Here are the straight-up personal experience facts when having Russ as your Realtor: When my wife and I were looking to move into our second home, we put together a comprehensive list of wants, needs, preferred locations (of course), and most of all, price point. We wanted a realtor that a) Listened to us; b) Keep us informed and updated with the latest listings; c) Worked with our schedule; d) Kept in contact without being pushy. Although, you cannot always find the absolute perfect home and/or neighborhood you want to be in, with a bit of patience Russ helped us to find a home close enough to suit our needs. That being said, Russ is very practical per the following: 1) When you tell him exactly what you are looking for, he does a great job in narrowing the search to the specifics in which you identified. Case and point, the minimum we wanted was a 2000 square foot home with a large garage, at least a half acre wooded lot that was not on a corner or on a major road. So for the most part, Russ pre-screened listings per those requirements so that we didn't kid ourselves wasting time to see homes that didn't fit the bill. 2) When we gave Russ our maximum price, he did not go overboard and send us listings that we could not afford. In fact, any listings he provided that exceeded our maximum were almost all likely to be counter offered for less than our maximum. 3) Russ is definitely not pushy. 4) Once he shows you a few homes, he helps to hone your wants and needs in his search. 5) He (in my honest opinion) wants you to be happy with your purchase, as he ensures it meets your requirements before you sign the agreement. 6) He is pretty darn good about keeping in contact. All in all, Russ puts in a lot of time and effort to help you find the right home and is very knowledgeable and personable. He might not be able to coin the "House-sold" Name, but yea, you will "Rave" about him. read more

Here are the straight-up personal experience facts when having Russ as your Realtor: When my wife and I were looking to move into our second home, we put together a comprehensive list of wants, needs, preferred locations (of course), and most of all, price point. We wanted a realtor that a) Listened to us; b) Keep us informed and updated with the latest listings; c) Worked with our schedule; d) Kept in contact without being pushy. Although, you cannot always find the absolute perfect home and/or neighborhood you want to be in, with a bit of patience Russ helped us to find a home close enough to suit our needs. That being said, Russ is very practical per the following: 1) When you tell him exactly what you are looking for, he does a great job in narrowing the search to the specifics in which you identified. Case and point, the minimum we wanted was a 2000 square foot home with a large garage, at least a half acre wooded lot that was not on a corner or on a major road. So for the most part, Russ pre-screened listings per those requirements so that we didn't kid ourselves wasting time to see homes that didn't fit the bill. 2) When we gave Russ our maximum price, he did not go overboard and send us listings that we could not afford. In fact, any listings he provided that exceeded our maximum were almost all likely to be counter offered for less than our maximum. 3) Russ is definitely not pushy. 4) Once he shows you a few homes, he helps to hone your wants and needs in his search. 5) He (in my honest opinion) wants you to be happy with your purchase, as he ensures it meets your requirements before you sign the agreement. 6) He is pretty darn good about keeping in contact. All in all, Russ puts in a lot of time and effort to help you find the right home and is very knowledgeable and personable. He might not be able to coin the "House-sold Name", but yea, you can "Rave" about him. read more

Russ was my third realtor, trying to sell a house I owned in Michigan. I live in Pennsylvania. The house was part of an estate. I owned it for three years. The first two realtors were terrible, compared to Russ. The first couple years I owned it was a real headache for me. After I hired Russ, the burden was lifted. Russ actually kept an eye on the place for me. He would call and say this needs done or that needs done. If I didn't have the resources to take care of it, with my permission, Russ would find someone for me. He was great. He only had to call me a couple of times because, he sold it so quick. We met. He told me, and showed me, what I should list it for. He told me what to expect for a selling price, which I got. I got it in just a few months. I called Russ this month, 4 years later, and he still remembered me. As Russ had explained when I listed it, I may, and did, have to sell on a land contract. I contacted Russ because the buyers decided to pay it off early. I called him a little anxious. The buyer's bank is calling with a list of things I need. No problem, Russ had taken care of that, escrowing stuff with the title company, at the time of sale. The only thing I had to do was figure a little interest and he showed me how to do that. I sure am glad I hired him. read more

We had known Russ Ravary for several years before we had him list our home. When my husband accepted a position out of state we wanted to sell our home quickly and for full market value. We called Russ and he agreed to list our home. Russ walked through our home and was very detailed on useful insights for pre-listing renovations/staging and effective showings. We followed all of his advice. Our home received two full-priced offers simultaneously within two weeks of the listing. Each offer had different contingencies and Russ walked us through each offer to explain the best offer for us. Russ was a proactive facilitator during the sale negotiations/due diligence. Russ went above and beyond the duties of a realtor: he stopped by to calm emotions and help find required paperwork; he was in contact with our title agencies for the sale of our old home and the purchase of our new home and saw all tasks to perfect completion. All of these tasks, whether business-related or interpersonal, were accomplished with a noticeable degree of competence, humility, integrity and grace. Russ has that perfect balance of knowledge, drive and enthusiasm that will get the job done. read more

Russ is the best real state agent you can find in this area. He has helped me twice to buy a home. For my first home we spent almost 6 months looking for something me and my family liked. Russ kept showing us as many properties we liked without getting PUSHY. He never tried to influence our decision to buy a particular property but was always there to help us make a right decision. He showed professionalism, expertise and excellent knowledge of the area - Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester Hills and everywhere else. For my second house as well he quickly became available and helped us search our new home. Russ also helped us sell the first house and walked us through the entire process really well. He did all the advertisement, photos, write-up and everything it takes to sell a house. He even mopped my floor and helped us in getting it painted. Did I mention, I wasn't even in Michigan when Russ helped us sell the house? Like I said, if you are in the area looking for your next house or planning to sell, give a call to Russ...without any doubts. read more

Russ was an awesome realtor. He sold my non-conforming home in an awful market in 2009 and helped me to find the house that I purchased this past fall. I had a unique situation with a limited budget. He was never going to make a huge commission on my purchase, yet he was passionate about finding just the right place for me even after looking at 150 houses. We had it down to a system and it would only take us 2 minutes to know whether the house was right for me. He would immediately go to the basement to check out the structure of the house and I would look at the layout. He would tell me when he, in all good conscience, couldn't sell me a house. He knew my situation and what I was and wasn't capable of as far as maintenance. He showed me what to look for and what to stay away from. With Russ I never felt like it was about commission, it was about finding the right home for me. Where other realtors would have dropped me, Russ assured me he was in it for the long haul. I'm now in the perfect home and couldn't be happier. Thank you, Russ. You are my hero! read more

Russ was recommended by a friend of ours who used Russ to buy his home a few years back. We wanted to buy downriver, but we were worried that Russ would not go that far. We were so happy that Russ was able to show us houses late at night, on Saturdays and Sundays. Whenever we need to go see a home, Russ worked it out in his schedule to make time for us. We were scared of the home buying process. We had heard stories about inspection problems, appraisal problems and mortgage issues from our friends. It seemed like our friends had all sorts of problems buying our home. With Russ we never had a problem at all. His team of mortgage people and inspectors were great. Russ stayed on top of the mortgage lender and headed off the issues before they became a problem to us. We had several concerns with the home inspection but Russ' negotiation skills helped us get what we wanted. If you are going to buy a home anywhere in the Metro area I would say call Russ. He works all of Metro Detroit and he will treat you like you were an old friend. read more

Russ Had just helped me with my home and figuring out what to do and the best way to go about it. i am getting ready to list my home and he is a great adviser. He knows the ins and outs of real estate which make it easy for me to make the best choice possible for my family and I. We are looking for a lake home now and he is truly knowledgeable. i can't wait to see some of the houses he has sent us and to see what our home sells for. this whole process is a lot and being our first move since we bought our first home, and we are looking for a very specific property style, while also having a long list of wants and needs to go along with it, working with a realtor that can deliver is and was very important to us when we were trying to find someone. Russ helped us from the very first phone call and every since. We totally trust his opinion and it hasn't steered us wrong yet. If you are looking for a realtor with lots of experience i would try calling Russ he has helped us so much already and our journey has just begun. read more

We sold our home in Macomb County and wanted to live on a lake in Oakland County. After doing some online research, we knew Russ was the one we wanted to work with to find a lakefront home. We always received email updating the homes that met our search criteria. Whenever we wanted to see a home Russ was extremely prompt in getting us an immediate showing. After a long search we were able to put in an offer on the perfect home for us, that being said, it seemed to be the perfect home for many people. It came down to #highest and best... With Russ's knowledge of lakefront property he was able to guide us in making a smart informed decision. Russ really went to bat for us when submitting our offer, and we believe he was very influential in the seller accepting our offer. We have since closed on the property and was very impressed with how smoothly the closing process went. It was a pleasure working with Russ his honesty and integrity is refreshing, we would highly recommend him whether buying or selling! read more

I used Angie's List to find Russ. He is extremely punctual, professional, and communicative. Russ is a man who you can trust! In fact, we will use Russ in the near future when we sell our rental townhome. My wife found a job in Charleston SC and was given only two weeks to relocate. We listed our house on Feb 14, my wife left on Feb 15, and we had our first offer on Feb 19. Our offer was only a little below asking, but it was significantly more than expected. All of this during the dead of winter where the HIGH temperature never went above zero Russ is a genius at marketing and he uses every popular online real estate service. All of the paper work was handled by Russ and his team. In fact we handled closing by express mail and we did not have to spend the money to fly back to Detroit for closing. The whole sales of our home, and the relocation happened so quickly it is good to look back in retrospect and remember what a God send Russ was in selling our house and helping us during the transition. read more

Russ was an awesome Realtor. We were first time home buyers so we were a little unsure of what to do, or what to look for when buying a home. Matt, a friend of mine had bought a house through Russ before and recommended Russ so we thought we would give him a try. We wanted to be near family, friends, and work so it limited the number of cities we wanted to live in. We wanted a good city with good schools and easy highway access, too. Most of all we wanted an updated home that we would not have to spend thousands of dollars to get it the way we wanted. Russ was patient and showed us every house we wanted to see which is great because some realtors are so pushy. He never pushed us to buy. We had the freedom to choose the house we wanted. Russ helped us put together a solid offer so we got the newer home we wanted. We are loving our home and have made it our own. Russ is an awesome Realtor and I would call him and recommend him to any of my friends and co-workers. read more

Russ was an amazing Realtor to work with, I had a tight timeline and many demands in a house that I was looking for and Russ was able to meet and exceed my expectations in an extremely fast timeline. Once Russ found the home I was looking for, he took over and worked directly with the seller and my mortgage team to make sure everything was achieved successfully and ahead of schedule. I was able to close earlier than expected thanks to Russ's ability to drive the process along. He has a very pleasant personality and not the typical pushy realtors that I have used in the past. He will be open and honest about a house you look at and has vast knowledge of the market for price points. I want to thank Russ for partnering in the home buying process with me as he truly was a partner and asset to me rather than just a realtor. Looking forward to working with him on my next home purchase! I highly recommend Russ to anyone out there looking to sell or purchase a home. Class act!! read more

Russ recently helped me purchase a home, this was my first time and i was extremely nervous. I was nervous i would get a realtor that didn't really work hard to get me the best deal possible. that was not the case with Russ, he tried and did everything he could and used every bit of his knowledge to get me a deal on a home i was satisfied and comfortable with. I couldn't have asked for a better realtor for my first time buying a home and i'm so glad my friend refereed me to him. I also know that he help my friend and his wife sell their home in order to purchase another better fitting to their needs now that they have a kid and one on the way. He was great with them and they swore by his knowledge and experience that i would be just as happy as they were working with him. The best choice i made was listening to hem and working with Russ as my realtor. I totally recommend him to anyone in any situation looking to buy or sell a home! read more

Russ was very helpful during the entire process. He went through our home with us and told us how we should arrange things and what to remove so that it would show well. He had a frank discussion of pricing with us and made suggestions, but always did as we asked and was never pushy. Having never sold a house before, he walked us through what we should expect and explained fees and processes with us. He took very clear and flattering pictures of our house for the listing. He was always very prompt with communication and answered any questions we had. We had to move out of the state before closing, and Russ kept us in the loop very well. He advised us and guided us during the whole process and made the entire thing much less stressful on us than it could have been. We really appreciated Russ's knowledge and experience, and I would recommend him as a seller's agent. read more

We highly recommend Russ to help you in your home buying and selling process. He is very professional, knowledgeable, helpful and easy to work with. He initially came by the house we were selling and took a tour and let us know what he thought would help in the sale our home. We listened to his advice and received three full price offers the same day it went on the market. Needless to say we were elated. He also worked hard to help us find our dream home and made the overall process very easy for us. Anytime we had questions, he was very quick to get back with us and even went out of his way to make sure things went as smooth as possible. My husband and I cannot say enough great things about Russ. If you take his advice, you will not be sorry. We will definitely be recommending him to anyone we know who is looking to buy or sell their home. read more

We were considering selling our lake cottage last year and had contacted a few realtors. After my husband passed away this past March, I found the information he had saved with some notes to contact Russ Ravary. I called Russ to sell the cottage. From the day we met at the cottage to list it until the day we met again at the closing to finalize the sale was less than two weeks!!! Russ knows the real estate business well. There was no stress on me and everything went smoothly. He returns calls promptly and is very easy to work with. When I decided to look for a condo, Russ is the one I chose to work with. I have very recently closed on the condo he showed me and have just listed my current house for sale with him. Russ really listens to you, offers suggestions based on his experience, and seems to really care about doing a great job for you. read more

Russ is a long time family friend of mine, so when we were looking for a house it was no question of who we would use as our real estate agent. As first time home buyers we knew that we could trust Russ to guide us through this process successfully. We searched for a home for about eight months and he was very patient when it came to all of our questions and the numerous homes that we asked to see. His focus was always on us, the clients and helping us find the perfect home! When we asked his professional opinion about certain homes, etc. he always gave us an honest answer and never pushed us in making a decision. We finally found a home that we love and this happened because of Russ's knowledge of the industry, attention, follow up, and dedication to us. If you need a realtor, Russ is the best and I highly recommend him! read more

Russ helped sell my home within a few weeks of it being on the market. Not only was he able to sell it quick he was able to get the amount that I was asking. Russ also helped me purchase my new home. He met with us to review our wants and needs. And by the evening he was send us home to rank and view on his website. By the following day he had already schedule home viewing based off your ranking. We viewed several homes. Although we were picky Russ always remained professional and responsive. After a few week of this Russ call me one day and said he had a home he would like us to visit. We did and I'm proud to say that we purchased that home and have been living in there happily since August. I have and will continue to refer Russ to my friends and family. read more

We were looking for a specific type of lot and a home to fit our needs to give us a little room in a specific city. We wanted to move to a better neighborhood without giving up what we were used too in our old house. We looked on and off for several years and Russ never gave up on us. We got a more updated house with many features and amenities that we love. It was a strong real estate market in the city we bought in and we did not over pay like so many other people did in 2013. Russ was instrumental to fulfill the wants and needs we were looking for. We got our home that had more space and a good sized lot that was so hard to find in the city we wanted. I hope Russ is not retired when we move next time. read more