"All I can strive to be is the absolute best possible version of myself."

There are aspects of real estate sales that seem pretty simple. There are many elements of a smooth transaction, however, that are complicated and daunting.   I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I’m experienced, because I’m professional . . .and because I care.   Gilbert Estrada       Selecting Gilbert Estrada and his team to guide you through buying a home will be a pleasurable and profitable experience. Gilbert Estrada is not just a real estate Salesperson, he is a fully-qualified Real Estate Broker and Mortgage Broker.   When buying a new or existing home, ask these questions.. .   What is the agent’s professional background? Established in the community? Member of the local Chamber of Commerce and BBB? Are they a fully qualified BROKER? Or just a Salesperson?   Does the agent have expert market knowledge of Real Estate inventories? How extensive are his strategic partnerships in escrow, lending, services (like termite contractors, etc)? Do they advertise on their own or rely on the corporate advertising to carry them? What's their personal marketing budget?   Is the agent committed to work every day on your behalf? How easy are they to contact? How fast do they return calls/e-mails? Do they rely on cold-calls and door knocking to generate new business or are they already established. Do they have mobile e-mail capabilities (like a Blackberry device) to answer your e-mails while on the road?   Is this person responsive to my needs? Do they have mobile internet and e-mail access? Do they have their own quality website or the "corporate" one that rookie agents use? Does the agent require you to fill out contact forms on their website or do they allow UNRESTRICTED access to the listings you're looking for?   What is the agent’s formal education level? Bachelors, degree? Seminars? REAL Marketing and Sales training? Have they taken the time to become a BROKER? Do they have the prestigious Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation? If they don't, ask why?   How much and what kind of formal training has the agent undergone? Formal Brokerage training?   Does the agent know the contracts inside-out? Do they use the new "automated" ZIPForms or are they still doing paper contracts and FAXes?              These are the questions that you must ask when you select an agent to serve you. These decisions should not be taken lightly, for every day that you have inferior representation is a day that you could be losing the opportunity to find that perfect home at that perfect price. Gilbert Estrada serves San Antonio's Elite and takes representing your needs serious. He does whatever it takes to exceed your expectations.   With interest rates at an all time low and loan programs to fit every lifestyle and economic situation, it has never been a better time to buy real estate. Allow Gilbert to introduce you to his strategic partner, Angie Estrada, at Lincoln Funding Group Inc. Angie can get you Pre-APPROVED, not just pre-qualified, to put immediate purchasing power in your pocket! Some of the things that Gilbert Estrada at Alamo Dream Homes can help prevent are:   Everything is already sold by the time you see it. There are multiple offers which are creating bidding-wars and driving up the prices. There are more buyers than sellers causing a market frenzy. Driving Around like Crazy. Frustration, loosing house after house because you did not know about it first. What will not work in today's market for buyers Looking in the Newspaper Most properties are sold by the time the ad runs, unless there are other issues such as deferred maintenance or price. In today's market, you need insider knowledge of upcoming listings, very fast notification and an extremely responsive Realtor like Gilbert Estrada. Searching Websites With the exception of my own websites, www.AlamoDreamHomes.com ,  www.casasyterrenosentexas.com and www.GilbertEstrada.com Most websites lag in data refresh rates and contain old and obsolete listings. These phantom listings cause aggravation and wasted time. My site is completely purged and repopulated nightly from all of the major MLS databases in Southern Texas. There is also UNRESTRICTED access to the listings (no pop-up forms to fill out) Driving Around Driving around works well if your only criteria is the exterior of the home. But it is the interior layout that makes the most difference. I set appointments with other agents to maximize our viewing time. I'll set up a route to view several in the same day. Wanna ride in my Lincoln Pick up??? Open Houses Buy the time you see a home during an open house, it is most likely already pending. Your best chance at getting a home in today's market is to see it prior to any open house. Your competition will be less. I have the contacts to make this happen. Calling any Realtor The decision to choose a Realtor should be based on the criteria mentioned above, not on chance alone. Education, experience, knowledge of the contracts and the backing of a well established company like Alamo Dream Homes should be considered. Using the listing agent can also be a bad thing. It does not give you any more advantage than having your own Realtor, and in fact, the listing agent’s first legal obligation is always to the seller. Would you use the same attorney as your opponent in a courtroom? There are conflict of interest issues that any Realtor should discuss with you first - Gilbert Estrada is a full-disclosure mindset agent.     What will work for buyers in today's market?   Hiring a competent Realtor like Gilbert Estrada to work with you through the entire process.    Getting pre-approved with a reliable lender, not just pre-qualified. This includes completing the application process and having your credit checked. You should do this by yourself before you contact me.   Have a copy of your pre-approval letter ready with your FICO score.   Have the necessary funds ready, and be prepared to write the deposit check at any time.   Do not apply for any other credit at the same time. Don't make any major purchases on credit after you are pre-approved or your home loan may be voided in escrow!   Complete a profile with your Realtor, begin to search for your next home, and be ready at a moments notice to preview homes and write an offer. Timing is critical in today's market. It's not unusual to lose a great deal due to short-fused timing. Advantages you'll have with Gilbert Estrada... "FREE"* Buyer representation (most of the time the Seller pays our fee) I'm a highly-educated licensed BROKER; I am also a Mortgage BROKER. In fact, Very Few REALTORS share my education level. I possess a Real Estate Broker License, a Mortgage Broker License and a BS in Computer Science. I am 100% bilingual in Spanish. I've also completed additional sales and marketing classes and was a Senior Adjuster with a multi-Billion dollar Company like Nationwide insurance, so negotiations are my specialty. My experience outside real estate also includes executive-level leadership positions with Nationwide Insurance, Prudential Insurance and Titan Insurance. I'm always taking advanced real estate courses to stay current with the latest laws and trends. I offer the best possible REPRESENTATION & NEGOTIATION available in this industry. My real estate experience combined with my professional background enables me to implement negotiation strategies that get you the best possible terms with the least possible concessions. I'm easy to contact by phone or e-mail for a FREE Consultation... Toll Free (866) 857 6943 direct 210 200 8585 GilbertEstrada@TopProducer.com (just click the link)   I also specialize in 1031 Exchanges *call for details and restrictions **In some cases you can retain your current tax base ***Call us for details

About Gilbert Estrada, real estate Broker

My Client-First Philosophy

There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional - integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how I work.

That said, in my experience as a San Antonio real estate professional, I've also found that providing the very best service is essentially about putting my clients first. This means keeping myself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator, and responding quickly to your needs.

This "client first" philosophy has always been my approach and it requires me to continually improve my skills and ways of doing business. In addition, I've found that the latest technologies are enabling me to do everything I've always done, only much more quickly and efficiently. They've also helped me to extend the range of services I provide to my clients.

So when you decide that you'd like to buy or sell a home in the San Antonio - Austin areas, please contact me.

I am licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission to sell and buy real estate throughout the state. As a Realtor I am a licensed Real Estate Broker, not just an Agent, who is a member of the National Association of Realtors ®, Texas association of Realtors and the San Antonio Board of Realtors. Most importantly, as a Realtor, I am bound by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors ®. At Alamo Dream Homes Real Estate, all Real Estate agents are REALTORS.