Upclose Magazine – Jamie Kastens

Erin and Joseph Lagasca’s son was just seven months old when the family learned Joseph would be transferring to Midland, TX. “I insisted on a neighborhood real estate agent to sell our house in Aliana,” explains Erin. “Keller Williams Southwest (KWSW) agent Jamie Kastens was not on the list for our relocation company, but she was the one I wanted. Her signs were everywhere, and we would see her volunteering in our community. During the pandemic, Jamie had partnered with a small, local woodworking business to make and ship wooden ornaments with family names. I loved that she was helping a struggling business during a very tough time. I called Jamie to help us sell the house.”

“Jamie knew the neighborhood, she knew the area, and she knew the market well. When we needed a landscape person to spruce up the yard before the listing, Jamie had one there the same day. Same thing with a handyman to fix up things in the house that we couldn’t take care of. Jamie gave us a list of things to do before the photos, and I really appreciated that she came by before the photos to make sure it looked the way that she expected. She was with us every step of the way, and made sure we got top dollar for that house.”

While preparing for the arrival of their second child, the Lagascas learned that they would be back in Houston this year. “We called Jamie of course,” says Erin. “We did the majority of our search with virtual tours the week before our daughter was born. I narrowed the choices down to three (without ever having seen them in person), and had Joseph go look at them and pick one. We signed the papers two days before our daughter was born. It was our 3rd new build, and this time it was different from the others. Jamie kept on top of things with the builder. She kept them accountable and made sure things were being done according to schedule without prompting from me. All walkthroughs–including the final walkthrough–were with Joseph. I only saw the house once, two weeks before closing. It was hard not being present for all the walkthroughs, but I knew Jamie would not let anything fall through the cracks. Jamie’s passion is helping people, and she was 100% with us all of the time. It felt like she didn’t have any other clients. While moving with a baby under one was not easy, I would do it again with Jamie! She made the process so enjoyable, and she is an excellent negotiator. I would hire Jamie a million times over!”