heating and cooling, and minimal concern for our comfort or safety. Do yourself a favor, and find literally anyone else to rent or buy from. Living here was a lesson in how bad things can get when a landlord simply doesn't care.

If you are in the round lake beach community or surrounding area- avoid renting with Luigui Corrals…read moreTeam. I rented a home from him for over 6 years and it was a horrible experience the last few years. When I first moved in the house was beautiful it had been re-done. I quickly noticed that it was done in a hurry and very cheaply. There was no washer and dryer in the house, nothing in the closets, no blinds. I put two units in, added blinds and curtains at my own cost, added shelving to the closets so I could actually use them. There were other weird things like there was nothing in the bathroom, no mirror, no shower curtain or bar to hang the curtain. He needed a renter and clearly fast. As I started living there the house started falling apart. The foundation was bad, they left large open holes under the house until an inspector came and told them they had to fix it and the shed that was literally missing the sides of the unit. He had someone come in and put boards around the house and fix the shed. Not nicely but to make sure they couldn't come back and say it wasn't done. The windows on the house never locked. The house was shifting due to the foundation being cracked and broken. Which also caused the doors to now lock properly. The house was literally tilted to the back side and sinking. Soon the floors started cracking, the ceiling, the walls. The storm door rusted and fell off. The mailbox was too short and they stopped delivering my mail. I notified him and his team multiple times about the conditions and they did nothing. I eventually replaced the mailbox myself, was never reimbursed and then found a solution to lock the windows myself with something I purchased on Amazon, my step dad came and changed the locks for me and I added other security measures to the home so I could lock the doors. The house did not have central AC so I had to get window units. He did supply a few when I first moved in but they were black, dusty, gross and looked like they had mold growing on them. I never used them for fear I would get sick. Again I shared the units were not in usable order and he said to move them into the shed with no other solution. Soon winter came the heat went out frequently. Often times he left me without heat because he refused to pay for a new furnace even though he had been told many times that it needed to be replaced. Years into my stay the house developed a leak in the roof in the laundry room that leaked everytime it rained. I sent pictures and vidoes of the steady water leaking into the house and never got a response back. Soon the critters started coming into the room in the roof/ attic. They were in the walls etc. the house had mice, that got inside through the damage. Never fixed anything or responded to me. There were a series of other issues that happened when I was living there but if you're still reading. Stay away from him and his team. They do not take care of their properties, they do not take care of their tenants and he's a horrible person to deal with. If you need a place to stay do not rent from him. He will take advantage of you, blame you for things around the property that are his negligence. Trying to save people the headache and experience I went through.

I hired Ryan Company Realtors after getting no results from a previous realtor. I can't say enough…read moreabout how hard they work to sell your home. Sean helped me every step of the way including helping me with all the work that needed to be done after inspection. My house was in contract within a few weeks of listing with Sean. I will use them for all my realty needs.

I called to ask about a home we were interested in purchasing for a disabled family member…read more My first question was whether the property had smoking. The realtor said the question "made him laugh." The home is falling apart "and you're asking about smoking. That makes me laugh." If a house is falling apart, put that in the description. Don't mock and insult people who call to ask about it. It is illegal to discriminate against homebuyers on the basis of disability. It is also heartless and cruel.

I have been working with Jim for almost a month now and it is an absolute pleasure to work with…read morehim. One of the most hard working people I have ever met. Jim is focused on honesty, integrity, the needs of his clients, and is always available when I need it. Thank you Jim for all your help!

The Star Home Team is phenomenal! Over the years, I've…read more experienced many moves with my job. By far, the Starwalt team is the best real estate agency I've worked with. With this last move, we relocated out of town and wasn't in IL to do various activities to facilitate selling of the home. With that, the Starwalt team stepped in on numerous occasions to ensure everything was done to facilitate a smooth sell process. From the beginning of the process to the end, they were attentive, prompt and customer focused. If you are in the market for a realtor, give Jim or Susan Starwalt a call. They'll take care of your needs. You will not be disappointed.

A+ over and over again. We initially found out about James after another realtor didn't really work…read moreout for us as we were searching for rentals. In this current housing market and economy, it's hard to find someone that isn't blinded by the almighty dollar but James was exactly that. When my fiance and I reached out to him, he answered our call and was very pleasant and kind. He asked us about our situation and was more than willing to help. His kind and compassionate nature was very evident, especially his willingness to work with the military/Veteran population. James immediately worked with us to show us rentals that he had found and was prompt in showing us rentals that we had requested. He was always available for us whenever we had any questions and his follow through and efficiency of communication is unmatched. He helped us find and secure the best rental for the best price for our family at this time. Overall, we truly enjoyed working with James and will continue to do so. His accolades within the real estate business are unrivaled and for good reason. He is THE best!! My fiance and I are looking forward to working with him again when we buy the house of our dreams. So if you're looking for a realtor who can get the job done, look no further than James Smith--he is at the top of his game, personable, kind and an excellent agent! We highly recommend him. Thank you for all that you've done for us James. We appreciate it!

Jim is by far the best real estate agent I have ever worked with. A true world class professional…read morein the industry. What sets him apart from other agents is his consistent effort and willingness to go above and beyond for every task related to completing a successful home sale. He made the recent closing of my Lindenhurst home a lot easier on me by taking care of all the little things. He contacted repair companies, followed up on financing progress, checked buyer credit history, and various other tasks, all with a great positive attitude and timely communication. I am grateful for Jim's hard work and dedication to my sale, and I look forward to doing business with him again.

If you're looking to buy or sell your house, you should call Laura Lanz with ReMax…read more Laura is INCREDIBLE! Not only is Laura kind, friendly and will make you feel at ease, Laura is also incredibly organized, quick and will work for you. Laura will be on top of things, she is quick to respond and Laura is one of those people who is truly genuine to her core. Laura made a process in purchasing a home painless (and during COVID that was HUGE!) and walked me through each step. Laura explained the process thoroughly, was actively involved and never made me feel like I was asking her too many questions or bothering her. Laura Lanz really is amazing; I could not have been more happy. You will not regret calling Laura to have her help you find your dream home too or will help you sell your house to get you to your dream home.

Allen was an awesome and honest Realtor we used for the sale of our father's house. At every point…read moreof the process, he exceeded our expectations. Prior to listing the home, Allen offered out many recommendations for us to consider, most of which we moved forward with. He also offered retailers and/or contractors who could perform the work without delay and at reasonable prices. Throughout the sale process, Allen kept us proactively updated with items that required our attention. His real estate knowledge was invaluable throughout the process. We are extremely thankful to have worked with Allen!!

Allen is highly knowledgeable about the real estate market and buyer/seller psychology. He is…read moreprofessional and straight forward; no inflated projections, just tells it like it is....and he knows from experience how it is! I would highly recommend his services to family or friends. A+

Joe helped me buy my Condo 5 years ago. I had no experience in this and he made everything go so…read moresmoothly. I got the place I wanted at a very reasonable price. (Having seen how much the other places around me go for since I'm positive on that.) The Real Estate Attorney he referred was great as well. Joe was responsive and I never felt rushed. I don't have much else to say because there just weren't any problems.

Joe is an amazing, kind, friendly, and very knowledgeable realtor. Joe truly is in for the long…read morehaul to create forever customers, but also to build friendships. Joe has helped many of my family members and myself at getting a home. Joe persevered with us for 3 years in our indecisiveness and through the pandemic in helping us get our home. He guided and advised us until we found our forever home. Thank you Joe for being amazing and genuine.